by Frank James
Reporter Wes Allison of the St. Petersburg Times, is the print pool reporter today covering President Obama for the rest of the White House press corps and has filed a report full of good color on the White House "open-house" today. (It wasn't really an open house since you couldn't just walk in off the street but this is Washington where language comes to be bent.)
Here's the report:
Two-hundred people won passes on a first-come, first-serve basis through the PIC or transition (press aides not sure, checking) to attend an "Open House" at 2:30 p.m. today at the White House.
Your pool was ushered into the Blue Room, a south-facing oval room overlooking the Washington Monument, at 2:40 p.m., where we found President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama already shaking hands with guests lined up in a receiving line.
"Enjoy yourself," Obama told two young women.
"Welcome, enjoy yourself," Obama told a young man in a black sweater. "Roam around. Don't break anything."
The first couple got an effusive greeting from Tracie Jones of Bessemer, Ala., who arrived in Washington at almost midnight Monday and watched the inauguration from the National Mall.
"We just prayed, and thank the Lord!" Ms. Jones said as she shook the president's hand. "This is even better than we expected."
She told Obama he was "beautiful," then quickly corrected herself, "I mean, First Lady, you're beautiful!"
Your pool was ushered out after a few minutes, with the receiving line stretching clearly out of the room.
Outside the Blue Room, Jones said she had hoped to score both inauguration and ball tickets, but failed on both, so she was thrilled to be at the open house. Jones is black, and wouldn't give her age, but she was middle-aged and said she has a 24-year-old son.
She said she works for Wal-Mart and UPS and sells real estate on the side.
"Praise God, thank you Jesus," she said after meeting the Obamas. "We prayed to get in here. It's all the Lord. Can you put that down?"
As the door to the Blue Room opened, Linda Thomas of Philadelphia spied the Obamas as she was pushing her elderly mother, Audrey Thornton, in a wheelchair through the north front lobby.
"There's Barack! There's Barack!" she squealed. She tried to maneuver the wheelchair for a better look.
"Ma'am," a Secret Service agent said, trying to get her attention. "Ma,am? I can assure you you're going in there."
Comments
OK, enough praying. The Good Lord is informed, I am sure. All the shout outs to Jesus, the Big Man, Etc. have been accomplished. The blind faith has been demonstrated. The heartfelt emotions have been expressed.
Now, get to work. We don't need any more expressions of faith. We don't need any more 'God bless us,,please?'
We need action. We need results. The Lord helps those that help themselves.
I don't like Obama's religious posing any more than I liked Bush's.
I realize he needs to do this to prove to the ignorant masses that he is not a Muslim, but I object to that on the face of it. I couldn't care less what religion he follows.
Get to work BHO. Religion helped get us into this mess.
Posted by: C.Morrisā | January 21, 2009 7:15 PM