06/03/09 Over the weekend, I read The Boys on the Bus by Timothy Crouse. It tells the story of the 1972 Presidential race from the perspective of the reporters covering the contest. It’s one of those books that media types reference all the time even if they have not read it – in the same way English professors speak authoritatively on Joyce’s Ulysses; a novel I am convinced no human being has ever read in it’s entirety.

Boys was entertaining but things have changed so much from the era of typewriters and Western Union that it’s almost like reading about the election of Charles V to become Holy Roman Emperor. On the other hand, I was also struck by how things haven’t really changed at all.

At one point, Crouse tells the story of how the Nixon White House tried to move the press corps off the White House grounds and into the New Executive Office Building.  They relented after howls of protest and wound up covering up the swimming pool LBJ used for skinny dipping and turning it into what is now the Press Briefing Room.  The Briefing Room got a major overhaul in the last year of the Bush presidency and now looks  like a set from Star Trek.  It had become rather tattered and worn down over the years.  After the success of the TV show West Wing it became popular for tourists to the White House to want to see the Briefing Room and they invariably would give a disappointed “Is this it?” when they were ushered in to have their photo taken behind the podium.

The book sparked memories of “behind the scenes” moments I’d had at the White House. Here are a  half dozen of my atypical (meaning non Presidential photo-op) White House photos.

09/28/06 Sacha Baron Cohen, in the guise of his character Borat, attempts to gain entry to the White House in order to invite “the great warlord George Walter Bush” to a screening of his movie followed by a cocktail reception at Hooters. The officer at the gate was either an incredible straight man or had no clue about what was going on. This was before the Borat movie premiered.

9/15/03 Marine One takes off with President Bush aboard from the South Lawn of the White House.

03/30/04  Zipper check. David Gregory NBC, John Roberts CBS, Dana Bash CNN (standing on a box) and Terry Moran ABC prepare for telecast immediately following the President’s departure from the briefing room.

02/25/04 Fence jumper is arrested on the North front lawn of the White House. He shouted “I’m the victim of terrorism” over and over as he was hauled away.

04/25/06 Then Senator Obama (D Ill) leaves the West Wing after a meeting with President Bush on immigration. Notice how no one is paying any special attention to him.

09/27/02 Free Harry Goldgar, Telepath. Photo taken in front of the White House on Pennsylvannia Ave. as I rushed in for a press conference.