Press Wears a Different Hat on Bush’s Birthday

President Bush turned 66 today, and several reporters trooped into the Cabinet Room wearing children’s birthday hats in honor of the occasion.

They were rewarded with laughter and applause from Bush and the Republican congressional leaders he was meeting with. The lawmakers had already burst into a chorus of “Happy Birthday” as the first wave of media entered the room.

“It’s a vast improvement,” a smiling President told the reporters in the silly hats.

He then gave them a birthday present: He waived his rule against answering questions at these so-called photo opportunities.

There was one catch.

“Only those wearing hats get their questions answered,” Bush admonished the hatless reporters in the Cabinet Room.

Bush started the day by tossing a few horseshoes on his way to the Oval Office, only to be pulled away for an early morning gift presentation by his senior staff.

Bush was given a brown leather brief case to replace a tattered briefcase that has known better times.

Bush, who is one of the most vigorous Presidents in American history and also one of the oldest, was playing horseshoes alone when his top advisers found him and lured him away.

Overall, Bush now ranks as the nation’s eighth-oldest President, younger only than Ronald Reagan, who was 77, Dwight Eisenhower, 70, James Buchanan, 69, Andrew Jackson, 69, Harry Truman 68, William Harrison, 68, and James Monroe, who left office a month before his 67th birthday.