Metaphor alert: The White House hosted an “Alice in Wonderland-themed Halloween party staged by film director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp,” the London Telegraph reports — and simultaneously covered it up “for fear of creating the wrong impression during a recession,” with the help of White House press corps, at their supine worst, during the apogee of hopenchange in 2009:
The White House press corps was allowed to report on more modest festivities earlier that day for Washington-area school children, but did not release details of the more glamorous festivities that occurred later for what was the Obamas’ first Halloween in office in 2009.
The only images released showed the first couple greeting children outside the dining room, with Michelle Obama in a leopard fancy dress costume.
The president’s aides decided the party would send the wrong message at a time when the Tea Party was on the rise with its message against Washington’s excesses and unemployment had risen sharply to ten per cent.
“White House officials were so nervous about how a splashy, Hollywood-esque party would look to jobless Americans or their representatives in Congress, who would soon vote on health care that the event was not discussed publicly and Burton’s and Depp’s contributions went unacknowledged,” Miss Kantor writes.
The Obama White House has often displayed sensitivity about introducing too much celebrity into its busy social calendar, but has still staged several events that have raised eyebrows.
As Jim Hoft notes at Gateway Pundit:
In January 2009, before the president signed his failed $787 billion stimulus bill into law, Barack Obama lectured America saying,
“Everyone must sacrifice for the greater good… Everyone must have some skin in the game.”
Everyone but Barack and Michelle Obama.
Sacrifices are for the little people.
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