White House Unbuttons Formal Dress Code

NYTimes ^ | January 28, 2009

[Steelfish]

White House Unbuttons Formal Dress Code

By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG January 28, 2009 WASHINGTON —

The capital flew into a bit of a tizzy when, on his first full day in the White House, President Obama was photographed in the Oval Office without his suit jacket. There was, however, a logical explanation: Mr. Obama, who hates the cold, had cranked up the thermostat.

Mr. Obama has exhibited a relatively informal working relationship with aides like his staff secretary, Lisa Brown.

“He’s from Hawaii, O.K.?” said Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, who occupies the small but strategically located office next door to his boss. “He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there.”

Thus did a rule of the George W. Bush administration — coat and tie in the Oval Office at all times — fall by the wayside, only the first of many signs that a more informal culture is growing up in the White House under new management.

Mr. Obama promised to bring change to Washington and he has — not just in substance, but in presidential style.

[FormerACLUmember]

Casual Fridays at the Obama White House.

[RepublicanChick]

“It certainly isn't like he had to leave his family and jump a train to look for work during the Dust Bowl...but that would be something of a hardship, I'd guess.”

---

Yes, hardship indeed! The comment struck me because it is not as of he was forced to be apart from his family while campaigning, like he he had a gun to his head! Hmm, with Chicago politics, who knows, kidding.

The violins playing behind the comments were too much for me!

[informavoracious]

At least Jimmy Carter had the decency to wear a sweater when he told us to lower our thermostats to 68 degrees.

I thought Barry said we can't drive our SUVs and keep our houses at 72 degrees. Then he keeps HIS at 78. And the libs will defend him. He is insane with power lust.

[informavoracious]

Women need heaters to keep warm because they starve themselves in order to be attractive to men.

[Allegra]

Glad to see that “O” has his priorities straight and has such high respect for the Oval Office. < /s>

[philman_36]

...only the first of many signs that a more informal culture is growing up in the White House under new management.
Is the Old Gray Lady would actually admitting, even on the sly, that adults aren't in charge at the White House?

[philman_36]

Shoot! would

[chrisser]

I always figured ties and coats would go out of style

I used to wear a suit and tie daily. I looked at it as a sort of uniform. Took a little while to accumulate a decent wardrobe, but once I had it, it wasn't all that bad.

Like most places, my office has "gone casual" so now just about anything goes.

I do miss the suit and tie sometimes. I don't know why, but it seems like people act more professionally when they are dressed that way.

[Carley]

So we should all turn down our thermostats so uuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhbama doesn’t have to wear his suit jacket.

Yesterday he was bragging about how his children played outside in freezing weather in Chicago.

[Right Wing Assault]

Obie, put on a sweater and a jacket and you can turn the heat down and save the planet for your children. /s

Or why don’t you just walk around in your swim trunks showing off those amazing ‘pecs’ and turn the heat up to 80?

[EBH]

So much for getting that thermostat set at 72F!

[DeaconRed]

HMMMMMM
The sink ain't safe. . . . .

[ballplayer]

CRANKED UP THE THERMOSTAT !!! What will the world think ? What is the world going to think when they see him driving around in his gas Guzzler ? Oh the Pain,I am reeling my Messiah has sold me out!

[jws3sticks]

The New National Form of Dress in the White House and the Oval Office. Shame!

A "stud" from the get go!

Getting older, as seen in Georgetown.

Speaking of Hawaii, my shot of the Fire in the Sky taken in Maui.

Mad Magazine has it right!

Here's the casual picture of BHO thinking!

Here are the troops, paying attention with "all due respect".

[silverleaf]

Did not the One tell the rest of us to crank down our thermostats?

In this regard, Jimmy Carter was at least willing to walk the walk in his “Mr Rogers” sweater

[Kieri]

I guess the rest of us will have to put on sweaters since Obamination likes his taxpayer-funded heat.

Jerk.

[jla]

He turned the thermostat up?? While campaigning he stated that Americans would have to get in the habit of turning theirs down.
Hypocrisy flows freely thru the veins of this mountebank.

[stayathomemom]

“He’s from Hawaii, O.K.?”

I thought he was from Chicago. Put a hat on, Obama. I do.

[dforest]

Meanwhile this smarmy big eared dictator is telling us to freeze and swelter.

Only thing growing in his office is his nose.

[stayathomemom]

Wellll; aren’t chameleons cold blooded?

I think you nailed it!