Bush gives U.S. Olympians a rousing.....

Tag : Dessert Rose
WASHINGTON (AP) _ President Bush gave U.S. Olympians a rousingWhite House send-off to next month's games in Beijing, urging themMonday to "compete swifter, higher and stronger" but also bemindful they will be "ambassadors of liberty" to the people ofChina and elsewhere.



Bush is attending the opening ceremonies and the first few days ofthe Aug. 8-24 games. Standing in the Rose Garden with about twodozen athletes who will compete in the Beijing Olympics and thecorresponding Paralympics there in September, Bush said he is"fired up" to watch some of the competition.



"I can't wait to salute our athletes, and I can't wait to share inthe joy of your triumphs," he said.



Human rights groups had urged Bush to boycott the openingceremonies to oppose China's crackdown on protesters in Tibet. TheBush administration argues that the Olympics are a sporting eventnot to be politicized, and that the president will raise human andreligious rights with Chinese officials in the appropriate context.



But while talking to the athletes about their responsibilities inBeijing, Bush had a subtle message for China itself.



"You will convey our nation's most cherished values," the presidentsaid. "As ambassadors of liberty, you will represent America's lovefor freedom and our regard for human rights and human dignity ...to other athletes and to the people of China."



Bush beamed with pride at Team USA.



"We send you off with congratulations on the success you havealready achieved, and on the accomplishments we know will be yoursin Beijing," he said. "We're looking forward to rooting for you inBeijing."



The president and his wife, Laura, also held a White House dinnerin the evening to honor current and previous U.S. Olympians.



"You're not going to be alone in Beijing," Bush said as he toastedthe athletes. "Because you're going to be accompanied by the hopesand pride of millions of Americans."



Bush said the Olympics are "an opportunity to demonstrate thestrength of the human spirit."



He cited the 1972 Olympics when people gathered in Munich to honorthe 11 Israeli athletes who were killed by Palestinian gunmen andthe 2002 games in Salt Lake City when an American flag recoveredfrom the World Trade Center "displayed to the world the resolve andresilience of our country."



He then wished the athletes luck, endurance and victory.



Among those attending alongside officials from the Bushadministration and the U.S. Olympic Committee was track and fieldgold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee.



The menu was not a low-cal affair, with pea soup with duckpastrami, cheese puffs, crispy black sea bass, butter beans, saladand a dessert called the "Olympic Torch," a dark chocolate tartwith raspberries and a blown-sugar Olympic flame.



The bluegrass band Seldom Scene was the chosen entertainment.