President Bush visits the Wilson Center

So I shook the president's hand today! President Bush was here at the Wilson Center today to give a speech on the war on 'terrer' and I worked as a volunteer. I assisted the White House with the press corps. My job was to make sure they didn't leave their cordoned off area. I was in the ballroom before all the guests entered, so I witnessed the whole process which was fascinating. Secret service everywhere, dogs, metal detectors, etc. At one point, the "diplomat corps" walked in. I've never experienced anything quite like having sixty or so ambassadors to the United States walk right by me. Just to recognize all the parts of the world from which they came...incredible.

Dealing with the press corps, there were writers from the Post, NYtimes, the Chicago Tribune, Reuters, AP, etc. There were also several senators and congressmen (women?) in the audience as well. You felt like you were seeing politics in action. The president and his entourage, the press, the scholars and diplomats, the security. The speech was quite good I think and most others I have spoken with agree. With Bush's approval ratings dipping back down again, Iraqi elections tomorrow, and U.S. elections right around the corner, he appears to be kicking it up a notch as far as the diplomacy is concerned.

I stood about forty feet away from the president while he spoke, photographers' cameras clicking over my shoulder frequently. I remember saying "oh my god" under my breath as rumsfeld and condi walked in before the speech. Michael Chertoff of Hurricane Katrina fame was there as well. After the speech the president walked along the front row to greet the audience. I managed to make my way up close to see him. I just wanted to see what he really looked like--in person. His face was a bit worn, his hair graying. I reached my hand out as he made his way by and got a brief shake.

The director of my program was further down the line from me. She managed to get the president's ear to tell him that we have been conducting training session in Jordan with female Iraqi politicians. She said she was concerned that Sharia Law will be adopted as family law, limiting substantially the rights of women in Iraq. "They need your help," she told him. He said he knew, he knew. She reemphasized her point. She said she thought he had really heard what she was saying and he wasn't simply paying lip service.

While I was near the center of the ballroom, some of my colleagues were sitting at the far end of the hall, maybe twenty rows back. They recalled seeing an intern sitting in the next to last seat in one of the far reaches of the room--not a very good place to see the president. This intern noticed someone had sat down next to them, taking the final seat. My colleague recollected the intern's shock and amazement when they realized it was Karl Rove.