White House email snafu: Does it show what a joke Obama's Seder really is?

Or am I just being a nasty cynic?

From CNN:

The White House Press Office accidentally e-mailed a draft version of President Obama's Thursday schedule on Wednesday night that included the back-and-forth between White House staffers.

The e-mail, sent on a daily basis to inform the media of the next day's events, at first appeared to be like any other press schedule. But at the bottom of the e-mail, there was a series of exchanges from the press team, as well as a draft of the schedule.

The first section of the schedule noted that in the morning, Obama planned to talk with homeowners who have refinanced their homes and benefited from lower mortgage payments.

One staffer, recommending changes to that line, wrote to "put more emphasis on the real people aspect of this."

The draft version said Obama will talk "with his economic team," and also attending the meeting "will be a handful of households." The final version took the emphasis off the economic team and said "Attending the meeting will be a handful of homeowners ... as well as members of President Obama's economic team."

The draft schedule also showed the president hosting Seder to celebrate Passover. The dinner was marked "closed press," meaning no reporters allowed.

One staffer asked, "Can we remove the dinner at the end of the day?"

"We put it on yesterday's deal -- so folks already know that it's happening. They'll wonder why it's not listed if we don't include it on there," another staffer replied.

The staffer who asked to remove the dinner from the schedule replied, "Apparently Jewish here and in neighboring states are now calling wondering why they have not been invited."

The dinner was not listed on the final schedule.

In another exchange, one staffer recommended nixing a line about Obama meeting with leaders from the Veterans Service Organizations and Military Service Organizations since the president was now meeting with them before his remarks in an event closed to the media.

"Can we keep it and just change it to say before. Its good for us to say we are meeting with them," another replied.

The final copy kept the line, noting that the VSO and MSO leaders would meet with Obama before his remarks.

The White House says the error was made by a sleep-deprived staffer, adding that the staffer will not suffer repercussions for the mistake.

Comments

[Biz]

As an American Jew, I oppose the White House (a U.S. government institution paid for with public taxes) hosting any religious ceremonies (in addition, the idea of a non-Jewish institution hosting a Passover Seder is ridiculous, if not blasphemous).

If Obama asked to go to a real Passover Seder at the home of a Jewish friend, I doubt the White House would list a pseudo-Seder on their schedule.

This Festival of Freedom is an opportunity to remove ourselves from the mentality of unnecessary negativity. (Really, who has the luxury to indulge in unnecessary negativity?)

[adagioforstrings]

re: Biz: "As an American Jew, I oppose the White House (a U.S. government institution paid for with public taxes) hosting any religious ceremonies"

What would happen if the US elected a Jewish president, then?

"the idea of a non-Jewish institution hosting a Passover Seder is ridiculous, if not blasphemous"

Not to be too theological, but Christianity was established by a Jewish guy whose last meal was a Passover seder, so a number of churches host seders in order to place events into cultural & historical context.

[Biz]

re: adagioforstrings,

I agree that the government should not dictate whether a president, who's also a free citizen of the U.S., is allowed to observe private religious beliefs.

I also believe the private religious beliefs of public servants shouldn't be celebrated on the public dime. The president can spend his or her own salary and time in the White House's private residential quarters however they see fit, but why should the taxpayers' money pay for public religious ceremonies? The U.S. president isn't a religious figurehead.

Would you want your tax dollars to pay for public religious ceremonies that may offend your own values, merely because a public servant has freedom of religion to hold whatever beliefs they choose? (Alas, if only the U.S. Constitution had a First Amendment...)

I'm not a theologian, but a Passover Seder isn't just a commemoration of cultural & historical events, it's also the renewal of the Biblical Covenant, comparable to a wedding anniversary between living partners.

[Yitz]

Obama is not Jewish and by making this mock Seder he is intruding into an area that was given as a gift to the Jewish Nation. Not he nor his ancestors were freed from Egypt nor have they accepted the Torah and it's commandments. In fact he is blatantly pressuring Israel to abrogate the Torah and give away the inheritance which Jews were given at the Exodus.If he was so interested in attending a Seder, he could have asked Rahm Emanuel to invite him to his Seder.
Obama's Seder will result in serving Israel; Bitter Herbs,the Bread of Affliction, Ten Plagues and drowning Israel in the sea.
I am waiting with baited breath to see how he will celebrate Ramadan, Id Al Fitr and Id Al Adha.Will he be sacrificing a lamb on the White House Lawn with Rashid Khalidi and Khalid Al Mansour? Will onama be making Haj to Mecca?
Last week in Turkey he openly admitted that he is a Muslim!

[Always On Watch]

The White House says the error was made by a sleep-deprived staffer...

Sleep deprived?

Lame excuse.