Dec 2, 2011
The White House is all decked out for Christmas. This year’s theme is shine, give, share.
The Obama family wants us to celebrate ways we can lift up those around us. Put our best self forward. And share our blessings with everybody else.
A holiday version of fair share.
Mrs. Obama went all out on this year’s decorations. Featuring ornaments made of paper and recycled cans.They made gigantic topiaries from trash bags.
I know we’re in the middle of an economic crisis. But recycled cans — trashbags? I’m sure target would have been happy to give Mrs. Obama a discount.
The star of this year’s yuletime theme is Bo — the first dog. The White House says you can find Bo in almost every room.
The Starnes family has a theme for Christmas too. It’s called celebrating the birth of Jesus.
I don’t recall seeing that word in the White House press release.
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Seriously? You're mocking them because they recycled material for Christmas decorations? Really? Damned if they do and damned if they don't huh?
Haters will ridicule the First Family no matter what they do.
The vile atheist news was slow, so these idiots had to find something to mock. It really gets me in the holiday spirit to hear so much brotherly love coming from these lovely Christians at Xmas.
Your doing the damning here. These so called president and his wife are far from being Christians but have no problem spending 100 million each time they go on vacations. Between the Jet fuel and the secret service men they have spend more money on vacations than all the last four president put together BUT they use recycled garbage for Jesus. That should tell you something. You cant be that ignorant of a liberal!!
Your doing the damning here. These so called president and his wife are far from being Christians but have no problem spending 100 million each time they go on vacations. Between the Jet fuel and the secret service men they have spend more money on vacations than all the last four president put together BUT they use recycled garbage for Jesus. That should tell you something. You cant be that ignorant of a liberal!!
Please remember that no sitting president and his family EVER does anything without the almighty "photo op" in mind. It's called PR and it's especially prevalent in an election cycle.
Milly Westbrook How are they not Christians? EVERY President HAS to have the Secret Service with them when they go somewhere. They HAVE to use Air Force One to fly so they can stay in communication with the damn White House. They haven't spent 100 million. The only articles I found said $10 million AND it said "sources in the White House." That's like reading a tabloid and it says "sources close to the star" or "unnamed sources." I was a journalist – that is called bullshit. Oh and Ms Westbrook I am NOT a liberal. I am also NOT a conservative. I agree with some things on both sides and disagree with both sides but I am not part of any political party or either of those two sides. Like I said no matter what a President and his family do someone will ALWAYS criticize them. That's his job though – as POTUS – to take the criticism. But for goodness sake. What would you like to see them do? What would make YOU happy Milly?
Debbie Best Everyone should know that. Should.
HEY THEY THE OBAMAS ARE JUST NOT TRUE THAT THE POINT THEY RECYCLE THEN GO ON MILLION DOLLAR TAX PAYER VACATIONS GET IT NOW. IT IS BEING A HIPPO CRITE DO YOU NEED SLAP ACROSS THE HEAD TO GET AWAKE. HAHAHAHA
Is this written in English? IRENE, WHY ARE YOU YELLING?
I'm just as confused by Irene's statement. Are you mentally challenged or something? You realize that the President is never on a true vacation right? They are always locked into what is going on so if there's a crisis, they can respond.
Kelly Calder YEAH right especially when their in Paris. You are the ignorant one. Bush use to vacation at his Ranch in Texas and yes he was a 24/7 president. This clown is only 8 hour a day president at best. The rest of the time he lets Congress do his job!!!!
Kelly Calder YEAH right especially when their in Paris. You are the ignorant one. Bush use to vacation at his Ranch in Texas and yes he was a 24/7 president. This clown is only 8 hour a day president at best. The rest of the time he lets Congress do his job!!!!
I think the best way to decorate the tree at the WH is to invite all school children to create an ornament and send it to the WH. If yours gets picked, you get to come and hang it on the tree. Children are not into politics and are the best representation of what Christmas should be about.
@ Kelly – I'm sure the trash bags were new and not recycled. And I wouldn't want to be the ones to have to wash and disinfect all the aluminum cans just to make a statement that says "hey, look at us, we're all about the environment." If they really wanted to be frugal and environmentally friendly, why not simply use ornaments that were used on earlier WH trees. We use the same ornaments every year. Why can't the President?
@Debbie Best – I don't know. Ask the President or the First Lady. Or you run for President and if you win, you do that. Do they really need to do any of it? No – but the White House is also a tourist attraction. Just like do they "need" to do the Easter Egg roll. No. I am not a fan of the administration but I give credit where it's due. At least they're trying to spread a positive message – which I can't say for the so-called "Christians" on this page.
But – the trash bags could have been recycled. Just like you can get new boxes that are made out of recycled material..or paper…or bottles. If you don't know, don't judge.
Mrs. Obama is saving all the money for her next vacation. It costs the country a minimum of 100 million dollars everytime the president goes on vacations. Mrs Obama has no problem going all out on her vacations but for Jesus she will use recycled garbage!!
Mrs. Obama is saving all the money for her next vacation. It costs the country a minimum of 100 million dollars everytime the president goes on vacations. Mrs Obama has no problem going all out on her vacations but for Jesus she will use recycled garbage!!
Milly Westbrook You do realize that he's not the only President to take "vacations" AND you realize that no President is ever truly on vacation right? I don't think they go "all out" on vacations. I'm pretty sure Bush was constantly using taxpayer money to go to his ranch in Texas or Camp David, etc. You can't just point out one side.
Kelly Calder You could be right in that assessment. I wonder if they will recycle the topiaries?
Milly Westbrook As I stated: So far, President Obama has taken 61 vacation days after 31 months in office. At this point in their presidencies, George W. Bush had spent 180 days at his ranch where his staff often joined him for meetings. And Ronald Reagan had taken 112 vacation days at his ranch.
Among recent presidents, Bill Clinton took the least time off — 28 days.
To be fair, a presidential vacation away from the White House is not the same as a vacation for the average person. The president is still in contact with his advisers and on call for any emergency. — See the last part? When you're on vacation do you have Secret Service, secure equipment to transmit information on, a staff AND the responsibility of an entire nation? Nope. Okay. This was as of August 2011 – so did you criticize Bush or Reagan for taking time off at this point in their presidencies? Geez – let the guy have a break once in a while.
Debbie Best I don't care what they recycle lol. It gives the First Lady something to do.
Milly Westbrook One more thing – are you a Christian? Aren't you supposed to 'love thy neighbor' and isn't this the season of peace and goodwill? You don't sound very loving or peaceful.
Kelly Calder I think the key thing here is that Bush and Reagan went HOME to their ranch. I would be more interested in a breakdown on the cost of such vacations. Oh wait. There was one the last time the First Lady stepped out with her entourage. And it was a lot.
Debbie Best But they still use government resources to get there AND they have to their "homes" fitted with all the secure equipment, security, Secret Service, etc. I would like to see something official on costs especially now since a news story that says "sources in the White House" – that's not a source. That's freakin gossip. I could go tell a reporter my opinion of the military and they could tell me "an unnamed source in the military" but that doesn't mean I know everything that goes on.
Kelly – maybe there simply needs to be limits set on what the Prez and the First Family can do. I get the security. I'm okay with that expense. But the security to go to a ranch time after time is going to ultimately be a lot less than traveling outside the country.
Debbie Best Most of the things that people think are "vacations" are not – the President has to travel outside the country. He has to meet with foreign dignitaries and sometimes the First Family comes with him. It's okay for other executives to take their families and he can't? I quite honestly don't believe "news" reports that sound like tabloid fodder. Until someone shows me a news article that has a named source and not "sources inside the White House" than I don't believe she used 1 million dollars or 10 million dollars of tax payer money on personal stuff. Every article states "accused" and the original "report?" Came from National Enquirer. I highly doubt that either of them spends that much money on PERSONAL things. The President is never on vacation and really neither is his family. Wherever they go, there is always a PR reason behind it in some way. But I wonder could some of you run the country and never take a break? Or be part of the First Family and never go on vacation – even though you're never alone because you always have someone following you? Unless I see a White House memo or some official source/document to state how much they spent – sorry I don't get my "news" from gossip rags.
Well, all I can say about the National Enquirer is they got it right about John Edwards when the rest of the "journalists" turned a blind eye. If even one of them had bothered to investigate Edwards, Hillary could've been our president and I would've been okay with that.
At least this years tree was not covered with images of Chairman Mao, obonehead himself, and drag queens the way it was his first year of occupation. They can now store those in this year's trash bags.
As long as they don't decorate with Mao ornaments this year I could care less.
Why don't we all try decorating our hearts with L-O-V-E! That is the message of Christ/ CHRISTmas! But don't get love twisted. Love does not mean to tolerate sinful nonsense!
I could have sworn that I saw a picture of H I t l e r on that tree next to Obamas picture and they were both smiling at each other. How heart warming is that?
I could have sworn that I saw a picture of H I t l e r on that tree next to Obamas picture and they were both smiling at each other. How heart warming is that?