Pool Reports by Jada Yuan, The Washington Post
| Sent: | Reports: |
| December 15, 2021 10:32 EST |
FLOTUS pool #1 - gathering Morning! Pool is covid tested and gathering for Jill Biden's trip to NYC to participate in a Forbes event focused on women's mentorship and then on to Milwaukee and Waukesha, Wis., where she and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will visit a children's hospital to promote the vaccine for kids 5 and up, then meet with the families of the victims and first responders from the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy. Guidance from the White House below. DAILY GUIDANCE FOR THE FIRST LADY FOR At 1:00 PM ET, the First Lady will participate in a Forbes "50 Over 50" and Know Your Value event, focused on women's mentorship. This event will be covered by credentialed media only. At 3:15 PM CT, the First Lady, Second Gentleman, and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy will arrive at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This arrival will be open press and registration has closed. At 4:00 PM CT, the First Lady, Second Gentleman, and Dr. Murthy will visit Children's Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where they will meet with frontline heath care workers who cared for patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and victims of the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy. After, they will visit with children who will have just received the COVID-19 vaccine and their families. After, the First Lady, Second Gentleman and Dr. Murthy will make a brief statement. The visit is part of their continued nationwide effort urging parents and guardians to vaccinate kids ages five and up. This event will be covered by an expanded pool with limited capacity, and registration has closed. At 6:00 PM CT, the First Lady, Second Gentleman and Dr. Murthy will visit with families of the victims and first responders from the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy at the City of Waukesha City Hall. After, the First Lady and the Second Gentleman will make brief remarks. The visit with families and first responders will be closed to the press. Remarks will be covered by an expanded pool with limited capacity, and registration has closed. At 7:30 PM CT, the First Lady, Second Gentleman, and Dr. Murthy will depart General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This departure will be open press, and registration has closed. |
| December 15, 2021 11:29 EST |
FLOTUS pool #2 - departure We're off! Departed White House at 10:49am and arrived at JBA at 11:12pm after an uneventful motorcade. Flight time is 55 minutes. Plane is a C-32 / 757. Takeoff 11:23am. FLOTUS greeted the JBA staff and is wearing a long cranberry colored wool coat. Pool saw Secret Service loading a bouquet of flowers into a van. And the flowers have made it onto the plane. We're headed to the Forbes 50 under 50 and "Know Your Value" women's empowerment event. Next stop, New York City! Not specified in guidance but reportable: Second Gentleman Emhoff is traveling with the First Lady to New York, but will not be participating in the Forbes event. In Wisconsin, before meeting with the families of victims from the Waukesha parade tragedy, the First Lady and Second Gentleman will be visiting the parade victims' memorial. On Nov. 21, a 39-year old man allegedly drove his SUV into a Christmas parade procession in Waukesha, about 20 minutes outside of Milwaukee, killing 6 and injuring over 60, some of whom are still in the hospital. The children's hospital they are visiting is not only a vaccine center, but has been treating children injured in the tragedy. Two children were released this week and two last week, with one still being treated in the hospital, according to People.com. https://childrenswi.org/newshub/stories/waukesha-christmas-parade-incident |
| December 15, 2021 13:15 EST |
FLOTUS pool #3 - NYC arrival Touched down at New York's LaGuardia Airport at 12:11pm after a nice flight and some great overhead views of outer borough New York that your pooler (a longtime New Yorker) has never seen from this angle. Left airport at 12:24pm. We arrived at Forbes on Fifth between Union Square and Washington Square Park at 1:06pm. About 10 people (that your pooler saw) were standing on the corner of 9th St. and 5th. Ave. A man clapped loudly and shouted, "Thank you, Dr. Biden! Woo!" Drive to Manhattan was supposed to take around 30 minutes, but a car crash necessitated an alternate route and an extra 10 mins. It was fun to see the motorcade go past small three-story brick apartment buildings in Queens and across the RFK Bridge to Harlem, where people on the street looked up at the motorcade and went back to what they were doing, and a group of school kids didn't clock it at all. Some jaywalkers squeezed their way between motorcade cars while at stoplights. We navigated cement trucks, city busses, street eateries, construction sites, double parked vans, a block long line to get into a branch of the urgent care center City MD (presumably for covid testing), and a guy who rolled his window on the FDR Drive and shouted a spirited expletive plus "you," which could have been political, or simply about traffic. Your pooler laughed when, at Union Square, 50-some people crossed between our cars when they were stopped at a corner. Ah, New York. And still, I venture to guess that no New Yorker has ever driven from LaGuardia to Manhattan this fast! |
| December 15, 2021 13:52 EST |
FLOTUS pool #4 - Forbes event, EMBARGOED NOTE: The content of FLOTUS's appearance at the Forbes 50 Over 50 event is EMBARGOED until 4pm. FPPO / OTR. Press and attendees have been asked not to write or post from the interview / fireside chat that Dr. Biden will be doing with MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski. Pool will send out a more detailed report at 4pm. The interview will air tomorrow morning on Morning Joe. Following is reportable now: This is the first ever gathering of Forbes 50 Over 50 — it's called a "celebration" and Know Your Value event, sponsored by AARP. An announcement instructed attendees not to post publicly on social media until the event is over. Event hashtag is #forbesover50. When Jill Biden's name was simply mentioned, the room burst into applause. When she came out, at 1:32pm, there was another vigorous round of applause. Correction to pool report #2: I wrote 50 UNDER 50. It's 50 OVER 50. We're in a ballroom with a crowd of around 120 people, almost all of them women. There are the 50 women on the Forbes list, plus invited guests. Most people in the room seem to be over 50 years old. People are sitting at rectangular marble high tops arranged in a horseshoe. There appears to be an open bar and the energy is high. At the front of the room is a projection screen and a TV screen surrounded by a beautifully designed wall covered in branches with waxy green leads and what looks like branches of white flowering dogwood. There are copies of the Forbes magazine scattered around. It had many different covers including one with Shonda Rhimes. Cover copy reads, "A movement of women defying the idea that the first half of life is the most dynamic. Meet the inaugural class of entrepreneurs, creators and game changers leading the way." |
| December 15, 2021 14:37 EST |
FLOTUS pool #5: NY to Wisconsin departure Reminder: the Q&A from the Forbes event is EMBARGOED. Pool will send out another report with quotes at 4pm. Reportable: At the Forbes 50 Over 50 event near Manhattan's Union Square, FLOTUS came out at 1:32pm to sit with Mika Brzezinski in white leather (pleather?) padded stools with backs. Pool was pulled at 1:49pm. She exited the building at 1:55pm and some people on the corner cheered. It is a pleasant 52 degrees and slightly overcast in New York. We are 30 minutes behind schedule. Motorcade encountered significant traffic and many New York drivers who seemed oblivious to the sirens and flashing lights. Ah, New York! Onboard plane at 2:33pm ET headed to Milwaukee. FLOTUS appeared to be wearing a cream colored Schiaparelli dress with an array of differently designed, sparkly gold buttons down the center. It appears to be the same one she wore at an event for the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation in DC on October 20. She has worn a black Schiaparelli before. Background in the Forbes event from the White House: Today, The First Lady will participate in a 15-minute Q&A with MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski for an event honoring the Forbes "50 Over 50" list. This event will focus on the importance of women's mentorship. This Q&A will air in its entirety on Thursday's Morning Joe on MSNBC. MORE FROM HER REMARKS TO COME |
| December 15, 2021 15:02 EST |
FLOTUS pool #6: Wisconsin background Before boarding the plane at LaGuardia, FLOTUS paused to take pictures with all the drivers of the motorcade. Wheels up at 2:41pm ET. BACKGROUND ON WISCONSIN FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: The First Lady, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will visit Children's Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to greet with frontline workers, highlight pediatric vaccination efforts, and visit with two children who were injured during the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy and have been hospitalized. Mayor Tom Barrett (D, Milwaukee) will join for the visit. Peggy Troy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Children's Wisconsin, will greet and guide the group throughout the various stops. The First Lady, Mr. Emhoff, and Dr. Murthy will greet with frontline workers who have been at the forefront of the hospital's COVID-19 response and took care of many child victims of the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy. Next, they will visit with children in the hospital's post-vaccination area. The theme is "winter festival." This vaccination event is just one part of the hospital's ongoing effort to offer the vaccine across its network of primary care sites and in the community, making it easy for kids and their families to get vaccinated. Before departing, the First Lady, Mr. Emhoff, and Dr. Murthy will meet privately with two victims of the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy who have been hospitalized at Children's Wisconsin, as well as their families and medical team. CW provided care and support for children and their families in the aftermath of the tragedy. In total, 18 children ranging from ages 3 to 16 were brought to CW's emergency department following the tragedy. Injuries ranged from facial abrasions and broken bones to more serious injuries. Since then, 16 patients have been discharged and one is still recovering at the hospital. (A patient was discharged last night, December 14). Tragically, one child, Jackson Sparks, age 8, passed away at the hospital two days after the parade. BACKGROUND Tarmac Greet:
Hospital Arrival Greet:
Greet with Frontline Health Care Workers:
Post-Vaccination Area at Winter Carnival:
Next, the First Lady, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will visit Waukesha, Wisconsin, following the city's Christmas Parade tragedy on Sunday, November 21, 2021, that resulted in 6 deaths and at least 62 injured. They will visit the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy memorial, near the parade route, and greet with Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly, Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow, and Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (R, WI-05). Afterward, they will make a visit to City Hall where they will greet privately with several Dancing Grannies and families of the people who were killed at the parade. They will also meet with first responders from the City of Waukesha Police Department and the City of Waukesha Fire Department. The First Lady and Second Gentleman will deliver a statement to the press after their visit. |
| December 15, 2021 18:28 EST |
FLOTUS pool #7 - Forbes Q&A, now reportable This is from FLOTUS's NYC Q&A with Mika Brzezinski this afternoon. It is past 4pm ET and embargo has lifted. When Dr. Biden's name was mentioned, there was applause. When she came out there was almost a minute of sustained applause and cheers. Otter link with audio is here. Due to internet issues, the quotes in this pool report are more accurate than what's in the Otter transcript. https://otter.ai/u/cIn0jBTfKkuKAqi6s_sUEYCrc6o She gave remarks on
INTROS Event began with ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath, who said they received 10,000 nominations for people who wish to be on this list. The women chosen we "founders and investors, creators and innovators, performers, activists." She added, "Many of you also happen to be the first. The first woman in your position, the first person in your family who embarked on your career journey, or maybe the first to identify systemic inequity and raise your voice for change." McGrath pointed out that Dr. Biden is "well-acquainted with the word 'first.'" As second lady she was the first in her position to hold a paying job outside of the White House and now is she first First Lady to hold a paying job outside of the White House. The next speaker, AARP chief Public Policy Officer, Dr. Dem Whitman, gave a shoutout to Iris Apfel, recipient of the "Centenarian Award." She's 100 and couldn't make it, is an interior decorator and fashion icon who decorated the White House for 9 presidents, and signed a modeling contract at 97. She's truly fabulous and your pooler encourages looking her up. Q&A CONTENT Mika Brzeznski said, "Dr. Biden was so quick to support 50 over 50 when we picked qup the phone and called her it was an immediate 'Yes.'" She said she wanted to support the women on the list and shine a light on them. ON VACCINES Mika pointed out that FLOTUS has gone to 35 or 36 states promoting the vaccine and some are red states where people maybe didn't vote for her husband. Asked what drives her. FLOTUS said the outreach efforts have been going "really well" and that, "I've been traveling to as many states as I can get to, to go into clinics and children's hospitals to get our little ones who apply that are vaccinated. And that's really important to Joe and to me. And it doesn't matter to me, it doesn't matter to Joe, whether we go into red states or blue states. I mean, we are all Americans. So when Joe was elected, he said 'I will be a president for all Americans.' And I said, 'and I will be First Lady for all Americans.'" (There was sustained applause for that line.) ON BEING FIRST LADY Mika asked FLOTUS what the challenges have been. FLOTUS began: "Let me say, it had been my honor, the honor of a lifetime, to be your First Lady." Dr. Biden said "there's a lot of work to be done" but also, "I have loved every moment just visiting Americans across this country, hearing the challenges they're facing, hearing what they want, and then take it back to the White House. I mean, I do feel as though I am a messenger from the White House. So that's why it's a little bit harder [than I thought it would be]. It is constant, but I'm not complaining again. I'm saying it's just … everyday." (Laughs around the room.) ON TEACHING COMMUNITY COLLEGE (which just wrapped up the semester) FLOTUS: "My students the first day that we went in, of course, they had to go through security. So my dean came in and he said, 'You know, Dr. Biden's been teaching here since 2009, teaching English, teaching this course. And she also happens to be first lady. So while she's here at NOVA, she turns into your teacher.' And I can promise you that no one has said to me, except for the last day, said the words 'White House' or First Lady.' And I loved, I just loved that they saw me as their English teacher. That's how they treated me. And I felt that that was a gift that they gave to me." She also spoke about remote teaching, how "it was hard" and she had to do training. She tries to create community in her classrooms because as a writing professor, "people are pouring out their hearts and souls on the page." She said one of her remote classes was mostly young boys and the other was women going back to school, so on Zoom you'd see kids running around in the background. But "my students are developmental learners… they need hands-on help." So she loves being back in the classroom. When she said, "My semester is finished!" there was a lot of applause. MENTORING (Dr. Biden is part of a mentoring program at NOVA, her community college) When Mika said she found remote mentoring hard, FLOTUS responded, "Well, you're going to have to tell me. I'm mentoring in person. I have my students showing up. 'Meet me in my office.'" She explained why mentoring women is important to her: "When I started in 2009, one thing they did not have was a women's mentoring program. So we first started it for women who were over 30 who were coming back to school who probably didn't know how to use technology. Maybe they didn't want to take that class. (Laughs) So we were trying to help them, you know, to graduation, to get that degree. But then so many women came to me and said, 'Dr. Biden, you know, the younger women need it, too, and so then I opened it up to everybody. So now we have a waiting list of people, women, who want to be mentored and they've finally stepped up and I think they have almost 50 women to mentor other women." ON FEELING RUSHED, LIKE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME (Mika said, "life doesn't interrupt work, work interrupts life.") FLOTUS: "I mean, look around the room. We do have time. But I know that feelinf because I think all my life — gosh and Mary Jo (her sister-in-law) — I continued grad school, I was raising children and was working full time and God knows how many campaigns we were working on. We have to make it work and and it's different for each one of us. But we do it." ON WHAT CALL TO ACTION SHE HAD FOR THE WOMEN IN THE ROOM FLOTUS: "I know you're going to think I'm going to say, 'oh, just relax, live your lives.' But I'm not. I've got a list of things I want you to do. Even if you're not in your workplac, I want you to offer scholarships for women to go back to school. (Applause) I want you to work on childcare. I mean we are working on that in the federal government. It is not just a women's issue, it is a human issue. So that is another thing that I would love to see you do. We need to create more diversity in the workplace. So if you can work on that. (Applause) We need to build financial literacy and have a new health plan for the future if we want to do different things. "And lastly, I know I always say that I'm not political, but I have to say this: We have to teach younger women how important it is to be involved in public service, because we have to get more women elected to Congress. We need more women on. The. Supreme. Court!" (Lots of applause) "We can't just sit back and think Oh — so many women take it for granted. I said this on the campaign trail. You cannot take it for granted that things are going to change. You have to continue to work as hard as you can. I know you're doing a million things. But my god this is so worthwhile (this part was hard to hear)." She thanked everyone for how hard they were working and said, " I wish I'd put three by five cards on each table so I could get a list of books you're reading for my Christmas vacation." Mika told them: "The clock is now ticking." Champagne was served at 1:48 and at 1:49 pool was pulled. |
| December 15, 2021 17:29 CST |
FLOTUS pool #8 - Milwaukee arrival / hospital All times from here on out are Central Standard Time. Notable: At the hospital she said that all the White House Christmas decorations this year are dedicated to frontline workers. Wheels down around 3:49pm CT. A bit bumpy on the way down but uneventful flight. Left the airport around 4pm. We're 20-30 mins behind. FLOTUS changed into an all-powder blue outfit we've seen her wear before. Exited on her own work Second Gentleman Emhoff following behind. At the bottom she took Emhoff's hand. They were greeted by Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Luxemberg. It's a 15 min drive to Children's Wisconsin pediatric hospital, where they are visiting a vaccine clinic. It's 40 degrees and very overcast with impressive winds of 23mph. Arrived at hospital 4:23pm. A group of staff in blue T-shirts and scrubs as wl as doctors in white coats were waiting in a semi-circle to greet FLOTUS and SGOTUS. They're wearing blue light up wristbands in their right arms. The blue represents Waukesha and unity. It's part of a community initiative called "Unite with the Blue Light." People are also encouraged to light blue candles, a hospital staff member told me. FLOTUS and Emhoff entered at 4:29pm. "I brought cookies from the White House!" Biden said, to laughter, and handed a navy shopping bag to a woman in a white labcoat. Pool could not hear much of what FLOTUS said to the workers but caught this: FLOTUS: "At the White House, all the decorations this year are dedicated all you frontline workers and all that you do." "The country needs healing… emotionally as well" Emhoff: "Thank you so much, we have been traveling around the country all year… FLOTUS and SGOTUS took photos with the staff and then move to another photo op spot with a "Children's Wisconsin" backdrop. Met more staff. See background for who she met. They listened and nodded their heads as staff explained what the hospital has been doing for vaccinations. FLOTUS commented on how hot it is inside and how she wants to take off her jacket. (It is so hot.) So hot that FLOTUS stepped away to get a sip of water from Anthony Bernal. There is an arch made of balloons in the shape of blue stars and white snowflakes that they will walk through, and a sign that says, "Welcome to the Winter Carnival." Children are milking around, including a boy in a wheelchair with a cast on his leg. Everyone is masked. At 4:45pm as FLOTUS and SGOTUS talked with staff, press was moved inside the carnival, three are kids trying to tossing balls over the hanging circular light fixtures and various tables covered in blue cloth and set up with games. A race course for mechanized stuffed reindeer. A station for kids to decorate picture frames with snowflakes and snowman faces. A station for making paper snowflakes and coloring them. A pyramid of cans set up for a "snowball toss." And Dr. Biden went to the reindeer race first. "Come on, guys!" She said. Kids set off four stuffed reindeer, which waddle, light up, and play music, and use little paddles to keep them in their lanes. The first to fall off the table wins. (a little girl won) Dr. Biden then got in the game and set off two reindeer. One was going slower the other, so kids picked it up and moved it ahead for her. She won the race, but the reindeer of the little girl who won the first time didn't start. She's talking with kids, taking a lot of time to interact with staff. Headed to podium at 5pm to speak. |
| December 15, 2021 17:52 CST |
FLOTUS pool #9 - hospital remarks Speeches at Children's Wisconsin began at 5pm. NOTE The First Lady did not mention Waukesha, but Surgeon General Murthy did at the top of the speeches. Speeches ended at 5:240pm. FLOTUS did a photo line and then met with the families of two Waukesha victims. One 11 year-old girl is still being treated with a traumatic brain injury. The other, a 10 year girl who was released last night, had a brain injury, but was more significantly injured in terms of broken bones and a severely broken pelvis. "We have one more kid to get home before Christmas," said Andy Brodzeller - hospital spokesperson. (see hospital website for running update on the kids) SPEECHES First up was Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who acknowledged the pain the community must be going through with the Waukesha tragedy. He also talked about the safety of the covid vaccine for kids and how that's why he took his 5 year-old son to get vaccinated a few weeks ago. He also talks about his 1-year-old daughter who had needed emergency surgery and how he was grateful for the staff of children's hospitals. Dr. Murthy introduced the Second Gentleman as "a leader who had put his whole heart into getting the word out about covid-19 vaccines." Highlighted Emhoff's travels around the country to dispel misinformation. Emhoff highlighted the barbershops and football stadiums that teamed up with hospitals to get people vaccinated. "You are helping to save lives. You are helping to heal our county." Talked about the relief he felt as a parent when Ella and Cole got their shots. My message to parents is this: if you need more information, talk to the people you trust." Emhoff called Jill Biden, "my friend" as he introduced her. FLOTUS talks about the terror all parents feel, what they do to protect their children, like baby proofing their house or stuffing them into snowsuits until they can barely move. "Parents, we do absolutely everything we can to protect our kids. And in this pandemic, you did. You did you figured out how to support virtual learning while working your own job…. You found ways to create online playdates and birthday parties. You chose to get yourselves vaccinated." "Now I'm excited that you have another way to keep your family safe. A vaccine for children five and older. It's not just another way to protect your kids against COVID-19. It's the best way. It's been thoroughly reviewed and rigorously tested. It's safe, it's free. and it's available for every child in this country. five and up." "If you've got your last shot at least six months ago, you're eligible for a booster so make it a family event and get your booster as well." "There's no gift that's greater than the gift of health." "Merry Christmas, happy holidays, god bless you, get vaccinated." Otter link is here: https://otter.ai/u/uA6WyyOggc9o1XvBM9itjUjPOp8 |
| December 15, 2021 18:34 CST |
FLOTUS pool #10 - Waukesha victims' memorial We left the hospital around 5:37pm for a 25 minute drive to the memorial to the parade victims' families in Waukesha. It's located at the town's Veterans Park near the parade route. Waukesha's population is 20,000. Two Trump supporters, one holding a "Trump" flag and another holding a version of the American flag with blue stripes, were standing along the route. A white Christmas tree covered in colored lights is on the grounds. In front of the veterans' memorial — a concrete triangle standing at a 45 degree angle and reading "In Memory of All Who Served" — is a cross. The ground is covered in flowers, stuffed animals, and a pile of coats that may have belonged to the victims. At 6:01pm, Dr. Biden, the Second Gentleman, and the Waukesha Chief of Police Daniel Thompson laid a wreath at the foot of the memorial and stood with bowed heads for 30 seconds of silence. They then met Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly, Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow and Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (R, WI-05). Pool rolled at 6:02pm CST to City Hall where Dr. Biden and SGOTUS are meeting with four of the families of the six people who died, two of whom were in the group known as the "Dancing Grannies." They're a beloved dance troupe here made up of grandmothers who've been around since the 1984 and perform about 25 parades a year. A few representatives from the group are meeting the First Lady and second gentleman as well. Pool is holding in a mostly empty room, save for an American flag, Wisconsin flag, Waukesha flag, and a TV screen reading, "Waukesha Strong." |
| December 15, 2021 20:26 CST |
FLOTUS pool #11 - Waukesha remarks pt. 1 CORRECTION to report #10: Waukesha's population is about 70,000. Pool arrived at 6:07pm and held until the First Lady, second gentleman, and mayor of Waukesha, Shawn Reilly, came out at 7:03pm, which means Dr. Biden and Mr. Emhoff met with the victims' families for nearly an hour. Again they met families of four of the six people who died. Speeches ended around 7:15pm. We got on the road at 7:30 for a 30 min motorcade. Mayor Reilly spoke first. He's a former Republican who quit the party after Jan. 6. The second gentleman teared up when talking about meeting these families, as a father and a son. The First Lady evoked the Bible twice. "All of America mourns with Waukesha." I may have to send off incomplete remarks from the First Lady since we will be without service on the plane. The victims were Tamara Durand, 52, Jane Kulich, 52, LeAnna Owen, 71, Virginia Sorenson, 79 and Wilhelm Hospel, 81. Eight-year-old Jackson Sparks passed away after being in the ICU for several hours. Otter link: https://otter.ai/u/RRfoydTXUGJ9K670X4sa6VA1e9Q MAYOR SHAWN REILLY "Over the past three weeks we have been witness to unspeakable tragedy. We're also witness to our community coming together to supporting one another." SECOND GENTLEMAN EMHOFF To Mayor Reilly: "Thank you for everything you've done to help your community start to heal from this shocking, horrible and unexpected tragedy." "Waukesha, Wis., now holds a special place in my heart. I'm never going to forget the people that I just met, the stories I just heard, and the strength that I just witnessed here. As a father and a son [he choked up] it really is impossible not to think of your own family." "To the families Jane, LeAnna, Virginia, Tamara, Bill and Jackson, we are so, so deeply sorry for your loss. To everyone who's still processing your grief and recovering physically and also emotionally from this horrible, horrific event, we are standing with you. We are sending you strength. There's nothing we can say that will make this easier or erase the pain. But in the face of this unthinkable, unimaginable and unexpected tragedy I've seen now with my own eyes how this community has come together with acts of kindness and compassion. I'm grateful to every single first responder, every doctor and nurse. Every caring citizen in this great community who stepped up to help their neighbors and we've heard those stories. But please remember, as you are taking care of each other, please remember to take care of yourselves. Take care of yourselves because this is going to be ongoing. Stay with each other and I'll end by saying it's the love shown, not the tragedy, that will define this community." FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN After a tragedy like this, it's impossible not to ask why, but the truth is that there is no logic to this. It feels especially unthinkable that it happened at a Christmas parade. All of America mourns with Waukesha. In the Gospel of Luke, the Christmas story begins not with Mary with the birth of John the Baptist, who paid a toll(?) to testify to the light… The people needed a prophet to help open their hearts, just as the magi needed a star to guide them towards the manger. When we are lost in the dark, we often need someone to turn our eyes to the dawn. MORE REMARKS IN NEXT REPORT BUT LISTEN TO AUDIO IF YOU NEED SOONER |
| December 15, 2021 23:06 EST |
FLOTUS pool #12 - Waukesha remarks pt. 2 Wheels up at 8:15pm CST, Wheels down at JBA 10:45pm. Uneventful flight other than a windy takeoff out of Wisconsin. FLOTUS remarks below… she mentioned each victim and details about them she'd learned from their families. Note, Dr. Biden's memoir is called, "Where the Light Enters" and it ends with the loss of Beau and her loss of faith in God — so it seems notable that she made two references to the Bible and many references to "the light" in her speech. FIRST LADY REMARKS, CONT. …There is sorrow here in Waukesha and throughout our country, with so many lives lost in the devastating tornadoes last week, families that the President is visiting today, with the precious children of Oxford, Michigan, who will never have the chance to graduate, with every family making its way through this season with an empty chair and a broken heart. And yet today we are gathered to testify to the light. We are here to tell the stories of the lives that inspired us and changed us, that helped shape this community. Ginnie (I think this is the nickname for Virginia Sorenson), your choreographer who loved throwing parties and found her calling as a nurse, whose family said she sparkled her way through life. Lee, the one of the smallest but feistiest Dancing Grannies, who rescued bulldogs and always knew how to make people laugh. Tamara, a teacher and chaplain who always found ways to help others, whether it was holding their hand in hospice, or saving a man from the Wisconsin river. Bill, married to Lola for 61 years, who was the family handyman and live by his favorite saying, "Keep moving." Jane, a devoted wife, mom and grandma who never had a bad word to say about anyone, whose favorite Christmas song was Silent Night. And Jackson, who loved baseball and catching frogs with his brother Tucker, who had big dreams. They continue to shine in every soul who loved them. May their memories bring you joy. We also bear witness today to the light of this community. The police and firefighters and EMTs who bound the wounds and lifted people from the wreckage. The victim assistance professionals who answered the call that terrible night and have worked non stop to support the survivors ever since. Those at the parade who rushed to help. The neighbors across the city and the state of Wisconsin, who have their arms around the victims' families and survivors. The Americans in every state who have donated and found ways to spread kindness to you. The grannies who keep dancing, even as their hearts ache. As the apostle John writes, 'The light shines in the darkness and the darkness is not overcome.' While there is no logic to this loss, it has become something else in its wake. And that defies logic, too. We dance for no reason but the song inside us that won't be silenced. We love with every piece of our hearts even if they would be broken. And while we have been changed by this tragedy, we are not diminished. Instead, we grow together to hold both our sorrow and joy. The grannies keep dancing. The high school band keeps marching and Waukesha is lit up in blue. That is the antidote to the darkness. It's how we testify to the light around us and the light within us. We go on together. We shine through the night like a star illuminating the heart of every person we touch. We turn our faces to the glow of dawn and look for the hope we know will come. God bless you and God bless Waukesha. Someone shouted, "Madam First Lady, what stood out in your meeting with the parents," but she didn't answer. |
| December 16, 2021 00:13 EST |
FLOTUS pool #13 - back to WH Left JBA at 10:53pm, uneventful motorcade, back at White House at 11:23pm. That's all folks! P.S. Pool spotted senior advisor Anthony Bernal returning from Wisconsin with a wedge-shaped cardboard box that says it contains a cheesehead. |
Jill Biden, First Lady Pool Reports of December 15, 2021 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/353816