WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And let's go back to the Ellipse, near the White House, for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree. The president is there. He is about to be introduced. Let's listen in to the program.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The United States Marine Band, Ms. Connie Smith, and Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the chairman of the board of the Christmas Pageant of Peace, Peter F. Nostrand.</s>PETER NOSTRAND, CHAIRMAN, PAGEANT OF PEACE: Good evening. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge first turned on the lights of the National Christmas Tree, a fairly scrawny one over there near the White House. And our presidents has have come here every year to help celebrate this season of peace. And that's the very message you have heard tonight of the pageant, the unending passion for freedom and peace. And here in Washington, people of all faiths come together for this special family tradition, the lighting of our National Tree. And again and again, our president and Mrs. Laura Bush have come here to help us. Ladies and gentlemen, with affection and gratitude, I present to you the president of the United States.</s>NOSTRAND: My pleasure. Thank you, sir. I love your hat.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all very much.</s>BUSH: I appreciate the members of Congress who are here. I want to thank Fran Mainella, he's the director of the park service, and all of the National Park Service employees.</s>BLITZER: And there it is, a spectacular sight seen every year here in the nation's capitol, the lighting of the Christmas tree, the president and the first lady there. Much more on this coming up throughout the night here on CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. LOU DOBBS TONIGHT starts right now.
National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony