What Bush Did on his Summer Vacation--August 8

WACO, Texas (AP) -- President Bush remembered ABC anchorman Peter Jennings on Monday as a distinguished journalist who became a familiar face in millions of households.

"Laura and I were saddened to learn about the death of Peter Jennings," the president said. "Peter Jennings had a long and distinguished career as a news journalist. He covered many important events, events that helped define the world as we know it today.

"A lot of Americans relied upon Peter Jennings for their news. He became a part of the life of a lot of our fellow citizens, and he will be missed," Bush said. "May God bless his soul."

The president paused to talk about Jennings before boarding Air Force One for a trip to New Mexico to sign a major energy bill.

After making a statement on the death of Peter Jennings, the President flew to the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. He signed the energy legislation into law at a ceremony following a tour of a solar-power complex.

The bill is a National Energy Plan. It is the first of it's kind in more than a decade.

"The President's national energy plan will encourage energy efficiency and conservation, promote alternative and renewable energy sources, reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy, increase domestic production, modernize the electricity grid, and encourage the expansion of nuclear energy."

Read more about the National Energy Plan.

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP) -- After years of debate in Congress, President Bush on Monday signed sweeping legislation that he touted as part of a long-term solution to the nation's energy problems.

"This bill is not going to solve our energy challenges overnight," Bush said just before signing the bill into law. "It's going to take years of focused efforts to alleviate those problems."

Bush traveled here from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, to sign the 1,724-page bill, which was passed, with bipartisan support, to end a yearlong standoff in Congress over national energy policy.

The bill-signing ceremony at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque begins a week of events meant to highlight recently passed legislation and underscore economic and national security issues. In coming days, Bush meets at his Texas ranch with his defense and economic advisers and travels to Illinois to sign a highway bill.

...Critics of the energy bill are speaking out while Bush is in New Mexico. The League of Conservation Voters, The Wilderness Society, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, USAPIRG and others plan to highlight what else is not in the energy bill.

Bush's critics will be speaking out against the bill while HE IS IN NEW MEXICO.

According to the Dems, the liberal media, and left-wing wackos, Bush is on vacation, holing up in Crawford, just checking out of Washington for five weeks and shirking all of his duties. The DNC has been especially critical of Bush for dropping out of sight for over a month.

Yes, he's spending August at his ranch; but it is a complete mischaracterization of the President's schedule to suggest that he's lolling around totally detached from the country's business.

It's just not true.