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The pool report from on the road with the prez …

POOL REPORT TWO
CONNECTICUT-OHIO STEALTH FUNDRAISING TOUR
September 25, 2006

Your representative of a friendly newspaper is currently sitting under the trees at a lovely beach-front table, overlooking the Long Island Sound. We are dining on a delicious lunch of Chilean sea bass, topped with pea puree, cheese ravioli with a butter sage sauce, and salad of field greens, topped with dried cranberries and candied pecans – the very same fare, we are told, that the donors gathered inside the massive home of Scott Frantz, investment banker, are enjoying.

Frantz is the president of Haebler Capital Corporation. His house is a big wood-shingled affair, four car garage, with a dock and a beautiful waterside view and shady manicured grounds.

Chris Shays is said to be inside; no word about the Republican Senate candidate, whose name no one can remember. (It’s Alan Schlesinger.) No word about any other elected officials either. 65 people inside, $800,000 to be raised, according to Tony Snow.

Tony gaggled. Look for a very lawyerly remark, drafted by the DNI’s office, about the classified national intelligence estimate that was reported in the news yesterday, Gist is that the report contained nothing Bush hasn’t said before. The DNI will make some remarks later today. Also some remarks about why the president keeps doing closed events, and comments on lower gas prices (he says the White House hasn’t rigged them) and a non-response to the Clinton remarks on Fox.

And now, circling back to the beginning of the day:

Marine One landed at Andrews at 10:35. POTUS emerged, followed by Rove and Snow and other aides your pool is too new to recognize. All aboard and wheels up at 10:46 for the one hour flight to JFK. After an uneventful trip, plus a 20-minute chopper ride, we landed in a lovely park in Greenwich, not far from the Long Island sound.

The motorcade wound its way through town, past plenty of locals waving American flags, pointing cameras and some hoisting protest signs, including War is Wa$te, and “More Trees, Less Bush.”

All of which made your working stiff pool wonder if the good people of Greenwich have to work for a living.

More soon.

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