Being in the ‘pool’ wasn’t all that much fun
David Skolnick Press Pool
Vindicator Politics writer David Skolnick was part of the local press pool when President Obama visited V&M Star this week. He shares details about the experience.
On the side
Take me please: The 19-year-old former school bus that Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner turned into “The Courage Express” for her failed U.S. Senate bid will soon be in someone else’s possession. Brunner told me the campaign has three legitimate offers for the 1991 International school bus that is in desperate need of shock absorbers.
When asked about her May 4 Democratic primary loss to Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, Brunner said she’s over the disappointment and perhaps the defeat was best for the state. Rather than splitting her time between campaigning and serving as secretary of state, Brunner said she can concentrate entirely on the latter.
Brunner was in Youngstown on Monday to listen to President Barack Obama’s speech at V&M Star.
I vowed never do it again.
I wasted so much time doing it in the past, and it was never worth it. But I was told this time it would be very quick.
So when President Barack Obama came to V&M Star in Youngstown I agreed to be the local pool reporter.
What’s the local pool reporter? It’s a reporter who follows the president when he’s doing something “important” in either a restricted and/or private area. The local pool reporter then tells other area journalists what happened in those “private moments.”
In this case, I was told that Obama was going to talk to some V&M employees and briefly tour of one of the company’s factories.
When I was the local pool reporter for other visits by presidents or presidential candidates I had a lot more work and hours of waiting.
This was going to be about 10 minutes and I’d be back inside to hear Obama talk.
My White House press information guy told me and Bob Yosay, The Vindicator’s photo editor, to put on ugly green cloth jackets that were supposed to protect us — though I still don’t know how — as well as hard hats, goggles and ear plugs. My jacket was a 2X so it looked like I was a little kid wearing my father’s ugly green jacket. A fellow reporter said if I had matching pants, I’d look like Gumby. Sometimes the truth hurts.
The White House press information guy — WHoPIG for short, and meant in the nicest way possible — told Bob and me that we were to blend in with the traveling national press corps, not to shout questions at Obama and follow instructions from other WHoPIGs.
Beefy photog
While we waited, my WHoPIG got a call that a beefy photographer in the press corps needed a 2X jacket and he was given a large. I should mention that my WHoPIG spent a lot of time talking in WHoPIG code into some device on his right wrist.
I had to give my jacket to the WHoPIG. When the beefy photographer got out of the van, he didn’t have a jacket to trade so I was completely defenseless against the V&M elements.
The press corps and I stood watching machines in a hot, loud and smelly plant. About five minutes later, I could see Obama with Gov. Ted Strickland, a lot of Secret Service agents and some V&M officials off in the distance.
A WHoPIG told us to move fast to Obama’s next stop. As I turned a corner chasing Obama I saw a group of about 10 guys in black clothing with high-caliber weapons in their hands. I slowed down figuring I didn’t want them to mistake me for a guy chasing the president through a high-security area.
Busy snapping photos, Bob handed me a video camera. I’d never used this video camera and Bob didn’t have time to teach me. Unless you find blurring video of my shoes interesting, my cinematography wasn’t good.
Moving lips
Obama talked — I saw his lips move — but it was so noisy no one could hear a thing.
When it was over, and it was over fast, I had “dirty factory stuff” all over my pants and shoes.
At least it was brief — like the president’s visit. Obama spent all that travel time to visit V&M for a 10-minute tour and a 20-minute speech.
While it’s a little late, consider this my local pool report.