Obama: He Breaks for Band Recitals

[kpete]

He Breaks for Band Recitals
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: February 12, 2010

TIME IN President Obama broke for his family dinner during tense meetings on the auto industry.

IT is no secret that President Obama desperately wants Congress to pass legislation to overhaul health care. But last month, when Mr. Obama convened Congressional Democratic leaders at the White House for a marathon negotiating session, another priority intervened.

His 11-year-old daughter, Malia, had a band recital.

Thus did the president of the United States ditch his own health care talks — temporarily, at least — to slip off to Sidwell Friends School for a few hours to listen to Malia play the flute. When the recital was over, he returned to the White House, and everybody went back to work. The talks wrapped up at 1:30 a.m., and if the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi; the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid; or anybody else had anything to say about the delay, they held their tongues.

“There are certain things that are sacrosanct on his schedule — kids’ recitals, soccer games, basketball games, school meetings,” David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, said in an interview the day after the session. “These are circled in red on his calendar, and regardless of what’s going on he’s going to make those. I think that’s part of how he sustains himself through all this.”

more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/fashion/14dad.html?pagewanted=all

[AnneD]

1. As any good parent would understand.......

it was understood....I took off for those functions as much as I could. I work plenty of unpaid OT that it was not a problem. If society wants good educated citizens, kids need to be encouraged and supported.

[mopinko]

2. if society wants ANYTHING

kids have to be supported. hope the good example makes it a little easier for other working parents.

[Myrina]

3. ... the 'family values' crowd on the other side better not make a peep ...

... what more family values are there than to make sure you are an active part of your children's lives?


George the Drunk sure can't say that he was a 'family values' man considering how mentally (if not physically) absent he was from his daughters' lives ...

[progressoid]

4. OMG. He's obviously spending way to much time on his family.

I'm sure Hannity will point this out soon enough. :crazy:

[spanone]

5. so?

:shrug:

[Hekate]

6. A much more valuable use of his time than cuttin' brush on the Pig Farm. Good for the First Dad. nt