THE POINT OF HAVING POWER:

DINNER WITH DUBYA: WRIGHT: PRESIDENTIAL PERK 'TOPS THEM ALL' (Kevin Kernan, February 8, 2007, NY Post)

The Mets All-Star third baseman was invited to a "baseball dinner" along with San Diego's Trevor Hoffman, Toronto's Vernon Wells, Cubs manager Lou Piniella, broadcaster Tim McCarver and journalist George Will.

Will, a baseball zealot, has helped the president organize such dinners in the past and reached out to Omar Minaya, who worked for the Rangers when Bush was the managing general partner of the club. Minaya suggested Wright be invited, along with Julio Franco, who could not attend because of a family illness. About a month ago, Wright was quietly given a verbal invite.

Each person was allowed to bring one guest. McCarver was there with a friend. The others took their wives. Since Wright is not married, he brought along his father Rhon, a history buff. [...]

"To have dinner in the White House, with the First Lady to my right and sitting across from the president, the leader of the free world, it was a once in a lifetime experience," David said with pride. "I'm just so happy I was able to bring my father."

Rhon, assistant chief of the Norfolk, Va., police department, said, "it was an amazing night. The president was extremely gracious."

Most of the talk centered on baseball and history.

"The president had something in common with David," Rhon said. "They talked about working out, strength and conditioning, that sort of thing."

"The president was so approachable and knew everything that's going on with the Mets," David said. "The man definitely knows his baseball."