Premier Alex Scott last night hailed the first full day of Bermuda?s trip to the heart of the US political establishment a resounding success.

In an intense nine-hour spell the delegation criss-crossed the corridors of power in Washington, DC ? racing from breakfast in the White House to afternoon meetings with some of the superpower?s most important politicians amid the historic, statue-packed surrounds of Capitol Hill.

Speaking at the end of a hectic day of diplomatic activity, Mr. Scott told there was no doubt the Island would benefit from the quickfire talks with scores of decision-makers.

Although the delegation did not meet President George W Bush or Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Premier last night said a tour that included meets with House Speaker, Republican Dennis Hastert, presidential hopeful Senator George Allen and other powerbrokers from both sides of the political divide had been ?intense but most, most productive?.

Bermuda?s booming international business reputation, the controversial ?stoplist? barring minor offenders from the States, new student exchange programmes and a possible extension to the role of the American Coast Guard off Bermuda shores were recurring themes during the meetings.

One Senator, meanwhile, thanked Bermuda for the vital role its insurance companies had played in helping revitalise the Gulf Coast in the wake of last year?s tumultuous hurricane season.

And Mr Scott added: ?We started the day with three meetings in the White House and ended it with the Speaker of the House.

?Very few countries get that kind of access.

?They now know the Premier by name.?

Mr. Scott said Bermuda had gone to the highest echelons of the powerful Washington machine ? and its submissions on a number of important crime, finance and national security issues had not been rejected out of hand.

?Nobody has said that can?t be done. Nobody has said we hear you but that can?t be progressed.

?They have said, give us the brief on it and give us the argument.?

Hailing the work of organiser, Bermuda?s US Consul General Gregory Slayton, the Premier said Bermuda?s list of friends in the US had mushroomed because of the visit. ?That bodes well for the country,? he stated.

Earlier yesterday, Mr. Scott said that if the 30-meeting, two-day trip had ended after the Washington breakfast talks then ?it would have been worth the journey?.

Officials described the mood of yesterday?s meetings as ?very upbeat?. And privately they admitted they were impressed by how much US politicians already knew about Bermuda?s growing financial role in the global economy.

The delegation raced from the White House to the Senate offices, where the party zipped from room to room on an underground basement monorail linking the sprawling multi-storey bureaucracy.

It then moved on to Capitol Hill where the political temperature is mounting in the run-up to this November?s mid-term elections, in which Democrats are hoping to cut Republican majorities.

Weaving through hoards of tourists and political appointees ? who swarm Washington like bees ? the Island team made their way through endless halls lined with impressive paintings and imposing statues commemorating political icons like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.

One of the final meetings was with Congressman GK Butterfield, whose father and grandfather both hailed from Bermuda. Mr. Butterfield, who represents North Carolina, was also joined by several members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton said the importance of face-to-face talks yesterday could not be underestimated.

?I think it will be very difficult to come out of these meetings and say that we have made changes.

?The whole idea of this is to develop a relationship, then comes productivity and movement.

?This is laying the foundations for the future.?

The visit continues today at the State Department and Treasury.