Valerie Jarrett, White House advisor, talks about the benefits of children in the White House:
JARRETT: You know, we can be in a very serious meeting in the Oval Office, and out of nowhere, here comes Michelle with Malia and Sasha right behind, and you could be talking about the most serious thing in the world, and they have the ability to break the tension and come in and provide joy and laughter and youth and spirit and energy, and I think all of that's good for our country.
Now I suspect that Jarrett doesn't really think it's a good idea that the First Family bursts into the middle of meetings with all that joy and laughter and youth and spirit and energy. But I guess she thinks we, the electorate and the body politic must think it's a good idea. Not sure which interpretation is more depressing.
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Given that President Obama often (rightly!) goes without a tie, it might be that they are that relaxed. I'm not sure I see a problem with it…
Wow, first the New York date and now this?
If I thought there was a serious risk of the girls posing a regular and serious disturbance I'd agree with you 100%.
But come on! If we had a White House where those two girls walking in and giggling and smiling didn't bring a smile to people's faces on occasion, I'd be really confused and worried. A couple weeks ago Don made a post about the administration as The Borg. Maybe I'll start worrying about that prospect if two adorable little girls are cloistered away, and when they are seen by the staff they are received with calculated seriousness
In fact, I'd be a little concerned about a White House staff that took themselves that seriously.
How responsible a first lady is Michelle Obama if she regularly walks into important meetings with two little kids.
If having kids was around was so wonderful for important decision making, then we will all be taking our kids to work daily – to cut the tension ofcourse.
Meanwhile, less than 60 miles up the road in Baltimore little kids go around bashing in people's heads:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.attacks02jun02,0,1597355.story
The politicians and police pretend to take it seriously:
http://talk.baltimoresun.com/showthread.php?t=201118
But hey, maybe the Obama kids can come up here and break the tension.
I don't follow you on this one at all. What Daniel said: either they're too stiff, or they're too froo froo. We can't have it every which way.
Having children around might remind them that some of the hairbrained decisions they make will have a massive cumulative impact over their children's life time…
Or maybe that's too much to hope.
I would say, my last comment was influenced by the Daniel's swooning comment of Obama worship, but otherwise I don't see any reason to be concerned about the kids. I am sure Obama knows where to draw the line.
I personally wish that he would spend more time with his kids than spend time ruining our future.
Who are these Malia and Sasha kids? When I first read the story, I thought Jarret was talking about first sons Brian Deese Obama and Timothy Geithner Obama.
S Andrews -
RE: "I would say, my last comment was influenced by the Daniel's swooning comment of Obama worship, but otherwise I don't see any reason to be concerned about the kids. I am sure Obama knows where to draw the line. "
So… you agree with me?
This whole Obama worship thing is beyond me – I don't get it. All these references to "worship" and "messiah" and "savior" – only coming from his opponents, or his self-deprecating comments at dinners, which are clearly a crack on his opponents. Is it possible for someone to support a president without getting accused of worshiping him???
DK, I agree with you on this one. Though the Slobbering Love Affair that a consumer of news is fed on a daily basis is rather off-putting.
My inner reasoning tells me that if the president was of the limited government ilk — or at least paid l.g. lipservice from time to time — then these type of stories would be approached from an entitrely different angle.
How pathetic. Michelle and the kids burst into important meetings? Could you imagine an Army general tolerating this? What about a CEO talking to the board? Or a surgeon prepping for surgery? Or a cop's wife and kids stopping by while he's issuing a ticket? Or what if your house painter's wife and kids burst in while he's painting? Or what if you're on the psychologists's couch and all of a sudden his wife and kids pop in while you're digging through your deepest darkest past? Or what if you're in the middle of signing loan documents and you're suddenly surrounded by your loan officer's family, discussing where they're going for lunch.
The next time you're in a meeting at work – a particularly tense meeting — and just imagine your family stampeding into the room, interrupting the whole thing. You really think it would be an amusing 'tension breaker'?
That the first family doesn't have a better sense of decorum is downright creepy. It's just weird.
LCJ -
RE: "Though the Slobbering Love Affair that a consumer of news is fed on a daily basis is rather off-putting. "
This is just a possibility, but perhaps it seems like a slobbering love affair because you're not particularly happy with his performance – but it's actually a measured positive response. Obama has been taking hits from the right and the left. Indeed, I've criticized several things he's done here on this blog. If it still looks like a "slobbering love affair" to you it might have more to do with the way you're interpreting it all than it does with the way people are actually acting.
I don't understand why this is news.
"That the first family doesn't have a better sense of decorum is downright creepy. It's just weird."
I suspect that they do have a better sense of decorum. I suspect that this may have happened once, possibly twice. I suspect that Mr. Jarrett is using a rare anecdote for cheap political gain. It is an effort to endear the first family to the HEARTS of the voting public. What is sadder is that these sorts of ploys work.
Those cute adorable Kennedy kids and their beautiful mom. What's next, a pony?
Yes a pony, then a popular actress when Michelle is out of town, or maybe all the other excesses of Camelot, also covered up by the press.
Com'on DK, fess up, you surely had to wear a Depends to prevent embarassing revelations of your excitement when you got to pull the lever or push the button for Obama, a man of color!!!!!
Yes, I am speaking of the big O word.
It's very endearing to hear about the children of the King and Queen of this country prancing in to court to see how the peasantry is ruled.
I'm now supposed to be convinced that Obama's kids busting in on serious meetings is "good for the country". Well, thank god the school system has dumbed Americans down enough that they think this is appropriate behaviour and that this is the crap they care about – forget the trillions of newly printed dollars.
I agree, Methinks. It would be bad enough if the kids barged in on a meeting. But, they did it with their mother. Did she tell them, "It's OK, Daddy's just talking with the Mexican Ambassador?"
Apparently, both adult Obamas are clueless about manners, decorum, and protocol. Nice to have them as President and First Lady.
I am of 2 minds on this one. Working at home can be tricky WRT dividing the family from one's work. If I have an important conference call though, I retreat to the guest bedroom for privacy. I don't think that children add to the quality of the decision-making. And no, the kids won't add to the quality because people will suddenly realize, "hey, were gonna mess up the lives of those 2 lovely kids." However, for regular stuff (answering emails chatting with a co-worker, I don't care if the kids bop by and are heard by the person on the other end.
Also, BoscoH gets double points for "Brian Deese Obama and Timothy Geithner Obama" crack. That is funny right there.
DK – If everybody I know tells me that I am over the top in love with Ronald Reagan (and I would admit it) – I will believe that I may be acting that way. Practically everybody on this blog says that you are acting like a schoolgirl watching the Jonas Bros. when you talk about the "Messiah" so maybe, just maybe, you should consider that you have a crush on "The One" and just accept it. It could be worse, you could have a crush on Joe Biden.
Kids in adult meetings, Phhhhhtttt!
How edgy keen of Ms. Michele and Mr. Barack.
If they don't want tension they shouldn't dicuss Limbaugh.
DK wrote: "Is it possible for someone to support a president without getting accused of worshiping him???"
Yes,of course; but not you and not him. Your consistent willingness to minimize his hypocrisy makes the relationship between you and him, well, "so special" to YOU; but sweetness for sophistry make me ill.
Slow news day?
"Is it possible for someone to support a president without getting accused of worshiping him???" – D. Kuehn
Only if you're a Conservative and the President is a Republican. After all, what would these posts be like if McCain was the President? Oh well, what of about the stink kicked up when a politician breastfed her baby in the Aussie Parliament?
Today Russ ran out of topics. "depressing" in Roberts' dictionary actually means idiotic. What's the news? Most political mores are "depressing".
Chill . . . we've had kids in our office for 20+ years. They benefit, we benefit, and it's direct parenting. Does it make sense to work a good chunk of the week to cover a sitter and related transportation? Do you want your children to do well? Make sure they see you work! They learn good vocabularies, time management, computers, conflict resolution, dedication, and where money comes from: productive work. Our "office" kids have earned college scholarships, a blessing in these times.
Regarding breast feeding, it makes kids healthier! Pets and other kids also make kids healthier.
Kids are NOT BAD in an office setting. Mature parents can manage and help each other. Interruptions or intrusions can be kept to a minimum. Clients seldom see our kids, unless they want to. We schedule to cover for each other. Not that hard, really. The benefits in parenting and outcomes completely outweigh the small inconveniences.
Best from Kansas!
They should allow the children to decide on policy, too. I am not joking. How much worse could they do?
Lee's got a point! Put everything to a vote, and let the kids participate. Heck, let the water dog participate.
I think it's terrible the way they exploit those children. I hear they can be rented now to interupt private meetings.
Insurance was going to cost them a bundle, so they now have to specify no meetings attended by Dick Cheney.
Lee,
Don't forget that Jimmy Carter sought advice from Amy. I wonder if she was the one who told him to surrender to the Assahola?