Bush's last gaffe? Official Hanukkah reception cards adorned with -- a Christmas tree!

[KamaAina]

Sure wish I could be there to scarf down some of Dubya and Pickles' delicious Hanukkah baked ham...

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11262008/news/politics/let_santa_light_the_menorah_140965.htm

The message reads that the couple "requests the pleasure of your company at a Hanukkah reception," written beneath an image of a Clydesdale horse hauling a Christmas fir along the snow-dappled drive to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

And, no, it is not a Hanukkah bush. A close look at the wagon reveals the message "White House Christmas Tree 2008."

In the background, the White House windows are festooned with Christmas wreaths....

"It's absolutely bizarre to receive an invite to the White House for Hanukkah in a Christmas format," said one person who was invited. "They should have consulted with their chief of protocol before sending this out. This belongs right in the 'Weird But True' column."

D'oh! :dunce: :dunce: :dunce:

[polichick]

1. oyyyyyy

[AspenRose]

2. you IDIOT

[monmouth]

3. The staff also are not doing their job. This is blatant carelessness...n/t

[SoCalDem]

4. or deliberate?

:evilgrin:

[Ian David]

11. Why would they care at this point? n/t

[KoKo]

55. Bushies are upset with AIPAC for some reason? Bush/Cheney/Neocons didn't do enough for them

and they are "ungrateful" so Bushies pitch "hissy fit" and haul a tree that will have the Likkudists fainting? :shrug:

[Faygo Kid]

5. At least the Clydesdale wasn't hauling a load of Bud.

Maybe hidden under the tree?

*A man calls his mother in Florida. "Mom, how are you?"
*"Not too good,"says the mother. "I've been very weak."
*The son says, "Why are you so weak?"
*She says, "Because I haven't eaten in 38 days."
*The man says, "That's terrible. Why haven't you eaten in 38 days?
*The mother answers, "Because I didn't want my mouth filled with food if you called."

[SpiralHawk]

6. "At least I yam consistent. Smirk." - Commander AWOL Bush (R)

[Buzz Clik]

7. I think that Bush's Jewish friends are aware that Bush is a Christian.

And, I am not aware that evergreen trees represent something evil to Jews.

I'm guessing that the level of outrage over this card is limited to a "oh no you didn't" in the NYT.

[SpiralHawk]

8. Outrage? No - Profound disappointment in his ongoing ineptitude & callousness

You betcha - its just ongoing pathetic

Not cuz of his dumb card, but cuz of how royally he and his corrupt republicon cronies have screwed over America

[Ian David]

9. It's not that it's OFFENSIVE... it's that it's STUPID. n/t

[TheWraith]

15. Bing!

One more fuck up from the league leader.

[KamaAina]

17. The "oh no you di'int" was actually in the Murdoch-owned NY Post!

Go figure. :shrug:

[Buzz Clik]

18. whoops. my bad.

[SharonRB]

19. Not evil, but it is a HUGH!!!!!!1111 gaffe

A snow scene would have been okay, but nothing with any symbols of Christmas -- trees, Santa, angels, wreaths, etc. Someone wasn't doing their job.

[grace0418]

20. I send holiday cards to my Jewish friends (and to others who are not Christian). Heck, I don't

practice Christianity either. I consider Christmas to be a time to reflect on our loved ones and let them know how we feel. To me all those symbols were pagan long before they were Christian anyway. My Jewish friends know that I am celebrating my holiday by telling them I care about them, just as they might invite me to celebrate a Jewish holiday with them.

HOWEVER...

If I were hosting a Hannukah celebration at my house for my Jewish friends, I would consider it tacky to put Christmas imagery on the invitation. Add that to the fact that he's a head of state and should at least have staff more well-versed in the etiquette of these sorts of things.

Not outrage, necessarily, just another roll of the eyes and a shake of the head. Thankfully we'll have a president with class and manners taking over in a few weeks. It can't come soon enough.

[Buzz Clik]

22. I agree with the entirety of your post. Nicely stated.

[grace0418]

29. Why thank you.

That's kind of you to say. Usually I make very little sense. :)

[Ignis]

39. Oh, come ON!

When was the last time you sent Christmas cards out with a picture of Mithras on them?

[Buzz Clik]

47. The last time I sent out Christmas cards ....

.... Bush 41 was in the White House.

[mondo joe]

45. It's not an outrage - just a sign of stupidity.

Why bother sending a Hanukkah card featuring a Christmas tree?

It's stupid.

[Buzz Clik]

48. It was simply a cut pine tree.

[mondo joe]

50. Are we going to pretend it's not an obvious Christmas tree?

Really?

I'm not here to pretend it's the biggest outrage of the year, or even the week.

But I'm not here to pretend it's not a Christmas image either.

[Buzz Clik]

51. This is a non-issue.

[mondo joe]

52. GD is full of non issues, as it always is.

It's still dumb to use Christmas imagery on an invitation to a Hanukkah event.

[rateyes]

10. Talk about Chutzpah!

[deadmessengers]

12. Talk about short-timer syndrome.

Our nation is essentially a rudderless ship. This is fucking frightening.

[lazyriver]

13. Last? Oh, I doubt it wait until he serves the Hanukkah ham.

[anigbrowl]

That would actually be funny...

[KamaAina]

24. Here you go...

this actually appeared at a pricey market in NYC!!! :dunce:

[Bluebear]

26. ---

:palmslap on forehead:

[hlthe2b]

49. rofl!

damn... especially in NYC? I could see this happening in, say, Oklahoma. What were they thinking?

[madaboutharry]

14. This is what happens when everyone is worried

about finding a new job and no one is watching the details. The White House staff has already moved on.

[SharonRB]

16. That's just meshugeh!

What a schmendrick he is.

[dixiegrrrrl]

21. Stewart and Colbert have their material for tonight !!!

Once again Bush saves writers the trouble.

Ya know, in an odd way....I might miss that droll-ity from him.
but, hey, we still have Palin.

[KamaAina]

23. They're on vacation, dammit

:grr:

Stewart in particular would have a field day with this, although Colbert might possibly incorporate the "Jew Phone" into his bit. Watch for it next week...

[dixiegrrrrl]

33. Oh..right.....grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

double dammit....all this material and no place to....shove it.

[TahitiNut]

25. So? They look at the card and think "horse's ass!" What else is new?

:shrug:

[grace0418]

30. LOL! Very good. VERY good.

:rofl:

[Taverner]

27. Well it's all based on Teutonic and Roman Pagan Traditions anyway

[AZ Criminal JD]

28. This is a silly OP

Some low ranking staffer made these up and sent them out. The Bushes never would have seen them.

[KamaAina]

32. Thank you for your concern

and do please note that President Obama will not be hiring any staffers, at whatever level, who are that level of clueless.

[AZ Criminal JD]

41. Please note you know nothing about hiring at the Whtie House.

The number of people Obama will hire is extremely small. Staffers will hire 99% of people who work at the White House.

[NJCher]

36. disagree

Some low ranking staffer made these up and sent them out. The Bushes never would have seen them.


I've headed up many a communications department and high visibility graphics of this nature are always selected from a few options that are presented to the "deciders."

I heard on NPR that there are 120 or so communications people on the WH staff. I'd chalk this up to not caring or a deliberate act.



Cher

[AZ Criminal JD]

42. So you have headed up a communication department at the level of a White House?

Please. Try to push that BS somewhere else.

[NJCher]

54. yes

For several multinational corporations in the Fortune 100 and with budgets in the many millions.

So please. If you're going to try talking communications on this board, at least spell right.



Cher

[mondo joe]

43. Then Bush has really really dumb low ranking staff.

Of course his staff are pretty dumb, top to bottom.

[donco6]

31. Typically thoughtless.

I mean, when you have your cards effing custom made, you'd think you could make it match the holiday!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

34. I wonder if the Clyesdales are on loan from Cindy McCain? BTW... he has 57 more days for gaffes.

I don't think this will be his last one.

[KitchenWitch]

35. The ignorant is strong with that one.

[baldguy]

37. If he had a reception for Gandhi, he'd serve a steak barbecue.

[northofdenali]

38. This kind of abject stupidity is either

a total lack of caring or deliberate. NO ONE can be that stupid.

Oh.

Sorry, forgot.

[sl8]

40. I like trees.

I'll bet that a lot of Jews do, too. I'm not very attuned to social niceties, but I can see how this would be considered a faux pas.

Why is an evergreen significant to a religious celebration of Christmas? It is good to see something that's obviously alive, in the dead of winter, but I'm not seeing the religious connection.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that attaches some spiritual significance to trees. Druids, maybe?

[704wipes]

44. w better be careful, Lieberman will stop huggin' & kissin' on him

My guess is Joe will at least stop the tongue action, now.

[opihimoimoi]

46. That is SOOOO BUSHHHH its pathetic....It fits perfect....ed zachery what he does

:toast: :happy beers: :toast:

[IDemo]

53. Did he enclose an application form for "Jews for Jesus"?