There has been a dramatic difference in how the President and Mrs. Obama use the power and prestige of the White House in supporting the arts, school children, and the local community, Christina Wilkie, The Hill Newspaper’s In the Know columnist says.
In an interview with Chuck Conconi on Focus Washington, Wilkie said the Obama’s keep the White House open after 5 p.m. and have been strong supporters of the In Performance at the White House series. She said the Obamas are different from the previous George W. Bush years. President Bush was known to be in bed by 8 p.m.
Wilkie, who has covered some of Washington’s best know figures and was the managing editor of Washington Life Magazine before moving to the Hill newspaper, said the Bushes were much more insular. “He (Bush) had a close group of friends and never felt comfortable around strangers,” she explained.
She said there is power in using the White House in the correct way socially – the Obamas had pledged to have wide open arms and pledged to make the White House a big tent. With the troubled economy, however, Wilkie said the President was criticized for his recent attendance at the black tie Hispanic Caucus and Black Caucus dinners.
Be the first to comment