Althouse: "When President Obama talks up the family-friendly vibe at the White House — the nightly family dinners, the flexibility to attend school presentations and join impromptu plunges in the pool with his girls..."

May 1, 2015

"When President Obama talks up the family-friendly vibe at the White House — the nightly family dinners, the flexibility to attend school presentations and join impromptu plunges in the pool with his girls..."

"... his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, sets him straight. 'Family friendly to your family,' Mr. Emanuel counters."

So begins a July 2009 NYT article titled "Family Friendly’ White House Is Less So for Aides," which I'm reading this morning because it's quoted and linked in the article blogged in the previous post.

32 comments:

SJ said...: Is this an example of how much Obama thinks everything is about himself...not even thinking about his own staff?; 5/1/15, 7:24 AM
MayBee said...: I wonder if there is anyone pushing back at the White House any more?; 5/1/15, 7:28 AM
MAJMike said...: Its always about HIM, THE WON.; 5/1/15, 7:34 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Obama has never ever worked hard in his life unless you add the hours and hours he spends watching sports on TV.

I can't wait to see the rats deserting his ship and writing the tell-all books about what a nitwit he is. Hillary will suffer some grievous arrow wounds too from insiders- let's see if the MSM follows up on those stories.; 5/1/15, 7:37 AM
Heartless Aztec said...: Good for the President and good for his family. I'm no political supporter of his by any stretch of the imagination but ya' know, "good on him" as the Aussies say. And if the rest of the staff suffred because of it they were always welcome to leave - as Mr. Emanuel did. I call it a push.; 5/1/15, 7:39 AM
JAORE said...: Good for thee, but not for me.

A typical theme of the left. Nice to see it applies internally as well.; 5/1/15, 8:11 AM
Kyzer SoSay said...: I'm right on board with AJ - I cannot wait for more tell-all and "insider" books about the Obama Admin to come out.; 5/1/15, 8:18 AM
Robert Cook said...: Do any of you casting scorn at Obama for this really believe that any White House is any different, that anyone working for any president can expect a nice "9 to 5 with weekends off" gig?

There are certainly valid reasons to abhor Obama, but not because his staff must work long hours. These people wanted these jobs and worked hard to get them, and they knew what they were getting. As you all are so ready to say about workers toiling for equaling long hours for minimum wage (or less) and no benefits, "if they're unhappy with their work conditions, they can always find other jobs."; 5/1/15, 8:20 AM
machine said...: ...and I'm sure everyone loved going back and forth to the dude "ranch" for some pretend time.; 5/1/15, 8:26 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Cookie:
If I were running for president, I would promise to cut the number of WH staffers including those in the Exec Office bidg to about 150 from the current of 1,500 or so. It is ridiculous how many people work in Washington for the fed govt.

And WH staff would not be working so many hours if they weren't trying to run every f-ing thing in the country from the White House.; 5/1/15, 8:28 AM
Meade said...: We should stop electing presidents who still have underage children to raise. Come back and run for president after your youngest child turns 18. Get your priorities straight. What's your hurry? You being president might be a big deal to you but is just not that important to the rest of the country.; 5/1/15, 8:29 AM
theribbonguy said...: "Do any of you casting scorn at Obama for this really believe that any White House is any different"

Ummm..ya. I have read many anecdotes regarding the last occupants of the White House regarding how the staff were treated in a respectful and inclusive way. Not hard really, just don't be a self important ass.

But then again...BOOOOOOSH!!!!; 5/1/15, 8:29 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: I bet Obama pees in the pool, just because he can: when you're President you can do those things.

I am Laslo.; 5/1/15, 8:38 AM
virgil xenophon said...: @AJ Lynch/

We fought and won WW II
with forces engaged across the entire globe with a WH staff of approx 200..; 5/1/15, 8:44 AM
Robert Cook said...: "I have read many anecdotes regarding the last occupants of the White House regarding how the staff were treated in a respectful and inclusive way. Not hard really, just don't be a self important ass."

This has nothing to do with how many hours they may have worked; conversely, there is nothing in the article about the long hours of Obama's staff that reports they were treated disrespectfully. To the contrary, in fact.

"But then again...BOOOOOOSH!!!!"

An utterly senseless non-sequitur.; 5/1/15, 8:56 AM
chickelit said...: surfed said...
Good for the President and good for his family. I'm no political supporter of his by any stretch of the imagination but ya' know, "good on him" as the Aussies say. And if the rest of the staff suffred because of it they were always welcome to leave - as Mr. Emanuel did. I call it a push.

POTUS conveniently ignored his annual performance reviews and continues to do so. His staff, not so much.; 5/1/15, 9:10 AM
chickelit said...: Don't the Obama's have a parent living in the WH who also helps with the kids? This is supposed to free the working parent to "work" instead of just embiggening the largesse.; 5/1/15, 9:12 AM
Todd said...: Robert Cook said...

"But then again...BOOOOOOSH!!!!"

An utterly senseless non-sequitur.

5/1/15, 8:56 AM

Maybe in this specific case but not in the more general sense.

The Bush homestead out in Texas is a showcase for nature friendly construction and resource utilization. Water recycling, environmentally friendly landscaping, rainwater conservation, etc. But Al Gore is the posterboy for environmentalism even as he jet-sets around the globe and his home burns more energy than a small town.

The Bush(s) were "known" for treating their staff with courtesy and respect. Unlike the Clintons and apparently the Obama's.

The Bushes were and are (apparently) just nice but they get no credit for anything that they do because they are BOOOOOSH to the left, media, hollywood, etc., etc., etc.

So, yes and no. Look at what the Clintons get away with from sexual assault to theft. Look at what the Obamas get away with from the golf a week club to jet-set vacations all over the world, etc. But due to them having "D" after their names, they get a pass from the "watchdogs" that are supposed to be speaking "truth to power" but NOooooo. See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil. Take any of the multitude of scandals that have occurred over the last three administrations and replace the "D"s with "R"s and the "R"s with "D"s and imagine what the coverage and outrage would have been. It is night and day.

So, yes you are right but it is also right that much of what is "important" to "the country" (i.e. MSM) depends on what letter is after our name and Bush could cure cancer and still get no credit for it because he is Bush. Rs are ungood and Bush is double-extra ungood.; 5/1/15, 9:18 AM
rhhardin said...: It's the home life of a piece of shit.

The latter is the problem.; 5/1/15, 9:22 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Virgil:

Thanks for that -it is an excellent example and clearly points out how fat our fed govt has become and that it is ginormously fat at the White House.; 5/1/15, 9:37 AM
Robert Cook said...: "The Bushes were and are (apparently) just nice but they get no credit for anything that they do because they are BOOOOOSH to the left, media, hollywood, etc., etc., etc."

This is all beside the point.

While I would like to think anyone in a position of responsibility--whether in private or public life--would be nice and kind to his or her subordinates, I know and you know this is not so. If they're not, they're shits.

However, some people in prominent positions are shits. The important thing is less how nice (or not) they are to their subordinates, but : what kind of job did they do?

I know someone who abhorred Bush as president as much as I, and she met him (during his presidency) while in Washington for some work-related matter. She didn't hesitate to say he personally came across as a very personable guy, someone who, she said, "would be great to have a barbecue with."

I don't really know what the Clintons or Bushes or Obamas were like to work for, and it is immaterial: they all SUCK as presidents. They have all harmed our country and much of the rest of the world, and they all are responsble for the further enrichment of the wealthy, the further impoverishment of the non-wealthy, and for the deaths of countless numbers of people.

They are all deserving of criminal punishment for their performance in office.; 5/1/15, 10:05 AM
pm317 said...: Good to see Obama enjoying the perks of his job.; 5/1/15, 10:50 AM
alan markus said...: Why George W. Bush Never Left D.C. Until the Day After Christmas

Like many Americans, U.S. presidents often take time off around the holidays.

However, according to journalist Joseph Curl, who previously covered the White House, former President George W. Bush went on Christmas vacation in a way that stands in direct contrast to President Barack Obama.

"Here’s the thing: In December, we never left Washington, D.C., until the day after Christmas. Never. Mr. Bush and his wife, Laura, would always depart the White House a few days before the holiday and hunker down at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland,” Curl wrote in a 2013 column that was republished Thursday.

After a few years, curiosity finally got to the former Washington Times reporter and he asked a low-level administration official why.

“I still remember what she said,” Curl wrote.“’So all of us can be with our families on Christmas.’”

“Who was ‘us’? Hundreds and hundreds of people, that’s who. Sure, the reporters who covered the president, but also dozens and dozens on his staff, 100 Secret Service agents, maybe more, and all of those city cops required whenever the president’s on the move in D.C.,” Curl added in his column.

However, things seemingly changed when Obama took office.

“[T]his president would never delay his trip to his island getaway. He’s off every year well before Christmas. Hundreds and hundreds head off with him, leaving family behind,” Curl wrote.

“No Christmas at home,” he added. “Instead, the Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Nice, but not exactly home.”; 5/1/15, 10:55 AM
theribbonguy said...: "Why George W. Bush Never Left D.C. Until the Day After Christmas...."

This illustrates perfectly why I used the "utterly senseless non-sequitur". The consideration that the former prezzy extended (and still extends)to the "common man" is light years beyond what our current prezzy even attempts.

But we can't point that out because BOOOOOSH!!!...and RAAACCCISST!!!; 5/1/15, 12:00 PM
Michael K said...: "The Bushes were and are (apparently) just nice but they get no credit for anything that they do because they are BOOOOOSH to the left, media, hollywood, etc., etc., etc."

Yes, the White House staff are in it for careers and I don;t feel sorry for them but, according to Gary Aldrich, Hillary was a really obnoxious resident and the Reagan's as described in the excellent book "Riding with Reagan," by a SS agent were very polite and thoughtful about the SS staffers.

The day of the first Reagan inaugural, Rossalyn Carter was astonished that Nancy Reagan knew the name of the SS agent assigned to them. When Reagan left office, he retired and continued to work for them.; 5/1/15, 12:43 PM
n.n said...: It takes an organized and fawning press to remove the toxic green sludge from selective-child policy.; 5/1/15, 12:54 PM
theribbonguy said...: In my politically conscience lifetime...

The Carters..Aloof condescending asshats to the staff.

The Reagan's..Nice folks to work for.

The Clinton's..Aloof vindictive asshats to the staff.

The Bush's..Nice folks to work for.

The Obama's..Aloof self important asshats to the staff.

A lesser man might note a pattern, but not me, no siree, SJW's are just swell. We should make sure they hold the highest of power perches.; 5/1/15, 12:56 PM
PB said...: A true leader knows the demands he places on those being led. Not doing so is how mutinies begin.; 5/1/15, 3:46 PM
retired said...: When you've lost Rahm Emmanuel....; 5/1/15, 5:13 PM
retired said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/1/15, 5:14 PM
RecChief said...: does Obama care about other families? I've thought for a long time that he really only cares about himself; 5/1/15, 5:36 PM
Bad Lieutenant said...: Does anyone remember the USSS agent in Colombia being detained outside the door where President Bush had entered, and Bush turning back and extricating the agent with his own hand? That was kingly, in the best sense of the word.

Contrast that with Jim Webb toting a pistol around the Capitol and when caught, letting a subordinate take the weight. With the Clintons, mother father and daughter, telling their protectors and the military serving them not to look at them, that they despised them. With the amusing by comparison Michelle Obama asking an army general about her drinking order, with her husband, the sneak, flipping people the bird and folding his hands over his crotch at the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Left may claim to love humanity, but you can hardly tell by how they treat humans.

I will say that snapping "Handle it" to your body man or the President of Colombia beside you may be an acceptable alternative, and if Clinton did such a thing you'd preen at how much smarter he was than the hated BOOOOSH!, but I have my doubts.

The reason you don't care, Cook, is because the truth does not favor your side. I forget how the Greeks classed your form of dishonesty but brother, you're soaking in it.; 5/7/15, 7:15 AM