President Obama's Fancy Dinner

[Zephyrus]

Obama gets laughs at Alfalfa dinner

• <LI class=cnnHiliteHeader _extended="true">Story Highlights <LI _extended="true">Obama pokes fun at D.C. power dinner hosted by once-exclusive club
  <LI _extended="true">At the annual Alfalfa dinner, Obama makes fun of his chief of staff's potty mouth
  <LI _extended="true">Obama jokes about his BlackBerry and how no one has his e-mail address

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Barack Obama poked fun Saturday night at his chief of staff and ribbed Washington's elite during a black-tie dinner at Alfalfa Club, a 93-year-old Washington social club.
Colin Powell chats with other guests at the Alfalfa dinner in Washington on Saturday night.





The first African-American president began by poking fun at the club's historical roots.
"I know that many you are aware that this dinner began almost 100 years ago as a way to celebrate the birthday of General Robert E. Lee," Obama said, referring to the man who commanded the Confederate army during the Civil War.
"If he were here with us tonight, the general would be 202 years old. And very confused."
The ceremony was closed to the media. But the White House released excerpts of the president's remarks.
The Alfalfa Club was started by four Southerners in Washington's Willard Hotel in 1913. Its sole purpose was an annual night out for the boys, and it took its name from a thirsty plant that sends its roots deep down looking for liquid refreshment.
The club remained exclusively open to men until 1994, when women were admitted as members.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, whom Obama defeated for the presidency, and McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, also attended the event.
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Obama saved most of his ribbing for his chief of staff, Rahm Emmanuel, who has a reputation for being quick to anger.
"Now, this hasn't been reported yet, but it was actually Rahm's idea to do the swearing-in ceremony again," he said. "Of course, for Rahm, every day is a swearing-in ceremony."
On the president's first full day in office, Chief Justice John Roberts re-administered the oath of office to Obama after they flubbed during the inauguration. Watch highlights of Obama's second week as president »
Obama said that in his first weeks as president, he has had to "engage in some of the toughest diplomacy of my life."





"And that was just to keep my BlackBerry," he said.
"I finally agreed to limit the number of people who could e-mail me. It's a very exclusive list. How exclusive? Everyone look at the person sitting on your left. Now look at the person sitting on your right. None of you have my e-mail address."

It kinda comes off as a big " you" to the unemployed citizens going through a recession here. Your thoughts?

[Holger Danske]

Irrelevant.. It has ALWAYS been like that. People should rather be spending their time on filling out applications rather than whine over some like this...

[Zephyrus]

Irrelevant.. It has ALWAYS been like that. People should rather be spending their time on filling out applications rather than whine over some like this...

And that makes it right? Do we just stand by while our elected leaders smile and sip cocktail as our recession grows and gets deeper?

[Farnan]

And that makes it right? Do we just stand by while our elected leaders smile and sip cocktail as our recession grows and gets deeper?

Would you rather they wore barrels and cried all day?

Would that help anything?

[Zephyrus]

Would you rather they wore barrels and cried all day?

Would that help anything?

It'd show humility. It'd show that they were more worried about creating jobs and taking care of buisness before they partied like it was the late 90's.

Honestly, this shouldn't be done by a president i elected to office in order to fix the mess of mistakes his predecessor made.

[touchmaster]

It'd show humility. It'd show that they were more worried about creating jobs and taking care of buisness before they partied like it was the late 90's.

Honestly, this shouldn't be done by a president i elected to office in order to fix the mess of mistakes his predecessor made.

His predecessor didn't create this economy. It was a mixture of things.

[Lord de Lyonesse]

And that makes it right? Do we just stand by while our elected leaders smile and sip cocktail as our recession grows and gets deeper?

Hahaha its always been like that im afraid someone said to me once that the western idea of 'democracy' is simply elected dicatorship.. i think its John Locke or something but its about right...

Still Obama is still a great inspiration and made me more coinfident in my quest to get to no. 10

[Last Roman]

And that makes it right? Do we just stand by while our elected leaders smile and sip cocktail as our recession grows and gets deeper?

talk about making mountains outta mole hills.

[Farnan]

It kinda comes off as a big " you" to the unemployed citizens going through a recession here. Your thoughts?

Well no,

That dinner probably hired some of those unemployed citizens to work...

And it wasn't government money, it was a club that invited them.

[touchmaster]

Yeah, him. He should be cutting our taxes before eating all fancy like that. Makes us average hard working people look like panhandlers.

[Acco]

Yeah, him. He should be cutting our taxes before eating all fancy like that. Makes us average hard working people look like panhandlers.

[user=touchmaster]Touchmaster[/user], did you have the same opinion when Bush donned the "fanciest tuxedo he could find", while eating roast halibut with herbs, chicken basil, cabbage and roast potato for a regal state dinner in London? Based on the same logic, I would imagine you would not support Bush because of his baffling mockery of the hard-working class of citizens who struggle to put food on their tables, while their president is enjoying the finest delicacies the British throne could garner. Bush should have rebuffed the invitation for the ornamental state dinner, and should have focused on fixing the country's dire economic situation first, according to your post. However since your other posts hint that you are a supporter of Bush, or at least do not view him in a negative light, I can only assume this is a double standard to protest the election of Obama and his administration.

[Zephyrus]

I'm sure america unanimously voted to continue Big Daddy's war...:

And I'm also sure we found the WMDs justifying said involvement.

[danzig]

Talk about grasping at straws to find something to complain about Obama. These things are standard for the President to attend and scheduled in advance, one dinner at a club is going to have little impact on things. Its like when people whined when Bush went golfing.

[Zephyrus]

Talk about grasping at straws to find something to complain about Obama. These things are standard for the President to attend and scheduled in advance, one dinner at a club is going to have little impact on things. Its like when people whined when Bush went golfing.

Perhaps we should, instead, go Bowling for Columbine?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[removeduser_487563287433]

It kinda comes off as a big " you" to the unemployed citizens going through a recession here. Your thoughts?

Where does that logic take us? "Obama living in ceremonial palace is a big you to all unemployed Americans", claims Rush Limbaugh.

[Zephyrus]

Where does that logic take us? "Obama living in ceremonial palace is a big you to all unemployed Americans", claims Rush Limbaugh.

And Rush Limbaugh is getting ostracized for speaking his opinion.

I suppose you'd find nothing wrong with corporate CEOs getting golden parachutes as well?

When do we start drawing a clear line in the desert and say, "Enough!"?

[removeduser_487563287433]

And Rush Limbaugh is getting ostracized for speaking his opinion.

I suppose you'd find nothing wrong with corporate CEOs getting golden parachutes as well?

When do we start drawing a clear line in the desert and say, "Enough!"?

When we stop being retarded and don't go on about stupid shite like this. If Obama and the other assorted gathered notables cancelled this it would be an absolutely futile and vainly symbollic gesture. Since this is a social club I can only assume that this event was funded my the membership so I don't really see where you get off on telling people what to do with their own money unless you're some sort of godless communist.

I suppose you'd find nothing wrong with corporate CEOs getting golden parachutes as well?

That's a perilously mixed metaphor.

[Zephyrus]

When we stop being retarded and don't go on about stupid shite like this. If Obama and the other assorted gathered notables cancelled this it would be an absolutely futile and vainly symbollic gesture. Since this is a social club I can only assume that this event was funded my the membership so I don't really see where you get off on telling people what to do with their own money unless you're some sort of godless communist.

Avid advocate of Mcarthyism now, are we?

I think you need to take it easy here. You also need to understand that in the middle of a recession, its the government's job to pump the nations economy back on track. Because obviously, your golden private sector deals haven't exactly been benefitting the average american here, has it?

And for the record, i don't support communism, even as a way of getting us out of this mess. Maybe you should take the time to read a post before you start putting up deranged nonsense and invoke Stalin and communism left and right here.

The Red Scare worked in the '60s. This is the 2000's, dude.

[removeduser_487563287433]

I think you need to take it easy here. You also need to understand that in the middle of a recession, its the government's job to pump the nations economy back on track. Because obviously, your golden private sector deals haven't exactly been benefitting the average american here, has it?

So you advocate a Robin Hood tax on the rich, yes? Or just want them to not spend their money?

How many chefs, waiters, bartenders, etc. were employed at this "Fancy Dinner", do you think?

[Nietzsche]

You also need to understand that in the middle of a recession, its the government's job to pump the nations economy back on track.

No it isn't.

The government is responsible for the mess in the first place. Why the hell do you think they would be interested in fixing the problem that won them an election? So long as they keep throwing away our money and convincing us that it is the best for us, they can keep their parties and their jobs.

Royalty and Wealth will always land you in outlandish parties (though it may cost you your head- ask the French). Government parties will always be showy flashes of wealth. It's the language they have learned to speak.

While I appreciate your outrage (which in some respects is justifiable), it would be better directed at defeating the conventional wisdom that the government can solve the problems that it creates by virtue of it's very existence.