Call it a sign of a slow holiday news week, because The Politico is out with what may be the most irrelevant political story since Election Day:
President-elect Barack Obama has yet to attend church services since winning the White House earlier this month, a departure from the example of his two immediate predecessors.
On the three Sundays since his election, Obama has instead used his free time to get in workouts at a Chicago gym.
Asked about the president-elect’s decision to not attend church, a transition aide noted that the Obamas valued their faith experience in Chicago but were concerned about the impact their large retinue may have on other parishioners.
“Because they have a great deal of respect for places of worship, they do not want to draw unwelcome or inappropriate attention to a church not used to the attention their attendance would draw,” said the aide.
Unmentioned by Jonathan Martin is the fact that, as President, neither Ronald Reagan nor George H.W. Bush were regular churchgoers. George W. Bush hasn’t attended church in Washington, DC on a regular basis over the past eight year. In fact, the only recent President who was regularly photographed attending church in DC was Bill Clinton.
So, you know, there’s really nothing new going on here.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Thanks. Linked here I am glad someone flagged this.
November 24th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
[...] Shakesville, Scared Monkeys, Firedoglake, The Caucus, Lost in Transition, The Democratic Daily, Below The Beltway, Outside The Beltway, Flopping Aces and THE ASTUTE [...]
November 24th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
This reminds me of a bumpersticker:
Please don’t pray in our schools and we won’t think in your churches.
I’m all for Obama not switching his brain off–even if it’s for only an hour on Sundays.
November 30th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
[...] So What If Obama Hasn’t Been To Church SOURCE [...]
February 17th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Obama never went to a real church for the 20 years he was supposed to have went.