The last pool report from Bush visit

Pool Report No. 3, October 29, 2007

The president left the fundraiser at 6:40, as scheduled, but made a previously announced stop at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse, a barbeque restaurant on the river, where he attended the 60th birthday party for Johnny Bench, the Hall-of-Fame catcher for the Big Red Machine. As it turned out, after two closed events, it was the president's only public appearance of the day.

Mr. Bench and his wife, Lauren (double check the spelling), attended the fundraiser earlier and accompanied the president's motorcade to the restaurant. The president waded into the first floor dining hall, campaign style, working the room. The pool was kept at bay but at least one supporter shouted, "Keep it up, George."

The president made his way to the stairs where he stopped and turned to a man, Todd Upton, who hoisted his three-and-half-year-old son, E.J., over a banister. "Guess what he wanted me to see?" the president said, tugging at the boy's Ohio State University sweatshirt, as the elder Upton held him up for the cameras.

The president went upstairs to a separate section for Mr. Bench's party.

"Believe it or not, he's 60," the president said.
He remarked something like that wasn't so old, but the pool could not hear terribly well. Whatever he said, Mr. Bench agreed.

"He can still play," the president said.

"My accountant wants me to," Mr. Bench replied.

A considerable amount of laughing, posing and handshaking then took place in a scrum surrounding the president and Mr. Bench. At least three friends of Mr. Bench could be heard expressing surprise at the visit. "The president of the United States ­ how cool is that?" one guest said. He introduced himself as "a friend of John's" but the pool didn't have time to get his name before being ushered out and down the stairs.

The president stopped at the cashier and picked up an order, apparently placed in advance. It included, in full, three racks of pork spare ribs, Saratoga chips (kettle fried), onion straws and the inn's barbeque sauce, according to the press office. The president appeared to insist on paying, but left it to someone else to settle the bill. The president's aide, Barry Jackson, a local, said the ribs were the best in the world.

The president carried them in a large white paper sack back to the motorcade, which arrived at the airport uneventfully, though the friendly crowd at the gate had grown considerably. Air Force One departed at 7:30 p.m. and returned to Andrews at 8:30 p.m.

Steven Lee Myers
New York Times


Pool Report No. 3A

A correction, with apologies: the pool mistyped and should have said that the stop at the Boathouse was previously UNannounced.

Also, as the press office clarifies, Mr. Bench did not ride in the motorcade, though he was at the earlier fundraiser. He made his own way to the party.

Steven Lee Myers
New York Times