MAYBE IT WAS THE GHOST OF GEORGE WASHINGTON. HE TOOK THAT ONE BECAUSE THERE WERE NO CHERRY TREES LEFT DUE TO ALL OF US USING OUR HAIR DRYERS, AND DRIVING OUR CARS. (I'LL GO AND HUG A TREE NOW)

So much hate, so little appreciation of the freedoms we enjoy. There is a simple quote that just might be simple enough that even those that hate can understand. "FREEDOM IS NOT FREE" If we stop fighting for our freedom we will indeed lose it.

I just want to know.....was Daryl Hannah sitting in the tree when it fell?

We stand so small in front of Mother Nature whose power and unpredictability render us helpless at times. An Elm tree falls just like any tree in a forest would during a sudden heavy downpour, due to softness of the soil, weakening of the root system and the top-heavy upper body. Yes, we should be alerted by the changing patterns in our environment,warning signals sending from from Mother Nature; and collectively or individually do something about it.The Americans has the highest energy consumption in the world (60%)to maintain the lifestyle we are accustomed to. To think one person or one administration is responsible for all the ills accumulated over decades of ignorance or indulgence is simply irresponsible.

Holy cow, that tree has been around the White House since President Grant, a lot of presidents, if only
trees could talk!

Just another reminder that mother-nature is in charge and that we really don't know what will happen next, and where...
It's cool though, clean it up, and plant another, nice tree, life goes on...

Lee Steel, shame on you...
From someone who has served her country, it did not look as if they were exercising anything besides their stupidity!! And if you are going to quote me, get it right...enjoying ones' FREEDOM, not rights...
they are different.
Time for me to log off, enjoy your negative lifestyle!
Fair winds and following seas.......

It is certainly sad that another American Elm is gone. I surely hope they do use the wood for something positive maybe to bring attention to the plight of the elm tree (formery America's most popular tree) We should remember that it has been beside the White House for generations of Presidents, Republican and Democrat. During times of war and peace, and has seen the highs of the country's expansion and the depths of the depression era. Yes, it's just a tree, but any living thing that has achieved the age of 140 should be respected. It should be given an appropriate salute as a stalwart servant to our nation's home of presidents.

Kai Chow, thank you. I started at the bottom of this link, and saw your posting of the classic Kilmer poem as the last entry. Despite what you think of Mr. Bush either way, you saw the real story. The tree was neither a liberal or conservative! My father was a lumberjack until he served in WW 2. After he returned home, I guess he realized that all life is important, changed careers, and especially instilled in me his acquired love for trees. We used to walk through the woods, and I will bet he recited that poem to me 50 times. I miss him, but the poem actually made me tear up. Bless you!

I cannot believe all of this fuss over a falling tree. Yes, I totally expected some parallels between the falling tree and the Bush Admin - but all of this? For what??

Funny, there should be bitterness and politicization in the land of the great "Uniter."

How do you suppose that happened, and how did the tree get sick of it, too?

I remember seeing that tree on a trip to Washington in 1965 with my Senior class. It was bautiful then and I could imagine trying to climb it, I bet it would have been fun. Even just sitting on a branch and watching the world go by. To bad all of the other people can't stop to appreciate what this world has to offer and realize that losing an old tree like that is a tragedy and had nothing to do with politics.
Rosanne, A loyal Democrat from Florida

"It never ceases to amaze me how the anti Bush folks can exploit just about any occurence, natural or otherwise, as an opportunity to criticize the President. A tree falls down and it occurs to them to take a cheap shot, get a life!"
-John M. Arlington, Virginia

People have been turning natural disasters and other accidents into political statements for thousands of years. While the Roman Empire was in a state of cival war in 360 AD, the Pretender Julian fell off his horse while being helped on to it by an officer. Both he and his soldiers took it a sign that the current emperor, Contantius II (the man of higher rank), would soon fall. A month later, Contantius died of natural causes and Julian became Emperor.

If a Elm tree fell down in front of the Imperial Palace in Rome, they probably would have thought that the Roman Empire would soon end. That how seriously they took it.

D.C. has plenty of poor and lower middle class families probably in bad shape from the flooding. But, no, all attention is on a big tree that was bound to go someday just like all of us will.

What about the squirrels? Has no one thought of the squirrels? Perhaps there should be some tiny FEMA trailers shipped to 1600 Pennsylvania.

Eulogising the White House tree:

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as (that) tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast.
A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray.
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair.
Upon whose bosom snow has lain
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me.
But only God can make a tree.....Joice Kilmer, 1913

....sigh

But is there any association with this falling tree to the problems extant within the White House. A White House falling tree and perhaps a falling within? Only within poetry do whimsical connections conjure images of fanciful indulgences of pernicious pretext, but consider the Dorian Gray painting. It aged while its benefactor remained youthful perhaps this tree is taking it all for the occupiers within, makes one wonder!

I'm sorry - Diann- that was just sad.

" saw protesters across the street from the White House, and was ashamed of them....how horrible the people who live in these United States don't just enjoy their freedoms instead of mocking them all the time. "

Enjoy them, how? Staying home and out of your sight? Do you have any concept of what the Constitution and Bill of Rights say about protesting? But you would rather "enjoy the rights" without exercisizing them. Exercisizing your Constitutional rights is "mockery."
But an election thief who claimed the terrorist "hate us for our freedoms" and takes them away from us is - all American?

Nature's comment perhaps

Some of these comments are the most amazing things I have ever read. A living thing just died and politics is all some of you can see. Take a step back and remember that old tree you used to climb as a child and try to remember how awsome it was to try to make it to the top. Then remember when it was really OK to just sit on that old branch and watch to world go by. A 140 year old tree is young and it is a real shame it will not get any older. I have seen 300 to 500 year old trees in Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, California. Anything that can with stand the elements is to be envied not ridiculed.

I visited this site just out of curiosity to see the history behind the old elm tree. Not much to my surprise I found liberals attacking Bush over a TREE!!! All I can say is....please go to work, so you can pay your taxes. That could be possibly something to whine about, not a damn tree! Saying things like 'wish Bush had been under the tree' is just plain MEAN!

Where was the Army Corp of Engineers when we needed them. Surely, they know that water moves soil. The tree could have been saved (at a great expense). What's a few thousand dollars when the government is throwing billions around...even for a bridge to nowhere!

The trunk should be logged into timber and used to build a piece of furniture for the White House that will last as long as the tree did.

How sad that, not only our government, but the American people on both sides seem to want to continue to perpetuate this "pissing" contest. Even over a tree. The tree is just the first to fall - the rest of us will follow shortly.

Alicia, for goodness sake, take a breath... Sometimes ya gotta read between the lines. Occasionally you'll identify seemingly ridiculous statements as sarcasm...