NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Some Irish need not apply at Obama White House St.Patrick's Bash -- Grumblings as re-election committee grabs prime tickets

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Some Irish need not apply at Obama White House St.Patrick's Bash -- Grumblings as re-election committee grabs prime tickets

Posted on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 08:17 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

43 Comments

RSS

Archives

It is the most coveted ticket in Irish America, the invaluable access to the Obama White House for the annual St.Patrick’s Day event honoring the Irish Prime Minister.

This year there are many disappointed faces.

Many who have been invited in previous years, including some significant leaders in key re-election states, have been left empty-handed.

It has caused no end of consternation and surprise, especially in an election year when a key constituency like Irish Americans is usually strongly courted.

Indeed, key leaders in many leading organizations have had their stipend cut from two to one, leaving many spouses baffled after they had been on the guest list for several years.

As any couple will tell you hell hath no fury like a spouse scorned and White House personnel have been hearing it hot and heavy over the past week from disappointed significant others.

The culprit appears to be the President’s re-election committee who have bagged many of the Irish invites and shuffled them to big party backers who are only too glad to take part in a White House event, Irish or not.

The upshot has been a similar occurrence to the very first year of the Obama White House in 2009 when old Chicago buddies and other key constituency leaders made it over stalwart Irish names.

That caused such a firestorm that the following year it was Cead Mile Failte to one and all and it has been that way ever since-- until this year.

There were murmurings this week when the British Prime Minister David Cameron had a state dinner in the usual St. Patrick’s slot at the White House. The fact that their joint op-ed in The New York Times did not even mention their joint success at helping solve the issue of Northern Ireland was also noticed.

Ireland and Irish America it seems is relegated to the annual St.Patrick’s shindig, except now, with many being refused invites, even that may not be the case.

It seems a trifle foolish given that Pennsylvania, Ohio and other key states all have large Irish Catholic constituencies which are key swing votes.

The Obama folk should really pay more attention.

E-mail

43 Comments

15 - 43 | See all comments

Meanolgrouch | Mar 21, 2012, 07:55 AM EDT

Arrrgh! There's a misplaced modifier in my preceding text. Also a particular word overworked. I don't write in a formal manner, but poor composition is still inexcusable. I'd give a lot for an after-posting edit button. Nothing ever turns out right the first time for me.

Report abuse

Meanolgrouch | Mar 21, 2012, 07:50 AM EDT

Sile1212, a great big hug right back to you! I've been greatly blessed by everyone on this website; we can learn from opponents just as well as supporters. In fact on this website I feel like a kid in a candy store. Maybe I took the biblical advice, to do whatever my hand finds to do with all my strength, a bit too literally. Besides nursing two very old dogs who together outweigh myself, Spring's the busiest season for me indoors and out. So last night I realized more self discipline will be required. My new plan will restrict me to no more than 3 or 4 active threads at a time. They're likely to focus on America's presidential race since we do indeed need to clean up our own backyard first. President Obama is indeed our Rainbow President, isn't he? Nobody outside his family could love him more than I do, although there's no chance I'll get to meet him in person before he retires like myself. I retired to a flyspeck town in the remote Midwest for financial reasons, and this place is crawling with crazies who play soldier in the woods on weekends if you catch my drift. It would be almost suicidal for him to stop here. The very few other so-called Democrats are all blue dogs, and they wouldn't budge 5 inches to go to a rally next door much less a major city, the nearest of which is over 100 miles away. I don't drive anymore myself for health reasons. But I can still wear out my knees praying for him and pound the internet at least an hour every day. Glad to know you're in the mix.

Report abuse

sile1212 | Mar 20, 2012, 04:47 PM EDT

Niall, why not name names of those left out this time? Maybe our definition of important is different from yours? Were you invited? It almost sounds like a petulant article written by the boy left off the list. That said, if your claims of important people being left off the list are true then the Obama White House needs a wake up call. In reality, I think this is less of an issue than moving the "traditional" date for the St. Patrick's Day dinner to accommodate the British PM, of all people. #Meanolgrouch ... I think I love you!!! Thanks for taking the time to respond to the less informed people on the site. You are 100% correct. Obama has done much good for this nation -- his PR in getting his accomplishments across could use some help. I think that for now his people are right that it is best to just sit back and watch the Republican Party implode! So far any candidate they've supported, with the possible exception of Romney, will be so reactionary that it will be a "call to arms" (call to vote) to all women and forward thinking people in the country. Democrats are enjoying this and rooting for Santorum ... he is so wacky that when a full light is shone upon his ideology he will be un-electable. To the commenter who would rather have dinner with Niall O'Dowd than Obama -- you are wrong. I've had dinner with Niall and he is quite interesting but he couldn't hold a candle to the leader of the free world -- and I'm sure Niall would agree with that!

Report abuse

Meanolgrouch | Mar 19, 2012, 06:05 PM EDT

Oh, wait, y'all... let me cut you off at the pass (NOT the knees!) and anticipate your likely response to the post below; a twisted "Are you threatening me/us?" meant to intimidate me into submission. I never threaten anyone. I've kept a promise or two in my time, but only to those who absolutely forced the situation. Never fear - you don't have that kind of power.

Report abuse

Meanolgrouch | Mar 19, 2012, 05:10 PM EDT

IHL, I promise to raise a pint of Guiness to you in President Obama's honor on the occasion of his second inauguration, and hopefully the repossession of the House of Reps by my lifelong love, the Democratic Party. Meanwhile I continue fervent prayers that the suicidal GOP will indeed run Santorum as their candidate because his 12th Century mindset has alienated so many that we'd sweep the elections by a huge majority. And why are you so determined to focus on American politics on the IrishCentral forum anyway? Seems like a double waste of the precious little time you have left. Nothing would thrill me more than to see the Klan stage some noisy boondoggle, further sealing the GOP doom to come. If lightning strikes, as it will at times, and you get your wish, dig yourself a deep hole to hide in when you finally succeed in pushing the US into a second civil war. In other words, careful what you pray for. If God really wants to punish this nation, you might get what you want. At first, maybe.

Report abuse

IrishHeartLass | Mar 19, 2012, 01:28 PM EDT

I pray that the tyrannical dictator, Obama, bites the big one this November. I say he's been here 4 yrs too long.

Report abuse

Meanolgrouch | Mar 18, 2012, 09:30 PM EDT

Sorry, DaithiSuibhne, I almost forgot to reply to your description of myself. If by that you meant a well informed, educated, fire breathing and totally irrepressible sometimes finger-in-your-eye far left liberal, well then for once you might accidentally be right.

Report abuse

Meanolgrouch | Mar 18, 2012, 09:13 PM EDT

To simplify, "natural born" has nothing to do with location or even conception and gestation. Only proper lineage.

Report abuse

Meanolgrouch | Mar 18, 2012, 09:10 PM EDT

arialgirl, natural born citizenship IS conferred by birth to an already existing US citizen even where the parent might be naturalized! President Obama's mother was a natural born US citizen, though, and he himself was born in Hawaii. What, you didn't know Hawaii is even a state??? Some US teabaggers don't know that, among most other things worth knowing.

Report abuse

Meanolgrouch | Mar 18, 2012, 08:53 PM EDT

DaithiSuibhne, yes President Barack Hussein Obama does salute the flag just the same as he wears a flag pin. Although I think it's silly for you to be so concerned with small details. Next will you be wanting to know if he wears the kind of underwear you approve? Keep focusing on such things and you'll never be able to broaden your view of the world.

Report abuse

arialgirl | Mar 18, 2012, 04:56 PM EDT

"... It wouldn't matter if PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA had been born on the moon or Mars so long as one of his parents was American." Actually that is not true. To be the president of the US, one must be a natural-born citizen. Having a parent be a US citizen does confer US citizenship but it does not necessarily mean one can be president.

Report abuse

DaithiSuibhne | Mar 18, 2012, 04:03 PM EDT

@Meanolgrouch-From your posts you sound like a typical 'A$$#0!e'. To even start to think that Obama has the American people's best interest at heart is just plain nonsense. He won't even salute the flag during the 'Pledge of Allegiance'. He definitely does have an agenda, but you had better watch out for 'It'.

Report abuse

Meanolgrouch | Mar 18, 2012, 12:20 PM EDT

Don't let sour grapes humiliate you into premature predictions of our doom. You guys sound like the teabaggers who relieve themselves on the AARP.com website. We know you take blood money to spend all your time spewing hate and nonsense. Too bad you seem determined to infect the universe.

Report abuse

dev4 | Mar 18, 2012, 11:22 AM EDT

biggest loser since carter

Report abuse

seansarto | Mar 18, 2012, 06:06 AM EDT

The Adminstration thinks of the Irish as no good jiggers....

Report abuse