POOL REPORT:
Maeve Reston — LA TIMES

MERIDIAN, Mississippi — McCain spent the 20-minute ride from Hope Village to the Meridian Airport talking on back of the Straight Talk Express with Rachel Lee, a fourth grade teacher whose son Dustin Lee, a 20-year old Marine based out of Albany Georgia, was killed by an IED last year in al-Anbar province while attached to a reconnaissance unit.

After Lee's death, the military allowed his family to adopt Lex, an explosive-detecting dog that trained with Dustin's unit and was with him in the battle the day he died. The dog was wounded and later given an honorary Purple Heart, according to a spokeswoman for the McCain campaign. [Campaign may have additional details about the battle]

During the ride, Lex stretched across the faux red velvet couch on the back of the bus, resting against Rachel Lee's thigh, as she told McCain and his wife Cindy the story of her son's service and his death. Her two children, her 16-year-old daughter Madyson and 13-year-old Camryn, sat silently on the other side of Lex on the couch, petting his fur.

"I just want you to know that I'm very honored, not because you're running for president but because you are a veteran, and everything that you've been through," Lee told McCain, her voice breaking. "My family is military all the way down too, and our mission now in Dustin's honor is to visit soldiers at the hospitals, visit veterans, because I think that's what we can given back."

"He's a wounded soldier also," Rachel Lee said, gesturing to Lex, "and I think it does well for other soldiers to see him."
McCain, who held a card with pictures of Dustin, his family and his gravesite, gently asked Lee a series of questions about her son, who was raised in Stonewall, Mississippi and just two months shy of his 21st birthday when he was killed.

"It was an I.E.D.?" McCain asked.

"Yes sir, it hit the building that he had just come out," Lee said, adding that because of Dustin's injuries, she believes he turned to fall or run when he was struck.

"I gather that from what the Sgt. Major had described — whenever IEDs are shot you don't hear them until it's too late," she said. As she told the story, Cindy McCain's eyes filled with tears, and she cried silently throughout the rest of the ride.

"We have a son in the Marines too," McCain said, but then quickly turned back to questions about Dustin, noting that he does not speak about his son in front of reporters. Several aides said that was off the record.

Lee told McCain Dustin surprised her by joining the Marines even before he graduated from high school. The last time she spoke to her son, he was "very upbeat" and excited because he was coming home in six weeks, she said. He had already started planning a career in law enforcement, possibly specializing as a K-9 instructor.

"He had grown tremendously from the time that he left … it's amazing the way he talked," Rachel Lee said. "He had already started planning his life."

"I hope you know how much we appreciate it," McCain said softly. "We're without words to describe how much we appreciate it. I think we are winning the war — we've had a problem here in the last few days, but hopefully the Anbar province will stay quiet. … thanks to the Marines and Army."

McCain read the date of Dustin's death, 21 March 2007, aloud from the card and noted the date was around the time the troop surge began — when military personnel "started going into some of these places they hadn't been in in a long time," he said.

Since her son's death, if she sees soldiers at the mall "I just feel like they're part of me. And I know you guys understand," Lee said as Cindy nodded.

After Dustin's death, "We were going through so many different emotions that we really didn't know how to react," she said. Her daughter, Madyson needed to go back to school — "that's the way she dealt with it" — while Camryn spent much of his time riding his motorcycle.

"Once we got Lex, everybody started to heal," Rachel Lee said, rubbing Lex's ears. "Because we can look in Lex's eyes and see his [Dustin's] spirit — because I know how much he loved this dog."

[We were not in earshot when Rachel Lee told McCain the full story of Lex and his relationship with Dustin Lee, but the campaign may be able to provide more of those details; Please also check with the campaign for additional information about Dustin's rank & unit]

— Joseph Curl, senior White House correspondent, The Washington Times

March 31, 2008

President Bush was roundly and resoundingly booed at Nationals Park last night, which is not surprising in a city that runs more than 80 percent Democrat.

But it wasn't his war in Iraq, his profligate spending, or his inability to dance. The 50,000 baseball fans who showed up on the cold (really cold) night had to endure long lines just to get into the stadium — all because the president decided to drop by.

Whenever Bush attends a baseball game, every single fan has to go through the mags — emptying their pockets of all metal, turning on their cameras and cell phones for nosy Secret Service officers.

Last night was no different, except that last night was the first game played at the new stadium and things didn't go so well. Just 15 minutes before the game, there were still lines hundreds of yards long of fans waiting to get inside.

Of course, the president knew full well he was going to get booed (that's why one year he went to St. Louis to throw out the first pitch — he was cheered there). But he braved the jeers and took the mound. He fired — a ball, high and well to the third-base side of the plate. But he did fire it, throwing pretty hard (not easy in a bulky jacket, which he kept on to mask the even bulkier bulletproof vest he wore underneath — the Secret Service doesn't like to take chances).

There are plenty of
videos, so you can decide for yourself if Jason Embry of the Austin-American-Statesman, who served as the print pooler for the event, was correct when he said that "it seemed there were more cheers than boos, but not by much." It may well have depended on where one was sitting — some sections no doubt had more booing, others more cheering (we're guessing the seats close to home plate, where the moneyboys sat, cheered for his tax cuts).

Your blogger, though, was out in right field (section 142, with the real people, where he belongs) and offers this opinion — waaay more jeers than cheers.

Below is Embry's pool report to other reporters not so lucky to tag along with POTUS to the game.

— Joseph Curl, senior White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Pool report 2, 3-30-08

Potus and motorcade arrived at Nationals Park about 7 p.m. He disappeared for more than an hour for clubhouse visits.

After both the Braves and Nationals were introduced on the field (Nats' starters came in from outfield), and after Denyce Graves sang the national anthem, the two teams cleared the field. Nationals manager Manny Acta, 3B Ryan Zimmerman and owner Ted Lerner came back on. Then Bush emerged from the Nationals' dugout to throw the first pitch. He wore a red Nationals jacket and dark slacks.

It seemed there were more cheers than boos, but not by much. He walked quickly to the mound and almost immediately, with a high delivery, threw a high fastball that would have been a ball to anyone other than Yao Ming. Acta rose to catch it, manager and president quickly shook hands and Bush was waving to the crowd as he walked back into the dugout. The crowd reaction after the pitch was decidedly mixed. Bush, back in the dugout, gave the ball to team President Stan Kasten and he went back up the tunnel. Bush smiled throughout, despite the boos.

We're told Potus is watching the game from the owner's box and will do ESPN commentary in the third inning. It is now bottom of first and pool is watching from what appears to be a press conference room.

Jason Embry
Austin-American-Statesman

Friday, March 28, 10 a.m.

Excellent piece today by Charles Krauthammer about the lies both Democratic presidential candidates are telling about Sen. John McCain and his declaration that the United States could be in Iraq for 100 years. The Kraut even found an example of Sen. Barack Obama's military advisers saying the very same thing.

— Joseph Curl, senior White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Sen. John McCain knows how to treat the press.

Unlike the reporters orbiting around Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama — who complain daily about lack of access to their candidates — Mr. McCain feeds his press corps daily, so much so that your blogger has heard more than once from reporters that they wish the straight-talking guy would just shut up for once.

But they really don't mean that, and they appreciate that Mr. McCain goes to great lengths to keep his gaggle of regular reporters happy. For those few American reporters who caught up with the Republican candidate in London and Paris? Mr. McCain took questions from nearly all of them, even though he had to dodge past pushy Brit reporters and sulking French journalists to do so.

And how about his weekends? After pushing nonstop on the road during his early run, once he sewed up the nomination, Mr. McCain began to weekend at his sweet pad in Cornville, Ariz., not far from Sedona.

The press corps, meanwhile, heads to a spectacular place called the Enchantment Resort.

"Surrounded by the majestic red rock formations of Northern Arizona's Boynton Canyon, Enchantment Resort combines luxury with rugged grandeur," the resort's Web site says, touting its "adobe casita-style accommodations [that] offer world-class comforts amid its pristine 70-acre setting."

The place really is spectacular. Reporters can enjoy the nine-hole pitch and putt course that rings the resort, play some croquet (David Gregory would loooove this place!), hit the tennis courts, lounge by the huge pool, or head into the Red Rocks for a long hike. There's also a world-class spa (with world-class prices — an hourlong shiatsu massage costs $145, and a 60-minute "many hands" rubdown runs $290).

Now, compare that with President Bush, who brings his press corps along to Texas when he holes up at his 1,500-acre Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford. Reporters, however, spend their days and nights in Waco — Waco. Most stay at the Waco Hilton (always under renovation and yearly invaded by giant crickets, which somehow even make it to the top floors). The No. 1 Waco attraction listed on the Hilton page is "1852 Suspension Bridge." Seriously.

Sure, you can pop down to the Dr. Pepper Museum, but once you know the story, it gets old. There's Baylor University, Lake Waco and the ever popular attraction: "Shopping @ River Center Square." Then there's something called the Earle Harrison House (who knows what that is).

In short, not a few reporters must be pulling for Mr. McCain so they can spend their downtime in Sedona (reporters during the re-election campaign of President Clinton were pulling for more summer vacations on Martha's Vineyard). President Bush famously told those reporters: "I know a lot of you wish you were on the East Coast, lounging on the beach, sucking in salt air. But when you are from Texas — and love Texas — this is where you come home. This is my home. … I don't mind the heat." No duh.

And one last thing: Mr. McCain spent the week running around the west, through California, Utah and Colorado. He ends up Friday in Nevada. Las Vegas, to be specific. In an ahead schedule, the campaign says: "Transportation provided by the campaign will end in Las Vegas, NV, and press must provide own travel."

"Um, yeah, tell my editors I've got to spend the weekend in Vegas — Mr. McCain just up and abandoned us here! I know! Well, I'll make do and catch up with the senator Monday morning. Later."

— Joseph Curl, senior White House correspondent, The Washington Times

March 26, 1:15 p.m.

Reuters and Rasmussen Reports have put out a new poll to replace the one at the bottom of the last blog posting. This one shows Sen. John McCain continues to lead both potential Democrat opponents:

McCain = 51 percent/ Obama = 41 percent

McCain = 50 percent/ Clinton = 43 percent

—Joseph Curl, senior White House correspondent, The Washington Times

March 26, 8:30 a.m.

Yes, the French love Sen. John McCain, and he loves them, but now a new Gallup poll shows that a bunch of Democrats also love the maverick Republican. Huge numbers would vote for the Arizona senator over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama in the general election, the poll found.

PARIS — One last blog from the City of Lights.

Although Sen. John McCain raced back to the campaign trail (he is spending all week in California, America's ATM for presidential nominees), Sen. Joe Lieberman and his wife, Hadassah, stayed around to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Yes, Mr. Lieberman had chosen to spend the actual day with Mr. McCain meeting with British PM Gordon Brown, but the couple got the night off in London and finished early the next day in Paris, giving them another night in a far less filthy city.

Now, a couple of travel notes: The Chunnel train from London to Paris is one of the easiest way to get between the two cities, but not one of the cheapest (especially if you don't book at least a week in advance). Flying can cost half what the train costs, but if you're going into London, you end up in perhaps the worst airport in the world — Heathrow. Not pleasant.

If you want to spend the night at a Heathrow airport hotel, there's only one actually on site: The Hilton. All the others say they're airport hotels — they're not. To get to, say, the Park Inn Hotel — which touts itself as right at the airport — a traveler has to catch a train from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1, then catch the H2 shuttle to the hotel (the whole trip took nearly 45 minutes). Pay the extra $50 and stay at the Hilton.

As for a nice hotel in Paris, your blogger stayed at Hotel 123 on Rue St. Honore, not far from the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. A perfect place to start a long walk through Paris — down the Champs (cool stores, including a Toyota place filled with concept cars, and walking through the Paris Gap is a hoot), along the Seine, across to the Musee d'le Armee, back across the river to the Tuilleries gardens that lead to the Louvre, and back up Rue St. Honore, past the most expensive shops in the world.

But one of the best kept secrets in Paris in the Rodin Museum at 79 Rue de Varenne. The massive old Hotel Biron fronts spectacular gardens filled with Rodin masterpieces, including the large-scale bronze The Thinker (yes, Americans sit on the pedestal and strike the same thoughtful pose, fist to chin, pensive look).

The hotel is filled with other famous pieces, like The Lovers, but it is Rodin's hands that are the real star. The gift shop even carries bracelets, necklaces and cufflinks featuring small reproductions of his hands.

But watch your step walking through Paris — on every sidewalk, every one, there are little piles of dog poo. A fun game is to sit down and watch until a tourist steps in it (which usually only takes a few minutes). Ah, the French.

— Joseph Curl, senior White House correspondent, The Washington Times

PARIS -- Mac Is Back with Sarko the American.

Sen. John McCain popped 'round the Elysee Palace today, the official residence of the President of the French Republic and not far from the magnificent Champs Elysee. Of course, your blogger saw just the gravel driveway (where he stood in the shade -- just feet from the sunny spot -- and froze with nearly a hundred Parisian press who were almost entirely dressed in black -- very hip).

McCain rolled in at 4 p.m. in his rented BMW (not bad, a Mercedes yesterday in London, a Beamer today in Paris, although there was a big, black Chevy Suburban in his five-car motorcade) and ignored shouted questions with a smile as he went in to the rather perfunctory palace (which was once a temporary Crown Furniture Store. Seriously).

The French security appeared to have been directed to keep the press corps from warming itself in the nearby sun, so reporters milled about smartly, debating Franco-American relations and, of course, Eliot Spitzer.

The French do not get the Spitzer scandal. "In France, that would be no big deal, even with prostitutes," said one mistress-worthy female French reporter. "Why are Americans so upset?" She looked on with a sneer of disbelief as an American reporter explained that Spitzer had set himself up as a moral icon, "Mr. Clean." "But you did not do the same with Bill Clinton," she said wisely. One sage U.S. TV reporter said, "Ah, with Democrats, it's not the sex, but the cover up. With Republicans, it's just the sex." Poor Larry Craig.

This same reporter regaled others with a story about Sarkozy's visit last summer to New Hampshire (McCain would later say that he "reminded [Sarkozy] that he remains extremely popular in the state of New Hampshire, where he chose to spend his vacation, and the message from the American people is that we welcome him back at any time"). An AP photographer, Jim Cole, who owns a house on Lake Winnipesaukee in the Granite State, also owns a boat, and he and a colleague, freelancer Vince DeWitt, set out one day to snap a few shots of Sarkozy and his then-second wife, Cecelia, staying at the lakefront estate with a private beach.

Cole motored out his chosen spot, where the 20-year veteran photographer was met by U.S. Secret Service, who greeted him warmly and told him to stay a bit offshore. But then French security came up in another boat and actually boarded his vessel. He reached for an oar to beat off the pirates, putting his camera down in the process, and it was quickly snatched up by the French. He battled to get his camera back, but Sarkozy demanded that the offender be brought to shore. An AP story says "French President Nicolas Sarkozy lost his temper with two American news photographers covering his vacation Sunday, jumping onto their boat and scolding them loudly in French. ... Sarkozy picked up DeWitt's camera but then put it down. A woman then spoke up in English and relayed Sarkozy's request to be left alone, DeWitt said. The woman did not identify herself."

It all worked out in the end. The phots of the shirtless Sarkozy, published in the French newspaper Figaro, were doctored, taking off clumps of fat around the waist (Paris Match later reported), and he ended up bailing on that second wife and picking up former supermodel Carla Bruni, a dozen years his junior.

Back to the palace. McCain emerged with Sarkozy after their third meeting as photographers snapped away. The Arizona senator descended the stairs and took questions for about 20 minutes. The first question, from an attractive French female reporter, was about his cozy relationship with Sarkozy, on whether "you have things in common, the same personality?" "I would hope so. I believe that he's a man of enormous energy," McCain said (see graf above about the supermodel).

A bit bored with the Francophilia, your blogger asked the senator if one of the men flanking him, Sen. Joe Lieberman, the maverick former Democrat from Connecticut, or Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican and daily cell-phone chatter with McCain, would be his vice president. The trio laughed heartily (probably the best photo from the session) as McCain said: "We have just started that process and I value the friendship of both of these individuals." But he got that impish look in his eyes as he added: "I was about to make a funny remark but it seems that you can't do that much anymore."

Then the senators reboarded their luxury rides and beat it out of the palace.

— Joseph Curl, senior White House correspondent, The Washington Times

9 a.m.

PARIS — After a Chunnel ride from London's Saint Pancras station, your intrepid blogger is now on the Champs Elysee, awaiting the press availability of Sen. John McCain at the Elysee Palace (1 p.m. EDT). The presumptive Republican presidential nominee will first meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who he has met twice. (Mr. Sarkozy provides the 71-year-old McCain with a regular joke in his standard stump speech — "France now has a pro-American president, which just goes to show you that if you live long enough, you'll see everything." Badabing.).

Wonderfully French incident at the Gard Nord train station in Paris. Standing in line at the information booth, the Parisian inside simply stuck up a sign that said: "Position Closed." In line was a couple from England and your blogger; both simply needed to know which Metro to catch. "That wasn't very nice," said the British woman. "Welcome to France," said your blogger.

On the train over, your blogger continued reading Mr. Sarkozy's book, "Testimony." He has accomplished a lot at a fairly young age (and in his book, he makes sure to tell you all about it — and take full credit). Still, he is much like Mr. McCain — a straight-talking politician who doesn't mind standing alone if he's standing on principle. Not very easy in France.

But most interesting was this passage about his second wife and the difficulties they had gone through: "Today Cecelia and I are back together for real, and most surely forever." Whoops. Seems that didn't work out. The two are now divorced, and Sark the Shark, 52, is married to former supermodel Carla Bruni, 40.

The dismally dour dollar is on display everywhere, and easy to understand by this one reference: A venti cappuccino at Starbuck's cost $8.25. Seriously, But fashionable Parisians in trendy glasses are sitting in the freezing cold drizzle smoking (in that fabulous French way), and Frank Sinatra is playing on the stereo — "I Love Paris (Every Moment)." Having covered the campaign for months, Paris sure beats Kalamazoo.

Joseph Curl, senior White House correspondent, The Washington Times

LONDON -- Sen. John McCain is in town today and popped round 10 Downing Street this morning for a sitdown with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The second-most famous address after 1600.

Reporters and photographers started queueing up more than an hour before his arrival at 8:45 a.m. local time. Of course, the sky immediately began to spit a cold drizzle on the press scrum, busy shuffling on the sidewalk to keep the circulation flowing to their freezing feet.

The British media was delighted just to see the door. Look, it's opening! Awww, it's closing again.

With Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent (and Corrector in Chief), and Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, in tow, Mr. McCain arrived in his rented Mercedes step van right on time and wooshed through the famous door.

Right on schedule, the Arizona senator stepped out onto the road for a brief press conference with reporters (many of whom kneeled on the street to stay out of TV camera shots).

Asked by The Washington Times if he would have made the same decision as President Bush five years ago when he invaded Iraq, Mr. McCain sanctions had broken down and Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein acknowledged after he was captured that "he had the operational network to renew his effort to acquire weapons of mass destruction."

The presumptive Republican presidential candidate said Americans and Britons have grown frustrated with the slow pace of progress as the aftermath of the war was "mishandled." But he added that withdrawing U.S. troops now -- as both his Democratic opponents say they will do if elected -- would hand a victory to al Qaeda.

"That will be, frankly, a very big issue in this campaign -- whether we withdraw, hand al Qaeda a win and announce to the world that they have won and things collapse there, or do we see this strategy through to success?" he said.

"I believe that if we had done what others are advocating, it would have had disastrous consequences for the United States, chaos, and further sacrifice on the part of the American people."

Mr. Lieberman and Mr. Graham mostly stood by, looking serious.

Just for the record, 10 Downing Street is a pretty nondescript building, black brick, no flourishes. I single officer stood guard outside the door, which magically opens from the inside whenever someone approaches. And from the look of the street, a lot of visitors spit their gum out just before they head into the prime minister's offices.

-- Joseph Curl, senior White House correspondent, The Washington Times