Yo, History, it's me, Kevin. After a decade in Washington, I thought it was time to pull my weight in the national press corps and sign up for White House pool duty, basically presidential round-the-clock body watch – first eyes on history. A terrifying ordeal for a job that can be so mundane. You miss something, and it's on you: left out of the history books forever. I drew a Saturday shift. 8:30 a.m. "pool call." That found me gamboling down the street to the subway with the early morning dog walkers. Neighbor: "Where you going all dressed up this early, Kevin?" Me: "I'm going to spend the day with President Obama." Ooh, that makes you feel so important. Till you read Pool Report # 1: Presidential Motorcade, about a dozen vehicles in all, leaves WH at 9:33 a.m. for drive to Rudolph Field in N.W. Washington, where daughter Malia is playing a league soccer game (unclear if connected to Sidwell Friends, her school). Immediately pass a small group of protesters at 15th and Pennsylvania holding a banner proclaiming "March for Justice and Immigration Reform." Traffic not blocked. Motorcade starts and stops with light Saturday morning D.C. traffic. Motorcade mostly uneventful except for motorbike rider who slides into the last police vehicle after it turns west onto Gallatin from North Capitol St. Biker dusts himself off, glares at police driver, who glares back, and biker then drives off without apparent injury. Motorcade continues and pulls up to Rudolph Field at 3rd and Ingraham Sts. NW at 9:51 a.m. POTUS [President of the United States] steps out onto the field wearing a black baseball cap, black jacket, and jeans. Wearing sunglasses against glare of sunny cool morning. Takes his place alongside a small clutch of parents, watching girls in green jerseys kick a soccer ball around, apparently warming up for a game. Pool then drives around the block to park. Awaiting next move. Then an hour of, well, sitting in the back of a black chevy government van with nine other photographers, producers, camera operators, etc. The Secret Service guys with the big guns who rode a few cars ahead of us are nowhere to be seen. Probably in sight of POTUS. Man, no updates on the soccer game either. Malia could score a hat trick and we'd be none the wiser, being completely out of view. Finally, White House pool handler Ben Finkenbinder, Macalaster grad '07, steps up to tell us it's time to roll. Pool Report # 2 Pool rolls back in from a side street at 11:03 a.m. to find POTUS at a distance in the middle of Rudolph Field, where he is surrounded by girls in soccer uniforms, shaking hands and chatting. Pool too far away to hear. At 11:07 a.m. POTUS walks off the field to his waiting black SUV parked on Ingraham St. NW, facing east. According to WTOP radio, temps are 60-65 degrees. Motorcade rolls off immediately for a largely uneventful ride back to the WH. At 11:11 a.m. the motorcade turns south onto North Capitol St. and appears to stop briefly for a pair of emergency vehicles, sirens wailing, headed north. Going west on Rhode Island Avenue the motorcade passes three women in a small sedan with an Obama bumper sticker. Unknown if they had any clue who was blowing past. Guys at Mr. Wash carwash on 13th Street wave at the motorcade. Motorcade passes back through the WH gates at 11:30 a.m. on the dot. Lots of tourists on the street taking pictures. Waiting for word on what's next. What's next is: Pool Report # 3 Lunch lid called till 2 p.m. But this is not a day without suspense. The president is scheduled to fly to Poland tonight for the funeral of President Lech Kaczynski and First Lady Maria Kaczynska. But a volcano eruption in Iceland is wreaking havoc with international flights, and there's some speculation in the press corps that Air Force One might not be immune. Why a pool call at 2 p.m., if there are no official events on the president's schedule until his departure tonight from Andrews Air Force Base? Is there going to be an announcement? My contacts at the White House are mum. Humm… Waiting, I notice that the messy kitchen in the White House press office reminds me a lot of my days at the Minnesota Daily, my college paper. Boredom sets in. Then a reprieve comes in a phone call from Finkenbinder. He says to expect an announcement momentarily. Pool Report # 4 White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced at 2:52 p.m. that the
President's trip to Poland has been cancelled due to the conditions
caused by volcanic ash in Iceland... And then in short order, my last communiqué from the White House:
Pool Report # 5 The Poland trip being cancelled, a lid is called for the day at 3:13 p.m As a homeless man just told your poolster on his way inside the WH gate, may your eternities be "joyful, blessed, and instructive." Update: The Washington Post decided the motorbike incident was news: http://bit.ly/akMpGd