Pool Report for Obama Stop at Diner in Robesonia, Pennsylvania

EVENT: Obama Stop at the Heidelberg Family Restaurant (Robesonia, PA)

TIME: 11:30am ET

Lots of color from Sen. Barack Obama's stop at the Heidelberg Family Restaurant this Sunday morning, but most interesting was an exchange he had with Republican Margaret Miller, 66, of Newmanstown.

She and her husband Warren were some of the last people Obama greeted during his 35-minute visit (some fun color from that below). Mrs. Miller told Obama she wanted to ask him one question.

"May I ask you a question? I'm going to ask you why you didn't salute the flag," she said.

"That isn't true," he said, explaining the "e-mail that's being sent around" (featuring a photo from Tom Harkin's Steak Fry in Iowa last summer) is inaccurate when it claims he was dissing the stars and stripes.

"What happened was, we were singing the star-spangled banner and the flag wasn't in front of me, the flag was behind me," he said, adding that he was was looking at the singer and that he "always" honors the flag.

"I had to ask," Miller said.

Mr. Miller told Obama he was "disturbed" by new gun control passed in Philly, and the senator responded the city has "a real problem" with gun violence and "We've got to get better background checks."

Obama said it was nice to meet them, then told the Millers, "God bless you," before moving on to the next table.

Later, Mrs. Miller told your pooler she had seen the flag photo on TV and that she was satisfied with Obama's answer: "If it's true, I'm alright."

Still, "I won't vote for a Democrat," she said.

Mr. Miller said he prefers Obama over Sen. Hillary Clinton but also is a Republican.

"I'm a Christian and I have to go with the person that holds those things, because I feel that the Lord will put in who he wants. I don't see any of them that are really serving our country the way we need it to be served," Mrs. Miller told the pool.

Other newsy items - Obama greeted each diner patron, apologizing to most for the "fuss" and for interrupting their breakfasts. There was a bit of a fuss as the pool was shuffled around tables and behind the counter at the order of Secret Service, as Obama staffers tried to get us out of the way of the waitresses scrambling to deliver breakfast orders.

He asked nearly everyone their name, what they do for work, and questions such as "how is business these days." Several voters brought up high gas prices.

Milford Hauck, also of Newmanstown, greeted Obama, who asked if he and his wife had come from church. Obama  told him he had just come from the church in Lebanon and Hauck responded he was "glad to see you believe in the church." Carolyn Hauck said she will vote for Obama Tuesday.

There was the usual frenzy over camera phones and autographs, and most people wished him good luck on Tuesday. Other than the owners, who are of Egyptian descent, the entire crowd in the busy diner was white. Most of them appeared to be 55 or older.

This was a diner that knew how to use whipped cream properly - at least 1.75" of the stuff on the hot chocolate mugs and 2.5" atop the strawberry waffles. Among the menu items - fried clam strips and steak and eggs ($10.99) - and there was a buffet that clearly warned "No unsupervised children!" (Thanks for the tip, Hans.)

"What an unexpected surprise! They won't believe it at work on Monday!" gushed Linda Warner of nearby Womelsdorf, who had a plate of french toast. A miniature train circled on an overhead track over Obama's head as he told Warner he would love to have her support.

"We're counting on you," she told him. Later, her eyes welled up as she told your pooler she thinks he is the only person who can "make the changes we need."

When he arrived, the senator announced he would buy a pie for the press. He told some voters later he bought the pie for the pool, "to see if it makes them sweeter."

Indeed, he purchased two boxes of sweets - one pie with a topping that looked like fried onions but was probably toasted coconut and the other a box filled with mini-pies and the biggest cupcake this pooler has ever seen.

As he left (before a 10-second visit to the kitchen that was so crowded your pooler (and a waitress holding a pancake order) could not get inside), Obama supporter and restaurant owner Elsayed Elmarzouky tried to give him the treats for free, Obama insisted: "I've got to pay for it."

Odd moment: As Obama pulled out his cash, one diner patron standing next to him said "I could just grab that," presumably referring to the senator's wad of money.

Obama autographed the check, which was $50.98, before paying in cash. He included a $12 tip for waitress Vickie Madden "because she did a lot of work."

But he already has her vote. "There's a genuine kindness about him, a true kindness," she said.

As he carried the pie to the press bus, your pooler asked Obama if he felt like had won over any voters inside the diner.

Cue the grin. "Absolutely. There's no doubt about it," he said.