It was never documented why I was chosen to go with Sen. Bill Faust, Michigan’s Senate Majority Leader, and House Speaker Bobby Crim to the White House in Washington D.C. I was on Sen. Faust’s staff, and I could probably push his wheelchair faster and more accurately than most.
The real answer, no doubt, was that the Majority Leader liked hanging out with his close group of staff insiders who really liked baseball and would invite him to their baseball trivia meetings at the Airport Bar in Lansing.
I was one of the charter members of the group, and we didn’t really care if we sucked up to the Majority Leader. Hey, we were just having a good time. Faust liked that and felt very comfortable with the group. Our STEWED meetings were a chance for him to relax and just be himself in an otherwise pressure-packed existence. By the way, STEWED stands for Sports Trivia Enthusiasts Who Enjoy Drinking. Actually, we did not drink that much but it is a great acronym.
I digress. So the trip to D.C. is arranged for the purpose of meeting with the Vice-President, Walter “Fritz” Mondale, and then a separate meeting with Stuart Eisenstadt, President Carter’s Domestic Advisor. This is 1979 and the White House staff is doing everything they can to enlist the support of the prominent Democratic leaders from the big, key states to rally around President Carter’s re-election bid.
The stage is set, and we head for the nation’s capital. There were a number of staffers going with Michigan’s two legislative leaders, but I was the only one going to the main meetings at the White House. If you have never been to the White House before, and you are even somewhat of a political insider, going to the epicenter of our country is an awesome experience. Being with Sen. Faust and Speaker Crim really heightened that experience. This was not the normal public tour. A White House limo met us at our hotel, and we promptly arrived at the VIP entrance behind the White House.
We were met and received the appropriate clearances, and were escorted to the Vice-President’s offices. V.P. Mondale was right to the point. Michigan was a key state (as always), and with both the state House and Senate under Democrat control, the President had a great opportunity to take the state with the leaders’ help. Very polished guy who was obviously meeting with dozens of Democratic leaders from around the country.
Then we met with Stu Eisenstadt, the President’s domestic affairs chief. The ol’ quid pro quo. If Michigan’s two main Democrats were going to actively support Carter’s re-election bid then there were a number of Michigan priorities that could receive Federal fiscal support. Plain and simple.
By the end of our second meeting it was time for lunch. We were escorted down to the White House cafeteria by President Carter’s Executive Assistant, Jack Watson. Jack looked like Dan Rather. Talk about places to be seen, It was ridiculous. Cabinet members, Senators, Generals, whoever. And, of course, me pushing the Senator’s wheelchair. We all had Michigan navy bean soup from the menu and whatever. Great time, totally understated.
So after lunch Jack says, “Why don’t we go upstairs”. I figure he is going to give us a little personal tour since we did not have any more scheduled meetings. Something to tell the STEWED guys back at the Airport Bar.
We wind our way down a couple of narrow hallways and wedge into a small elevator. Of course, I remember my leader’s cardinal rule, “Back the chair in so I’m facing out”. Jack is just chatting away, and tells me to cut in the next door.
All of a sudden I look up and the lady at the desk looks vaguely familiar. She says in a smooth Southern drawl, “Y’all can go in now”. I wheel the Senator along with the Speaker in tow through the door. Bingo, we are in the Oval Office.
All of a sudden it was like someone whacked me with a 2×4 because right there, five feet in front of me, is the President of the whole goddam United States. President Carter in that pleasant, cordial drawl says, “Bill, Bobby so nice to see you both”. And Bill Faust, God love him, replies, “Mr. President, this is Fritz Benson, my Special Assistant”. I, of course, am totally dumbstruck. I remember thinking, “What do I call the President? I think Your Excellency is for the Pope, or royalty”. So I blurt out, “Hello, Mr. President”. Clutch call.
Remember that this is an unscheduled meeting. Neither Faust nor Crim knew that this was on the schedule, let alone me. It was beyond a surprise.
So the President of the whole dagburn US of A says to me,”Fritz, is this your first time at the White House?” Instead of my usual smart ass rejoiner of like, “Hell no. I’m here two, three times a week”, I respond, “Yes, Mr. President, and isn’t that the Remington over there (pointing across the Oval Office)?”
That was to be my downfall because the Pres puts his arm around my shoulder and says in that quiet drawl, “Why yes, I love that statue”. We turn our backs on the two Michigan leaders and effectively shut them out of their once in a lifetime Oval Office meeting.
President Carter leads me across his office, “Do you know about this statue, Fritz?”
“Well, Mr. President, this Remington bronze is called the Bronco Buster, and it was his first bronze casting. (My mouth was running like Usain Bolt, and I was beyond all hope of pulling back.). He gave it as a gift to President Theodore Roosevelt. It was actually cast on Long Island, not out West.”
“Very interesting, Fritz. Do you know about any of the other historic items?”
“Well, of course, the Kennedy rocker”.
Before I could dig the hole deeper, an older gentleman comes in who looks like the White House butler and says,”Mr. President, the ambassador has arrived”.
The President turns back to Speaker Crim and Sen. Faust who have been aced out of the conversation and says, “Bobby, Bill, thanks for coming and I sure hope I can count on your support as our campaign moves ahead”. That’s it. Finished.
Jack Watson leads us out, and the Speaker is absolutely fuming. He can’t even sputter the expletives. Faust wasn’t exactly happy, but he told me later it was actually kind of funny. I do not think Bobby Crim spoke to me for a year. Finally, he started getting over it, and he even chuckled.
I know, I know, when Sen. Faust introduced me I should have just nodded and taken three steps backward. When you are thrust into a situation totally unplanned, I guess it shows anything can happen. I still have the picture of me, reaching over Sen. Faust, shaking hands with President Carter, although you can’t see the Remington.
As a confirmation of these events, my wife was recently helping the Playmakers store with a running clinic in Lansing .Bobby Crim was the special guest. He is over 80 years old and still runs races. Bobby is in terrific shape, and is as flexible as any 25 year old.
Cathy said hello to the former Speaker, and without prompting he tells the entire group the whole story of the Oval Office debacle. Everyone laughed, Bobby laughed, and I know if the Senator was looking down he would have laughed, too.
