Saturday
Oct. 4
Chicago to Newport News, VA to Asheville, NC
Call time for the pool is 6:00am, I get a banana and orange juice in the Fairmont hotel lobby. We head in a mini bus to the Hyde Park section of Chicago, passing a downtown building with Go Cubs spelled out with the window lights. (it is before dawn, still dark out). We end up sitting near the Obama house for a while, the whole block is blocked off to through traffic, unless you live there (we speculated about whether having Obama as neighbor would increase property values). Then to a small park where we meet a Chicago police officer with bomb sniffing dog, who sniffs all our equipment and bags. (this happens every day at each hotel before we leave for the days events). Tyrone the Secret Service agent uses a hand metal detector to check each of us (for weapons). Then we join up with small motorcade of 3 cars in front of the Obama house, which has giant cement traffic barriers placed on the sidewalks and streets protecting it. Off to the gym for early morning workout. We see the Senator get out of car, dressed in black long sleeve and long pants workout clothes. We park, then head to a hip looking coffee shop 1 block away for about 45 minutes.
Earlier was talking with Samantha Tubman, the campaign press aide who is always with us and Nedra Pickler from the AP. I told Nedra that I was married to Ann Levin, she said, “Oh, I better be nice to you.” Then told the others, “Ann’s someone really important at the AP”.
Turns out Samantha is the granddaughter of William V.S. Tubman, who was president of Liberia from 1944 to 1971. Not sure how this came up, but the grandfather and father were born in Liberia. Her father’s family came to the US at a young age and met Sam’s mother. Sam said she really never knew her father since the parents divorced and the father moved to Libera and never saw Sam. So the parallels between her story and Obama’s family history are similar, which amazes Sam.
After hearing this amazing story people talked about things they’ve experienced in the campaign, the most recent being everyone meeting Kim Catrill at the Detroit city hall rally early last week. And how short she is in real life (since according to the watchers of Sex In The City, she’s the tallest one in the show).
Finally the Senator is done exercising and we are off to the airport. Had a brief encounter at the Midway airport, Obama walks out of his car and towards us and says, “Press pool,” we weren’t sure what he was going to say, some thought that we were in trouble, like when the principal at school comes to you.
He thanked us for not photographing the previous night’s dinner that Obama had with his wife and said he appreciated it. Shook hand with Alex, the AP photog, then waved to us and onto the plane. Wednesday on his trip down the aisle of the plane with brownies (I thought they were cookies) he asked the pool to respect their privacy and not photograph their anniversary dinner. We all agreed on that, as the Reuters photog pointed out, he’s not president yet (so still has a bit of a private life). AP and the tv pool cameraman always go on the morning gym “movement” pool and there was one Friday night sitting outside the restaurant where the couple ate. But they never got out of the van and did no reporting.
In Newport News, Virginia for a rally near the port, didn’t have much time to send photos after the rally, I had just enough time to grab a delicious pulled pork sandwich and missed out on baked beans, barbequed chicken and several pies out on the table.
On to Asheville, North Carolina where the non-pool media heads to the hotel, us ‘poolers’ were driven downtown where we just sit and hang out, since there may or may not be an evening event. It’s about 5:45, so we walk a few blocks in this nice town and eat at the Flying Frog café. Not too bad, everyone is amazed at the life in these few blocks and how interesting the town looks.
We drive to the Grove Park Inn, some giant resort where we left the candidate off a few hours ago (and saw David Axelrod get out of the motorcade). The NC Democrats are having a fundraiser and Obama makes a surprise appearance. A short speech and we flee, back at the hotel by 8:15pm. Good news is afternoon event tomorrow in Asheville, we meet up at 12:15pm. Good day for laundry.
Oct. 4
Chicago to Newport News, VA to Asheville, NC
Call time for the pool is 6:00am, I get a banana and orange juice in the Fairmont hotel lobby. We head in a mini bus to the Hyde Park section of Chicago, passing a downtown building with Go Cubs spelled out with the window lights. (it is before dawn, still dark out). We end up sitting near the Obama house for a while, the whole block is blocked off to through traffic, unless you live there (we speculated about whether having Obama as neighbor would increase property values). Then to a small park where we meet a Chicago police officer with bomb sniffing dog, who sniffs all our equipment and bags. (this happens every day at each hotel before we leave for the days events). Tyrone the Secret Service agent uses a hand metal detector to check each of us (for weapons). Then we join up with small motorcade of 3 cars in front of the Obama house, which has giant cement traffic barriers placed on the sidewalks and streets protecting it. Off to the gym for early morning workout. We see the Senator get out of car, dressed in black long sleeve and long pants workout clothes. We park, then head to a hip looking coffee shop 1 block away for about 45 minutes.
Earlier was talking with Samantha Tubman, the campaign press aide who is always with us and Nedra Pickler from the AP. I told Nedra that I was married to Ann Levin, she said, “Oh, I better be nice to you.” Then told the others, “Ann’s someone really important at the AP”.
Turns out Samantha is the granddaughter of William V.S. Tubman, who was president of Liberia from 1944 to 1971. Not sure how this came up, but the grandfather and father were born in Liberia. Her father’s family came to the US at a young age and met Sam’s mother. Sam said she really never knew her father since the parents divorced and the father moved to Libera and never saw Sam. So the parallels between her story and Obama’s family history are similar, which amazes Sam.
After hearing this amazing story people talked about things they’ve experienced in the campaign, the most recent being everyone meeting Kim Catrill at the Detroit city hall rally early last week. And how short she is in real life (since according to the watchers of Sex In The City, she’s the tallest one in the show).
Finally the Senator is done exercising and we are off to the airport. Had a brief encounter at the Midway airport, Obama walks out of his car and towards us and says, “Press pool,” we weren’t sure what he was going to say, some thought that we were in trouble, like when the principal at school comes to you.
He thanked us for not photographing the previous night’s dinner that Obama had with his wife and said he appreciated it. Shook hand with Alex, the AP photog, then waved to us and onto the plane. Wednesday on his trip down the aisle of the plane with brownies (I thought they were cookies) he asked the pool to respect their privacy and not photograph their anniversary dinner. We all agreed on that, as the Reuters photog pointed out, he’s not president yet (so still has a bit of a private life). AP and the tv pool cameraman always go on the morning gym “movement” pool and there was one Friday night sitting outside the restaurant where the couple ate. But they never got out of the van and did no reporting.
In Newport News, Virginia for a rally near the port, didn’t have much time to send photos after the rally, I had just enough time to grab a delicious pulled pork sandwich and missed out on baked beans, barbequed chicken and several pies out on the table.
On to Asheville, North Carolina where the non-pool media heads to the hotel, us ‘poolers’ were driven downtown where we just sit and hang out, since there may or may not be an evening event. It’s about 5:45, so we walk a few blocks in this nice town and eat at the Flying Frog café. Not too bad, everyone is amazed at the life in these few blocks and how interesting the town looks.
We drive to the Grove Park Inn, some giant resort where we left the candidate off a few hours ago (and saw David Axelrod get out of the motorcade). The NC Democrats are having a fundraiser and Obama makes a surprise appearance. A short speech and we flee, back at the hotel by 8:15pm. Good news is afternoon event tomorrow in Asheville, we meet up at 12:15pm. Good day for laundry.
Your correspondent at work (left) and waiting for luggage off the plane.
No comments:
Post a Comment