Michelle's Gift to G20 Spouses (iPods for everyone!)

[Phx_Dem]

LOL. Please. Michelle knows what to give . . .

The presentation of gifts to visiting foreign dignitaries is one of the oldest traditions of international protocol. Mrs. Obama has chosen to present her guests with a gift that is both personal and historical: a one-of-a-kind porcelain tea set, White House honey, and a honey vase designed exclusively for the occasion of The Pittsburgh Summit 2009.

(Photo)
http://markhalperin.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/pittsburgh-summit-2009-spouses_addendum_gift.pdf

[msongs]

1. nice to know we have a budget surplus in the US these days lol nt

[Phx_Dem]

3. Yeah, she should have just wrapped up a tomato from the garden

because that's how the U.S. likes to be represented on a world stage.

:eyes:

[Cha]

4. Oh, some people would bitch about

that.

[Ocracoker16]

7. so she should ignore tradition and annoy some of the spouses of foreign dignitaries

Giving such gifts is part of being the first lady. I think that the gifts show that she has good taste.

[AwakeAtLast]

15. Well then, cancel the orders that are giving jobs to Americans

The honey keeper is an inspired choice IMO.

[MadMaddie]

19. msongs if she would have given any thing cheaper then

we would hear from the right about how ghetto she was.....

President Obama and his wife cant' win....

[BlooInBloo]

20. fail.

[Hippo_Tron]

26. Politics is largely a people business

If the spouses of the heads of state come away from the G-20 with a favorable impression of the President and the First Lady it will make it that much easier for the President to get their cooperation. It costs some tiny fraction of a cent to me as a taxpayer to buy them all I-Pods or tea sets or whatever and I say it's money well spent. Quite frankly, I wouldn't mind if they bought all of the heads of state coke and hookers if it gets the job done.

[Teaser]

34. lotta time on your hands, huh?

.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. What stunning gifts!

She is certainly savvy about these things.

I could not be prouder of her!


K&R

[TuxedoKat]

29. Indeed!

I love these gifts! They are very personal and very interesting from an historical standpoint.

[Libby2]

38. I agree! I'm impressed with the detail.

[babylonsister]

5. Tea is enjoyed by many cultures and I'm sure the honey is fab! I think

this is a great gift. :thumbsup:

[NYC_SKP]

6. I love that they're into Apple products. Bush would have given Zunes (or worse) nt

[NYC Liberal]

10. Bush had an iPod but he of course had the Shuffle ... the real idiot-proof one

Literally 4 or 5 buttons.

"Put it in my pocket, got the ear things on. So you don't know what you're going to going to get. And if you don't like it, you have got your little advance button. It's pretty high-tech stuff."

[Ocracoker16]

13. The gifts were not iPods

That was a joke. Michelle gave the Queen an iPod which drew a lot of criticism from the conservative press. Notice the lol right after iPod. Click on the link and you won't see iPods pictured.

[KoKo]

32. No I-Pods...the OP's post is misleading. It's Tea Set produced in Illinois and Honey from WH Bees

The Pittsburgh Summit 2009 – Spousal Program Addendum


2009
Spousal Program
The Pittsburgh Summit
Addendum

Gifts Presented By Mrs. Obama on the Occasion of The Pittsburgh Summit 2009
The presentation of gifts to visiting foreign dignitaries is one of the oldest traditions of international protocol. Mrs. Obama has chosen to present her guests with a gift that is both personal and historical: a one-of-a-kind porcelain tea set, White House honey, and a honey vase designed exclusively for the occasion of The Pittsburgh Summit 2009.
The platinum and purple porcelain design of the tea cups is classic and contemporary and inspired by the gold and purple White House China that President and Mrs. Lincoln used in 1861. The use of platinum on the saucer symbolizes Pittsburgh’s steel industry roots; the use of purple is the color of the state flower of Illinois, the purple violet, home states of both Presidents Lincoln and Obama. The porcelain is one-of-a-kind and made by a century old family business in Illinois.
A rose in the bottom of the tea cup represents both the official flower of the United States and the American beauty rose, the official flower of Washington. There is a delicate three-flower bouquet that sits in
the well of the saucer. It consists of the purple violet, the state flower of Illinois, the Mountain Laurel,
the state flower of Pennsylvania and a rose, the national flower.


The White House Honey produced for this occasion came from the first beehive located on White House property near the First Lady’s
White House Kitchen Garden.
The glass honey vase is an original design inspired by nature and made of a brilliant lead free crystal mined from minerals found only in the United States. It is hand-blown and shaped by a California artist and signed by the First Lady.

[8 track mind]

35. Probably a Coby 128Mb mp3 player from Wal-Mart n/t

[wisteria]

8. Beautiful and symbolic gifts. They show her good tastes. n/t

[GoCubsGo]

36. A little extra symbolism in the honey and honey jar...

I hope it reminds the world leaders about how the actions of humans have fucked up the environment, which is causing out honeybees to disappear. No honey bees, no pollination. No pollination, no food.

[greenbriar]

9. really cool

I would LOVE to have one of those honey jars

[liberalpragmatist]

11. She needs to show Barack

Didn't he cause a snafu over giving Gordon Brown some DVDs (which were Region 2 and didn't work)?

[Hippo_Tron]

27. The President didn't go out and buy DVDs for Gordon Brown

Some idiot in the protocol office got Gordon Brown DVDs for the President to present to him. I would imagine at this point the protocol office is better staffed now.

[sagetea]

12. What a cool and

elegant gift! I would be honored to have such a gift. (I collect honey pots and tea pots)

sage

[Harry Monroe]

14. What, they were out of fruitcakes?

[Phx_Dem]

17. Yes. Barack gave them out as gifts to the Heads of State. LOL

[Clio the Leo]

16. Isn't that lovely? NT

[karynnj]

18. What an incredibly wonderful, thoughful gift

I just sent the link to one of my daughters, who is a huge Michelle Obama fan, tea fan, and who really liked the honey I sent her a few weeks ago so she could have apples and honey for the New Year to have a sweet New Year.

[Arkana]

21. RAAARRRGHGHGH CHEAP GIFTS

[Lifelong Protester]

22. I like the gift! Good taste, puts American artisans to work

thoughtful and historical, as well as personal. I'm in to all that protocol stuff, and tea has such a historical significance in so many cultures. I think Michelle rocks. I want to have tea with her!

[RJDem]

23. Seriously?

This is newsworthy? No wonder this country is so screwed up.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Phx_Dem]

37. Oh, get your knickers out of your crack. It didn't exactly make the

front page of the NY Times. I found it online, but when the White House gives gifts to 20 heads of state, it's news whether you like it or not. And if you were so uninterested, why did you even bother to open the thread?


:P

[RJDem]

39. I checked, my knickers aren't in my "crack"

It's only news if you accept the idea that news should be "info-tainment." I opened it because I wanted to make a comment about how stupid it is for people to fawn over politicians like this. YOu can fawn over them AND hold them accountable. And holding them accountable is extremely important -- now more than ever. I'd say quit fawning and get your head out of your crack, but I won't, since that would be rude. :)

[Norrin Radd]

24. No Terrible Towels?

[livetohike]

30. Those were the placemats at dinner last night

Just joking :-).

[Brickbat]

31. That honey vase is a classy gift. With honey from the first hive on White House grounds! Too

awesome. Class all around.

[annabanana]

33. White House Honey!

What a treat. I'd love to get a jar of that.