(CNN) - In the ongoing battle between a pack of particularly ambitious raccoons and the White House groundskeepers, the raccoons appear to be winning.
According to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, no raccoons have been caught on the White House grounds since the band of intruders were first spotted roaming the premises earlier this month.
The National Parks service set up several traps around the White House lawn earlier this week after determining one large raccoon and several smaller ones were causing trouble around the West Wing and the Executive Mansion.
If and when the raccoons are caught they will be released into the wild, the National Park Service has said.
But the traps, which include peanut butter and apples as bait, have yet to allure any of the pesky mammals.
"No raccoons that I know of have been caught or disbursed into other places in Washington," said Gibbs.
The White House press secretary also said he would be of little use in the hunt: "There are a few that roam in my backyard, so I don't have any particular tips."
From CNN Politics
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Cajun's love raccoon. Let's eat!
Just put the sniper team stationed on the roof of the white house to good use. Im sure they wouldnt mind some target practice.
Its a joke people calm down lol.
Anonymous: I think I speak for everyone here in saying that you're an idiot.
I'm sure bush left the other half of his family when moving out of the white house.
If they are rabid they are Republicans.
For God's sake. Cajun is offensive to your moderators? I would be willing to bet Sarah Palin is more offensive to your bloggers.
Just let them be. We live inside the perimeter in Atlanta and have raccoons, possums, a coyote and 2 foxes. Whoever let them loose, live and let live. At least, this has made me laugh when there is not a whole lot to provide a laugh.
Let the poor things alone. I think that a touch of nonhuman wildlife around the White House is just great. The occupants need to learn how to cope.
If W was still in the White House, they be dead by now. He would call his Dick to shoot them off the property.
There are too many of you talking about how cute they are and to leave them alone. You obviously have no experience with racoons. Although cute, they are far from cuddly and are actually a menace. They are extremely intelligent and too brave for their own good. They are aggresive animals and will do nothing but create problems.
Racoons are very smart animals, they know the peanut butter contains samonella, so change the bait.
One thing for sure is, they need to be trapped before the Obama's get their puppy or the puppy will become racoon meat.
Those raccoons are smart. If they had been caught during the Bush/Cheney administration, they would have been tortured. Thank goodness there's a new sherrif in town.
The Plum LineGreg Sargent's blog
Latest Cuts To The Stim Package: Head Start, Child Nutrition, Food Stamps Public Transit
I’ve just obtained an internal Senate committee memo detailing the latest cuts being eyed by the gang of Senators being led by Dem Ben Nelson and GOPer Susan Collins. Here is what’s being eyed in the bill right now:
*****************************
Total Reductions: $80 billion
Eliminations:
Head Start, Education for the Disadvantaged, School improvement, Child Nutrition, Firefighters, Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, Prisons, COPS Hiring, Violence Against Women, NASA, NSF, Western Area Power Administration, CDC, Food Stamps
*****************************
Reductions:
Public Transit $3.4 billion, School Construction $60 billion
*****************************
Increases:
Defense operations and procurement, STAG Grants, Brownfields, Additional transportation funding
*****************************
Nelson spokesperson Clay Westrope confirms the authenticity of the memo, adding that the figures obviously could change. But this is currently the general direction.
As you can see the amount being cut appears to have fallen, to a total of $80 billion, though Westrope says the actual number is closer to $100 billion. Also, it appears some of those cuts are being maintained even as defense funds appear to be getting added.
i'm sure racists will have a hay day with this one....
@ obama all the way – Racoons are not beautiful, they are scavengers and are quite mean. They need to be in the woods where they belong, not the White house...Derka Der.
My great grandfather was a famous tracker/trapper here in West Texas, back in the day. The thing that works best for raccoons is sardines, with a lite coating of sweet oil of venice.
I'm surprised Cheney didn't blast them with his shotgun.
Use sardines as bait. It's like a raccoon magnet. Works for me every time...
They are Bush & Cheny reincarnates coming back to create more havoc for the American public. They just cannot seem to get enough of ruining the country..so they are back with an odor.
Anonymous.... get a Life. You must be a true left-wing wacko to be playing the race card on this one! Raccoons are incredibly adaptable creatures that can thrive anywhere.
I'm sure its GWB's fault
Life altering news. Bravo.
Try to talk your kids into a West Virginia Blue.
Those critters are actually Cheney, Bush, Hannity, Limbaugh, Romney, McCain and Palin in disguise.
They all seem to have so much input about the mess their party made and expect someone to wave a wand in TWO weeks that took them EIGHT years to mess up!!!!!
Only idiots would be trying to catch a carnivorous animal with fruit and nuts.