White House Pool Report #1
Sent: 1:46PM
Prepared By: Financial Times
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.
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