Michelle Obama Surprises White House Tourists

[bigtree]

January 20, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) -- White House tourists got a surprise Wednesday.

None other than first lady Michelle Obama showed up as their greeter to mark the end of Barack Obama's first year as president.

Mrs. Obama brought the family dog, Bo, to the Blue Room. She chatted with guests and hugged many of them as they filed in.

read: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/20/us/politics/AP-US-Michelle-Obama-Tourists.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print


"We are marking our one-year anniversary here," Obama told one surprised guest. To another startled visitor, she simply said, "Surprise!"

"We've got a whole South Carolina crew here," Obama said. She harkened back to the 2008 campaign to a group from Indiana: "Yes, we spent a lot of time in Indiana."

At one point, Obama said she is working on her tennis game, so she can beat her husband. "That's my whole goal in life," she said. "Shock him -- shock and awe!"

When someone mentioned this morning's second earthquake in Haiti, Obama said, "I can't believe that aftershock was just as bad."

read: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/01/michelle-obama-springs-anniversary-surprise-on-white-house-tourists/1


The surprise greeting, which was Webcast live on the White House Web site, comes one year after Mr. and Mrs. Obama became president and first lady and moved into the White House. In an email to reporters announcing the event, the White House tied the event to the Obamas' "commitment to creating a more open and accessible White House."

"The President and First Lady have sought to not only increase the number of visitors, but also enhance each visitor's experience at the White House," the White House said. "The China Room is now open to public tours and tourists are frequently invited out to the South Lawn to watch the President depart or arrive on Marine One. When possible, United States Secret Service now lead guided tours of the Executive Residence in the morning, giving guests a better understanding of the history as they walk through."

The White House says that more than 614,000 visitors have toured the White House in the past year. As the release notes, it is the only building that houses both a head of state and the executive office of a head of state and is also regularly open to the public for tours.

Watch a portion of the Webcast of first lady greeting guests this morning: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/20/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6119905.shtml

[madaboutharry]

1. She is so gracious.

[MineralMan]

2. Bringing back the days when a person could visit the

White House. A good thing.

[azmouse]

3. The Obamas are so real.

I love the way they connect with people.

[livetohike]

4. "shock and awe" - She always makes me laugh

It's nice to have a First Lady with a sense of humor.