White Christmas Colors for the White House: Red, White and Impeach
Washington Post
When Deborah Lawrence got the invitation from the White House, the Seattle-based artist decided to make a lefty political statement.
But she never expected it would hang on the official Christmas tree.
Laura Bush asked members of Congress to pick local painters to decorate ornaments for this year’s 20-foot Fraser fir in the Blue Room. The globes (to be unveiled by the first lady tomorrow) are supposed to showcase something special about each congressional district. Washington state’s Rep. Jim McDermott contacted a local arts organization, which asked Lawrence, a collage artist, to create the local entry.
“I was at first nauseated, then realized it was an opportunity,” said Lawrence, 55, who frequently combines politics and satire in her work and saw this as the perfect way “to highlight Jim McDermott because he’s a hero of mine.”
The nine-inch ball is covered with swirly red and white stripes — and, in tiny glued-on text, salutes the Democratic congressman’s support for a resolution to impeach President Bush. (Also showcased: Washington state’s 1919 labor strike, its suffrage movement and the violent anti-World Trade Organization riots of 1999.) Lawrence sent it off to D.C. in September and was very surprised it was accepted for the tree — and that she was invited to this afternoon’s White House reception for the artists, which she flew to D.C. to attend.
“Apparently, they didn’t read it — or Laura Bush is more progressive than I believed,” Lawrence told us.
Sally McDonough, the first lady’s press secretary, said yesterday that hundreds of ornaments were submitted for display and there were no plans to pull Lawrence’s artwork or her invitation. But, she said, “it really is too bad. I haven’t seen the ornament, but I would hope that no one would take this as an opportunity to be divisive and partisan. There is a time and place for everything, and I don’t think this is either.”
My husband is so against impeachment, as he thinks it would be counterproductive to all the other problems we need to focus on. I can see the practicality of this, as it will be very expensive to hold senate hearings. Perhaps we can go though other legal channels after they are out of office, as they were not just abusing policy, but have commited treason. To murder thousands of men, women and children, on a trumped up war, is exactly what Saddam Hussein did, except it wasn’t treason because he was a dictator. Bush was kind of a dictator, if we let this type of partisen nepatism railroad the public, the congress, his own cabinet, and the world, if we call his henchman by their real names.
No doubt, I was dissapointed when Clinton disgraced himself, but sexual conduct is in my mind, a human failure, but not in the same league of murder, treason, and a misuse of the public trust. Treason is definitely a real legal possibility in this circumstance, as only Congress has the right to declare war, and to my knowledge they never did with Iraq. Anything against the constitution concerning committing American troops without congresstional approval is treason.
We elected Bush to be our leader. He broke his oath and his duty, to defend the contitution, period.
Bush and especially Cheyney misused the congress, the public, and morality at large. I think they are war criminals who need to be brought to justice. If it was a European country that did this, we would be censuring them in the UN, and calling for the world court. They need to be impeached, but it is too late. Maybe the world court should handle the case like Milosavich (sp) as the Guantanimo prison, and our torture policy has been documented, and admitted by all as against Geneva conventions. The press will have a field day with this as soon as Obama is sworn in. I have no doubt the American Red Cross would testify.
Diane,
All we want for Christmas is impeachment. Upholding the Rule of Law and holding criminal politicians fully accountable whose actions led to the death and mutilation of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children can easily be identified as a ‘holy act’.
The ornament didn’t make it onto the tree, but this impeachment-related story made it onto the major wire services all over the nation. That is victory enough. The fact the Laura Bush herself had to make the decision to deny the ornament a place on the tree due to the tiny impeachment message is glorious. That message got through. Her husband should be impeached and removed from office – even if it takes place on January 19th , one day earlier than scheduled.
A “lefty” political statement?
Since when did liberals become the only people to fight to bring to justice those who have oppressed, tortured and murdered thousands of innocent people?
I can’t even think how even the most radical of you can think that THIS ornament can represent anything to do with that Most Holy of Holidays, “Christmas”. If I lived in her state, I would be mortified. So embarassing, especially to us “Christian” Democrats. By the way, it is NOT on the tree.
Impeach the sorry 43rd!
Let’s see if this Congress has the guts.