It took a white tie dinner to bring the funny back to the pool reports. Yay! POTUS wows us with his strength, his witty teasing of reporters’ attire (but come on, it is an easy targetÂ) and he knows 1776 is important for some reason.
“A barking Barney and waddling Miss Beazley had greeted poolers arriving on an overcast and humid morning at the hallway-entrance to the South Drive, where a long motorcade assembled for the short ride to the Pentagon.” — Mark Silva, Chicago Tribune“Bush toured the Deere dealership, dispensing handshakes and hugs.” — David Jackson, USA Today and Mike Abramowitz,Washington Post“Highlight: Queen Elizabeth beginning her toast with a mischievous, playful grin and the words, ‘I wondered whether I should start this toast by saying, ‘When I was here in 1776…” to huge laughs. President Bush responded at the beginning of his toast, ‘Your Majesty, I can’t top that one.'”“At the top of the stairs, Mr. and Mrs. Bush, along with the Queen and Prince, lined up to pose for a group picture. Barbara Bush, however, was in the middle and then realized she should not be in the picture, so she backed up into an alcove behind them, causing her son the president to break into laughter. Mr. Bush coaxed her out, just as the slow-moving elder Mr. Bush reached the landing. The six of them then posed for a picture, then retired into the library for private drinks at 7:36.” — Jon Ward, Washington Times“Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush made an unannounced appearance outside the North West gate at 12:30 p.m,. to greet about 200 elementary and middle school children from the IDEA Charter School and the British school in Washington. Amid high-pitched squeals usually found at a Justin Timberlake concert, the Queen received flowers and signed autographs for the kids, and President Bush got a tight hug from a screaming Shayla Young, a 14-year-old eighth grader at IDEA Public Charter School in Washington, DC. ‘Oh my God!! Ahhhhhhh!!!’ screamed Young, who quickly collapsed behind the rail after Bush passed. Not a real feint though — she pulled herself up like a champ quickly after. Bush, grinning broadly after the event, got in one more funny before walking away.” –- Tara Copp, Austin American-Statesman“‘This must be a special day,’ he said to Newsweek photographer Charles Ommanney, just as he was slipping behind the gate.The formalities of the day had apparently been lost on Ommanney, who was dressed in ‘photographer-casual.’ ‘It is,’ Ommanney said back. ‘Then why didn’t you wear something other than hand-me-down clothes?’ Bush teased.” — Copp
“Just as he finished the statement and the pool was about to return to the motorcade, POTUS instructed, ‘Wait, I’m going to lift my bike.’ And that he did, lifting the blue and white Trek mountain bike with only his right hand. ‘Lightweight,’ he said.” — Zach Goldfarb, Washington Post 
