No one loves Barack Obama more than the District of Columbia. This goes without saying. During the 2008 presidential election, the nation’s capital delivered all 142 precincts to the president, which amounted to a whopping 93 percent support. So when the city council decided to formally invite Obama to a reception in his honor, you’d imagine the chances of his showing up would be fairly reasonable. Think again.
As WTOP’s Mark Plotkin reported yesterday, D.C. Council chairman Vincent Gray and the chairman pro tempore Jack Evans sent a letter to the president on January 4 that stated in part: “We take this opportunity to also formally invite you to a reception to celebrate our city’s most famous resident—yourself” at the John A. Wilson building, aka city hall, just two blocks from the White House. The councilmen note this would mark the first visit of a sitting president to city hall since the building was dedicated in 1908. Gray and Evans describe the District’s voting for Obama as “a feat unlikely ever to be equaled.” They ended by saying how “eagerly” they “look forward to this historic and memorable occasion.”
Again, who could blame them for being giddy? But what they got instead was a White House form letter, which Plotkin obtained and read on the air:
Thank you for inviting President Obama to your reception at city hall. The office of appointments and scheduling reviews each and every invitation and we will keep your information on file for reference throughout the course of the administration. Please note that we will contact you only in the event that the president’s schedule allows us to accommodate your invitation. However the volume of inquiries is such that this is not possible in the majority of cases. President Obama has greatly valued the outpouring of good will and support from across our nation. Thank you for including the president in your plan.
Sincerely,
The White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling
Please note that replies to this email will not be answered.
Needless to say, Gray emailed Evans in a state: “This response is beyond belief. Our reception at city hall! The person obviously did not even understand the request.”
I think he did. It’s called taking your votes for granted.
