There was feverish activity in the massive Camp David hangar this morning prior to the press conference held by President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Photographers and TV guys scrambled to get all the lighting and sound details just right during the last 30 minutes before the 11:10 start.

A White House sound guy stood behind Mr. Abe's podium and tested the sound going into the translation booth.

"Speaking Japanese from the Japanese podium. Speaking Japanese. Speaking Japanese," he said.

"Are you hearing Japanese?" he said.

"No I'm hearing English," wisecracked the guy handing out translation earphones.

"Speaking Japanese. Speaking Japanese. From the Japanese podium," the sound guy continued.

Then another presidential aide began speaking into the mic that would be used by Japanese reporters to ask questions, only he was speaking English.

The sound guy up front motioned for him, with his right hand, to "speak Japanese."

He obeyed.

"Speaking Japanese. Japanese correspondents' mic. Speaking Japanese. Speaking Japanese. Speaking Japanese. Speaking Japanese. Speaking Japanese," he said.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times