Obama Pool Report From Altoona, Pennsylvania

Pool report on Obama bowling:

Altoona -- Sens. Barack Obama and Bob Casey on Saturday night proved
beyond any doubt why they chose to be politicians instead of
professional athletes.

After a day of campaigning for Obama's presidential bid, the pair
dropped into the Pleasant Valley Recreation Center, an Altoona hot spot
for bowlers.

"Let's go bowling," Obama, the sleeves of his blue dress shirt rolled
nearly to his elbows, announced when he walked through the doors.

Several bowlers -- ready to bite into fries lathered with ketchup and
cheese -- stopped munching, put down their beers, and gazed in
wonderment at the presidential candidate who had wondered into their
midst. Secret Service agents scurried to keep gawking bowlers from
mobbing Obama. The Miller Lite clock stood at nearly 7 p.m.

"I just want to point out the last time I bowled was 30 years ago, when
I was 16," Obama, an Illinois Democrat, warned a crowd of patrons that
formed quickly to get his autograph and picture.

The rust on Obama's bowling showed. Both senators rolled gutter balls on
their 1st frame, Casey to the left and Obama to the right. Their game
improved toward the 6th frame, when Casey, a Scranton Democrat, tossed a
strike. The crowd cheered after Obama hit a spare in the 7th.

"I think it's wonderful he came," said Jean Montgomery, 57, who co-owns
the 32-lane alley with her brother. "He's very friendly. I'm not real
political. Probably now that he came in I will support him."

Lorrie Benson, 34, of Altoona, said she was thrilled to get Obama's
autograph.

"All I had in my purse for him to sign was my pay stub," she said,
adding that she plans to vote for Obama in the April 22 Democratic
primary because he strikes her as "trustworthy and very personable."

Mark Irvin, 49, a lift operator at a food service warehouse in Altoona,
was astonished that on the first night in 10 years he decided to go
bowling, in walks Barack Obama.

"You talk about destiny," Irvin said. "I think he would make a good
leader but I don't know about the experience thing. John McCain has a
lot more experience. He can handle the war. He's been there and done
that, POW and all."

David Brown
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review