Posted on 03/09/2013 7:20:03 PM PST by Kaslin
The front page of Saturday's Washington Post took the publicity stunt of shutting down White House tours and spun it as an educational event. The headline was “In canceled White House tours, a civics lesson: Disappointed tourists help administration show sequester’s pain.” Inside the paper, the headline was “Worthless tickets drive home government’s dysfunction.” Ahem, the tickets are free even when they are honored.
The online headline was even worse: "With canceled tours, White House teaching how democracy works." Reporter David Nakamura blamed not Obama but the "dysfunctional state of the union":
The White House tour is a civics lesson on American democracy. And starting Saturday, when 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. shuts its doors to the public, that lesson will focus on the dysfunctional state of the union.
After "bummed out" members of the public were quoted, just four lines before the story jumped off the front page, pouncing Republicans were allowed a rebuttal, and the word "stunt" was eventually mentioned as a Republican complaint:
Republicans have pounced, questioning why the Obama administration is ending the free, self-guided visits to a building that ultimately belongs to taxpayers.
Administration officials say the decision was made by the Secret Service, which estimated that ending the tours for roughly 11,000 people a week would save $74,000 in weekly overtime costs. That adds up to about $2 million in savings through the end of the fiscal year in September, it said.
Nakamura didnt mention that ABCs Jonathan Karl estimated the weekly tour cost at $18,000 a week.
Hey, yeah, I get it. The Post is correct. Two canceled White House tours will more than pay the $15-trillions that Obama has run up.
Where’s the cost since the tours are conducted by VOLUNTEERS!
The civics lesson is that each day we are given an object lesson in how the colonials must have felt living under King George III and Britain’s vengeful rule. Living history, if you will. Not exactly liking it but it is educational.
“Administration officials say the decision was made by the Secret Service, which estimated that ending the tours for roughly 11,000 people a week would save $74,000 in weekly overtime costs. That adds up to about $2 million in savings through the end of the fiscal year in September, it said.”
Obama blames the US of A’s SS for shutting down the WH. Ha! Obama, put “your big boy pants on”, you weenie.
Hey Secret Service, please figure out how much the “Administration” would save it shuts down the EPA, the Departments of Energy and Education. Pretty Please!
They are teaching democracy with a mob-action, Marxist spin because they don’t know how to teach about our representative republic. The Community Organizer organized a sit-in against volunteer tour guides.
A confederacy of small minds.
It’s a stunt perpetrated by a cunning runt.
hehe..he
Odd, another thread points out that we’ve managed to find the money to put on ‘anger-management’ classes for thugs in his home country, but we don’t have it to keep giving free tours of the Whitey Hut?
But it’s a real relief to learn from the Compost that this is not the action of a childish, vindictive America-hating villain ...
This is merely a remnant of history for this transforming president. After all, tours were/are unheard of for the Kremlin, Zhongnanhai, palace in Pyongyang, etc...
I am sure all those lavish parties, the movie screenings, evenings with Beyonce and other entertainers, fancy dinners he throws for the Hollow-wood crowd and his rich cronies cost the taxpayer huge amounts of money for extra secret service people, janitors, maids, servers, cooks, food, wear and tear on the interior, etc. Let him do without all of that and be denied using our property for his pleasure.
If we can't go through the door, neither should anyone Obama invites who isn't a diplomat, head of state, or there on official business.
I enjoyed your spoof comparing the Fox crew to Nazi propagandists.
I recall in 1995 when the Asspress screamed about the closing of the Grand Canyon each day during the government shutdown.
It is not a lesson in democracy...it is a sickening display of pettiness and childishness. Liberals - stuck in junior high.
Well, it’s true but not in the sense the author intended.
Children, the canceling of the White House tour is a good example of politicians throwing temper tantrums over the taxpayers not giving them enough money. Instead of reducing the stupid things the government does, they punish kids.
Remember this next time a politician says that taxes must go up or that spending cuts are “brutal.” They will be brutal for opponents of the politican and on kids. Not for the politician.
as a good civics lesson and show of patriotism...its been suggested that the potus reimburse the govt. for all his vacations and golf outings......The money would be more then enough to fund the white hut tours for 10 yrs and allow them to hire 10 additional tour guides...
What's the presidents thoughts on that Jay??
Anyone trying to maximize to consequences of the sequester has got to be stupid.
The Times and the Post are the Pravda (truth) and Isvestia (news) of America. The old Russian joke was “Prava ne Ivestia,Isvestia ne Pravda” - There is no truth in Isvestia and no news in Pravda.
The Obama's sure aren't suffering from sequester---their teen daughter was just spotted at Buddakan---a pricey NYC restaurtant---scoffing up rock shrimp, edamame dumplings, short ribs, lobster fried rice........replete w/ five Secret Service guards dining nearby.....as her father denied students her age access to the people's house---the WH.
Buddakan.
===================================================
As Bob Woordward pointed out----Sequester was requested by Obama and has been law for over 18 months. Every Federal manager knew it was a possibility. Faced with the possibility of a sequester, competent govt insiders would have made contingency plans.
(Cackle) Chicken Little Obama is getting more desperate by the minute---his stupid sequester scare tactics are mounting: he freed thousands of illegal criminals and he's now canceling tours of the White House.....trying to show "the sky is falling" cause he didnt get another trillion dollars from Congrtess.
Part of the Obama Team's Dumb and Dumber political strategy----to punish eighth graders visiting the WH from Illinois, instead of slapping down federal trough swillers----like employees of the Agriculture Dept who will attend a California conference sipping "exceptional local wines" and sampling "tasty dishes" prepared by "special guest chefs."
The Obama's are not suffering from sequester, either---golfing, vacaying, w/ Secret Service guards always nearby.
In a telling irony---he sent five Secret Service agents to guard his daughter at a pricey NYC rfestaurant---while he closed down WH tours b/c of sequester---tours which are monitored by SS agents.
Fixed. Lincoln,Wilson, the 16th,17th and 19th amendments killed the republic.
Why is there overtime involved when the Secret Service is there, on shifts, 24/7 anyway?
Has any news moron asked this question?
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