‘That’s My Tree,’ Obama Says as He Plants a Tree (Sort of) at the White House
EmailFrom Sunlen Miller: President Obama planted his first tree on White House grounds this evening, as is tradition for presidents to do during their first year in the White House. The White House said that the president is just continuing the tradition of planting trees on the White House Ground and is not commemorative of anyone. The 25-foot Tilden Tree, hailing from New Jersey, was already in the ground near from the northeast side of the White House gate on the North Lawn when the President walked down the driveway in a full suit, and onto a small carpet to shield his shoes from the mud. White House Usher Admiral Stephen Rochon and Dale Haney, superintendent of grounds, helped the President shift dirt with small gold shovels from a small pile sitting next to the tree to the hole around the tree which had not been filled in yet. "That's my tree, that's a nice looking tree,” the President said noting that his grounds superintendent told him it would be grow to be a good-sized tree, “that’s a nice looking tree, don’t you think?” Using a gold shovel used at two prior tree plantings during the Bush administration, Mr. Obama only shoveled nine shovels full of dirt, barely making a dent in the hole that needed to be filled, and noted that the photo-opt wasn’t really a proper demonstration of the work that really needed to be done to plant a tree. “This is a little easier than it should be,” Obama said to press, “although I probably could not lift this on my own.” The Tilden tree replaced a tree that was planted by former President George Bush, but didn’t “take well” according the White House. -Sunlen Miller
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Wouldn’t it have been nice if he had said, “That’s one more tree for America”. “May She grow and prosper.”
Instead he said, “That’s my tree, that’s a nice looking tree.” How presidential….
Posted by: Randy | October 28, 2009, 7:23 pm 7:23 pm
There’s an old African saying that when animal’s neck is too short to reach the tree, he says that the tree does not bear any fruit.
Posted by: young_voter | October 28, 2009, 7:35 pm 7:35 pm
Wouldn’t it have been nice if he had said, “That’s one more tree for America”. “May She grow and prosper.”
Instead he said, “That’s my tree, that’s a nice looking tree.” How presidential….
Randy | Oct 28, 2009 7:23:37 PM
And what did President Bush say for his trees?
Posted by: jhw539 | October 28, 2009, 7:38 pm 7:38 pm
Randy | Oct 28, 2009 7:23:37 PM posted: “How presidential…”
Ya know Randy, a US President has a few other things on his plate than planting a tree.
Sometimes Presidents are scheduled to do these traditions and follow through with a few jokes. Why so critical?
Posted by: CenterOne | October 28, 2009, 7:52 pm 7:52 pm
Ya know Randy, a US President has a few other things on his plate than planting a tree.
Sometimes Presidents are scheduled to do these traditions and follow through with a few jokes.
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While I agree with the above, I have to admit I kind of like Randy’s suggestion . . .
Wouldn’t it have been nice if he had said, “That’s one more tree for America”. “May She grow and prosper.”
Posted by: tierra | October 28, 2009, 8:46 pm 8:46 pm
“That’s my tree.” What a very telling statement.
Actually, it’s not your tree, Mr. President. It’s our tree. It’s our White House. It’s our institution of the Presidency. You’re just a temporary steward of the office and the grounds. I don’t think you will ever understand this very simple principle.
Posted by: Woody | October 28, 2009, 9:34 pm 9:34 pm
“That’s my tree.” What a very telling statement.
Actually, it’s not your tree, Mr. President . . . I don’t think you will ever understand this very simple principle.
Posted by: Woody | Oct 28, 2009 9:34:13 PM
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Woody . . . grow up.
Posted by: tierra | October 29, 2009, 12:27 am 12:27 am
The interesting thing is President Obama inherited a dead tree from Bush, as well as a dead economy.
Posted by: tierra | October 29, 2009, 1:32 am 1:32 am
I would have guessed a “Weeping” Willow for First “Crybaby”.
Posted by: hughglass | October 29, 2009, 5:28 am 5:28 am
So it’s not really his tree but he says it is. So he’s a liar and delusional. Of course, he seems to think every aspect of OUR lives is his, too.
Posted by: FLD | October 29, 2009, 7:53 am 7:53 am
Woody . . . grow up.
Posted by: tierra | Oct 29, 2009 12:27:49 AM
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Thanks for that valuable contribution to the discussion.
You missed my point so I’ll try to put in simpler language for you. The language that one uses tells us a lot about the individual. Obama is a narcissist. He has to take a long standing tradition of tree planting on the White House grounds and make it all about himself. It’s just one example.
As far as the rest, it IS our White House, it IS our tree and our institution of the Presidency, the House and the Senate. THEY work for US. Get it?
Posted by: Woody | October 29, 2009, 10:06 am 10:06 am
“You missed my point so I’ll try to put in simpler language for you. The language that one uses tells us a lot about the individual.”
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Sorry, when you jump on a 3-word sentence to try to condemn a man, I find it very weak – and that it speaks more about your bias than the man.
Posted by: tierra | October 29, 2009, 3:01 pm 3:01 pm
Thank all of you for contributing to the discussion. All of this leads me to say that participation in heartfelt dialog is a priceless benefit. That participation is being threatened by those who attack rather than contribute. We all are individuals with our own opinions are we not?
We are in dark times. Lots of clouds overhead, people out of work, political crisis seems to be the watchword all over the world. There is however, a sense in me that tells me that adversity promotes growth. The strength we receive from differences of opinion will overcome even the most trying of times. Even the badmouth of those who are trying to deliver the news.
It wasn’t too long ago that this badmouth was seen in Thailand. The former Prime Minister of Thailand had a particularly hard time with one National News organization and attacked them with both barrels. The end result? The Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, is now running from the law. An exiled convicted felon who has just been stripped of his Royal Decorations. Just in the space of a few short years. Cause and effect? Yep…. A year earlier it would have been preposterous for anyone to suggest this would happen.
Another trouble spot is Honduras. Take a look at the news organizations who still refer to this as a “Coup”. A couple refer to it as “A Constitutional Crises”, which I happen to agree with. Our man of the moment calls it a Coup and wants the Thaksin Shinawatra look-alike to be reinstalled as the leader. Not withstanding that there is no evidence of a real coup, it is still there in the news.
What would Bush the younger say about his trees? I suspect he would look at his Texas trees and think what magnificent looking trees those are. He would get into his scruffy boots and work clothes and like Ronald Reagan, would go out and prune and neaten up and get his hands dirty shoveling some dirt around here and there. Not with a gold shovel either. Probably one with a big crack in the side of the handle and a rusty blade like the ones I’m used to.
Ah but I digress. I would like to echo a previous comment. If there was one thing I could write that would help the man understand, it would be as Woody says: “That is not your tree, Mr. President. It’s ours”.
Another Woody years ago would say: “If that there potato stew had been just a little bit thinner, some of them there politicians could’a seen right through it.”
Posted by: Randy | October 29, 2009, 7:57 pm 7:57 pm