Contact: White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 202-456-2580

WASHINGTON, Mar. 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following text is a statement by President Bush:South Lawn

12:01 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Yesterday afternoon I spoke to Governor Riley of Alabama, this morning I spoke to Governor Perdue of Georgia, expressing my personal condolences, as well as the condolences of the nation for those who lost their lives in the recent tragedies in those two states.

Tomorrow I'm going down to Georgia and Alabama.  I go down with a heavy heart.  I go down knowing full well that I'll be seeing people whose lives were turned upside down by the tornados.  I'll do my very best to comfort them.  I ask our nation, for those who are prayerful, to give a prayer for the victims of the storms and ask for the blessings that can come upon people and the comfort necessary to deal with the recent tragedy.

Thank you very much.

END                    12:02 P.M. EST