You are all missing the point with Bush's reaction, especially Terribus.

Of course people were confused. Personally, when the first plane hit, I thought it was an accident. Here in the NYC area the reports were mixed, some saying it was a small commuter plane. I think most of realized that something bigger was happening when the second plane hit.

The point is, you and I can be confused. It is not our job to comprehend. The president is a different story.   Based on the memo he received a month earlier, and based on the reports that the air traffic controls HAD ALREADY RECEIVED about planes being hijacked, Bush should have had a clue. Excuses to Bushes reaction have included confusion, lack of comprehension, cell phones that did not work, not wanting to scare the kids, among others. The FACT is that the leader of the United States MUST be better informed AND prepared to take action. Bush clearly is not that person. If it was his support staff that failed, that does not make it better. We deserve a president that can handle such a crisis.   Bush failed.