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Richard Whittle discusses his book, “The Dream Machine: The Untold History Of The Notorious V-22 Osprey”
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Guest: Richard Whittle, author; Sharon Weinberger, AOL News
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Reporter’s Notebook
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Lobster Summit
President Bush was a goofy mood moments before Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine.
The president joined his mom and his wife by the side door of the mansion on Walker’s Point, but he had come out prematurely. First lady Laura Bush walked up to him and started fiddling with the buttons on his blue Oxford-cloth shirt–seems he had forgotten to button one.
“Buttons,” he said to the laughing press corps.
The exchange that followed, when he walked over to the gaggle of reporters waiting on the driveway, was hilarious:
“Welcome. Is everybody having a nice day here?” the president asked.
“Yes. The lobsters are good,” one reporter called back.
“They are good.”
“How was the fishing today, sir?” another reporter asked.
“Lousy. Was that you, Chuck, the other day?” Bush asked funky photographer Charles Ommanney. “No wonder we didn’t catch any fish. They took a look at you and [laughter] headed out.”
After a lull, Mark Knoller of CBS Radio filled the silence by asking: “You sure you won’t come back here a little more often?” All the reporters–many of whom have done dozens of trips to Crawford, Texas–laughed.
“That’s what I figured,” Bush said. “Well, the guy is counting the days in Crawford, you know.”
The resident statistician called back: “I’m counting your days here, too–35. Nine trips.”
After some baseball small talk and Putin’s arrival, former President George H.W. Bush got in on the act: “Where did these guys all come from? When I left, there was nobody here,” he said to laughter.
Maine No Chance
The former president is really enjoying his autumn years.
On the press conference day, the elder Bush walked onto his Maine mansion’s lawn wearing pink pants, a sporty windbreaker, and big wraparound glasses. He held court with the gaggle of reporters for a few moments, telling the story of the morning fishing trip with Putin–the only one to catch a fish that day.
“He’s a really good caster, bait-casting,” 41 said, instructing reporters, “Make sure you put that down: bait-casting is hard.”
A reporter asked what was the fastest he ever went in his cigarette boat, Fidelity III. “Seventy miles per hour–three passengers, half a tank of gas. That’s important. Put that down.”
Bush Sr. said Putin and his wife had been very kind when he and former first lady Barbara Bush visited Russia, and that he had invited the Russian president to drop by anytime.
But when another reporter yelled out a question–“Did you sit on official meetings?”–41 said with a big smile, “Hey, I’m not doing a darn press conference here!”
Cow Palace
The former president and first lady have a nice place. Really nice.
As you drive through the big gates, and past the Secret Service booth, there is a sign on brick gatepost that says, “Slow: Children on Golf Carts.” A driveway winds behind the house, along the ocean, past the tennis court, and up to the main house. There’s a five-bedroom house nearby called “The Bungalow.”
On the lawn stand two white, life-size plastic bovines (a bull, and a calf) covered with painted handprints. They were arrayed around Houston at one point, just as D.C. has its colorful elephants and donkeys.
Before Putin arrived, Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin took some shots of the posing first ladies, flanking Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Putin arrived in a Mercedes limo with Russian plates, wearing an exquisitely tailored, cognac-colored suit and no tie. He shook hands with Bush and presented a large and loud bouquet of flowers to the first lady, whom he kissed on both cheeks. An aide gave him another bouquet; he handed those to Barbara and kissed her on both cheeks.
But by then, Bush had had enough of the press.
“OK, it’s been real. Thanks for coming.” White House officials quickly shooed the media away.
Fake Franklin
Buzzing about the seaside town of Kennebunkport this week was this tale:
A Russian man attempted to pass off a phony $100 bill at the New Hampshire State Liquor store in Portsmouth on Thursday, according to the store manager, who said a cashier discovered the bill was bogus.
Store manager Mike Smith said the man, accompanied by four other Russian men, attempted to purchase two bottles of Scotch whisky with the bum bill. The cashier used a special pen to mark the bill to test its authenticity.
“It turned a color that it’s not supposed to, and when he saw that, he grabbed the bill back and left,” Smith told a reporter.
Portsmouth police received a call from the liquor store that the man and his friends were on foot, headed to the nearby Holiday Inn. Police responded to the scene. A dispatch message on the police scanner said diplomatic immunity might be involved.
But Police Lt. Dante Puopolo said that diplomatic immunity was not invoked because police did not make any arrests.
“We have no evidence of any kind,” he said. “We don’t have the $100 bill.”
However, he said there are currently Russians staying in town who are entitled to diplomatic immunity, he said. “Their version of the Secret Service are staying here in Portsmouth,” he said.
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Reporter’s Notebook
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Photo Grave Error
The White House has placed an embargo on any photo release of the new West Wing Briefing Room until Monday, July 9, the White House Correspondents’ Association told members this week.
“I am working with them to move the date up so photos can be released the weekend prior to the official opening for any ‘advancer stories’… and will keep you posted on that,” WHCA President Steve Scully wrote.
However, the immediate directive from the Office of Administration and senior staff is no photo release is allowed.
On Wednesday, Tony Overton, who is coordinating the construction effort between the White House and news organizations, wrote: “Please advise press not to enter the space with cameras. Not sure what their intent is but we had a lot of traffic with still cameras in tow today and GSA/escorts were asking them not to take any photos. Hate to put them in that role. — Anthony J. Overton, Chief Facilities Officer, Executive Office of the President of the United States.”
That itchy-fingers incident prompted Scully to forward WHCA members an e-mail from the White House press aide Josh Deckard: “Press are NOT allowed to photograph the brief room during this transition–they aren’t even supposed to be in there. Press took pictures this morning and got very rude w/ the workers when they asked them to stop. Please make sure those pictures don’t run. If anyone breaks this rule from here on out they will lose their pass. Thanks.”
The White House has placed an embargo on any photo release of the new West Wing Briefing Room until Monday, July 9, the White House Correspondents’ Association told members this week.
“I am working with them to move the date up so photos can be released the weekend prior to the official opening for any ‘advancer stories’… and will keep you posted on that,” WHCA President Steve Scully wrote.
However, the immediate directive from the Office of Administration and senior staff is no photo release is allowed.
On Wednesday, Tony Overton, who is coordinating the construction effort between the White House and news organizations, wrote: “Please advise press not to enter the space with cameras. Not sure what their intent is but we had a lot of traffic with still cameras in tow today and GSA/escorts were asking them not to take any photos. Hate to put them in that role. — Anthony J. Overton, Chief Facilities Officer, Executive Office of the President of the United States.”
That itchy-fingers incident prompted Scully to forward WHCA members an e-mail from the White House press aide Josh Deckard: “Press are NOT allowed to photograph the brief room during this transition–they aren’t even supposed to be in there. Press took pictures this morning and got very rude w/ the workers when they asked them to stop. Please make sure those pictures don’t run. If anyone breaks this rule from here on out they will lose their pass. Thanks.”
Nose Didn’t Know
The White House conference center was evacuated on Monday after a bomb-sniffing dog reacted to a minivan being used for Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert’s visit.
Reporters were ushered out of their temporary workspace for a 90-minute break while the Secret Service investigated. Nothing suspicious was found in the vehicle, said Secret Service spokesman Dan Blackford.
Olmert was having meetings at the Blair House, the government guest quarters on Pennsylvania Avenue across from the White House, and his schedule was not affected, members of his delegation said.
The evacuated building was the White House conference center, on Jackson Place around the corner from Blair House. These clear-outs didn’t happen when the press corps was right off the West Wing.
Party Hearty
The president and his family had to land on the Mall on Sunday because the White House lawn was set up for the big congressional picnic bash on Tuesday.
Black picnic tables and giant white tents dotted the South Lawn for the annual chow down, which the president (according to an insider) is not too fond of.
But this year at least the food will be good: The White House called in New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme. The Cajun-cackling chef brought along hundreds of pounds of shrimp and fish from the Gulf of Mexico for the picnic and will make one of his signature dishes, blackened redfish.
The full menu: Tables with cheese, vegetables, breads and fruit; barbecued shrimp station with toast points; spinach salad with blue cheese dressing and garnishes; potato salad; butter beans; fried green tomatoes with St. Charles sauce; bronzed beef, gingersnap gravy; fried chicken; chicken and sausage gumbo; sweet potato pecan pie squares with Chantilly cream; and pecan pralines.
The music, though, was not so hot—White House press secretary Tony Snow’s garage band, Beats Workin,’ got the gig. Bush described the band as a “bunch of mediocre musicians,” but he was only kidding. Or was he?
Old ModeLong before the advent of the Internet, White House reporters used to call in to the lower press office to hear a recording of the president’s upcoming schedule. For some reason, it’s back.
Called the “Press Announcement Line,” members of the media can dial (202) 456-2358 to hear a recording of the president’s press schedule as well as the gaggle and briefing times. Most reporters, though, will probably stick with the new-fashioned way–reading the sked on their Blackberries.
Daddy Dearest
The president got some dud gifts on Father’s Day: a CD of workout music from daughter Jenna, and some ties from the first lady. Yup, he’s just like you.
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Reading the tea partiers
August 27th, 2010
Guest: Bob Franken, Syndicated Columnist; John Gizzi, Human Events
Political words, phrases and their origins
August 20th, 2010
Guest: Paul Dickson, author
Richard Whittle discusses his book, “The Dream Machine: The Untold History Of The Notorious V-22 Osprey”
August 13th, 2010
Guest: Richard Whittle, author; Sharon Weinberger, AOL News
Things That Make Us Mad
August 6th, 2010
Guest: Bob Franken, syndicated columnist; Julie Mason, DC Examiner
Barry C. Lynn discusses how the new monopolies are like “weapons of mass destruction” for our economy
July 30th, 2010
Guest: Barry C. Lynn, New America Foundation