These pool reports from the Obama press office are killing me. Note the time on this one:
Dec. 26, 2008
Pool report No. 3
Kailua, HawaiiThe wonderful Samantha Tubman called a lid at 9:27 a.m., so your pool is
returning to Waikiki Beach. President-elect Barack Obama is not planning
other movements today, but if he decides to leave home again your pool will
be called back to Kailua.Philip Rucker
The Washington Post
URGENT UPDATE: The lid is blown! Cue the Drudge Siren! Having survived his brush with seaweed and Spam, the President-elect now apparently has been in close proximity with an “interactive dolphin.” High Sheriffs, I implore you: We must dispatch a correspondent (preferably one with the seasoning, judgment and razor-sharp reflexes of, say, our National Political Correspondent) to Hawaii at once. Look what we have already missed: Dec. 26, 2008
Pool report No. 6
Waimanalo, Hawaii
President-elect Barack Obama and his daughters Malia and Sasha left Sea
Life Park about 1:40, after spending 90 minutes at the marine amusement
park. Pool is now in motorcade and may make another stop before returning
to the Kailua vacation home.Your pool was not allowed inside the park. Obama did not pose for pictures
or talk to reporters, but your pool could see him, the daughters, his
half-sister Maya and several other family friends leave the park from the
interactive dolphin area.Tourists who were inside showed the pool photographs they took of
President-elect Barack Obama and his family and friends. Obama is wearing a
casual cream-colored shirt tucked into olive shorts and sandals.The Obamas and friends were seen attending the dolphin show, the tourists
said. It is unclear whether the Obamas swam with dolphins, and Obama’s
clothing did not appear wet.When they left the park, about 50 park guests, many wearing life vests,
stood near the motorcade to see the president-elect. When he came out, they
screamed, “We love you, Obama” and “Obama Ohana!” (Ohana means “family” in Hawaiian.) Obama stood and waved at them and smiled.Several kids joined Malia and Sasha, as well as several adults. Your pool
has been promised a full list of those attending the park with Obama and we
will distribute that when it’s available.More to come. Stay tuned.
Philip Rucker
The Washington Post
There’s more! Money changing hands! And a blatant attempt to bribe the Fourth Estate. Paging Patrick Fitzgerald:
Pool Report No. 7
Hawaiikai, Hawaii
Dec. 26, 2008Pres-elect Barack Obama and his family and friends at 1:55 entered the Koko
Marina Center in the Hawaiikai neighborhood near Honolulu for a sandwich
and shave ice. Obama entered Koko Marina Paradise Deli and said, “So what
are we going to get?”“Let me get a tuna sandwich,” Obama said, asking for it on 12-grain bread,
tomatoes and no mayo.“Actually, can you melt cheese on that?” He asked. “Can you make like a
tuna melt with cheddar cheese?”Obama then approached the pool to say hello. He placed his shoulder on this
pooler who was scribbling notes and said, “You don’t really need to write
all that down.”Then Obama walked with Sasha,
Sasha Obama, wearing a purple, yellow and white dress, to Kokonuts shave
ice. There were mobs of dozens of onlookers swarming the crowded parking
lot snapping pictures and saying hello. Obama waved, said hi, merry
christmas. At one point on the sidewalk, Obama dropped his sunglasses, bent
down and picked then up.Inside Kokonuts, Obama, with his blackberry on left hip, ordered shave ice
for the kids and friends. He told Malia, “We’re going to do it one at a
time.” Some ordered banana coconut, pina colada. Sasha ordered a medium
banana.“Everyone, once you’ve ordered, step back,” Obama instructed the kids.
Obama pulled cash out of his wallet and Eric Whitaker pitched in to pay the
bill. Obama ordered mixed berry shave ice for Sam Tubman and offered shave
ice to the pool.“Guys, here’s your chance,” he told pool. “No? I’m telling you, this is
really good…. I don’t think this is against policy. You want one, I can
tell.”The pool declined the president-elect’s offer.
Then Obama, Sasha, Malia and other kids sat at a blue picnic table enjoying
their shave ice. He asked the kids, “how is it? Good?”Michelle Obama is not here.
Were still at the shopping center. More details to come.
Philip Rucker
The Washington Post
Okay, Philip Rucker is now my favorite pool reporter:
Dec. 26, 2008
Pool report No. 8
Kailua, HawaiiPresident-elect Barack Obama, his daughters and family friends left the
Koko Marina Center at 2:25 p.m. After winding along a narrow two-lane
highway overlooking the Pacific arrived at the Kailua vacation home at 3:02
p.m.Here are two addendums to previous pool report:
Barack Obama ate his sandwich before his shave ice, saying he wanted to set
a good example for his girls by eating healthy food before dessert.Also, note that shave ice (not shaved ice) is like a snow cone. Barack
Obama ate orange and green colored shave ice. We don’t know what flavor
that is.After what your pool now is dubbing “Waikiki-gate,” we are holding outside
the Kailua home awaiting word on possible future movements.Philip Rucker
The Washington Post
