Christmas Colors for the White House: Red, White and Impeach

[sce56]

** 3:20 p.m. This story updated here: White House Won't Hang Christmas Impeachment Ornament. **
White House Won't Hang Christmas Impeachment Ornament



That controversial ornament calling for President Bush's impeachment? Won't hang in the White House after all.

"Oh, dear," said Seattle-based artist Deborah Lawrence, who created the red and white ornament that salutes Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) and his support for a resolution to impeach the president. "This doesn't really surprise me. But it's disappointing that I won't get to see it on the tree." When Deborah Lawrence got the invitation from the White House, the Seattle-based artist decided to make a lefty political statement. But she never expected it would hang on the official Christmas tree.

Laura Bush asked members of Congress to pick local painters to decorate ornaments for this year's 20-foot Fraser fir in the Blue Room. The globes (to be unveiled by the first lady tomorrow) are supposed to showcase something special about each congressional district. Washington state's Rep. Jim McDermott contacted a local arts organization, which asked Lawrence, a collage artist, to create the local entry.

"I was at first nauseated, then realized it was an opportunity," said Lawrence, 55, who frequently combines politics and satire in her work and saw this as the perfect way "to highlight Jim McDermott because he's a hero of mine."