CapHillBlue

White House launches new Web sites

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (August 31, 2001 07:00 p.m. EDT ) - Presidential pooches Spotty and Barney are ready to welcome young people to the White House's new children's Web site. India the cat and Ofelia the longhorn cow are there as well, too.

The new White House Web site, redesigned for the Bush White House, made its debut Friday with links to presidential announcements, briefings, appointments and radio addresses.

In addition to the children's section, it offers a Spanish-language section and a voice synthesizer and closed-caption Webcasts to make it more accessible for people with disabilities.

The children's section has a photo album of the presidential pets and offers a virtual tour of the White House led by Spotty, President Bush's English springer spaniel. Barney, Bush's Scottish terrier, tries to help kids learn their ABCs, while Ofelia teaches a lesson on American heroes. India, the black cat that is nicknamed Willie, leads a history quiz.

"I'm very serious about the need for all of us involved in government to do all we can to involve our citizenry in government," Bush said at the Web site's inauguration. "There is a lot of cynicism about politics in Washington, D.C., and it seems like to me the more accessible Washington becomes, the more likely it is people will participate in the process."

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001