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Bush Campaign Tiptoed Into Arlington HQ
But Lane also sees humor in the president's new political surroundings. "We are thrilled to have the president right here in the belly of the beast," he said. Goaded by a reporter to elaborate, he added, "The fact that the Democrats didn't know the Bush headquarters was in Arlington is indicative of the general view they have of the political scene. They are clueless."
Barbara A. Favola, vice chair of the all-Democrat county board, laughed outright when she heard of the political jabs.
"Oh, my lord, nothing is going to help the local Republican Party," she said, "though I'm sure they think it's something they can sort of rub in our noses."
Favola said she welcomes local tax revenue generated by any new tenant but said she finds Bush's move perplexing. "Rent certainly isn't cheap here, and there aren't a lot of Republicans," she said. "Normally, you put an office in a place to energize the base. This will help us energize our base. It will be a constant reminder: 'Oh, God, there's that Bush. I've gotta get him out in November.' "
To hear Bush officials tell it, all of the local back-and-forth is a case of reading political messages that simply aren't there.
Campaign spokesman Terry Holt chuckled about the heated local rhetoric and initially declined to comment. He eventually said, "I'm not sure that we spend a lot of time thinking about one's party affiliation while standing in line for a bagel."
The reason Bush chose Arlington, Holt said, came down to quality of life.
"This is a great neighborhood," he said. "There are a lot of services here. Obviously, you're looking for office space that is available and where there is enough of it. It's nothing against the District. A lot of us have worked in D.C. the majority of the time. But now we're not in the city . . . we're out here on a nice hill."
Holt said the discreet setup of the headquarters is deliberate, partly to blend with the neighborhood and partly because "our campaign is still in a preparation stage, an organizing stage. The president has said the campaign will start in its own time."
Indeed, a brief tour reveals a first floor of people quietly working in cubicles, mostly in communications and dealing with a variety of media. No massive phone banks or caffeine-energized aides scurrying around here.
One man, part of a "rapid response" unit ramping up to respond to attacks from Democratic candidates, was watching Democratic candidate Wesley Clark on television and busily taking notes.
But what is envisioned as a "war room" for the rapid response unit next door currently consists of dozens of boxes piled more than 10 feet high.
The campaign has taken up two floors of the building, but Holt declined to provide access to the other floor, where the political, financial and operations staffs work.
He said activity will pick up as the campaign does. The president has not yet visited, and it is unclear whether, or when, he will.
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