Romney to travel for dinner with the Cheneys
Governor Mitt Romney, taking a break from his efforts to oust Turnpike Authority chairman Matthew J. Amorello, plans to dash out of Massachusetts tonight for an exclusive dinner with Vice President Dick Cheney and Cheney's wife, Lynne, at their residence in Washington, D.C.
The guests will dine on seasonal berries and fish, colonial-themed fare to honor the Cheneys' special guest, the Nantucket author Nathaniel Philbrick. A National Book Award winner, Philbrick is the author most recently of ``Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War," which explores the history of Plymouth Colony. He is also the author of ``In the Heart of the Sea," an account of the 19th century whaleship Essex.
Romney has stressed that his top priority is overseeing the Big Dig inspections and repairs after the fatal ceiling collapse on July 10. However, his would-be campaign for president continues to beckon: He plans to go to Iowa on Saturday for two political events.
``I won't be away at any time when I need to personally be there to approve the opening of a tunnel or an inspection, but I do anticipate fulfilling my travel responsibilities," Romney said yesterday, before his office disclosed the Washington trip. ``As you know, over the last couple of weeks, I took out all the political travel. But at this stage, I'm going to follow through on the commitments that I've made, and that will include making an occasional trip."
Tonight's dinner, scheduled for 7 p.m., is closed to the press and begins 10 hours after Romney summons Amorello to his office for a hearing aimed at removing him as chairman of the Turnpike Authority.
The event in Washington is being thrown by Lynne Cheney, author of several books on American history and former chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
``American history is her great passion," said her spokeswoman, April Isenhower.
Philbrick's books have been a White House favorite for some time.
``I just finished `In the Heart of the Sea,' by Philbrick," President Bush told reporters in August 2001. ``It's a (book) about the whaler Essex. It's a really interesting book."
