(CNN) - Behind closed doors in recent days, senior White House aides have been saying that measuring President Obama's first 100 days is the journalistic equivalent of a Hallmark holiday.
"They don't mean anything," quipped one aide, "but you have to observe them."
But literally in the next breath the very same aide got pretty bold - saying anyone doing one of these anniversary stories would be "hard-pressed to find another administration that has done as much" as Obama so early in a presidency, even when compared to the productivity of FDR.
"[Most productive] I think in my lifetime," said the senior aide. "An extraordinary beginning, but just the beginning."
In other words, Obama is just showing up for work on this "Hallmark holiday" with more than just a crummy greeting card to celebrate the occasion.
There will be metaphorical flowers and candy in the form of a White House welcome for the president's new BFF and favorite Democrat, Sen. Arlen Specter, to claim bipartisanship.
That's followed by a quick afternoon jaunt to the Midwest to show off early results at a town hall meeting in Missouri (the Show-Me State, get it?).
All of that capped off by the bright lights of a prime-time news conference in the East Room of the White House.
All this begs the question: Why did Obama's team suddenly embrace all this hoopla for what they claim to be an artificial holiday?
From CNN Politics
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@Pat
It's not 100 days of bad mouthing this country, but 100 days of taking an honest look at America in order to make it better.
He's doing a fine job. More 100 days with President Obama is what we need. Keep the 100s coming–he's a gem.
The minute he walked in the door.....I could see he was a man of distinction...a real big spender....hey big spender.....SPEND A LITTLE TIME WITH ME.....
I love this president. Period
Obama 2012
Not any Hallmark card I have ever seen! Why celebrate failure–it only makes you look pitiful!
Are we going to have to celebrate every 100 days? Can't he just stay in the oval office and work for a change? Let's start to keep track of the $$$$ it costs to fly him around to all his photo ops. Not to mention the cost of carting his entourage along to protect and fawn over him.
I can wait until 2010, all D senates will be throw away from states' vote..i cannot wait for this day!
obama finish all his promise within 100 days? only 9 out of 64 lists...
THAT IS HUGE BROKEN promise... really sad! And Possible swine flu has been start in Feb 2009... oh, Obama knew of this? that is one out of many proves that obama unable to keep public to know while he mocking at every former president of USA. OBAMA has NO loyal to to be AMERICAN!
@Obama aka Barry
Have you seen Fox News ratings? Are really showing an exodus from those programs or did you make that up?
That's right. Everytime I have a Hallmark Holiday I charter a 747 and 2 Learjets and have them buzz a major metropolitan area.
Obama's "Hallmark" holiday is more akin to April Fool than anything else.
At $600,000 per hour for Air Force One, how much is Obama's holiday to celebrate his 100 days going to cost the US taxpayer?
"say what you like,but he has done more facing the kind of crises,than any president in history.end of story.."
I AGREE! Lazy folks like Wilson, FDR, and Truman only had full scale wars while they were President – Lincoln practically phoned it in while the Country was split in two – and don't get me started on that good-for-nothing Washington – clearly none of them had that awesome awesomeness of Obama.
Not pleased with Obama on nothing yet! He has not even kept his promises he ran on. He is carrying on Bush's policy's except he is raising taxes that he promised he would not. He is weakened the national defense and he has done nothing to help the economy. To sum it up were no better off than we were with Bush except Bush made us feel safe. Obama's policies will harm america's future. Going to deep in dept is a national security issue when you owe other countrys. Wake up america.