The Bush team has joined the chat generation, beginning an ongoing series of email Q&A's between the public and members of the administration last night with Andrew H. Card Jr., President Bush's chief of staff. However, as the Washington Post cautions:

Those who join the chat should not expect a gossipy session about the president's daughters, or candid remarks from Card about the dominance of Bush senior adviser Karl Rove. As one press corps wag noted yesterday morning when the discussions were announced, it will allow the White House to give the same message to a 12-year-old in the Midwest that it has long given the press corps: "When we have something to announce, we'll announce it."

Here is a bit of the Card transcript:

Secretary Card:
Good evening, I'm Andy Card — Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush. I welcome you to the inaugural "Ask the White House" online discussion. I am pleased to be here tonight to answer your questions. The Internet is an important communications medium. We have witnessed, especially during Operation Iraqi Freedom, a substantial increase in the amount of traffic to Internet sites as more and more people — worldwide — are relying on the internet for information.

We see the "Ask the White House" series as another way for our citizens to interact with the White House. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and answering your questions during tonight's online discussion.

With that, I'm happy to begin . . .

Russ, from Cookeville TN writes:
Please step us through how you learned about the second plane hitting the World Trade Center on 911, your informing the President of this, and the seconds and minutes immediately following. Thanks.

Secretary Card:
I was with the President in Sarasota, FL on 9/11. Just as The President was entering a room with elementary students, we were informed about a single plane hitting one of the World Trade Center Towers. The President and I thought it was a horrible accident--- a pilot heart attack or something. Once the President was in the room with the students, I received a call from the Situation Room that another plane had hit the second tower. I gathered my thoughts, deciding that the President should know, and succinctly — two facts one editorial comment. I walked into the room, trying not to be disruptive to the young students and whispered in the President's right ear, "A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack!" I then stepped back so as not to invite a discussion. The President waited for an appropriate moment to excuse himself from the room. We then gathered in an adjoining room to learn more about the situation. It was an unbelievable day.


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Adam, from Concord, NH writes:
Good evening, Mr. Card, as White House Chief of Staff what path or paths would you say are necessary for someone to take who aspires to play a similar role to yours in Government. I know you worked in McDonalds all through college but what would you recommend after that? Thank you.

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