Marine One lands WH 4:48 pm open press landing. POTUS descends 4:51 with a small wave, and walks away with nary a word on health care, alas. A travel lid called 4:56
10:02 am Marine One departed WH en route Andrews under gray blustery skies. POTUS smiled and waved at onlookers as he boarded. Mona Sutphen, Brian Deese, Josh Earnest, Marvin Nicholson and Reggie Love followed aboard.
MARCH IN-TOWN POOL SCHEDULE
DATE
RADIO
TV
1-Mar
Huffington Post
CBS
NBC
2
McClatchy
FOX
ABC
3
MediaNews
NPR
CBS
4
National Journal
SRN
CNN
5
Newsday
Talk Radio
FOX
6
NY Daily News
VOA
NBC
7
NY Post
ABC
ABC
8
NY Times
AP
CBS
9
Politico
AURN
CNN
10
Politics Daily/Sun Times
CBS
FOX
11
Regional Reporters
FOX
NBC
12
Roll Call
NPR
ABC
13
Salon
SRN
CBS
14
St. Petersburg Times
Talk Radio
CNN
15
Scripps Howard
VOA
FOX
16
Talking Points Memo
ABC
NBC
17
Tribune
AP
ABC
18
USA Today
AURN
CBS
19
Wall Street Journal
CBS
CNN
20
Washington Examiner
FOX
FOX
21
Washington Post
NPR
NBC
22
Washington Times
SRN
ABC
23
Baltimore Sun
Talk Radio
CBS
24
BNA
VOA
CNN
25
Boston Globe
ABC
FOX
26
CS Monitor
AP
NBC
27
CCH
AURN
ABC
28
CQ
CBS
CBS
29
Daily Caller
FOX
CNN
30
Dallas Morning News
NPR
FOX
31
Ebony
SRN
NBC
1-Apr
Essence
Talk Radio
ABC
2
Financial Times
VOA
CBS
3
Gannett News
ABC
CNN
4
Hearst Newspapers
AP
FOX
5
The Hill
AURN
NBC
6
Houston Chronicle
CBS
ABC
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 11:18 AM
Subject: pool report 1 (chamber of commerce and walk back)
Prepared by: Huffington Post (Sam Stein)
President Obama spoke for roughly 16 minutes Monday morning at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in an event for America’s Promise Alliance’s Grad Nation -- a campaign to end the “dropout crisis” among the nation’s high school students. Speaking after introductory remarks by former Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife Alma, the president addressed the need for accountability in failing schools and the role the government plays in raising education standards.
“Graduating from high school is an economic imperative,” President Obama said. “That might be the best reason to get a diploma but it isn’t the only reason to get a diploma…”
High school dropouts, he added, are “more likely to commit crime, more likely to rely on public assistance, more likely to lead shattered lives.”
After the speech, the president surprised the pool by deciding to walk across Lafayette Square back to the White House. He did not wear an overcoat on this pleasant day (it was 50-degrees at the time of the walk). Asked about the health report he received following a doctor’s visit on Sunday, he replied:
“I wanna make sure I’m working off some of that cholesterol. That’s a year of campaigning right there.”
He departed the Chamber at 10:39 a.m. and made it back to the Oval Office at 10:42 a.m.
The event itself was open to press and White House should be sending out full remarks shortly (check all quotes in this pool report against them). Below is some additional color.
Ten minutes or so before the president departed, his dog, Bo Obama, could be seen basking in the sun on the south lawn. At 10:05 POTUS left the White House in his motorcade for a short trip up Jackson Place. The intersection at H Street was blocked off to let the motorcade park in front of the Chamber. POTUS arrived at 10:07 and was ushered in to the building. The pool entered the front entrance shortly thereafter.
The event was held in the Chamber's Hall of Flags room with roughly 200 people in attendance, according to a Chamber official. When the pool arrived, Secretary Powell was finishing up his address and Alma Powell spoke right after. She praised Obama for making education a top priority. “He and [Education] Secretary [Arne] Duncan know and fully understand the challenges that we face,” she said.
POTUS came out with Duncan at approximately 10:21 a.m. and hugged/shook hands with both Powells. Secretary Powell sat closest to the president (on his right), followed by his wife and then Duncan. Each had a water bottle and glass in front of them.
Obama was wearing a dark suit with a striped blue tie. Reading off of notes at first, he thanked Chamber CEO (and occasional White House critic) Tom Donohue for his “hospitality and this extraordinary venue” as well as for the Chamber’s support in this effort.
Reading of teleprompter, he went through Colin Powell’s biography and thanked him for “his extraordinary service.”
Pivoting to the actual substance, he said it was “not the case anymore” that a student could “drop out of high school” and expect a good government job with a decent salary. He noted that 12 percent of Americans schools produce 50 percent of America’s dropouts, and called for a multi-pronged approach to ending the “dropout crisis.” A fact sheet was sent to reporters Sunday evening, but as a recap, here are some of the prongs when tackling a failing school.
* Closing that school for a time period and reopening and re-managing it.
* Shutting down that school for a time period and sending kids to a new school
* Replacing the principal of that school and half of the staff as “a last resort”
Government has a responsibility to help, the president said. “Government can help educate students to succeed in college and their careers. Government can help to provide the resources to engage dropouts… And when necessary, government has to be involved in turning around the lowest performing schools… But, as I said before, education cannot be the task of government alone.”
Duncan took notes as the president spoke. Obama drew laughs when he recounted that he had just gone to his daughter’s parent teacher conference. “She is doing very well,” he said. The speech ended at 10:37 a.m. and the president shook hands with Powell, kissed Alma on her right cheek, and shook hands with Duncan. He then walked down the podium and shook hands with attendees in the first row. Stars and Stripes blared over the loud speaker as most of the audience looked on in silence. After leaving the room there was additional applause.
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 11:42 AM
Subject: correction to pool report 1
Prepared by: Huffington Post (Sam Stein)
The first pool report quoted the president as saying it was “not the case anymore” that a student could “drop out of high school” and expect a good government job with a decent salary.
The actual quote is as follows: "Now, it's true that not long ago, you could drop out of high school and reasonably expect to find a blue-collar job that would pay the bills and help support your family. That's just not the case anymore."
POTUS emerged from the Oval at 1:47, walked to the end of the path on a sunny day, wearing jacket and no tie. Statement should be coming from the WH, check quotes against transcript.
POTUS called the earthquake in Chile "devastating," with early indications that hundreds have been killed. Said the U.S. is standing by and ready to assist with "rescue and recovery efforts" if asked by Chilean government. Said he called Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to let her know the U.S. is standing by.
Said he met with his national security team, and steps are being taken "to protect our own people," including tsunami warnings for Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa. POTUS added later that residents on the West Coast should also be alert.
Told residents in those areas: "The most important thing you can do is carefully heed the instructions of your state and local officials."
Said "we can't control nature," but we must be prepared.
Also, note from this morning's basketball game. VPOTUS also attended. Told his granddaughter is also on the team.
Walk from White House to Blair House
President Obama and Vice President Biden, surrounded by agents and others, emerged from the White House gate at 9:58 AM.
President: "Hi, guys." Waves to pool. Biden waves, too.
Reporter: Comment to make?
President: "Looking forward to listening."
Reporter: Do you have a Plan B?
President: (Keeps walking, doesn't respond for a moment, then says) "I've always got plans."
They went into the tent set up on Jackson Place to the side entrance of the Blair House complex.
Pool in place at 9:20 a.m. in the Garden Room of the Blair House.
Although it is the largest room in the Blair House, the assembled guests will be seated tightly elbow to elbow around a square of tables approximately 25 by 25 feet around. There is a distinctive chandelier suspended in the middle of the room. The president will be seated in front of a fireplace. The wall is decorated with a fresco painting in muted colors of an outdoor scene.
It is a small room with vaulted ceiling, distinctive chandelier. Windows were shuttered.
Name tags laid out for all the dignitaries, seated very closely to each other along tables formed into a square about 25 by 25 feet. Note pads and pencils provided to each, as well as a glass of water.
President will be seated in front of a fireplace.
Guests began arriving shortly after 9:30 a.m. with Reps. Henry Waxman and John Dingell among the first to take a seat. By 9:50 a.m. most had been seated. All the men wearing dark suits.
We arrived back at the WH at 13:39, entered through the north-west gate.
Just to clarify about the speech - the president took no questions from the audience, just chatted for a few minutes afterwards.
No further events on the schedule for coverage today, but no lid yet.
The president's motorcade left the White House at 12:53pm for an uneventful journey along the side of Lafayette Park and across the few blocks to the St Regis Hotel, where Potus is addressing the Business Roundtable. Remarks have already been sent so I'll just give you the colour:
The speech started on time at 1 o'clock in the Astor ballroom, where about 100 CEO members of the BRT were seated in rows. The president stood in front of a BRT logo backdrop. Gary Locke, commerce secretary, and Valerie Jarrett were in the audience. Your pooler counted only two other women among the sea of dark suits in the main seating area.
Potus was introduced by Ivan Seidenberg, chairman/CEO of Verizon and head of the BRT. Delivered speech pretty much exactly as prepared. The CEOs sat impassively throughout, although they managed a small murmur when the president said: "Which brings me to everybody’s favorite topic: taxes. You’ll notice I saved the best for last."
Back to straight faces by the time he said he couldn't give millionaires and billionaires tax cuts.
Speech finished at 13:39. The president went to the front row and started shaking hands, mingled for a few minutes, as your pool was ushered out.
Now waiting to head back to the WH.
