[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/26/art.card.cnn.jpg caption="A card sent to Jewish leaders had a distinctly Yuletide flavor."]WHITE HOUSE (CNN) – Whoops! A picture of a Christmas tree is not the first thing you would expect to see on an invitation to an event celebrating Hanukkah, but that is exactly what recipients of invitations to this year's White House Hanukkah reception initially got in the mail.
The invitation sent to American Jewish leaders on behalf of the President and First Lady, requesting "the pleasure of your company at a Hanukkah reception," bore an image of a Clydesdale horse-drawn cart, carrying the White House Christmas tree, with a Christmas wreath-adorned White House in the background.
Mrs. Bush's press secretary, Sally McDonough, attributed the snafu to a "staff mistake" in not printing separate cards for the different White House holiday events, as has been the custom in years past. "Mrs. Bush is apologetic, It is just something that fell through the cracks," she said, referring to the role of the First Lady's office in sending out the invitations.
The card as originally intended featured a menorah given to the White House during Harry Truman's presidency. That mailing was to have gone out today, according to Mrs. McDonough.
McDonough added that the White House had received "dozens" of calls of support from members of the Jewish community to express their appreciation for what President and Mrs. Bush had done for them through the course of Mr. Bush's presidency.
Boy, they're gettin' awfully sloppy over at the WH as the end nears. That's right. Blame the staff. Even for such trivial stuff, no one takes accountibility over there.Doesn't anybody 'proof' what goes out of the White House before it's mailed? Maybe they decided to let most of the staff go, since nothing is getting done over there anyway.
Hope Joe Lieberman got the card... he has a real identity problem
and this should throw him over the edge ! someone should!
The entire 8 years of the Bush Presidency will be avaible for viewing on DVD. It will surely outsell Carol Burnett's DVD
You are forgiven Mrs. Bush; we do not expect anything less from the current Administration. Stuff Happens is the Bush Moto or like Cheney would say "so". Please hurry along and pick your personal stuff accordingly as I am standing by to wish your farewell.
And the Bush family continues to display their typical levels of sensitivity, competence, and attention to detail.
Love the "eat it and smile" expectations of many of the posts here.
We all know what happened to the last perfect person. Things do happen. If people are getting their pants in a wad about this. Then they will just have to get upset. Forgiveness is devine.
At least no one died on this Bush snafu
the embarrasement will last a day, people are human. in the spirit of the season I'm sure no one will be offended by this. I can't believe the amount of people stating that christmas will not be the same under president Obama... what a sad bunch of ingnorants.
for the rest of ya... Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
So what ? The evangelicals support Israel, their great friend ...
There is a whole staff that is supposed to take care of this. Somebody just messed up. Get over it!
Anyone besides me get a HUGE smile on thier face from this one?? Honest mistake...enjoy the chuckle and move on 🙂
And "New Day" (2:18 pm)...very "punny" today, aren't we? You had to put your "stamp" on this conversation...:)
Penny: perhaps an English textbook for Christmas?
I think the bigger Christmas "scandal" is the fact that Obama doesn't give his girls Christmas gifts. Apparently he does this "to teach them limits". That's just very sad.
LOL, malclave, clean the cobwebs out of that black hole you call a brain and come to your senses! Actually it's very funny and indicative of sideshow freaks like yourself who are still questioning Obama's citizenship. That's like saying the world is still flat. But as long as you want to make a fool of yourself keep it up buddy, just let me get the popcorn and soda and you can start ranting for our amusement and entertainment! Seriously, I'm no fan of Bush and will sing a thousand praises once he's gone but it's a small trivial matter and his staff messed up, not him. And I wholeheartedly concur with the other posters who say he can't get out soon enough!
Merry Christmas
Now that those invitations are out, all I can say is "Mission Accomplished"
Trees are non denominational. If they were exclusive to Christmas, all of the Gringes would have already demanded that all xmas trees be taken off of public property.
CNN, stop trying to make news and make republicans look bad. Your attempts at manipulation are becoming very visisble.
Yes, it was just a mistake. But the bigger issue is that many non-Jews (perhaps the clerk who mailed these out) don't even know that Jews don't have Christmas trees.
Malclave, you're toxic, go back to the psych ward and up you meds dosage.
Ahh, so what would you expect from this administration. They can't get it right!
I wouldn't expect anything but this. Just more of the same incompetency we've had to put up with for 8 years.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
The Dow is up because people are starting to see there's better days ahead.
You people need to get over it. I'm sure that most of you that are claiming to be offended aren't even Jewish. The White House is filled with Christmas trees and I think it's just fine.
As wise ol' man Colbert would say, "There are many ways to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior..." 😉 Have a wonderful holiday season everyone!
Happy Festivus, everyone! Enough already .... let's just pray this little snafu is the end of it and CNN can find something worthwhile to write about.
I don't know what is funnier, this article or how pissed off some people are that this was posted.