This Week In Pool Reports

POTUS flies by the seat of his pants with an "unscripted" event, raising the age-old question of what the difference is between golf and hockey anyway? Apparently to the POTUS, just ice. The "The Mighty Bush" makes its debut and, welcome back Jon Ward to pool duty! "The motorcade boarded but drove only a short distance before stopping. The president emerged and departed from the schedule, the sort of unscripted event that enlivens pool duty. The president waded into an adoring crowd on the corner of Marlowe and, the pool is fairly sure, Williamsburg Court, posing for pictures and exchanging pleasantries with a dozen people, several of them children. By the time the pool reached the scene, the president could be heard saying nice to meet you and cupping a pretty girl on the ears. 'OK? Let's load up,' the president said, ending his only public appearance of the day, excepting the arrival and departure photo opportunities. The pool, by the way, neglected to mention that on arrival the president met the mayor of Raleigh and Wake County officials, including the chairman of the board of commissioners, who presented him with a Carolina hockey jersey. He also met a Freedom Corps volunteer, Nick Marriam, 15, who gave him a hockey stick, which the president swung like a putter." -- Steven Lee Myers, The New York Times Marine One and four other helicopters flew over the southwestern Florida coast and arrived in Naples, landing at Gulfview Middle School's football field. The president's motorcade drove through leafy manicured neighborhoods and arrived at the home of Jack Donahue for the day's first fundraiser -- for the Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart Florida Victory Committee, which is closed. ... The pool held the boat house, out past the 16-car garage, looking out on the Gordon River, where a dolphin was spotted surfacing. Whatever happened inside the fundraiser made the president late. The motorcade retraced its route, passing a topical hand-made 'Stop Drilling' banner, the only sign of protest among the otherwise curious and supportive crowds." -- Myers "Your pooler, glad to be in the mix after a long absence from pool duty, and the rest of his cohorts were ushered into the East Room at 7:35 pm. We saw about 18 or 19 tables with 10 folks at each table --the tables had centerpieces of blindingly bright red, orange and yellow roses." -- Jon Ward, The Washington Times "A bit of color from the President and First Lady's visit to St. Albans: Chris and Kathleen Matthews stood on the sidewalk in a group of people watching the motorcade as it departed." -- Mike Allen, Politico "The President and Mrs. Bush left the White House at about 1:40 p.m. in a minimalist motorcade -- five black Suburbans and two black press vans, with a lead and tail D.C. police car. The motorcade traveled Rock Creek Parkway and Massachusetts Avenue without intersection control. The President and Mrs. Bush arrived at St. Albans School at about 1:50 p.m. and entered through the Lower School, which will lead them to the Refectory (dining hall), where the wake for Mr. Russert is being held. From Dana Perino: 'As he said from his trip, the President was fond of Tim Russert and today he wanted to pay his respects and offer his deepest sympathies to the Russert family by attending the wake at St. Albans.'" -- Allen "POTUS visited an integrated school -- meaning that it mixes Catholic and Protestant children. We're told that 90 percent of kids here still attend schools that are segregated by religion. The school serves 9, 10 and 11 year olds. The best moment came when PO and FLO went to a small business project some of these kids were doing. They had set up a little stand to sell plants and called it 'The Mighty Bush.' Apparently that's a takeoff on a UK comedy show on TV, 'The Mighty Boosch.' Please check spelling, that was one of two we got. The kids had decided to name the project that long before they knew POTUS was coming. There was a price list on the side of the stand. Mighty bushes -- a pot of blooming yellow marigolds -- were GBP 3. A tray of marigolds was also offered, I think for GBP 1.30, but I wouldn't swear to that. Another sign advertised 'Magic Marigolds,' but didn't provide a price for that product. 'One thing I can't wait for is The Mighty Bush,' the leader of the free world exclaimed when he got near. He wound up buying a Mighty Bush, borrowing the cash as usual and posing for a picture of two." -- John McKinnon, Wall Street Journal

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