Maybe He Can Offer Them An Aerial Tour Of Manhattan

Great moments in White House administration:

Sobbing Kindergarteners Snubbed for Steelers?
Kids locked out of White House; officials say they were too late

Thursday was supposed to be the highlight of the year for more than 100 kindergarteners from Stafford County, Va. They got up early and took a chartered bus to the White House for a school field trip. But when they arrived, all the 5-year-olds got was a lesson in disappointment.

The buses from Conway Elementary arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue a little later than planned, and they were locked out.

"We were going to the White House, but we couldn’t get in so I felt sad," 5-year-old Cameron Stine said.

Parents say they were just 10 minutes late for their scheduled tour. School officials say White House staff said they needed to get ready for the president's event with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, so they couldn't come in.

Other coverage:

Time and traffic conspired to keep Stafford County school kids out of the White House yesterday.

In a situation most local commuters can relate to, kindergartners from Conway Elementary School were shut out of a scheduled White House tour when they showed up late.

Parent and chaperone Paty Stine said buses left Conway Elementary at 8:30 a.m. She said they were supposed to arrive at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. between 10 and 10:15 a.m.

"Unfortunately, we ran into heavier-than-normal traffic," she said. When they arrived at 10:25 a.m., the gates were closed, with the kids on the outside looking in.

"I just think the White House should have made a little bit of leeway time," Stine said. "The kids knew what they were going to see, and they were thoroughly disappointed. Kids were crying, teachers were crying."

We have the teacher's unions, we have sobbing kids, we have angry voters - clearly a head has to roll.  I suppose it's too late to offer them a ride on Air Force One...

Comments

[Sue]

Are you kidding me? The man who is late for everything punished 5 year olds for being late? Virginia will go red next time around

[bad]

ha Sue, that was my first thought too.

But trust me, some staffer was just over zealous, took their job responsibilities very seriously, blah, blah, blah..

[Charlie (Colorado)]

What do you want to bet that all the kids will get Obama tee shirts or autographed photos?

[clarice]

Soeaking of which, where's the damned report on the flyover?

[bad]

A nurse and a pipefitter (married couple)are victims of credit cards.

O is now demanding that banks act as responsibly as credit card users.

OKAY....

How often is his mug gonna be on TV?

[clarice]

**SPeaking**

(OL, I can spell just fine..it's my typing and proofreading and I've given up on preview.)

[bad]

Chris Dodd got a shout out from Obama as someone who's career has been spent working against special interests.

Has he no shame at all?

[bad]

***whose***

[clarice]

You're asking ME that , bad?

[narciso]

Speaking of things that defy satire, Joe Biden's remarks on closing Gitmo as opening
Pandora's box, 'you never know what you're gonna get" Besides the fact, that this would make less likely to close Gitmo, I suddenly got a Forrest Gump, and Biden came out negatively in the balance. Which isn't really surprising. Forrest almost invariably
did the right thing, This crew not so much.

[Original MikeS]

I'm not one to do any finger pointing or looking backward, but I'm pretty sure this was that Outlaw George Bush's fault.

[AC]

So how long does a tour of the White House last? 15 minutes? If the timing in the posting is correct, then President Obama didn't do himself any favors by denying the children their tour.

One might say that it might have been a staffer, but then they all work for him. He's the 'buck stops here' guy. Whatever they do reflects on him for better or for worst.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

One might say that it might have been a staffer, but then they all work for him. He's the 'buck stops here' guy. Whatever they do reflects on him for better or for worst.

No, that only applies to previous presidents.

[Original MikeS]

One might say that it might have been a staffer...

Yeah maybe, but I think we at least need a show trial to find out who is responsible. These children may never get over the emotional trauma caused by this event. More than likely they will grow up clinging to their guns and Bibles.

Of course they're still better off than the three teenagers Obama had killed off the coast of Somalia.

[Chris]

He's the 'buck stops here' guy.

I thought he was 'the buck's printed here' guy. Oh well.

[matt]

it was that guy in the White House military office's fault.

This one's going to have legs. No one stands up kindergartners and gets away with it. I'll bet the Steelers will even say something, or invite the kids to their camp.

What a senseless bunch of morons.

[bad]

What a thrill for the kids to meet the Superbowl Champs at the White House. It should have been easy to combine the two events.

Deeds, my friends...

[PeterUK]

Hold it a minute,think of the security implications. These kids could have been upset by Obama's military actions in Afghanistan. What if they were midget terrorists? It's one thing to let Islamists out of Gitmo,quite another to let kids into the Whitehouse.

[bad]

LOL PUK

The White House claims to be working to reschedule the event. Is the WH going to fund the charter buses as well?

I love the mom's point about snubbing middle class kindergartners to hang out with millionaires. Soon we'll find out that she owes back taxes and once spanked her child.

[matt]

Peter;

on one of the milblogs I read, it was pointed out that when Bush visited the troops in Iraq, they weer allowed to keep their weapons. When Obama did the same, they were not. Sort of goes to that whole trust issue.

[PeterUK]

Well,Obama has done it.President's">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1186699/Sobbing-year-olds-snubbed-White-House-late-Obama.html">President's callous rejection of infants has made the biggest UK newspaper. Sobbing and snubbed,the cad!

[hit and run]

http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/2009/05/22/white-house-staffers-make-five-year-olds-cry/>Moe Lane reminds us of the http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/2008/09/10/an-no-doubt-unfair-anecdote-about-the-parsimo/>Girl Scout Incident from the campaign.

Don't blame Obama, though. Good help is hard to find.

[maryrose]

It is the little slights like this that add up over time and reveal that Obama really is a putz.

[Melinda Romanoff]

maybe like holding a lottery for some sorta egg roll tradition or sumtin'.

You know, where donors can make some money on the deal.

[PeterUK]

Comes from the top H&R. George Bush would have come down there and opened the gates himself and shepherded them in. Laura Bush would have prepared sandwiches ,homemade cakes and lemonade,whilst President Bush conducted the children round the White House,posed for pictures with them,signed autographs and given each precious little child a memento it could cherish for th rest of its life. Something the could tell their grandparents about.
What a contrast to the Chicago Scrooge!

[Melinda Romanoff]

PUK-

Not Scrooge so much, as not enough fulcrum on the bus.

Seen this before.

Anybody notice that Geithner's getting his hair done like Soros now?

[John T. Simpson]

The REAL mistake is this. Why didn't they let the kids in to dish with the Super Bowl champions? It would have been a twofer, both for the kids AND the President's PR.

I'm sure it would have been a hoot for the Steelers, too. You know, like "Sorry, guys, it's a madhouse around here!" Instead, you have crying kids and schoolteachers, right outside the White House. How stupid can you be? My God.

[daddy]

Well, he's continuing to organize communities---against him.

[Melinda Romanoff]

daddy-

He's not done yet.

Still going ballistic on the job?

[clarice]

PUK, you're right about the Bushes. Both understod the significance to ordinary peoplr --especially children--of having the first family behave like courteous ladies and gentlemen.

[PeterUK]

The arch-abortionist is hardly likely to be fond of children.

[PeterUK]

Clarice,
That's it,it isn't the president showing them round the White House,it's America.

[Melinda Romanoff]

PUK-

I like the sentiment.

[hit and run]

PUK:
George Bush would have come down there and opened the gates himself and shepherded them in.

Oh, fine, make me share my anecdote again -- I can never find my telling of this story on JOM in google, so here goes.

My cousin worked in the WH under Bush. His parents came to DC to take the WH tour -- and ended up in the receiving line as Bush was leaving. Bush is going down the line, shaking hands, moving quickly, obviously a tight schedule to keep. He gets to my cousin's mother (eh, she was the wife of my dad's brother's son, so she's a cousin too, but let's not get confused here) -- and as he shook her hand, she leaned in and said, "My husband and I pray for you every day". Moving quickly, Bush was already on to the next person. He stopped, after her words registered, and went back. He took both her hands in both of his, pulled her close to him and looked her straight in the eyes and said, "I couldn't do this job if it wasn't for people like you. Thank you."

Bush had faults. Many of them. But you won't ever convince me that he didn't have a heart of gold. He was serving his country and was humbled at the thought of it. His character was consistent throughout his terms, no matter the situation, no matter with whom he was dealing, no matter period.

I miss him and Cheney.

So, yes, I can easily imagine that had Bush found himself in the same situation, he would have handled it differently.

But mine is just an anecdote.

[PeterUK]

"He was serving his country and was humbled at the thought of it."

Whereas Obama feels you should be "humbled at the thought of him".

[Melinda Romanoff]

PUK-

You hitum one big headed nail on head.

(lied to, dinner NOT ready)

I blame bad.

[PeterUK]

Obama welcomes children to the White House.

[Melinda Romanoff]

NOW it's dinner.

later.

[hit and run]

Whereas Obama feels you should be "humbled at the thought of him".

Exactly, PUK.

[PD]

TM's "Other coverage" link now has a response to the incident by the school system.

Short version: "Hey, it was our own fault, and this will help our kids learn to deal with disappointment."

Bet a lot of the parents are on board with that.

[bad]

I blame bad.

FINE. Blame me for your lies. I'll take responsibility. But I won't take Joe Biden...For any reason.

Gardenias are wafting their lovely scent throughout the house. They are intoxicating....

Or was I drinking? Oh well, I'm intoxicated for some reason. Who really cares why.

[bad]

PUK, that was some serious loin girding going on in that picture.

[clarice]

PD--What did Rahm threaten to break all their crayons and chalk?

[Melinda Romanoff]

bad-

you weren't here, that makes you the scapegoat. Oh, and I wasn't lying, it was spousal. "Accidental" was the excuse, I believe, followed by "Could I please..."

Of course it was done, I always do. That's my job.

Oh, and I'm still holding your wine.

Sorry. and keep an "ear" out for hit, I e-mailed him (finally, sorry).

Still your fault though...

[hit and run]

Ms. Romanoff -- I received your email and dutifully acted upon your request. It is my honor to have done so.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Mille Grazie, hit.

I owe you.

I'll figure out how...

[Ann]

My daughter just got back from the eight grade D.C. trip. She was really bummed that their class didn't get a group shot in front of the White House. Every class, every year has gotten one except this year. I will make it my business to find out why next week.

She was really excited though because she saw.........drum roll.....Greta Van Susteren!

All the other kids, were like "Who is that?"
I am so proud of her. :)

[Melinda Romanoff]

I have an inspection on the current residence Tuesday. Every little project I have put off for the last seven years is NOW on the front burner. Toe kicks, "warm" dimmers, dead phone jacks, and replant two bushes, plus the list at the new house.

I'm going to fade, all.

G'night, and thank you again, hit.

[hit and run]

That is so awesome, Ann. My kids were too young to appreciate DC -- but they remember going. And I won't ever let them forget the http://www.flickr.com/photos/59013527@N00/929048105/>WH tour they got to take (including their rambunctiousness that led our guide, my cousin, to actually worry that they were going to take off running across the lawn, alerting secret service)

Will you have some pics from your daughter's trip? If you need "smiley face" anonymity...let me know.

[Ann]

Time.com has a photo gallery of Michelle with captions. The very unflattering pictures can be found here: Time Photos: Behind the Scene with Michelle Obama
Considering the story today, I thought you would enjoy picture #15 which has this LOL caption:

Mindful
Of her new role, Michelle asks herself, "What are the things that we can do differently here, the things that have never been done before, the people who've never seen or experienced this White House?"

[Ann]

Hit,

Thanks, she showed me her pics before she collapsed. There are some really good ones. I'll work on it this weekend and let you know.

She got voted the prettiest girl at the dance by the boys (JMH, you should of seen her dress). Two of which shaved their heads one night on a dare. (Don't know if that says anything about their taste but I am still glowing like it was really me. hahahaha)

She took pictures of protesters in front of the White House. They were Somalians chanting something about genocide, that the boys replicated in the bus over and over and over. She had me in stitches. It really sounds like that had fun.

[PD]

"All the other kids, were like "Who is that?""

At least there's one non-loser in the class!

[hit and run]

I wait with both baited and bated breath for those pics, Ann.

She got voted the prettiest girl at the dance by the boys
Well, they didn't ask for my vote but add another to her column...

[Ann]

PD,

The class was at the archive when Obama and his security detail entered for his speech. She didn't even take a picture. Hahahaha

She also wanted to bring back trinkets for us but everything had Obama's mug on it, so she didn't.

I try everyday, PD. As for how long it will work, kim doesn't even know===============!

Hit, I just read her text messages. She doesn't need another vote but thanks. I am looking at convents on Tuesday. ::wink::

[hit and run]

I am looking at convents on Tuesday. ::wink::

Wink and ::grin:: ... Wink and ::grin::

I feel so sorry for princess hit and run's future suitors. Not really, but I can pretend to empathize for their future encounters with me...wink and grin

[Ann]

Hit, LOL

I showed my husband some of the text messages. Some of them had funny cartoon animation (how do you do that?) of characters going: WOW WOW WOW.

I expect him to answer the door from now on with his Civil War sword.

I can't wait to find out how you handle it. I am sure it will be worthy of a book deal. You should start a journal today.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Years ago when I was working for the Congresswoman, I got two tickets for the WH VIP tour, which is scheduled before the public tours. My Mother was coming to visit from California and I thought a day "doing" DC would be fun for her. The problem was that I was still recovering from my accident and ended up having to use the wheelchair since I was still in a full leg cast. Turned out to be a blessing as we got into everywhere at the head of the line. During the WH tour, there was one point where direct wheelchair access wasn't possible, so they separated us from the main tour and took us up the back "family" elevator. We had to go thru the WH kitchen to get to this elevator.

As we were going thru the kitchen, my Mother was fascinated by a special dessert that the Chef was working on and stopped to ask what it was and to remark at how delicious it looked. Her motto "Life is short, eat dessert first," was in full display as she was positively drooling and gushing over this dessert to the Chef, much to my embarrassment. The Chef apparently was so pleased, he pulled out another smaller version of the dessert and offered it to us. When the escort saw us taking a bite out of the offered dessert, he became extremely agitated and kept saying, "we must keep moving." So the Chef wrapped up the remainder and gave it to my Mother to take with us. For years afterwards, my Mother would casually drop into her conversation her great adventure of having dessert in the White House, as if she had been a private guest of the President.

As to those children, it is my guess that the Steelers would have been more than willing to delay their own meeting with Obamanation for a few minutes to accommodate the kids, had they been asked. To me, this is a stark example of Obama's lack of class and his need for constantly feeding his ego. Afterall, there is no self-glory in dealing with 5 year olds, no great photo ops (in his narcissistic mind), when compared to schmoozing with Super Bowl champs/celebrities.

My contempt for this man knows no bounds.

[hit and run]

That is an awesome story, Sara.

I do have to admit, that when we made it to the Oval Office on our tour, I was in charge of the little ones, and I was derelict in my duties.

What is it about a rope line that says, "duck under me!" to a 3 and 4 year old?

And once admonished not to enter the President's office, how does the rope line become "swing on me!"?

Egads. We're just lucky we're not on any terrorist lists to this day.

[Ann]

RUSH reported today that the Steelers were invited to the White House and told not to where suits like they normally do:

"This year they were told not to wear coat and ties, that there was a surprise waiting for them. So they all showed up in slacks and golf shirts and when they got there Obama put them to work stuffing boxes of goodies to be sent to troops overseas, which is fine and dandy."

And he continued:

"Can you imagine the effect of this on these children for the rest of their lives, is nobody thinking about this? These kids, how long they had been looking forward to it, they were going to go to the White House. They were going to get a tour. They were maybe going to meet President Obama, an historic figure, and they show up and they're only ten minutes late, and the mean guards at the gate won't let 'em in because the Steelers are in there putting gift packages together to send to military troops overseas. I think they should've let the kids in and helped the Steelers. What a double whammy for Obama, let those kids in, they get the meet the Steelers, the parents get to meet Steelers, get to help 'em out putting care packages together for the troops. But no. The buses were sent away with the little children in tears. My friends, the long-term effects of this might incalculable."

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

You mean rope lines aren't for swinging? Who knew? :)

[Ann]

It reminds me of Dorothy getting to Oz only to be told to retrieve the wicked Cheney gun before they come back.

Hey, maybe we should write a new play. The trolls can be the flying monkeys. The wicked witch is Pelosi and the ...

I have to go to bed. I will be dreaming of men without hearts, courage, and brains.

[macphisto]

longtime reader, first-time poster; i hope that i can keep up with you folks.

a simple look at the NBC video reveals the elephant in the room: Obama would rather meet with black football players than allow white kindergarteners to tour the White House. it's racism, pure and simple. just imagine how the media would have shrieked if W had refused to let a group of black kids from DC to see the Executive Mansion. i shudder to think what the rest of this term will look like.

[Captain Hate]

Il Douche loves to think of himself as an athlete, similar to Castro and others of that ilk. That garbage shot early in what has become the eternal campaign of some gym-rat now in his forties playing ball with the North Carolina Tarholes (fortunately it was daddy's alma mater getting pimped out for that vanity shot instead of mine) was humorous in its utter stagedness. Sorry but there's no way a scrub on some Hawaiian high school team can hang with a Div 1 championship team on his best day although it would've violated every pc directive of wacademia to have done otherwise than to play along. Too bad Ayers is not a fan of athletics since that could've been another embellishment of the construct of the father.

[Captain Hate]

Oh the point of that prior comment is that there was no way Obumbles was going to have some tardy kindergarteners (no, Bammers is never late for things) interfere with some jock-sniffing on his athletic "peers".

[PeterUK]

" So they all showed up in slacks and golf shirts and when they got there Obama put them to work stuffing boxes of goodies to be sent to troops overseas, which is fine and dandy."

Well, no it isn't,it was a crass publicity stunt.The White House is a UPS warehouse?

[Jane]

I'm sure it was all just an excuse to exercise the new whitehouse Tv station - soon to preempt all other choices for news.

Choice of news? we banned that in 2009. Gawd knows with the median rapture, it really isn't necessary.

[pagar]

"Has he no shame at all?"

If he did, my guess is we would have someone else as President.

Have we been told what is in the packages to the troops from the White House? Judging by what gifts they gave the Queen, I suspect that they contain a bunch of campaign propaganda and not much else. I have no idea what I would do if I were on active duty and received a package from someone who obviously thinks the US military is a group that harms his campaign to get the rest of the world to love us by us groveling in front of everyone.

[PeterUK]

pagar,
I'm sure Obama sent something appropriate,like prayer mats.

[TomB]

Yet another dumb move on the part of the Obama administration.

But what Einstein at the school decided it was a good idea to allow an hour and a half to get from Fredricksburg, VA to downtown DC, on a weekday?! Unbelievably stupid.

Does anybody actually, you know, THINK, anymore?

[clarice]

They were only TEN MINUTES late..I assume they took the estimate of the bus company BTW.

[TomB]

They were only TEN MINUTES late..I assume they took the estimate of the bus company BTW.

If I had the chance to have my students meet the president, I would build in a lot more leeway. The trip is somewhere around 60 miles, and your only allowing 90 minutes? I've gone into DC hundreds of times and everyday is a crapshoot, you never know when there's going to be an accident.

Geez, leave at 7-7:30, beat the really bad traffic, and spend an hour walking around the area. Or sit in the bus and watch a movie.

Somebody on Obama's staff screwed up royally, but I'm not going to let the school off the hook so easy.

[PeterUK]

Sheesh TomB,it was a school trip, ever been on one,it's like herding cats.Besides these were teachers and parents organising not the Transportation Corps.

BTW,Don't they have a phone at the gate? "That party of school kids just arrived"

"They're late,the president is taking a crap.Tell them to go away".

[hit and run]

but I'm not going to let the school off the hook so easy.

I agree as the punctual person in my family.

But...we certainly don't know the story of the bus departure at the school.

Maybe they did schedule the departure at 7, and something held them up ... a late kid because he forgot his Obama 8x10 for autograph, mechanical problems, driver had to take a dump and the bathroom had no toilet paper, a mom complained because of a lack of seat belts on the bus, federal regulations prevented the departure until form 104B.5A had been completed, notarized, counter-signed, in triplicate...

We don't know enough to place blame on that end of the story, specifically.

It very well may have been the school officials that screwed up.

Or not.

We don't know.

[hit and run]

But I meant to end with...someone on that end of the story should be on the hook for the blame.

For example...I've been having some interviews. I don't care what it takes...I will not be late for an interview. More than once, I've arrived 30+ minutes early and sat in my idling (CO2 emitting) car until it was time to go in.

Some things are big enough that erring on the side of caution is the only thing that makes sense.

Yes, I think a visit to the White House fits into that category.

[PeterUK]

"Some things are big enough that erring on the side of caution is the only thing that makes sense."

This is a hundred kindergarteners and it is only Obama.

[Elliott]

Obama was how many minutes late to the National Archives?

Is this 'ten minutes late, don't get into the White House' standard retroactive?

[PeterUK]

daddy,
Your idea is up in lights.I CAN'T GITMO SATISFACTION.

A genius realisation of a brilliant idea.

I have asked for you to be attributed.

[hit and run]

Heh, Eliott -- great catch. That's the first time I've read that account, so, forgive me for just now noticing this...Bishop TD Jakes said this before the inauguration:

"I say to you as my son who is here today, my 14-year-old son -- he probably would not quote Scripture. He probably would use Star Trek instead. And so I say, 'May the force be with you.' "

Does anyone else follow twitter? This would make a great entry in Jim Treacher's #annoyatrekkie.

Day late and dollar short, but..."to boldy analogize where no man has analogized before!"

[Elliott]

On the bright side, now you know what to tell him when he asks to be on your team in Scene It: "Forget it, Jakes."

[Elliott]

By the way, hit and run, did you see the Telegraph article on movie misquotes I linked a couple weeks ago?

I know you've pointed out the Casablanca one before.

[hit and run]

Hah! Yes, Elliott (well, I am very ashamed to have missed an 'l' earlier) I saw those.

Hey, why don't you come out to ATL and golf with Stephanie and me? Jane and Ann can mudwrestle to be the fourth.

[Ann]

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, Hit!

Btw, looks like I have to go out and buy a new cord thingy to plug the new camera into the IMAC. Always something!

Did you really find a beach front condo for $45 and the next question is..is it in the basement? :)

[hit and run]

Myrtle Beach...3 nights < $200 after taxes/fees/etc.

[Elliott]

is it in the basement?

Cryptic once informed us that "analystsstayinthebasement" and therefore I believe the answer is yes.