President O, with a Beat poetic beat

The small group of reporters covering the president at particular events, in order to report them back to the larger group of White House reporters, is called the “pool.” The Times’ Kate Linthicum has been in the pool covering President Obama’s visit to Southern California, and herewith are the great liberties taken by me to edit her tidy prose reports into … a Beat poem.

“SHORT STOP — BEVERLY HILLS …”

Marine One at a baseball diamond in Cheviot Hills — motorcade! Quick! Past the office towers lining Avenue of the Stars!

Running.

Late.

Fundraiser, Beverly Park. Steep, well-groomed streets.

People, clustered. Some support. Protesters, shouting.

Magic Johnson’s cream-colored mansion — tall shrubs, circular driveway. Heated tent on tennis court.

Johnson lives with HIV.

Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Keaton reportedly there — though I didn’t see them.

Tickets? $2,500 to $15,000 — a 17-minute speech.

Motorcade, short drive.

The house of Haim Saban. Disneyesque. Man-made lakes, lighted sculptures of wildlife.

We are now holding.

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Follow Patt Morrison on Twitter @pattmlatimes