A young girl hands the President a US flag

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petesouza ‏@petesouza
A young girl hands the President a US flag during his walk to DOI yesterday; he later gave the girl a WH souvenir pic.twitter.com/3cnOHydtbc



President Barack Obama and White House counselor John Podesta, left, walk across the ellipse in Washington on May 21, 2014, as they head toward the Department of Interior.


___ News photographers captured images of President Obama strolling from the West Wing to an appearance at the Interior Department Wednesday, and he seemed to revel in his 10-minute walk as a return to the kind of activity that most people take for granted. "The bear is loose – I broke out of the cage," he declared, with his suit jacket slung over his shoulder in the muggy afternoon. He didn't use his motorcade, which the Secret Service prefers because it's easier to protect him that way. But his bodyguards remained close by.

When he arrived at Interior, accompanied by senior adviser John Podesta, he seemed more than a bit frustrated by his lifestyle. "I think about the thrill of going on a hike without a security detail behind me," he said. "It's a wistful feeling."

At Interior, he signed a proclamation declaring a huge tract of land off limits to development in New Mexico, so perhaps the outdoors was on his mind.

On his way back to the White House, he greeted surprised tourists, saying, "We can shake hands. I won't bite."



PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS — AP

watch:

[PotatoChip]

1. Cute pic. (nt)

[shenmue]

2. Awwwwww

Cute cute cute!

(Cue Fox calling this a Communist plot.)

[Cracklin Charlie]

12. Fox will hate this so much!

I can hear it now...

Why can't you stupid people remember that you're supposed to hate this guy?

[onehandle]

3. 'Was President Obama's encounter with a younger woman appropriate?...'

'...next up on Fox & Friends.'

[Aristus]

4. I'm betting heavily that that is exactly what they will broadcast.

They're not very subtle, are they?

[Warpy]

5. My first thought was

"Yeah, because if there is anything a US president is short of, it's flags."

But it is a cute picture.

[LittleBlue]

6. No no, you're doing it wrong

"Was Obama's encounter with an underage girl and her mother appropriate?"

[Arugula Latte]

10. "Will President Obama burn the flag he was given

in a secret Kenyan, Muslim, socialist ritual? Some say 'Yes.'"

[Orrex]

11. Have Will & Jada issued a statement yet?

[onehandle]

14. 'Was President Obama's encounter with Will & Jada appropriate?...'

'...next up on Hannity's America.'

[JackRiddler]

7. .

[bigtree]

9. elegante!

[Cha]

32. That's not the word I was thinking of.

[SidDithers]

8. DU rec...nt

Sid

[DoBotherMe]

13. He's giving those SS agents a heart attack!

That was fantastic! Dana ; )

[bigtree]

16. the bear is loose!

[Greybnk48]

15. He is such a nice man.

His kindness emanates when he's with people.

[yuiyoshida]

17. omg...

He is just so awesome ... ((((Mr. President)))

[demigoddess]

18. how long has it been since we saw a president

out in the open like that. Shaking hands with real americans. Pres. Obama is one of our better presidents. Can you imagine what he would have accomplished with a Congress that was run by the democrats??

[bigtree]

19. .

[951-Riverside]

24. I havent seen that since Clinton and Gore

[img][/img]

[Nye Bevan]

26. Men's shorts were shorter back then! (nt)

[951-Riverside]

20. He shook her little hand, she didn't hand him a flag (Watch the video at 1:16). n/t

[bigtree]

21. always some kind of nonsense on these threads

Pete Souza, who was there and took the pic, said the girl was handing the flag to him. It doesn't look like he accepted it, but she does appear to be offering it up to him . . . (unnecessary expletive deleted)

[951-Riverside]

22. He saw things wrong.

I think its cuter (and more factual) that he shook her hand but whatever Pete claims, she did not hand him a flag.

[bigtree]

23. I trust Pete's word, he wrote the title in his tweet

He was there and took the pic. You're reporting from a computer screen.

[bigtree]

25. I got the photo proof, as if it matters (*crickets*)

[Cha]

31. Hey I trusted Pete Souza and You before these excellent screen Shots! Like you say..

there's always some nonsense on these threads. You can freaking guarantee it@!

[bigtree]

36. I'm thinking Pete was able to witness and record the scene in the context he described.

like he always does . . . it's easy to get caught up in nonsense on the net, tho. I try to be understanding because these kind of posts aren't made to withstand what I think is standard (usually correct) scrutiny and critique for this political board . . . but my skin can be pretty thin sometimes.

[PeaceNikki]

33. Flag truthers now?

[bigtree]

34. ha!

. . . not really, but yeah.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

37. See here....in frame number 87, he clearly rejects the flag....

....back and to the left...back and to the left...

[PeaceNikki]

38. lol

[bigtree]

27. kick

[Separation]

28. Wonder what type of shades she is using?

That SS woman in the back has some pretty kick ass shades.

[bigtree]

29. she'd tell you

. . . but she'd probably have to shoot you.

[PeaceNikki]

30. The video is adorable. I believe he's a genuinely good man.

[Whisp]

35. What a guy! All that stress and craziness and he is still a nice, relaxed guy.

Sure aren't many like him around.