Last week, Education Secretary Rod Paige convened the first meeting of a presidential commission that will address the issue of special education by proposing that it become "an integral part of an education system that expects all children to reach their full potential, " Bush said.

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Mrs Clinton convened a meeting of senior staff, the first such gathering since last month, when she fell ill after a trip to Europe and had to cancel a planned visit to North Africa and the Middle East.

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The first is I wanted to provide you a quick readout of the meeting that the President convened at FEMA Headquarters today with his homeland security team and with governors, mayors, and borough presidents from across the region.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House