January 18, 2009
Dinner With Rice
On the next to last night of his presidency, President Bush made a rare foray out for dinner Sunday — not to a restaurant, but to the Watergate apartment of the woman he recently described as “like my sister,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Mr. Bush, who spent the weekend at Camp David but returned Sunday afternoon, left the White House at 6:23 pm. All seemed quiet at the grand white mansion. The presidential pooch, Barney, could be seen standing outside the South Portico, looking well-fed, as the president’s motorcade pulled out.
Outside the White House gates, though, the scene was anything but quiet. Just 40 minutes before Mr. Bush left, President-elect Barack Obama’s motorcade arrived at Blair House, the presidential guest house across the street from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The streets were packed with people cheering and taking pictures as the Obama motorcade sped past them. Secret Service held the crowd back to the sidewalks.
Although the Obamas have been frequenting Washington restaurants, the Bushes rarely go out to eat, and if they do it tends to be at a private home.
The president and his wife, Laura, slipped quietly into the Watergate on Sunday night. The dinner was private, and the White House would not provide a guest list.
At 8:30 pm, Mr. Bush left the Watergate for another unannounced stop–a party at the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park in Maryland, hosted by the White House chief of staff, Joshua B. Bolten, and his predecessor, Andrew H. Card Jr., for about 600 current and former White House staffers.
Mr. Bush, whose early-to-bed, early-to-rise habits once prompted Mrs. Bush to jokingly call herself a “desperate housewife,” stayed for just 5 minutes before heading back to the White House.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/dinner-with-rice
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He holds his friends near and dear ... There’s a very special bond between the Bushes and Condi. I wouldn’t be surprised that their affiliation continues onto Pres. Bush’s new Freedom Institute.
That was very nice of Josh Bolten and Andy Card.
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Bush goes out! (And Hanks can’t get in a party)
POSTED January 18 2009
President Bush never goes out to dinner. And technically, he didn’t go out to dinner Sunday night. But he went out, off the White House grounds, which almost never happens.
The president for the next day and a half went to the Watergate apartment of his Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice for the next two days, departing the White House at 6:23 p.m. First lady Laura Bush went with him.
Perhaps Mr. Bush was inspired to go out by President-elect Barack Obama, who went out to dinner a few nights ago at Equinox, which is a few blocks from the White House.
Or maybe he wanted to speed through the streets of Washington and let people think he was Obama, so they would wave and cheer.
Whatever the reason, it’s another unusual occurrence in a remarkable few days here in the District.
We’re also told that at Maureen Dowd’s house party in Georgetown, the crowd is so thick that not even Tom Hanks could get in the door.
“Perhaps Mr. Bush was inspired to go out by President-elect Barack Obama, who went out to dinner a few nights ago at Equinox...Or maybe he wanted to speed through the streets of Washington and let people think he was Obama, so they would wave and cheer.”
Yeah, let's show the new president the same courtesy the media has shown our CURRENT President. Fuming here!