DISGUSTING: White House boots family of WWII hero from premises because it does not like what 10 year old boy was wearing. Meanwhile, Michelle Antoinette gets to live there rent free wearing circus clothes.
Can't wear shorts at the White House...the rules are for thee but not for ME
Can't wear shorts on Air Force One!
Sometimes, seriously, the current White House so disgusts us with its treatment of the American people that we are damn near speechless.
We don’t have pictures of this yet, so we hope someone out there does, but Vernon Pawlik, the namesake grandson of WWII hero Vernon Baker, wore a tee shirt with his grandfather’s picture on it to the White House. He and his grandmother were there for a ceremony honoring his late Grandpa. The were promised a West Wing tour, but Obama officials wouldn’t let the family have what they were promised because the 10 year old had shorts and a tee shirt on.
In the midst of a Depression, some people don’t have fancy clothes to wear, even if they wanted to. There is no taxpayer-supported building in this country that should be allowed to bar someone entrance because of the way they are dressed, when so many families are struggling to keep food on the table and don’t have the resources to indulge in the Armani fall collection. Not everyone is an Obama.
What is the proper dress for a ten year old boy?
Shorts are indeed a ridiculous thing to wear to the White House, in our opinion. It’s THE WHITE HOUSE. You are getting a special tour of the West Wing. That is probably a once-in-a-lifetime event. So, if we were styling a family for the occasion, we’d have put the boy in a nice pair of pants and a button-down shirt.
Ourselves, personally, we would have worn a blazer too…but we would not have worn a tie because we hate them and think they are ridiculous. We also would have probably worn dark jeans because it’s rare for any of us to wear anything else…and this has led to misadventures in the past where we’ve had to run out and buy a pair of pants just to get into a Republican event, since so many of those are held in places like the Union League Club that does not allow entry in jeans.
It’s a stupid rule in 2010, but that’s a private club, so it can have that rule.
The White House is a taxpayer-supported enterprise. Entry is by invitation-only because of security needs, but once invited if you show up wearing potato sacks (which many people might soon be reduced to in the Obamaconomy) you should be welcomed in because YOU PARTLY FUND THAT PLACE.
What really makes us sick about what the Obama White House did here is the simple fact that Michelle Antoinette gets to live in the place and look as ridiculous as she pleases.
She’s dressed inappropriately almost every single day. There was even a day when what she wore looked worse than an actual sack of potatoes and another instance when two Grimaces from McDonaldsLand looked more presentable butting heads than her bulbous rump in horrific aubergine slacks three sizes too small.
But, she’s allowed to walk through the West Wing, farting through silk, any time she pleases.
The irony of this is excruciating.
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UPDATE: This whole thing bothers us so much we just need to chime in here as guys who have run private events for years, and in doing so have managed the guest lists at all sorts of affairs from very expensive weddings to fashion shows and even an Elton John and a Cyndi Lauper concert.
You never send someone on the guest list away. For any reason. They are on the list, they have their ID, you have confirmed it was them and they are invited. They must be admitted. Case closed.
NOW, however, just say you’re running the door at somewhere super-fancy. Let’s not say it’s the White House, but a fancy hotel, like the one where one of us worked for a long time in Cleveland. It’s the nicest restaurant probably in the whole state, someone has reservations for a special occasion, but he’s wearing shorts and a tee shirt. What do you do, when everyone else inside is dressed up that evening?
This actually happened…and there was a solution that didn’t embarrass anyone.
We took the man in question aside so that he was not humiliated in front of his family or other staff. We explained the “dress code” to him as being the fact that everyone in the restaurant was wearing suits so he would feel out of place in a tee shirt and shorts…so we asked him if maybe he had a change of clothes in his room or in his car.
He didn’t.
Being a hotel, with so many staff and tons of uniforms, we knew we had a pair of pants and a jacket that would fit this man…and we suggested this to him. He agreed to wear them, so a quick call down to housekeeping with his size and a trip to the men’s room to change for him and the problem was resolved.
Now, if we DIDN’T have the ability to give that man clothes to borrow, what would we have done?
We would have taken a look at the seating chart for the restaurant and found a table out of the way where we could sit him so that no one would pay any attention to what he was wearing. There were banquettes that faced a window and were almost totally hidden by a giant flower arrangement on a table in the middle of the room. That’s actually where the man was sat anyway because he had that tee shirt on under the jacket, without a tie, and it was the best place to put him.
This was his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary dinner, by the way. It was a party of six people, and they were there to honor that occasion. Everyone else was dressed appropriately, but this man just refused to wear nice pants, a shirt, and jacket. His wife was embarrassed, and his mother had a big corsage and his father had a fancy boutineer, but he wanted to wear his WMMS shirt and shorts he clearly paints in.
If you have any worth at all in a job you are doing dealing with people, you should be able to problem solve and save them and yourself embarrassment whenever possible.
If we worked at the White House, here is how we would have resolved the problem:
(1) Asked the family if they had more clothes in their car for the young man to wear, in a way that did not offend them
(2) Ask the family if they could go to their hotel and change and come back. SURELY the White House is available for a tour later in the day, even if it would be a truncated one, giving the family to be dressed up so that “they could have their picture taken to remember forever”, which would have been the excuse we’d use to get the boy to change
(3) If the above failed, we would have sent someone to get the boy a White House jacket in his size. We’ve seen these for sale and know they have them to give as gifts. They are blue jackets that have WHITE HOUSE stenciled over the heart with a little logo of the White House on it (a few times, George W. Bush wore these out jogging here and there). A dark blue jacket over the tee shirt with the shorts would have been fine. Though, we think the tee shirt is fine if that’s how the boy wanted to present himself and his grandmother had no problem with that.
(4) Considering the way this Administration spends tax money, and the fact this is THE WHITE HOUSE, we actually think it would have been appropriate to ask the grandmother the boy’s size and dispatch an intern to Brooks Brothers (very close to the White House in DC) and pick him up a jacket, button down shirt, and pants. That would have probably been about $300 or so, in a child’s size. That, frankly, is money well spent considering the boy is there to honor his American hero grandfather…and we don’t think any taxpayer would have a problem with this young man getting a much-needed suit on his visit considering what’s spent on gifts for all manner of visiting foreigners who come to the White House every single day from countries that have varying degrees of worth in our eyes.
Under no circumstances would we have ever turned these people away. If we had to buy him a jacket and pants with our own money, we would have gone out to do that, so that he could go on his tour.
Whoever turned him away should be ashamed of him or herself…but considering the people who actually live in the White House and how they treat the American public, we can’t say we are surprised by the way the people who just work there conduct themselves.
ADDENDUM from CtH: I am so ANGRY about this! Did you read the article?!
Veteran’s family denied WH tour because of shorts By Nicholas K. Geranios – September 30, 2010
On Saturday, Vernon Baker, the last surviving black Medal of Honor winner from World War II, was buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery. He belatedly received the military’s top award from President Bill Clinton in 1997, after historians concluded he’d been wrongly denied because of his race. His widow and grandson went to the White House for a special, pre-scheduled tour of the West Wing, which includes the Oval Office and rooms that are in use. When they got there, a staffer sent them away, because 10-year-old Vernon was wering shorts and a T-shirt bearing a picture of his grandfather.
Read more at Medal of Honor grandson denied tour for wearing shorts
I looked up what the rules are for touring the White House at White House Tours and Events Web Page.
The page has information about how and when you can tour the White House, what you will see and how long tours last. It notes that restrooms are available, but food service is not. It explains about access for those with mobility, hearing or visual impairments and notes that guide animals are permitted. It explains about parking, public transportation, restrooms and public telephones.
And it lists “Prohibited Items” in detail:
Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, the following: handbags, book bags, backpacks, purses, food and beverages of any kind, strollers, cameras, video recorders or any type of recording device, tobacco products, personal grooming items (make-up, hair brush or comb, lip or hand lotions, etc.), any pointed objects (pens, knitting needles, etc.), aerosol containers, guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons/devices, or knives of any size. The U.S. Secret Service reserves the right to prohibit any other personal items. Umbrellas, wallets, cell phones and car keys are permitted. Please note that no storage facilities are available on or around the complex. Individuals who arrive with prohibited items will not be permitted to enter the White House.
It does NOT indicate in any way, shape or form that there is any kind of DRESS CODE for touring the White House.
There was a dress code posted during the Bush Administration. The Left made huge fun of it.
Click to embiggen. Source: Dubya’s White House Parody Site.
And they cheered when the “more relaxed” Obama moved in with his “sleeves rolled up.”
Click to embiggen. Source: WaPo Opinion piece on Obama\’s relaxed dress code
I wonder how these folks feel about a ten-year-old kid having been deprived of a promised tour of the place where the first black president works just one day after he had buried his beloved black grandfather … who is a legitimate hero and role model to all kids, not just black ones … at Arlington National Cemetery with all the honor due to a Medal of Honor recipient?
UPDATE from CtH who is still steaming …
I watched the video at News report with embedded video and grabbed some screenshots for y’all who have systems too slow to watch videos.
Click to embiggen.
I also thought we should have an “Honor the Hero” graphic here:
Click to embiggen.
I saw where the White House has apologized and invited the family back. Nice. Are they also going to pay their expenses to COME BACK? ::snort::
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UPDATE: This is very interesting…apparently this incident has really hit a nerve with people, because this post is getting thousands of hits on it, after only being up for just a few hours. At the moment, 7:18pm CST 9/30/10, it’s the 39th most popular article on the entire WordPress server. So, that’s #39 out of hundreds of thousands if not millions of articles that are on WordPress.
The trending and search monitors are also seeing a big surge of people looking for information on what the Obama White House did to this family from Idaho.
This is big trouble for the White House. Whoever sent that little boy a way is probably in for one heck of a reprimand for it.
The White House needs to not only invite the Baker family back, but pay for the family’s trip.
As precedent, we cite the Obamas’ lavish spending in 2009 around Easter when they flew in PI pizza chef owner Chris Sommers and his personal entourage 850 miles to the White House from St. Louis JUST TO MAKE THE OBAMAS PIZZA. The White House has a fully equipped kitchen, with Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and many other chefs working there full-time and completely able to make anything the Obamas could dream up, from any recipe in the world.
Every Wednesday Michelle Antoinette throws a cocktail party where she demands all manner of extravagant entertainment, winging in dancers, singers, musicians, acrobats, fire eaters, and giraffes riding bicycles from all over the world to amuse her and the hundreds of people she surrounds herself with, to reaffirm what a fashion icon and trendsetter she is.
These people can surely afford to bring a widowed grandmother and young boy to the White House, at the Obamas’ personal expense, to make up for what they did to them with this visit.
This is an absolute outrage.
It’s been about five hours since we heard about this, and honestly, we are still beyond furious this was done to that little boy and that grandma, just after a war hero’s funeral.
© 2010, HillBuzz. All rights reserved.
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My first thought when reading this was the really awful outfit her daughter wore to meet the Spanish royalty. The girl would have looked better in shorts and a Tshirt. Every single day it is something else with these people. I never could have imagined they could come up with so many ways to be nasty and insulting.
I honestly think they LOOK for ways to be nasty and insulting. It would be hard to be this tone-deaf naturally.
That was my first thought too.
Our Capital is inhabited by and staffed with rubes. Utterly clueless, over-educated know nothings without a shred of decorum or breeding; a gang of lowbrow thugs playing White House. How they must appear to the gracious heads of Europe who no doubt enjoy endless laughs at the expense of “America’s ruling class.” So disheartening.
Snowqueen, that was my first thought too. And if anyone had thrown Moochelle and her little darling out of that lunch because they were (both) dressed inappropriately to meet with royalty, you would have heard the cries of RACIST all the way across the Atlantic!
Of course, I noticed in the photos that the grandmother and grandson in this case are WHITE, even though the honoree is black. Perhaps a little Rev. Wright racism at work here?
When has this administration not been racist?
Good point.
And this is from a White House in which the CEO sits jacketless with his feet on the desk of the Oval Office.
And MOO the slob disembarks Air Force One in raggedy, ill-fitting short shorts!
Missed your initial comment before I commented the same below. But bravo, Sally… that’s exactly my thought.
by the look of mrs bambi walking the dog she had one to many french fries
Shorts are now illegal in the White House? Thank God.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://411chatter.com/images/michelle-obama-short-shorts.jpg&imgrefurl=http://411chatter.com/969/michelle-obama-shorts/&usg=__YCr3ubbj3BnOh5E-TMNPckLQYoc=&h=500&w=373&sz=38&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=RV9tkwK7u1aQIM:&tbnh=162&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmichelle%2Bobama%2Bshorts%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1680%26bih%3D828%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=133&vpy=60&dur=2032&hovh=260&hovw=194&tx=106&ty=129&ei=nNKkTOmbLIOB8gaAzaT6AQ&oei=nNKkTOmbLIOB8gaAzaT6AQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0
Could someone please tell Michelle?
Thank you for adding these to the post!
How about that horrid cacky shorts and tank top ensemble Michelle wore on AIRFORCE ONE??? She was photographed getting off Airforce One looking like the gardener! This is outrageous and I can’t wait for them to be dragged out of the White House so the Palins can clean it up.
See the above, albeit very LONG link if you don’t remember said tacky outfit. (It’s the one underneath the main photo.)
You can see the grandson in this video:
http://www.ktvb.com/news/Medal-of-Honor-recipients-family-turned-away-at-White-House-104032604.html
I watched the video and now I am really pissed.
The family obviously is struggling; the grand parents raising the grandson maybe? On very limited resources…
And looking at your video (thank you for the link) the young boy may not have had ‘dress pants’ was wearing a nice pair of dressier shorts; maybe the new sneaker he will wear this year at school; and a tee shirt honoring his late grandfather…AND THAT WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH!?!?!
I would guess an outfit like that wouldn’t make the cut at Sidwell Friends School either.
Elitists.
Oh, wow… MQC, you got it right on. I’m crying now, too, after watching that video. It’s folks like Heidi and the good people of St. Mary’s Idaho that the idiots in the White House just don’t give two flips about. Heidi got much more comfort from her hometown neighbors than she’ll ever get from the Obummers.
Honestly, Moochelle didn’t deserve to be in Heidi’s presence as far as I’m concerned. Folks like Heidi and the people of St. Mary’s Idaho are far too good for that crowd.
Wow… that video makes me cry.
What a HUGE difference between the elitist snobs in DC and the American people.
Good thing those snobs weren’t around when John John attended his Dads funeral.
Infuriating.
Some thoughts as I read about this:
1) The community raised funds to send the grandma and grandson to DC. They didn’t rely on a gubmint handout to make it happen. People are charitable at heart and will take care of others in need, without government coercion.
2) This community is in northern Idaho — an area that has been wrongly stereotyped on a national level as RAAAACIST. St. Maries is heavily caucasian. Yet, Mr. Baker chose it to be his home till the end of his days. Maybe he was judging folks by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin (Ya, I’m looking at you, Barack!)
3) Many restaurants who have a dress code also provide jackets that can be borrowed so that a customer may indeed enter and patronize the establishment. In a similar vein, a beautiful Hindu monastery near where I live provides sarongs for guests to wear when they visit their grounds if they are wearing shorts, which is listed in the monastery’s website as inappropriate attire. Could not this “inclusive” administration provide some sort of similar device to make sure that on the rare occasion one is improperly dressed one can still be accommodated?! Or did the rules extra apply because this child came from a crimson red state? Somehow I can’t imagine W turning away the grandson of an American hero based on pant length. Of course, Obama is also the guy who turned away a group of elementary school children in order to have lunch with a bunch of pro football players.
From what I understand, the family was never informed of a dress code. It’s the WH’s fault as is most of their protocol flubups (how often is MO dressed appropriately at any function??)
Malia and Sasha break the rules because they are children and we are forgiving.
What is up with that?
It seems as if the protocol dept. has been made defunct or something. Gaffe after gaffe, and now this outrage.
I heard that Obama doesn’t like protocol and chafes at having to follow any. Fine if he wants to live as a private citizen in Chicago, but if you’re President, you need to buck up and represent the nation properly.
The news video was a tear maker for sure. After viewing and seeing the family, as racially driven as this admin is (AG and the black panther case for one example)I wonder if the staffer was expecting a different tint of color for the wife and grandson of a black Medal of Honor reciepient and was just plain flustered and was thinking of the blown photo op. I would not expect this bunch to do any homework.
Sad state of affairs all around.
I sure noticed!! Judging from his widow’s accent, she doubtless was one of the German girls many WWII GIs married. The grandson obviously takes after that side. That said, it seems like the WH staff was anticipating a “black” grandson, not a “blonde”one. Wonder whether entrance would have been denied if the grandson had been “black?”
Oh my, what a thought.
Certainly made me pause. I bet if he were black they would have let him in.
Makes me wonder what would have happened if the grandson was black and wearing “pants on the ground”?
Chrissy, I was just thinking the same thing. Would they have been turned away if the family had been black?
…just sayin’
exactly what i was thinking..
So, that’s inappropriate, but Michelle dressing her child in a circus outfit to meet the King and Queen of Spain is just fine and dandy.
Not to mention dressing like a clown herself.
Isn’t this the same White House through which Tony Hawk was allowed to skateboard?
Oh, I FORGOT about that! And if I’m not mistaken, Hawk skated through the halls of the WH WEARING shorts! I’d heave to search to find out, but I’m pretty sure he was wearing them.
And btw, I wonder how many of the idiot thug rappers who’ve been honorees at the WH have worn shorts? Probably a lot of them, and probably most of them had waistbands around their thighs. Shameful.
http://animalnewyork.com/2009/06/tony-hawk-skates-around-white-house-rules/tony-hawk-skateboard-white-house-4/
He had a jacket and tie on, but he was skateboarding in an area that most likely the Baker family’s tour would have passed through.
So skateboarding is okay, but a 10 year old white boy wearing a tee shirt and shorts is not?
Here’s more: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://s-ak.buzzfed.com/static/imagebuzz/web02/2009/6/20/1/tony-hawk-skateboards-thru-the-white-house-11658-1245476113-1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.buzzfeed.com/rchemel/tony-hawk-skateboards-thru-the-white-house-4c&h=303&w=550&sz=47&tbnid=JuUm-IwcMdq82M:&tbnh=73&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3DTony%2BHawk%2BWhite%2BHouse&zoom=1&q=Tony+Hawk+White+House&usg=__totHBPoPv23EKhNni0GVngrnENQ=&sa=X&ei=qy-lTOThL4mtngfKssCQAQ&ved=0CDIQ9QEwBg
He was apparently EVERYWHERE in the White House doing this on Father’s Day
Yes, well Tony Hawk is a cool celebrity and this kid is nothing but the descendant of a WWII hero.
“But, she’s allowed to walk through the West Wing, farting through silk, any time she pleases.”
Great. Thanks for the visual, audio and *uh* olfactory…
What that thing, what is seen, can never be unseen…an instant image of that popped in my brain, and I will not be able to unsee it. Thx, Hillbuzz!
There was a time when a 10 year old boy would have been considered too young to wear long pants, and “short pants” (shorter than the length of the shorts the kid is wearing in the photo linked above) was the approved wear. Of course he would also be wearing long socks, a button down shirt, a tie, a jacket, and probably a cap. Be that as it may, the White House staff sure does seem to be incompetent these days. Any other organization is clear on what they consider appropriate wear. If they wanted the family members to wear their Sunday best they should have said so.
Also, based on the TV spot, I don’t think this family is rolling in the dough. The neighborhood pitched in to send the Medal of Honor winner’s wife to the ceremony and then patched her leaky, falling apart roof while she was gone.
But it’s okay… Odrama feels our pain. I know he does. He’s told us so repeatedly.
Ok this really pisses me off. Yes, there are rules and protocols blah, blah, blah. But there are also people, you know real blood, skin, feelings, emotions… people.
Content is not about coverings. Character is not what you can see. The most dignified and respected people in my life are those who are sharp dressers – INSIDE -
in their hearts.
The grandson of a true American hero is turned away because his dress was not appropriate or sophisticated enough to enter the house his grandfather died to protect.
This sickens me. Cuts me to the quick. I’m so angry I’ll shut up now……
I am convinced that a good portion of the workforce cannot ‘think on their feet.’
Honest. There can be no other explanation (other than out and out mean spiritedness).
Let’s see…
Family of Medal of Honor Winner, check.
Invitation to West Wing Tour, check.
Proper IDs, check.
Kid wearing shorts!!! Banishment.
Really…cannot anyone view the situation at hand and act appropriately.
This definitely reflects the same mindless droneism that Gov. Christie complained of.
Remember, one page of the huge education application had wrong info, and all they needed to do was call someone, but instead they deemed it “rejected”, and NJ lost funds. Christie was livid about that. He said they were “mindless drones”, lol.
This is truly another example of government bureaucracy.
How can they turn away a hero’s family based on what a CHILD is wearing? Unbelievable.
It’s not nice, but keep in mind that the answer to your question is……because they want to. They do it without a second thought. This is who they are. Never, never forget.
They also turned away a Medal of Honor winner in the group because he hadn’t been cleared by security.
I am sorry, but if you have done something heroic enough in defense of our country to be awarded the Medal of Honor… then you should have cleared security to visit federal buildings for life.
This is like the TSA idiot who wasn’t going to let a Medal of Honor recipient travel with his medal because it was sharp and might hurt someone.
What has happened to our country that we no longer recognize that people like this should be lauded and honored?
But we let Muslims work in the FBI and Homeland Security who have ties to Hamas…
I know!! I love that one.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01QK5ovQNfE&fs=1&hl=en_US]
Have you seen the stuff they wear?
And when we took our grandchildren in 2006, they wore shorts and teeshirts.
Maybe we need to get a facebook survey going on if you wore shorts or t-shirt to the WH and were let in.
Man, this really ticks me off! This family is from my town. I hope this gets a lot of local (and national) coverage. Good gravy. Way to show some hospitality, Obamas! Although I’m sure they were nowhere to be found.
The name “MOButt” is perfect for these pics.
Good grief! We are talking about a little boy!
And I took a White House tour (although only to the public areas, not the West Wing) and there were PLENTY of people in shorts. This was in 2008, when President Bush was still in office. I felt like people should have been dressed up, but they were not, and there was no problem letting them in.
I will tell you what I think happened. He HAD to award this medal. I bet he has been delaying it because it was something that made the military look good, and also it was someone from West Virginia, a state that did not vote for him. So they made up this rule in order to spoil their day.
Oh my. Hatzoff to Hillbuzz. Can’t wait to spread it around.
For me, it’s just that it was a 10 year old kid. That’s nuts.
The White House said ‘it was a misunderstanding’ (how many do they have so far?) and the family has been invited back. If I were the family I would not even respond to the re-invite or respond with a decline and enclose a pic of HRH with his feet on the desk.
Are they going to pay for the family to come back, since it sounds like the family could not afford the first trip?
If the White House can fly in a pizza chef and his staff of three to make special Missouri pizza for Obama…despite having a whole staff of chefs already…then they can pay for this family to tour the White House.
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/CarolPlattLiebau/2009/04/10/the_good_friday_white_house_pizza_party
They certainly should. We shall see if they do the right thing.
This is a ‘misunderstanding’ that would never have happened in the GW Bush Whitehouse. This is yet another example of Class vs. Crass.
This is so wrong on so many levels – 1. given the ‘attire’ of the first lady herself, 2.the apparent racism that occurred here, 3.the elitist ‘Marie Antoinette’ attitude toward the ‘peasant’ guests, 4. the boy’s family may not have been able to afford more formal clothes thanks to the Depression that this Whitehouse created and 5. this was the family of a war hero who had been invited to the WH– hello! Incidents like this just highlight the fact that we have a Narcissist-in-Chief and his Elitist wife, both with the emotional maturity of 12 year olds running this country.
On another topic if MO wants to improve school lunches, instead of robbing the food stamp program to pay for it why doesn’t she give up half of her servants and reduce her vacation budget. I am sure she could pay for it (with our $ of course) in no time.
I think they should politely decline and tell the WH they’d rather wait and come back when President Palin is there.
This whole country (well, a whole lot of it) has gone slovenly for decades. Last night I had a dinner & movie date (really more platonic) and for it I wore my burgundy morning coat, dotted mocha waistcoat, dark blue/brown striped trousers, and a dotted burgundy cravat (top hat of course). I got huzzahs all night, which was sad, because it just means that people expect shorts and t-shirts in a real restaurant (i.e., not a Chili’s or such).
Every time I go to church (admittedly not as often as I should, these days), I am astonished by the way people dress. They look like they stopped by on the way to a picnic.
I know I am old, but still …
Me too.
I’m astonished that kids wear cutoffs and raggedy t-shirts to Mass.
Pat, I gotta admit I have the same problem. I was at a WEDDING several years ago and more than half of the wedding guests showed up at the church looking like they were on their way to the beach or something. Then a bunch more showed up at the reception dressed like slobs – and they hadn’t even come to the WEDDING!
When I mentioned something at church last year about how the kids dress, I was informed that “you really can’t expect children to get all dressed up on a Sunday.” That sure wasn’t the case when I was a kid! My parents always told us that we were going to God’s house, and we should show the proper respect. G.W. Bush and Laura Bush always dressed appropriately at the White House. He never went to the Oval Office without his suit coat on. He said it was about showing respect for the office of the President of the United States. Heck, Moochelle doesn’t even show respect for herself!
The Obamas are an embarassment to us every day they stay in office. Perhaps the reason they escorted the Dalai Lamai out the back entrance, was that they didn’t like the orange/rust colored robe he was wearing, did not suit their sensibilities. Obie kisses the rings of those who hate us and terrorize people around the world, but can’t show compassion to a little 10 year old child. And MO dressed very unkemp when she met the King of Spain on vacation, but that must have been okay in their book. Don’t they give classes to first families as to how to treat people, especially Americans who OWN THE WHITE HOUSE. Perhaps they should.
He humiliated the Dalai Lama to ingratiate himself to China, who he needed to borrow more money from!
It sickened me!
That was fabulous statement, Hillbuzz, about how you would have handled the situation. I too have dealt with many people who were improperly dressed, you simply have to find a way to help them meet the dress code. It’s just crass to make a big deal about it and turn them away.
Yes, that is how it is handled.
That is true hospitality.
What if the kid had worn a turban or Arab robe?
Then he would have been allowed to sit on the Resolute Desk and make raspberry sounds from whichever end he wanted.
KD … you forgot “and bowed to by Teh Won.”
Honestly, given that this involves a 10-year-old boy, I don’t see what the big problem is. He’s a boy. If he is neat and clean and proud of his grandpa, what more can you ask?
Some people might even think going to the White House is like going to museum. Scores of kids are taken to the Field Museum of Natural History almost every day–in shorts if it is warm.
I am not saying this is how I would have dressed, even when I was 10. But some folks see things differently. It is cultural–even in America.
The Boyz are absolutely correct: Never, never, never put your guests to shame! Even wedding invitations say “We request the honor of YOUR presence,” etc. The guest honors the host by being there; the host honors the guest by offering the best hospitality.
When I was a little kid, my dad’s boyhood friend and his family came to pay us a visit. Each member of that family was nutty in his/her own way. The 10-year-old son wet the bed. Fine. Some kids have problems. But the mom NEVER said anything to my mom so that the mattress could be protected. Despite that, my mom NEVER said anything to shame the boy or his ill-mannered parents. NEVER!
I can’t believe a child was treated this way.
Look at how nicely Sasha was treated, even though her mother dressed her
in a gaudy, inappropriate costume to meet the royals of Spain.
The Obamas have zero class. Zero.
As Hillbuzz pointed out, it is the responsibility of the HOST to ensure that the GUEST is comfortable and has a good time. The Obamas are absolutely tone-deaf when it comes to etiquette, protocol, and anything else that will make them look better than the classless idiots they both are. Who on earth did they HIRE to run White House events? Is Valerie Jarrett, the arrogant witch, in charge of these types of things?
When I was growing up, mom and dad always dressed us boys in short pants. It was the appropriate norm at the time. We were not a family of wealth or significance, and all boys wore short pants. In reflection it might have something to do with growing out of long pants would be cost prohibitive, not sure. But, we always dressed appropriately according to the standard evident for the time.
Even though our pockets held rubber bands, bottle caps, and bits of daily treasures, we were boys in the truest sense. Our playgrounds were the neighborhood trees and grand adventures were always contained within the boundaries defined by the “big streets”.
When “company” was coming we begrudginly donned our belts and fancy uncomfortable shoes, until everyone arrived, handshakes and head pats were afforded, and the ranks of similar age visitors swelled to support our requests to scram and flee the boring world of all things grownup.
We were never sophisticated. We were mannered. A key difference.
From this context I am appauled at the disregard for the emotion upon this entire family regardless of monetary position, or lack thereof. The slight to such an American family during their grief and sorrow is beyond shameful.
The staff should be reprimanded. The family should receive a sincere and respectful apology from the President himself -not a staffer- and the dignity to the family should be restored with a personal visit from the administration.
Wanted to add the local northern Idaho paper’s front page article on this. These quotes from the article jumped out at me:
“The boy was wearing a T-shirt with Baker’s photo, signature and the words, ‘Lt. Vernon J. Baker – Medal of Honor’ in honor of his grandfather in case he saw President Barack Obama. He also took a book on Obama for the president to sign.
‘The family was denied access even though it had clearance to tour the West Wing,’ Norris said. ‘They were told that Vern’s grandson had inappropriate attire to tour the West Wing because it may offend the president, who wasn’t even in town.’ ”
I just threw up a little in my mouth.
http://www.cdapress.com/news/political/article_5437713e-144d-5689-ab10-1172f1c8cafd.html
I’ve got a one-finger salute I’d like to offend the president with nearly every waking hour. That SOB we call president IS the offense.
qr4j … I love you!
qr4j – I love you too!
Dittoes, qr4j, yah – in Tejas we say, ” you’re number #1 you worthless piece of fillintheblank!!”
whilst performing the salute. Racist POS.
Obama wasn’t even THERE??? OK, now I’m REALLY mad!!!!! So naturally, now that this disgraceful incident is out in the open, Obama’s handlers and their spin machine are going full-tilt to try to get these people back to the White House. What’s BO going to do? Offer them a beer on the back porch, like he did to get his foot out of his mouth with the cop who correctly arrested BO’s idiot professor friend in Cambridge?
Some people need to be fired over this! Preferably Obama.
They invite these people over. The people’s neighbors have a friggin’ bake sale or something to scrape up the cost of airfare and a hotel. And then the asswipe is not even there???
“Some people need to be fired over this! Preferably Obama.”
Amen to that!
It may offend the president? Offend the president?
This is a joke, right?
By that standard, having been offended by Barry Soetoro since he was sworn in as president, I think Barry should be removed from the White House and sent to Indonesia.
Good God these people are just appalling.
I just got home and I’m just now reading this. I am crying. Truly, how much more condescending can this whole current White Trash House be? That poor boy – proudly wearing his special t-shirt in case he saw Obama. God, I am so sad.
May I humbly suggest that the post title say WWII Medal of Honor recipient instead of WWII veteran? It would be outrageous to treat any veteran’s family this way, but to treat the family of a Medal of Honor winner this way…
Point well taken.
I agree about the general slovenliness of the American public now. I am appalled at what I see in nice restaurants, weddings, and such.
Having said that, I think the treatment of this boy was entirely out of line. I have toured the West Wing, there was nothing said about what was appropriate or inappropriate attire before we went. It was winter, so shorts weren’t even considered, but we all did dress in nice casual clothes, but all agreed no jeans.
If it had been an adult in shorts and a T-shirt, I would have said fine. My God, you are at the White House, dress right for once in your slovenly life. But a little boy with neat shorts, hot weather, and a tee with his grandfather’s picture on it…yes, rules are made to be broken.
I’ll cut the Obama’s a little slack on their attire around the WH, they do live there. It is a house, office building, and museum all rolled into one. But agree, Oval Office, feet on the desk, etc., totally inappropriate.
Remember, there are two different types of tours of the White House. Those for the general public going through the First and some of the Ground Floor. These are the ones you used to be able to just show up for, now you have to apply through your Congressman, I think. Anyway, the White House is just one more of the tourist sites.
West Wing tours are a whole different ball game. You have to know someone who works in the White House to do those. And, it really isn’t a tour, the staff person just walks you around to the different rooms. We saw the Oval Office, Cabinet Room, Press Room, and White House Mess, as well as the Old Executive Office Building.
Yes to the general slovenliness of the general public. I remember being shocked at the attire of the people walking through the Capitol when President Reagan was lying in state. So many of those people just didn’t get it that wrinkled shots and flipflops just didn’t show proper respect to the dead.
That said, it is quite obvious that the family is not very well off–they only got to DC with the monetary support of their community. One would hope that since the WH is responsible for their disappointment, the WH would pick up the tab for the second trip to DC. I guess I’ll see that when I see pigs fly, won’t I?
Actually, Nelly, I bet the White House (meaning US) will pick up the tab to bring them back if only so BO can get a photo op making a big fuss over them no matter how they are dressed. Talk about putting lipstick on a pig! If I were these people I’d tell Obama and his people where they can stuff their return trip.
Yeah, maybe he can have them over for a root beer on a picnic table outside./
Oh yes, I would so tell them to stuff it! I would print out every damn picture with Moo in her damn shorts and toss it at their feet.
What in the world can we do for this family?
Meanwhile, the First Clown wears shorts, and big ugly ones at that!
The Obamas are disgusting. They truly are.
shall we see what the “lamestream Media” says about this. Because I guarantee if this had happened with Bush ———pleeezzze
This is a terrible insult to the family and the whole story has only one upside. I’ll bet when Obama read/heard/was told about this and just hit the roof. The optics on this are just so, so bad that nothing he can do will make this better.
Remember the meme that he’s a man of the people, one of the one’s his generation has been waiting for but it seems that his White House seems to be more Imperial in nature. Add this to all the high end parties and vacations and it sure begins to seem that Obama isn’t the man for the job.
Geez, I would have paid cash money to be a fly on the wall when he found out.
I am going to make what sounds like a racist comment:
I looked at the video. Baker’s wife was a white woman. What I am suggesting is that they were turned away because the family were part white.
Have you any other reason as to why they would say something like the T-shirt might have offended the mulatto?
Judging from her accent, the widow probably was one of the German girls that married many of the WWII GIs. As I said above, I bet a “black” grandson would not have been turned away. The WH staff just wasn’t ready for a “blonde” grandson.
They were the wrong color for the tour.
It’s as clear as day what happened.
The White House was prepped for the family of black WWII vet…and then people of the wrong color showed up wanting a tour. The little boy’s attire was a convenient enough excuse for them to be turned away. The staffer assumed it would be a black widow and a black grandson. When that’s not who it was, there was no availability for the tour.
Isn’t this how the press would have written this up if it was the Bush white house and blacks were told they weren’t dressed appropriately?
Can’t we see the Hand of the Almighty in this? An obviously color blind family was hurt by the minions of a purported ‘color blind’ Administration.
There are those who truly walk the walk; and those who are all talk (and nothing else as exampled by this shameful action).
That is so depressing. And probably right on the mark.
Chrissy, that was beautiful. Thank you for keeping all kinds of things in perspective. You and MQ-C should collaborate on a book, as you are both so gifted with the written word.
Agreed!
here is a link to an update on this story…http://www.kxly.com/news/25230520/detail.html
My, Mr. Baker was a handsome man in uniform!
I came to see how the comments have progressed…Boyz I am very impressed by your thoughts, and how you would have handled the situation. For less than the cost of a paperweight given to some Third World despot…the child could have been properly attired; or just permitted in.
You never, ever make a guest (in my case customer) feel embarrassed or slighted in any way. For the haughtiness of a low level Obot, Dear Leader is getting a boat load of public relations grief (and a grieving family embarrassment on what should have been a proud rememberance).
Isn’t it odd that is in the ‘post racial’ White House of Barrack Hussein Obama (the same one that Beyonce and JayZee got to ‘play’ in the Situation Rooom; and ‘Not That’ Malik ZuLu Shabazz gets wined and dined in the First Families’ Private Residence) that the Caucasian relatives of Black Medal of Honor winner are the ones insulted and disrespected? Could it be that THAT pale group didn’t fit the paradigm of the day?
It gets more awful the more I think of it.
Well, you rarely see She Who MUST Be Obeyed hugging little white children or even acknowledging their presence. Just saying. . .
Laura Bush would have quietly gone and stood by the boy’s side, perhaps with her arm across his shoulders…to demonstrate to anyone within sight that he was her guest, she was fine with what he was wearing…and she would have stayed by him until it was time for them to leave. And she would have talked with him the entire time, to be sure that he had good memories and never for an instant felt like he was dressed wrong.
That’s what First Lady Laura Bush would have done. And President George W. Bush would have appreciated her doing it so quietly and quickly.
Absolutely. The mere fact that they embarrassed a child, to me, over something that we all can see – but the child cannot – (RAAACCCIISSSSSMMMMMM!!!!) is unconscionable (sorry – no spell chk. on, but you know what I mean!) There is no chair in hell hot enough for these frauds.
I beg to differ with you, Emma… I believe George W. would have beat Laura to the embrace. I’ve posted other pics here before of George W. showing passionate effection to many, and I truly believe that he would have taken the boy and embraced him, knelt down and hugged and cried for his loss.
Not saying Laura wouldn’t be there, just saying I think Dubya would have been right there, too.
Man, I miss that family. What a classy family they have. I really really REALLY want a Secret Service agent to retire in 2014 and write a tell-all book about how how the Obamas were behind closed doors, and how much they hated working for them.
I know that sounds evil, but I just don’t think a tome of that nature would be too far off from reality.
That works.
In fact, check here:
http://www.reobama.com/images/12PM_InauguralAddress_Oath_BushCheney_Reuters.jpg
Look how GW is fully embracing 0bama.. and it looks like 0bam is trying to avoid touching Dubya’s coat. Now THIS is a true CLASS vs CRASS pic.
This is not in defense of Obama and the Whale (Hmmm, book title there) but I suspect that neither of them were told that the child and the family were turned away in time for them to do anything. Obama may be the worst President America has ever seen but he knows politics and would know that this would be very, very bad for him if the blogging community got a hold of it and the MSM ended up being forced to cover it. In fact, I’d wager that if he knew about what was happening he’d be down there in a whirl of SEIU membership cards to save the day (while the media watched of course).
You’re right, of course, however……the general disrespect and dishonor that these thugs are dumping our nation in every way every day is just being tossed back on them. In the details of how that occurs, some it is not technically accurate…but I for one am long past trying to make sure we keep bending over backwards to be fair to them.
Sorry. That ship has sailed.
There is, unfortunately, a real reason that once the long-abused individual starts screaming (finally), sometimes it’s hard for them to quit.
The number of things that are “going wrong,” “are mishandled” or “misunderstood” on their watch ARE a result of what they are. And they can just deal with the flashback.
I don’t know about that–I think the family was turned away because the staffers thought it was in accordance with “the president’s” and She Who MUST Be Obeyed’s general outlook as regards race. Just look at the pics of Her “interacting” with children. The white and asian children get snubbed, while the black get hugs. When the wrong color family showed up, the photo op of the black Medal of Honor’s family had to be scubbed. The tee shirt was a handy excuse.
Nelly, I thought the same thing about the photo op. There were only invited because they were suppose to black. Would the tour invite have been extended if was a white WWII vet? I wonder, I do!
BHO and MO HATE HATE HATE the military!
I am so beyond furious that I fear I may go blind. This from a White House whose chief occupant sits at the RESOLUTE desk, props his nasty feet up on it, wearing NO suit jacket, and they turn down a boy for wearing shorts? WTF is happening? Is this a parallel universe???
OMG, I swear I have steam coming from my ears on this one.
The main point, to me, is that he was only a kid. What was the big deal? The adults were dressed appropriately. If they had had a baby with them, would they have excluded them if the baby was wearing a t-shirt? How about a toddler? At what point do they cut it off? Use a little common sense!
Just wanted to point out that MOH reciepients are never referred to as “winners”. Kind of a military protocol.
Quite a despicable story, nonetheless.
Well said!
I very rarely resort to all caps but I am screaming this: THE BOY WAS WEARING A T-SHIRT AS IN A ‘TRIBUTE SHIRT”. THE TRIBUTE-SHIRT IS A WALKING MEMORIAL TO HIS GRANDFATHER AND SHOWING HIS GRANDFATHER GREAT HONOR AND RESPECT.
I hope the wife and grandson decline a visit and say politely, “No thank you, we will wait until after January 20, 2013.”
Love it! Then they can go when President Palin is in the Oval. She is someone who is gracious and respects the military. She was also born in Sandpoint, ID, a town in the same region as St. Maries, so I think she would have a special affinity for Mrs. Baker and Master Pawlik.
And, Obama should have been proud to have his picture taken next to a young man with the image of a WWII vet on his shirt!
that boy is seriously scarred for life after this and probably really crushed. poor thing…
dang, sorry! forgot to login in with my avatar…
This is just extremely unclassy. I mean, come on. They could have found a way to accomodate the family.
Perfect example of the “reverse racism” promoted by the liberal left.
If this had happened “black child excluded on a white prezzie” during the Bush era we can only imagine the media going wild.
Hopefully something very positive will come out of this example of RR in American especially under the first Black Whatever.
i am not surprised at anything that happens on this jerks watch! cant wait for jan 2013!
Hey folks,
NO ONE WINS THE MEDAL OF HONOR!
EVER!
They are AWARDED it (or are the RECIPIENTS of it) because they EARNED it. I respectfully request you fix the now obvious typos in your story.
Very Respectfully,
Sgt Jones.
It is rediculous to hold a kid that age to the same dress code standards as an adult.