This Week In Pool Reports

This week, Mark Silva is one tuckered pooler and POTUS earned a few whoops. Find out why after the jump... "Two reports, two corrections, long trip, take me home. That was Steve Hadley seated with Sec'y Rice and the President at the photo opp with the Palestinian prime minister. Not Bolten." -- Mark Silva, Chicago Tribune "Correction: The meeting of the president of the US and the prime minister of Pakistan took place at the Hyatt Regency resort, not the Four Seasons, as incorrectly reported in the first pool report. It's all happening at the Hyatt. With apologies, from the Hyatt, repeat, Hyatt" -- Silva "We'll spare you the unpleasant details of our morning departure. Suffice to say we gathered at the press hotel at 4:45 a.m., rounded up some staff, got to Al Janadriyah Ranch by 7 a.m., were swept by 7:20 a.m., and thus had a full two hours to wait in the vans. Motorcade was rolling at 9:20 a.m., wheels up at 9:51 a.m., and wheels down in Sharm at 11:57 a.m. POTUS and FLOTUS were greeted, apparently warmly, by Mubarak, and he and POTUS had a double-sided embrace at the foot of the stairs." -- John McKinnon, The Wall Street Journal "The motorcade proceeded to the Four Seasons Resort -- the scene of January's joint availability, for those who were on that trip. After lengthy negotiations with Egyptian security, the U.S. pool side was picked, and proceeded to the meeting room. It turned out to be a roughly 60-second photo op. Mubarak said a few words to POTUS that your pool couldn't make out, and POTUS had a chuckle. The two leaders shook hands. POTUS ignored a question from the pool about appeasement/Obama. We're now holding at the Hyatt Regency for the pool event with Karzai." -- McKinnon "At one point, the president displayed a certain American sensibility -- some might call it an ignorance of cultural norms here -- when he asked if Arabs and Jews date, or go to dances. 'No dances?' he asked, sounding surprised. The ambassador politely interjected that it was a more conservative society." -- Sheryl Stolberg, New York Times "Uneventful 2 minute drive to the King David, where an agent was spotted wheeling in a bike wrapped in bubble wrap--a gift to potus. Not sure from who." -- Stolberg "We arrived to the Israeli Convention Center or Binyanei Ha'Omma (Building of the Nation (Nations) in Hebrew) at 8:03. The center was decked out with stylish sofas like you might find at a hip new Hollywood bar, and square appetizer plates that looked like they might have served sushi or other such stylish delicacies. ... Bush entered shortly thereafter to roaring applause, a few whoops, and a standing ovation. Bush shook hands with a few people and took a seat in the front row beside his wife. Front row seating was billionaire American Casino owner Sheldon Adelson (who bankrolled half the conference's $6 million price tag and has been questioned by police in connection with the Olmert corruption probe), Peres, Bush, Laura, Olmert, Aliza Olmert, Condi, Livni in the front row. Tony blair was somewhere in the crowd as well." -- Charles Levinson, USA Today

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