SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 11 -- President Bush, who had been in Florida this morning, quickly changed his plans today after the attacks on New York and Washington and flew to Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Neb., headquarters of the Strategic Air Command, to convene a meeting of the National Security Council via teleconference.
His trip to Omaha on Air Force One followed a hastily scheduled televised address to nation by Bush from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. He went there after canceling an education speech planned for Florida.
Bush stood in front of two American flags as he announced that the military was “on high-alert status” at home and around the world, and he said that officials “have taken the necessary security precautions to continue the functions of your government.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/articles/bush091101.htmthen he and Laura went home and put on their fuzzy slippers and had a good laugh...
Noonan: You were separated on September 11th. What was it like when you saw each other again?
Mrs. Bush: Well, we just hugged. I think there was a certain amount of security in being with each other than being apart.
President Bush: But the day ended on a relatively humorous note. The agents said, "You'll be sleeping downstairs. Washington's still a dangerous place." And I said no, I can't sleep down there, the bed didn't look comfortable. I was really tired, Laura was tired, we like our own bed. We like our own routine. You know, kind of a nester. Like the way things are. I knew I had to deal with the issue the next day and provide strength and comfort to the country, and so I needed rest in order to be mentally prepared. So I told the agent we're going upstairs, and he reluctantly said okay. Laura wears contacts, and she was sound asleep. Barney was there. And the agent comes running up and says, "We're under attack. We need you downstairs," and so there we go. I'm in my running shorts and my T-shirt, and I'm barefooted. Got the dog in one hand, Laura had a cat, I'm holding Laura --
Mrs. Bush: I don't have my contacts in, and I'm in my fuzzy house slippers --
President Bush: And this guy's out of breath, and we're heading straight down to the basement because there's an incoming unidentified airplane, which is coming toward the White House. Then the guy says it's a friendly airplane. And we hustle all the way back upstairs and go to bed.
Mrs. Bush:
And we just lay there thinking about the way we must have looked.
Noonan: So the day starts in tragedy and ends in Marx Brothers.
http://www.lhj.com/lhj/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/lhj/story/data/UpClosewiththePresidentandFirstLady_10262003.xml&catref=cat2210008&page=6