In Memoriam: Joe Curl's Pool Reports

Now that he's leaving the White House, let's pause and enjoy this final pool report from the Washington Times' Joe Curl: Pool Report #2 Sept. 26, 2007 Waldorf Astoria to uptown fundraiser to home First, the mystery of the missing stenography gear: Steno Extraordinaire Ellen Eckert (who provides you daily with the transcripts of President Bush -- even without a cheat-sheet of phonetics) hunted down her lost equipment, which was (all along) in the hands of the security men at the grand Waldorf Astoria. Hence, more transcripts for you. Thank her. Back to the day: President Bush smartly stayed behind with the adorable children at the No Child Left Behind event for some 15 minutes as your pool sluiced its way through the bowels of the massive hotel, traveling in waves down a single elevator to the Duke of Windsor hold room to grab computers and baggage, and then again snaking along the dark corridors, getting lost a time or two (Hello Cleveland!), before emerging on the street and piling into the press vans. POTUS pulled out at 10:53 a.m. and sped along the deserted FDR Drive, heading uptown. The motorcade did not turn right into Harlem, but instead left, into the Upper East Side (go figure), arriving at 1120 5th Ave. (cross street -- E. 93rd) at 11:04. Upstairs in the large building was the apartment of Jennifer (Manhattan GOP chair) and Roger Yaffa (you know the kind, an efficiency, hot plate, mattress on the floor). No, your pool did not see the plush Yaffa pad, but instead held three blocks away at the nearby Three Guys restaurant (broiled Boston scrod -- $13.95). The RNC said the event pulled in enough to buy 71,428 slabs of scrod (about $1 million). At 11:55 a.m., your pool rushed out the vans -- where it sat for 39 minutes before the motorcade pulled out. First guy on the street corner -- the one-finger salute. No scrod for you! Come back, one year! Back down 96th street, with onlookers pressed against the barricades and a few more gestures to The Most Powerful Man in the World telling him he's No. 1 (only using the wrong finger). Four police boats kept pace with the presidential limo as it sped past Clinton Street and down to the Wall Street LZ. Along the way, a young woman sitting cross-legged on the sidewalk. On each leg, a toddler -- twin boys, maybe 2. She waved their arms for them; she smiled, they smiled. They just saw the leader of the free world drive by. Pretty cool. Mom beamed an angelic smile at your pool van as it passed, and waved her boys' hands at us. That, too, pretty cool. Thanks, whoever you are. HMX-1 up at 12:50; JFK at 1:08; AF1 wheels up at 1:16; AAFB at 1:50. PO/FLO were accompanied by daughter Jenna and two female friends, one of whom, a photographer said, was carrying Jenna's new book. And with that, people, you're on your own, as your pooler departs for the campaigns. Good luck, Godspeed, and remember to eat only three of the eight meals the White House offers you each day. And try some fruit, please.

Fishbowl

In Memoriam: Joe Curl's Pool Reports

Patrick

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Patrick