Crawford, Tex. — President Bush offered his forecast for 2002 on Monday, predicting a great year because the country has been strengthened by the events of 2001.
"We're a nation that has gone through incredible suffering and hardship. Yet, as a result of it, we're a strong nation and a united nation. And 2002, in my judgment, is going to be a great year," he said.
Bush said people will be able to find work again, and Americans will be protected by the military. "And it will be a great year primarily because Americans have taken a look inward, reassessed their values; have realized that some of the basics in life are that which is most important love of faith, love of family. And, as a result, our communities have been stronger."
Bush offered his brief New Year's message during a drop-in visit with a few staff members at a hometown cafe for a cheeseburger. He and first lady Laura Bush planned to entertain three couples from Austin and Lubbock on Monday night at the ranch.
More than 100 people, including some youngsters on horseback, lined State Highway 317 in front of a grain elevator on Crawford's main street, to see the president arrive at the Coffee Station.
A local woman said that the visit wasn't a very well-kept secret after security dogs swept the cafe Monday morning. "One tells and the whole town knows," said Susan Snowden, who lives in Crawford and works in Waco.
Bush arrived in a staff-driven sport utility vehicle in a tiny motorcade. Bystanders waved and cheered when he emerged, dressed in jeans and a brown jacket. One man shouted, "You're doing a great job, George."
In a truncated meeting with the press, Bush appeared upbeat about challenges of 2002: the fight against terrorism, work toward a rebounding economy, and the need for increased homeland security.
Of homeland security, he said there will be a focus on "making sure the public health systems work." Visa, immigration, and border policies also are under review, he said.
The president also said the culture of the FBI has changed "for the better," as a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "The FBI's main task now is to protect Americans from further attack. The country is on alert," he said.
The American people, likewise, have adapted to the new culture of being vigilant, he said.
"A classic case was the person who tried to put the bomb in his shoe and a flight attendant on the American flight alertly notified people and they got it," he said.
Bush shook hands with everyone in the diner, which holds about 55 people, before greeting the press in the adjacent convenience-souvenir store.
After chowing down on a cheeseburger, he did another round of handshaking and autograph-signing.
Outside, Larry Stanfield, a remodeling contractor from Waco, waited to wave goodbye.
Stanfield had come to the Coffee Station for chicken fried steak because his favorite cafe in nearby McGregor was closed. "I just wanted something to eat, and I got stuck," he said.
Dorothy Kohler of Max, N.D., drove over from Waco, where she was visiting friends, to see where the president lives. "I'm just in awe," she said, of her opportunity to view the president. "Being in North Dakota, we don't get a lot of anybody."
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