President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama with Oprah Winfrey in the Blue Room of the White House during the taping of a special, "Christmas at the White House," airing Sunday, Dec. 13, at 10 pm. EST on ABC. (White House Photo by Pete Souza)
by Mark Silva,
with a noon posting moved up for the evening: We're hard-pressed for more pressing news heading into the first of the holiday weekends. Cheers.
Bo has a stocking.
This is only part of what's to be revealed Sunday night on "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special.''
The first family and the first lady of daytime television sat in the Green Room of the White House, where Thomas Jefferson liked to eat lunch, for an interview in a mansion decorated with 27 trees for Christmas.
"Is there a greater pressure to give a good gift when you're the president or can you get away with a lesser gift if you're the president?'' Winfrey asks.
"What are you gonna get me?'' the first lady asks the president. "You should feel pressure....''
"I have given some good gifts - you get some nice stuff,'' the president tells his wife. "Here's the general rule, I give nicer stuff than I get.''
"Really?'' Winfrey asks.
"No way,'' Michelle Obama protests. "I gave you good gifts last year.''
"Absolutely - aw come on please,'' President Barack Obama says. "You know, its like Mother's Day and Father's Day.''
"We're talking about Christmas, don't become distracted,'' the first lady says.
"But that principle applies generally,'' the president insists.
On the program, airing at 10 pm EST Sunday, according to excerpts released today by Harpo Productions, the Obamas also remember their favorite gifts as children:
"It was a doll house,'' the first lady recalls, "and it was a metal doll house with plastic furniture, but it was and I remember I really didn't know how to set up a house so I had all the furniture lined up along the walls as opposed to nestled around the fireplace, but I loved that little doll house.''
"Did you have an Easy Bake Oven?'' Winfrey wants to know.
"Oh, I did have an Easy Bake Oven,'' the first lady recalls, "but you know once you run out of the mix it's like you're done with it.''
"You couldn't get more mix?'' the president asks.
"Nowadays it's easy,'' his wife allows.
"Probably now you can go online and get more mix,'' Winfrey suggests.
The president's favorite gift?
"Well I got a bike one year, and I think, you know, getting that first big kid 10 speed bike that's always...
"Special,'' his wife says.
"Special,'' the president says.
"I remember that one,'' he adds. "You know, I do remember the one time I met my father he was visiting during Christmas and he gave me a basketball and - the degree to which I came to love basketball - it wasn't until much later in life that I realized, 'Actually, he gave me that basketball.' I think there was some cause and effect there in terms of the degree to which I just ended up taking up the sport as a kid who didn't know his dad.'
'
So, with the Obama family celebrating its first Christmas in the White House, who all has stockings?
"Everyone,'' the first lady says. "The President, the First Lady, Malia, Sasha and Bo.'
"Bo has a stocking?'' Winfrey asks.
"Bo has a stocking. Of course he does.''
"How lovely,'' Winfrey notes.
"Santa loves Bo too,'' the first lady says.
"Bo got a good home,'' Winfrey suggests. "Bo did okay.''
This interview has been in the making for a long time, Winfrey explains. "I wanted an opportunity to sit down with them in a comfortable setting that all of America would be familiar and relate to. So I started asking when they first moved in to do a Christmas Special because I wanted to be at the White House during Christmas time and to experience their first Christmas in the White House. So this has been in the making for a very, very long time.''
Judging from the excerpts, it could be a long show.





Comments
Title of article "First Dog Bo". But the photo is of Oprah with the first couple... oh yeah, it fits both ways! Bow Wow & lots of milkbones for Bo!
When is Oprah's show over with again?
Hope all the pet owners out there treat their dogs, pets etc. with the love they deserve & need!
Posted by: wingnut master | December 11, 2009 12:19 PM
What did the two daughters get?
They get the priviledge of being amongst the generation that get's to pay for their daddy's gov't funded spending spree.
Posted by: Terry | December 11, 2009 1:13 PM
***_____________________________________***
They get the priviledge of being amongst the generation that get's to pay for their daddy's gov't funded spending spree.
Posted by: Terry | December 11, 2009 1:13 PM
***______________________________________***
Actually Troglodyte Terri, the Obama girls will spend the rest of their lives paying off the debt that 25+ years of past Republican adminstrations (that you cheerleaded for) have built up.
Do you smoke crack or something Terri? Because other than John D you are the dumbest person to ever open their pie-hole on here.
.
http://www.headybrew.net/images/content/budget_deficit_or_surplus.gif
.
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 11, 2009 2:47 PM
Oh for crying out loud we adore the Obamas,they've got too much classiness in them,esp.the President Bam.
he just dazzled us all the time.
i will announce it once again to be forever imprint in our minds:
BAM IS THE WORLD.The classy President of America.
Posted by: Miss Carol Dijkhuyzen | December 11, 2009 3:56 PM
Michelle looks positively ravishing!
Can't wait to see this. Christmas is the best - second only to Halloween.
Happy Holiday, friends of all fringe elements!
Posted by: Snookie | December 11, 2009 4:49 PM
Posted by: Terry | December 11, 2009 1:13 PM
You and your comments are EXTREMELY tiring. Can't you forget the partisanship for the holidays or do you have NO morals, sense of decency or whatever verbiage you can understand? Are people like you EVER happy or is trying to make everyone else miserable your way of having a giggle?
Posted by: lochnessmonster | December 11, 2009 5:36 PM
Does the discredited journalist John D dare slither out from under his rock? Please post more of your evolving truths.
Posted by: Saluki Slayer | December 11, 2009 6:02 PM
More stellar commentary from one of Silva's Merry Band of Misfits:
Actually Troglodyte Terri, the Obama girls will spend the rest of their lives paying off the debt that 25+ years of past Republican adminstrations (that you cheerleaded for) have built up.
Do you smoke crack or something Terri? Because other than John D you are the dumbest person to ever open their pie-hole on here.
Yo Loony Lefty, in those 25 years, the Dems held the presidency for 9 of them and they controlled Congress for more than half of them. And this current prez and Dem Congress are SHATTERING all deficits ever in the history of the world! More than $4.5 TRILLION of debt in just three years!
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | December 11, 2009 6:14 PM
This whole post relates nothing but stockings and presents for the Obamas. You know, in childhood the President had some lean years, as his family was not well-to-do. Why doesn't he think to relate to the poor kids today? There is a really wonderful Christmas Prayer on Ethic Soup blog that reflects poverty today, "A Christmas Prayer to End Poverty in Our Time" at:
http://www.ethicsoup.com/2008/12/a-christmas-prayer-to-end-poverty-in-our-time.html#more
Posted by: Sharon McEachern | December 11, 2009 7:16 PM
You and your comments are EXTREMELY tiring. Can't you forget the partisanship for the holidays or do you have NO morals, sense of decency or whatever verbiage you can understand? Are people like you EVER happy or is trying to make everyone else miserable your way of having a giggle?
Posted by: lochnessmonster | December 11, 2009 5:36 PM
Appropriately named lochness monster, you are referring to you and your demented, deranged ilk of loony lefties, right?
Please point out one time you have put the partisanship behind? Can you point out one time you've expressed some cheer and good humor? Good grief!
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | December 11, 2009 8:17 PM
Trickled On JohnE,
BO is going to double what all other Presidents, inlculding Bush 43, have done in the previous 200+ years
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125119686015756517.html
Lochness,
If you think my comments are tiring, then quit reading them. Now that your flatliners are in charge, you can't handle the criticism about their failed policies? You had no problems about pointing out the shortcomings of the previous administration.
What is immoral about pointing out that the next generation is going to have a boatload of national debt to pay off?
Posted by: Terry | December 11, 2009 9:10 PM
This is so infantile, so full of treacle as to make me sick. talk about inconsequnetial...
Posted by: beth | December 11, 2009 10:41 PM
****************************************************
BO is going to double what all other Presidents, inlculding Bush 43, have done in the previous 200+ years
Posted by: Terry | December 11, 2009 9:10 PM
__________________________________________
Again Terri,
Obama is trying to fix the economic meltdown that was caused by eight years of a Republican administraion and six of the last eight years of a Republican congress. Obama wouldn't have to spend on job creation and economic stimulus if you wingnutters hadn't wet the bed while you were in charge in the first place
It's laughable the way you always try to explain way the Republicans complete disaster when it comes to leading our country. Do you really think everyone on here (other than John D) is as dumb as you are and don't remember anything? It's bad enough that the Repugs can't govern worth a damn, it's even worse that they (you) won't stand up and at least take some responsibility for the messes they have made.
.
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 11, 2009 11:36 PM
Funny thing - I don't remember Terry crying about the deficit even once during the entire eight years that Bush and Cheney were busy doubling it.
Posted by: Kids, todays word to desribe Terry is: H Y P O C R I T E | December 11, 2009 11:51 PM
Lochness,
Don't waste your time trying to figure out Terry, he's a sociopath.
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 12, 2009 12:06 AM
Gag me with a spoon.
Trite and pointless celebrity fluff. Is that the best Oprah can do?
I plan to be doing anything other than watching the Obamamas special.
Posted by: Hillary Fan | December 12, 2009 12:27 AM
Posted by: Terry | December 11, 2009 9:10 PM
Well I did get my answer. You can't be happy about anything.
Posted by: lochnessmonster | December 12, 2009 7:03 AM
This posting a total waste of space on "Swamp".
Posted by: Inky | December 12, 2009 9:56 AM
That gold medal with Alfred Nobel's profile was a pretty nice present.
Posted by: ornery | December 12, 2009 10:04 AM
Triclked On JOhnE,
I think all the Flatliners on here are dumber than me - their posts prove it.
The GOP did not have control of the Senate for Six Years of the Bush administration, only 4 1/2 - get you facts straight - but then again you are dumber than me.
Please tell me the Bush policy that led to the recession.
Than you weren't paying attention during the Bush years. He needed to veto some spending bills passed by GOP Congress and I said that during his presidency. However, BO is making Bush43 deficits look miniscule.
Lochness,
I'm happy about a lot of things; however, one of them is not the dircetion in which this country is heading.
I thought you were going to quit reading my posts?
Posted by: Terry | December 12, 2009 12:46 PM
Terry, I will answer for the Dimwits on the Left because it is pretty much the usual refrain:
Bush gave tax cuts to billionaires! Tax cuts for the rich! That's what caused the economy to go bad. Tax cuts for the rich! Tax cuts for billionaires! Tax cuts for Big Oil! The evil, rich people got tax cuts!!
That pretty much sums it up, huh?
Course, the reality is everyone got tax cuts and tax cuts don't hurt an economy.
What kills me, though, is that Hollywood pretty much now films wherever they can get the best tax breaks. Sort of ironic, isn't it??
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | December 12, 2009 1:28 PM
Troglodyte Terri,
The Bush Repugs controlled everything for six of the last eight years, period, end of story.
The reason you think you're smarter than everyone on here is because you're mentally ill.
Listen to your fellow flat earther, Johnny Dittohead. Unlike you, and surprisingly, he seems to be making some sense with his last post @ 1:28 PM (except for the last part).
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 12, 2009 4:45 PM
Trickled ON JOhnE.
Reading JOhn D's post at 1:28, I guess the term "sarcasm" isn't in your vocabulary.
Republicans had refused to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. [2]
On May 24, 2001, the independent status of Jeffords changed the Senate composition from 50-50 (with a Republican Vice President, Dick Cheney, serving as President of the Senate to break tie votes) to 49 Republicans, 50 Democrats, and one independent - Bernie Sanders, the Socialist of Vermont.
NO, the GOP did not have controll of the Senate for 6 years. Also, they never had as much control of Congress as the dems do today. They never had anything close to a filabuster majority.
Get you facts straight.
Posted by: Terry | December 12, 2009 9:55 PM
Troglodyte Terri from Wasilla,
Jim Jeffords didn't become a Democrat, he became an Independent who still caucused with Republicans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jeffords
Quit drooling for a minute and get your facts straight.
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 13, 2009 12:43 AM
Trickled On JohnE,
From your link:
"I will make this change and will caucus with the Democrats for organizational purposes"
Did you mom drop you on your head at birth?
Posted by: Terry | December 13, 2009 12:26 PM
Yes Terri, but he didn't do that. He continued to caucus with the Repugs.
You need to get a life TrickledownBoy. You're making this almost to easy for me.
See ya.
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 13, 2009 4:40 PM
" Jeffords was free to vote as he pleased on policy matters "
I rest my case....
.
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 13, 2009 4:44 PM
Trickled On,
You should have rested your case long ago. When Jeffords switched to "Independent", all the committee chairs became democratic. Therefore, the GOP lost control of Congress.
Your teachers must have had paitence.
Posted by: Terry | December 13, 2009 8:21 PM
Your teachers must have had paitence.
Posted by: Terry | December 13, 2009 8:21 PM
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Troglodyte Terri,
It doesn't matter you delusional mindfreak, Jeffords continued to VOTE with Republicans, period, end of story....
Why don't you pull your head out of your butt and go visit your kids, they can probably teach you something - like how to read and spell.
"paitence"? Are you kidding me?
P_A_T_I_E_N_C_E:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/patience
Posted by: terry is a girls name | December 14, 2009 12:17 AM
TrickledOn,
The party that holds the committee chairmanships controls the Senate. You'll learn that when you retake 5th grade civics this year.
Thanks for the spelling correction. My secretary ususally catches those.
Posted by: Terry | December 14, 2009 9:54 AM
This happened.
Posted by: Rochie | December 14, 2009 10:28 AM