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WH Pool Report: Honk, Honk Joke Coming Edition
In this White House pool report, the President shows where the twins got their great sense of humor:
At the Garden, Bush walked out to the round platform and checked out the microphone on the wood podium. He was accompanied by the First Lady, Dan Bartlett, Andy Card, and Mark McKinnon, looking unYankee like in a straw hat. The president uttered a few phrases to check out the sound quality , "Four score and seven years ago," he said. "We have come here to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place." Then looking at your poolers he said "My fellow Americans of the press corps, especially the cameramen, tax relief is on the way. Don't spend it all in one place. Thank you very much"
Full report after the jump (that means after you hit "more").
From: Press.Releases@WhiteHouse.Gov
[mailto: Press.Releases@WhiteHouse.Gov]
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 2:00 PM
Subject: POOL REPORT #1, 9/2/04
Pool Report
Church service and convention walk-through
Motorcade left Waldorf Astoria en route to The`Church of Our Savior, at 59 Park Avenue (at 38th and Park) Onlookers along the way were behind barricades. Most appeared to be keeping their political sentiments to themselves, except for the occasional few who displayed the middle finger. Across Park Avenue from church a loud group of people appeared to be both booing and cheering with one man holding a sign up "Bush sucks" (The Park Avenue matrons must have been shocked) Inside church, former President Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush walked in followed by President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. The service was conducted by the Rev. George William Rutler, who joked "I'm not sure the proper protocol for addressing two presidents."
Rutler cited letters from Abraham Lincoln who wrote about how god guiding him during the Civil War. Then there was a reading of Psalm 119 by Rabbi David Lincoln of the Park Avenue Synagogue followed by reading from 2 Thessalonians 3: 1-5 by the Rev. Dr. Glen Missick, executive director of the African American Council, Reformed Church of America.
The Gospel reading was from Mark 4: 35-41 - which relates how Jesus went out on boat with fisherman when storm blew up and fisherman were terrified they would drown. They tried to wake up Jesus who eventually woke up and told the wind to be still- which it did much to the fishermen's astonishment.
In his sermon The Rev. Rutler keyed off the storm motif saying "our beloved nation has been through many storms......Three years ago our nation suffered a terrible storm. Some thought god slept. "Does he care anymore''
Rutler then spoke of seeing a young couple wheeling a baby carriage while others were fleeing the Sept. 11 scene. He said the baby looked serene like Jesus in the crib. He added that on the day, "Priests looked into the eyes of firefighters asking for final absolution before they went into the flames."
"Those eyes," he said, "Keep looking at us for they will never close."
Rutler talked about the qualities he said are needed to confront evil, saying "courage is the first virtue because it makes all the others possible." He also said despite the difficulty of confronting storms, if they are not rebuked "there will be anarchy."
In the course of the sermon Rutler rambled through history, making reference to George Washington, Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, and Harry Truman. He noted Truman once said a "statesman is a politician who has been dead for ten to twelve years."
After the church service, the president and entourage motorcaded to Madison Square Garden, once again passing throngs of people behind barricades looking only mildly interested. At the Garden, Bush walked out to the round platform and checked out the microphone on the wood podium. He was accompanied by the First Lady, Dan Bartlett, Andy Card, and Mark McKinnon, looking unYankee like in a straw hat. The president uttered a few phrases to check out the sound quality , "Four score and seven years ago," he said. "We have come here to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place." Then looking at your poolers he said "My fellow Americans of the press corps, especially the cameramen, tax relief is on the way. Don't spend it all in one place. Thank you very much"
Poolers then exited the Garden. Motorcade back was uneventful and crowds placid, except again for the occasional finger.
Bennett Roth
Houston Chronicle
