Washington Wimps Go to School; Obamas Stay Home: Sound Bites Have Anniversaries

For good or evil, sound bites, like people and events, have anniversaries. Some are tied to dated event (FDR's "day of infamy" on December 7th). Some are tied to the repetition of an event. (Count on hearing Lloyd Benson's "you're no Jack Kennedy" take down of Dan Quayle during coverage of the 2012 vice-presidential debate.)

And so today Washingtonians were reminded by the local media (and I heard one reference on a national show) to President Obama's statement last month during an ice storm, that Washingtonians were wimps for closing schools. For the sake of accuracy, let me clarify that the president did not actually use the wimp term when pointing out our lack of fortitude. But when asked by a reporter if he was accusing the locals of being wimps, he never specifically denied it, and so it stuck.

It didn't take long for some of my neighbors in northwest DC to point out that although the "first daughters'" exclusive private school was closed, the DC Public Schools were indeed open. Had the Obamas selected Lafayette Elementary School, one of the 3 schools they visited and "considered," their girls would have been in school.

Today history repeated itself. District of Columbia public school students and teachers made their way through the heaviest snowfall of the season (as documented in the photos). Sasha and Malia's exclusive Sidwell Friends School once again was closed. 

Note: I do believe the president and first lady made the correct choice for their daughters. For one thing, although Lafayette is an excellent school and provided a great experience for my 4 kids, it's a block from my house. The morning and afternoon traffic congestion from parents dropping off and picking up their kids is already a mess. Adding the First Daughters' motorcade would be detrimental to the neighborhood's tranquility.