The first couple showed off their new digs to 200 lucky people today in an open house this afternoon at the White House. You didn't happen to be one of those 200 people, huh? Well, neither were we. Luckily, pool reporter Wes Allison with the St. Petersburg Times does an entertaining and thorough job recounting the event for everyone. His detailed report has earned today's Poolitzer Prize:
Two-hundred people won passes on a first-come, first-serve basis through the PIC or transition (press aides not sure, checking) to attend an "Open House" at 2:30 p.m. today at the White House.
Your pool was ushered into the Blue Room, a south-facing oval room overlooking the Washington Monument, at 2:40 p.m., where we found President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama already shaking hands with guests lined up in a receiving line.
"Enjoy yourself," Obama told two young women.
"Welcome, enjoy yourself," Obama told a young man in a black sweater. "Roam around. Don't break anything."
The first couple got an effusive greeting from Tracie Jones of Bessemer, Ala., who arrived in Washington at almost midnight Monday and watched the inauguration from the National Mall.
"We just prayed, and thank the Lord!" Ms. Jones said as she shook the president's hand. "This is even better than we expected." She told Obama he was "beautiful," then quickly corrected herself, "I mean, First Lady, you're beautiful!"
Your pool was ushered out after a few minutes, with the receiving line stretching clearly out of the room.
Outside the Blue Room, Jones said she had hoped to score both inauguration and ball tickets, but failed on both, so she was thrilled to be at the open house. Jones is black, and wouldn't give her age, but she was middle-aged and said she has a 24-year-old son. She said she works for Wal-Mart and UPS and sells real estate on the side.
"Praise God, thank you Jesus," she said after meeting the Obamas. "We prayed to get in here. It's all the Lord. Can you put that down?"
As the door to the Blue Room opened, Linda Thomas of Philadelphia spied the Obamas as she was pushing her elderly mother, Audrey Thornton, in a wheelchair through the north front lobby.
"There's Barack! There's Barack!" she squealed. She tried to maneuver the wheelchair for a better look.
"Ma'am," a Secret Service agent said, trying to get her attention. "Ma'am? I can assure you you're going in there."
"In there!?!" Thomas asked excitedly.
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