ZOMG Shirtless Obama staffers?! Politico offers an investigative report.

[jefferson_dem]

Are Obama staffers overexposed?
Tags:Bill Clinton,White House Staff,Tommy Vietor,Jon Favreau

By MARIN COGAN & JOHN F. HARRIS | 6/10/10 2:33 PM EDT .



When two White House aides last weekend stripped off their shirts for an afternoon of drinking with friends at a Georgetown bar, there was widespread agreement that it exposed something — beyond the pectorals of speechwriter Jon Favreau and press aide Tommy Vietor — about Washington in the age of Barack Obama.

There was no agreement about what that something was.

Conservative critics said it showed the young Obama crowd needs to get a clue. By these lights, the bare-chested drinking showed the aides acting like — and, thanks to a photo posted on the Web, looking like — frat boys in the midst of two wars and the Gulf oil spill.

West Wing defenders said it showed Obama bashers need to get a life. Do they really have nothing better to carp about than a couple of friends enjoying a day off?

But some White House observers said the episode revealed something else: The Obama team needs to get an Evelyn Lieberman.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38374.html#ixzz0qTtW9VfE

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. Conservatives would be even more excited

if there were shirtless pages.

[Chulanowa]

2. Still looks classier than the last team's party animals

[bigwillq]

11. Leave the kids alone

She was at a frat party, and at a time in her life where she could get away with acting like that.

[Chulanowa]

12. That's not a kid, sorry

if she were a kid, someone should have been facing charges of corruption of a minor.

if a first daughter is allowed to get totally smashed and end up on a frathouse floor, then WH staffers are clear to have a beer without a shirt on.

Drudge Politico can sniff my toes.

[bigwillq]

13. I totally agree about the staffers

I don't see what the big deal is over the staffers.

But I think, in this instance, you're just as bad as those criticizing the staffers when you criticize the person in the photo you posted. She was at a frat party and in college. So she looks like a fool. Big deal. I see anything wrong with either photo. Glad my photos from college weren't posted! :)

[Chulanowa]

14. Fair point

And really, I agree. I've gotten blasted before as well, and I don't begrudge others the same opportunity (so long as they don't yarf on me)

My point is, if the right wants to get the torches and pitchforks for the "indignity" of these staffers, then they need to start looking in their own ranks first.

[bigwillq]

15. I agree with your last paragraph

There's a lot of hypocrisy, and we must admit, on both sides.

I'm sure many of us do not like when someone criticizes Sasha or Malia or Chelsea or the Carter kids. But that doesn't mean we should turn around and criticize the Bush daughters because of their behavior.

On edit: I think the children (even the ones in college) should be off limits, even if they're doing something stupid. I sure did when I was in college.

[Chulanowa]

17. But not the first one? ewwww!

If Sasha or Malia do something stupid when they're adults, then I would see no reason to not say "hey, you did something stupid." Same with Chelsea or Carter's children who are now adults.

If you're adult enough to get shitfaced at a frat party, you're adult enough to get criticism for it

[bigwillq]

20. Not the first one what?

:shrug: Don't understand you there.

"If you're adult enough to get shitfaced at a frat party, you're adult enough to get criticism for it"

Valid point.

[Arctic Dave]

3. Damn, I was hoping in wasn't just guys.

:evilgrin:

[WI_DEM]

4. Since when should anybody care what some people do on their own time

it doesn't look like they are working and they aren't in the oval office, so who cares?

[O is 44]

5. Politico is nothing more than a gossip rag. useless n/t

[GodlessBiker]

6. "That's it, baby, when you got it, flaunt it! Flaunt it!!"

[Uzybone]

7. Politico....the source fools on the web turn to for news

what rubbish.

Anyone who read the NYTimes Mag piece on Politico would never ever quote that shit stain for anything

[emulatorloo]

16. Will have to look for that NYT Mag piece. POLITICO = Drudge with a better web designer

as far as I can tell.

[Jennicut]

8. OMG, 29 year olds going to a bar! Looks like my friends.

My husband plays in a band, I have seen far worse. Granted, we are not working for the WH but really, is this important?

[flamingdem]

9. Where'd u get that bitchin' OMG anim? nt

[jefferson_dem]

10. Google is my friend...

:)

[Robbie88]

18. LOL

Politico was able to get three pages out of this shit?

“Sure, the White House is dealing with a humongous environmental disaster, the Romanoff and Sestak job offer scandals and crisis management in the Middle East, but a weekend’s a weekend. No sense letting it go to waste, especially when the weather’s so great,” scolded The Daily Caller.

Are White House staffers expected to be working 24/7/365? This is just ridiculous. This president must be doing something right if this is the kind of thing that the right wing is having to dig up to try to create some sort of "scandal."

[Proud Liberal Dem]

19. Now that the Sestak/Romanoff Senate "job offers" scandal has failed

they gotta come up with something else new. Ah, I love the smell of "fail" in the evening. :freak: