I really never anticipated writing more than one post about Christmas ornaments, but this one is hard to resist.
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.
How I wish I could tell you that the story ended there. But, alas, when our sneaky artist filled some friends in on the hidden message in the ornament, the news spread like wildfire, and found its way to the White House and the ear of the First Lady. The ornament will not hang on the tree after all.
“Oh, dear,” said Seattle-based artist Deborah Lawrence, who created the red and white ornament that salutes Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) and his support for a resolution to impeach the president. “This doesn’t really surprise me. But it’s disappointing that I won’t get to see it on the tree.”
Lawrence did attend the artists’ reception, but did not get to meet the hostess. I wonder if somebody slipped one of those “Thanks, Santa” Obama ornaments in there. I think I would have had to…
Mudflats 
It would be the FIRST of its kind to be on a white house three
If I had the time I’d make ornaments like that …
Can we get reproductions at the Mudflats shop ?
ho ho ho
My best to you and your loved ones …
it would have been very funny if it had slipped by and no one noticed until after christmas
As a Seattle-ite, I take great pride in this story. Props and knuckle thing-ies to her fine self Deborah Lawrence and Jimmy the Unabashed Lefty.
Oh, and OT shake of the head re. Saxy Chambliss’ win. Thank you very much I’ll just stay right here in my blue bubble. How’s that recount coming in MN?
very strange trying to post this time …still and however…a top-poster.
@wired
OT…yes sad about georgia….but 58 or 59 is still good
I just wish the ornament made it to the tree….then W could have kept it as a memory forever
@mhrt
did you hear the piece about Jeff your new senator Merkley on ATC this evening?
@wired..No …..I am scared…is it good or bad
@mhrt
It was quite nice. Said that he was the only one with the courage to take on whatshisface the republican incumbent. Told us the story of how JM went back to DC as a Senate intern for Hatfield when he was 19. Made him sound like a mensch and a pretty smart guy.
Saxby Chambliss is a scum-sucking maggot.
But other than that, representative democracy at work. GA is GA, just like MS is MS, and AL is AL, and AK is AK.
On the other hand, CA is not CA — there’s coastal/urban CA and inland/rural CA, and the only reason it usually averages to blue is we outnumber them slightly.
Oh, I guess I’m off-topic.
I did read about the ornament earlier today. Virtual fist-jabs all ’round. What a very clever person.
While one part of me wishes the secret could have been contained until the ornament was actually mounted on the tree, another part of me thinks that we’d then see it portrayed as a terrorist strike in the War on Christmas(tm).
@wired….boy i was scared for a minute…I have only been here for a year…..but have only heard good things about him and not so good about the other guy…..but when they are running for office…I sit back and say is this the truth or does it just sound good…so far the only one I feel really good about doing what he said he would do is obama………thanks for the info….
yes, the blog is acting of it’s own accord…
but i have to post this new “evidence” from the palin pregnancy conspiracy theorists. tres interesante
http://www.palindeception.com/blog/
mhrt…you are a “prime” example of cleverness, aren’t you?
@fawnskin….Thanks for the link. I saw it posted yesterday and was looking forward to hearing about the “proof.” I am so disappointed. In the video, we cannot see enough of SP to tell if she is pg, and in the photo, she DOES look pg. I remember when this question first came up that someone from Wasilla said that during her last couple of months SP looked awful–pg, big, bloated–and that she wore only dark colors. So far, I haven’t seen anything that would prove that she is not Trig’s mother.
yep.
that was what i choose to call the gold standard of obfuscation.
if i do say so myself.
and i do.
(which i could insert some sort of smiley thingy to make my point. but i can’t)
sue , do you really think that she looks pregnant in that photo with the child?
i don’t see it.
@fawnskin—-Dark clothing will hide large size, be it pregnancy or fat. I think she looks both. : )
re: ornament I wish the artist had kept quiet until AFTER the tree was decorated. Then she could have told her friends, it would have spread like wildfire, and it would have already been on the tree. Keith Olberman and John Stewart could have had a field day with that one!
Speaking of KO and JS….what is up with JS’s dissing of MSNBC and KO? So what if KO is the liberal version of Fox news? Can’t WE have someone ranting a raving for US?
fawnskin…I read your post and others like it…to me it adds more questions…..we know SP is pro birth…so her daughter was having a baby and not married….so why hide it….no one really thinks she had the baby….she was very big when she had the first one…..and so small with the fifth that not a person really noticed….and I saw that video of her in SF all bent over hugging her knees…..sorry not in your eighth month….so what was going on here……must be dark…..my daughter just called on her way home from work….so now i can go to bed…
fawnskin
before i go to bed…to me it looks like she has a money belt kinda thing on….she does not look big and round with a 6 pound baby in there…..I hope some one comes on soon…where is everyone……
I’m not surprised. The minute I read about it on Yahoo news I *knew* the White House wouldn’t hang that ornament on the tree. She really should have kept her mouth shut until after Christmas.
Yeah, bummer the news came out before it got hung on the tree. I would have LOVED to have had it revealed after it was on the tree. The WH still looks like a bunch of fascists though for not letting it go up. I mean really, it’s got all sorts of other stuff on there–a labor strike for instance. Oh yeah, they wouldn’t like that either, would they? 😉
I have always admired Deborah Lawrence and her art work, now she is one of my heroes. ps Keith O has already honored DeeDee tonight, this story has spread like wildfire in one day. Glad to read it again here on Mudflats before I go to sleep, thanks!
A quickie from work. Three good articles tonight.
There is also a Queen and King in the Orniment article. Queen Laura and her hubby the King George the Stone Hearted.
I actually am rather glad that the traitor Christmas baubble was discovered in time to be removed. In time that is for all of the US to get a chance once again to see what arrogant, emotionally pathetic twerps live in the White House.
Apparently Laura just can’t figure it that some Americans don’t like the King and are willing to say so out loud.
What do they think this is? A democracy?
Off with their heads.
Anyone wanting to discuss the latest revelations re: “Babygate” there is a discussion on the Forum. Go to Sarah Palin, and then click on Palin News, or just go here:
http://www.themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,4688.0.html
🙂
I love geniuses!
If you have not stopped by to see what Helen Philpot has to say today you simply MUST:
http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/sarah-palins-accomplishments-are-greater-because-she-did-it-with-half-a-brain/#comment-11646
RE: “The White House Ornament That Almost Was…” — a secret isn’t a secret any more if even one other person knows about it.
Too bad Debbie Lawrence couldn’t keep it to herself until the ornament actually made it to the White House tree. Her timing in telling others of her ornament was a wee bit off.
The ornament even looks festive. Ha!
Of course they wouldn’t have noticed what was actually on the ornaments….they sent out Chanukkah invitations that pictured the white house with a clydesdale pulling a Christmas tree to the door!