This Week In Pool Reports

The new briefing room gets christened by Helen Thomas; POTUS and FLOTUS do a party drop-in for Dan Bartlett; it's July in D.C. -- yes, it is hot; and POTUS is not exactly a good luck charm for the Nats. "POTUS was in fine fettle this morning as he, FLOTUS, and WHCA President Steve Scully performed the ceremonial ribbon-cutting at the spanking new Brady Briefing Room. Before a stand-room-only crowd of reporters and SAOs, Scully made introductory remarks, noting that nowhere else does the press sit this close to the head of state. He also reminded that Nixon tried to bump the press operation into the OEOB, and were it not for the efforts of UPI's Merriman Smith and Helen Thomas, there we would surely be. Helen's still with us in the front row, just to make sure." -- Linda Feldmann, Christian Science Monitor "POTUS, wearing a dark suit and lovely magenta tie, then took the podium: 'Welcome back to the White House. We missed you -- sort of.'" -- Feldman "The motorcade pulled up alongside Joe and Freddy Slyman's Restaurant, at St. Clair and 31 St. The sign proclaims it the home of 'Cleveland's Biggest Corned Beef Sandwich.' The place, a tiny neighborhood joint in a part of the city that appears now to be largely Asian, was packed to the gills even before your pool squeezed in. The president posed for pictures with the proprietor, urged your pool to 'make sure you all buy some sandwiches,' and then sat down at a long table with aides including Rove and Hagin. A waitress said the corned beef sandwiches are 'this high,' holding her fingers about two inches apart, and said they sell for $8.25. Your pool was then returned to our vans, where we are working our way through some of these Slyman's sandwiches. We're holding." -- Maura Reynolds, Los Angeles Times "The POTUS and the FLOTUS walked (in excessive heat) across the street from the White House to Blair House to attend Dan Bartlett's going-away party. Both members of the First Couple in dark suits (Mrs. Laura Bush in pantsuit, for fashion writers). The POTUS was asked about a possible troop redeployment. He smiled at your pool and waved. The POTUS and FLOTUS were preceded by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who arrived by SUV. Karl Rove walked in after the First Couple entered the building. The POTUS and Mrs. Bush stayed about 15 minutes, then walked back across the street to the White House." -- Susan Milligan, Boston Globe "The main thing is that it was hot. The press corps was in a pen to the west of the Portico; ... The president went to the east (furthest from the entrance) end of the visitors' pen and commenced several minutes working the rope line, shaking hands and posing for pictures. When he reached the west (closest to the entrance) end, he said 'Gotta go! and entered the White House at 1:07 p.m. It was still hot." -- Matthew Hay Brown, The Baltimore Sun "POTUS visited the final game of the Cubs vs. Nats series tonight, watching the home team lose a few runs to the boys from Chicago but going back to the White House before the ninth inning. Final score, four Cubs, two Nats. ... Sitting in a skybox between 425 and 426, POTUS and company snacked on peanuts, crackerjacks, all-beef hot dogs, nachos, chicken tenders, soda and water. ... This was the fourth Nats game POTUS attended at RFK since baseball returned to the District in April 2005. The Nats are now 2-2 with POTUS in attendance." -- Zachary Goldfarb, Washington Post

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