(Via Drudge) Who do they have in charge of visitor relations for that place, anyway?
…Actually, do they have somebody in place for visitor relations?
Sobbing Kindergarteners Snubbed for Steelers?
Thursday was supposed to be the highlight of the year for more than 100 kindergarteners from Stafford County, Va. They got up early and took a chartered bus to the White House for a school field trip. But when they arrived, all the 5-year-olds got was a lesson in disappointment.
The buses from Conway Elementary arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue a little later than planned, and they were locked out.“We were going to the White House, but we couldn’t get in so I felt sad,” 5-year-old Cameron Stine said.
Parents say they were just 10 minutes late for their scheduled tour. School officials say White House staff said they needed to get ready for the president’s luncheon with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, so they couldn’t come in.
Incredibly, White House staffers attempted to push back on this story, in flagrant ignorance of the elementary political truth that a politician cannot win any argument with a crying five-year-old child. I will be merciful and not reproduce their justification, although I will note that it strongly implies that the parents of a busload of crying five-year-olds are all liars.
Video after the fold.
I gotta say: James Harrison may have dodged a bullet here, because I don’t think that the Pittsburgh Steelers really appreciate being linked to a story where White House staffers made five-year-olds cry. And neither should the President, who should now – and this is honestly meant advice, by the way – step into this situation personally, smack about the three most incompetent people involved (and shouldn’t his Chief of Staff be making sure that this sort of thing doesn’t happen?), and go to Conway Elementary School to see the kids directly. And all of those kids and their families should be on a special list for when they visit the White House on their own.
In other words: remember the Girl Scout Incident, Mr. President? This is another one of those. You should get on that.
Moe Lane
Crossposted to RedState.
Are you kidding, Moe? “White House staffers make five-year olds cry?”
No, the White House offered the five year old a very special opportunity to visit. The school denied the child that opportunity.
Why should the White House – yes, The Actual White House – rearrange its schedule to accommodate kindergartners who didn’t even show up within an hour of the scheduled appointment?
This was obviously a real disappointment for the kids, but let’s remember whose fault it really is. The adults.
I’ve posted a few more thoughts on my blog at PrincipallyPolitical.com.
Brian,
Quit while you’re behind. There is no explanation that would make this okay. For example – why can’t the kids see the Steelers, too?
That, and it appears you’re taking the White house line that they were scheduled for 0930, is that true? the school said 1015, and I’m willing to take their word for it.
Just another in the string of what will be seen in a few years as an ‘epic fail’ in what will be a very long list of failures by this Presidency.
We’re at the point now where he’s attempting to shift responsibility and pass off blame to cover his inability to lead. Expect a large (and public) turn over in his staff before the 2010 elections. Some will be rats escaping his sinking Presidency. Some will be good and capible individuals getting screwed for trying to get him to do his job.
So while the rest of the plant marches on, we’re subject to the egocentric trifling of a wannabe leader.