Obama in Wonderland

The latest scandal to hit the White House is news that in 2009 the Obama's threw a lavish "Alice in Wonderland" themed party. The news emerged in Jodi Kantors latest book "The Obamas." Kantor, a heretofore respected New York Times columnist, broke the news that not only did the party occur, but Johnny Depp and Tim Burton were in attendance. And who were the recipients of this wasteful government spending? Children of wealthy Obama donors? A secret cabal of World Bankers? In fact, it was no less an undeserving group than children of military families, and Washington D.C. area public school children.

In response to the news that Mr. Depp and Mr. Burton did not appear in the White House visitor logs, Republican National Committee Spokesman Joe Pounder had this to say: "The most transparent administration somehow forgot to log Johnny Depp coming to the White House?" Apparently Obama's promise of transparency depends on the day, the event and what they don't want to disclose."

It remains baffling to this reporter why news like this and Mrs. Obama's fitness program are met with such consternation from Republicans. Both are met with cries denouncing big government, but it just goes to show you the misplacement of Republican priorities. Getting children to exercise and throwing them parties is a waste of government funds and an unnecessary incursion, while banning Gay marriage and abortion are necessary to uphold family values. That the children in question are the families of veterans sent to war by a Republican president with specious reasons, only underscores Republicans stunning lack of empathy. Certainly the argument could be made that the party was a waste of money, but the government is constantly throwing lavish parties and wasting money, not to mention waging unnecessary wars, so one might think that doing something nice for military families would be an justifiable one time expense. It speaks volumes about the excesses of partisanship in this country that a minor story like this one becomes a full fledged scandal in some people's eyes.