(GK: Garrison Keillor; TK: Tom Keith; SS: Sue Scott: TR: Tim Russell)
GK: Good to see you, Mr. President.
TR (BUSH): Thank you very much. Good to be here.
GK: You have a good week, Mr. President?
TR (BUSH): Had a wonderful week. Neither of my daughters was arrested, so---- good news.
GK: That's good. Saw a picture of you with the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, this week....
TR (BUSH): I saw that too. It was a good picture, didn't you think?
GK: You looked good.
TR (BUSH): We were shaking hands, Sharon and me ---- Shar, I like to call him ---- and I was sort of leaning toward him and giving him that real serious presidential look. You know what I mean?
GK: I know what you mean.
TR (BUSH): Eyes sorta narrow like........
GK: So what do you think about this Microsoft deal----
TR (BUSH): What deal?
GK: A federal judge overturned the ruling that Microsoft has to be split up. Actually what happened is the law clerk typing up the ruling accidentally hit control-alt-delete and the original ruling was lost.
TR (BUSH): So that's why Microsoft stock went up like it did?
GK: Yeah.
TR (BUSH): Glad I held onto mine.
GK: You worried about Vice-President Cheney? His having heart problems again?
TR (BUSH): I am, yes. If this pacemaker doesn't cure the problem, he will probably need a heart transplant. He'd be the second
Republican this year to have a change of heart and leave the party.
GK: Well, thank you for dropping by, Mr. President----
TR (BUSH): My pleasure. Where'd you say we are again?
GK: We're at Tanglewood.........
© Garrison Keillor 2001