Obama's basketball: Lost daylight time

by Mark Silva

On a warm and drizzly Halloween, President Barack Obama and several players took their weekend game indoors today - with a morning outing to Fort McNair for two hours of basketball.

The president's motorcade left the White House at 10:07 a.m. EDT - on this final day of EDT for the year, we're sorry to say here in the Swamp, where tonight we are switching over to EST, Eastern Swamp Time.

Obama wore his usual White Sox cap on this day of Game Three of a World Series which could have been almost as good as world peace if this Nobel Prize winner had had his way.

The president left Fort McNair at 12:18, precisely two hours after arriving. He was preceded by nine other hoop players, most wearing shorts and high-tops. He wore black running pants and a jacket and carried a red sports drink.

The party included Reggie Love, his aide and frequent basketball partner, and close friend Marty Nesbitt.

"You guys are closer than usual," the president said to a slightly wet pool of reporters on the way out - a greeting? Or a shot across the bow from a president who has chafed lately about the public getting a little too close to his personal time.

There were no women in this basketball party today. The president, who included the first woman in his golf game as president last week - also his 24th as president - has maintained that his all-male basketball is not sending any message. It's just a game -- "bunk,'' he called criticism of a recent congressional game on the White House's home court.

The president was back at the White House by 12:30 pm., with thanks to Rich Wolf of USA Today for his rainy pool duty.

Time to carve some pumpkins, Swampsters. And don't forget to set your clocks back tonight before turning in -- but try to keep them in the current century, ye gadflies.

(Photo of Marty Nesbitt and President Obama by Susan Walsh / AP)