P103109PS-0740

President Barack Obama reacts to performers during a Halloween reception for military families and children of White House staff in the East Room of the White House, Oct. 31, 2009. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is at right. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

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Comments

crsfoto.com says:

classic!
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Oh Nuts says:

nice colors
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

leslie.hawes says:

Looks like fun!
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

joecrowaz (First Shots of '10) says:

W would have been looking at his watch by now;)
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Carlynfry says:

No costume?
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

kightp says:

I think he's wearing his "hey, I'm just a normal guy" costume. (And the First Lady is in leopard-print - rrrowr!)(-:
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

MŪV*MƏNT says:

awesome capture.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

mnm1505 says:

anyone else notice the secret service guy sitting to the right of the pres? with the dark glasses and black cap. only thing that gives him away is the badge on his collar. he blends in really well!!
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Mona Loldwoman Happy New Year says:

What a fun photo. They seem to be having a good time.
Gotta love those "Buddy Holly" glasses on the guy beside the Pres.
and that off duty military casual polo with the sewn on insignia casual uniform.
Excellent candid capture Mr. Souza !!!
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Ahmed Awad Ellaban says:

Grrreeeaaattt Shhhooottt, Pete
www.facebook.com/pages/PETE-SOUZA-Chief-Offic ial-White-Ho...
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

joecrowaz (First Shots of '10) says:

Of course there is a Secret Service guy next to him, There IS a bear sitting right behind him after all :))
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

SLH Photography 2009 says:

I'm sure, getting around this room, as packed as it appears was a job in itself, having to step over people, but having said that, this view is perfect. With the President pointing, and everyone looking and laughing to the skit that's going on off camera, this is a nice look at the White House parties for children, on a festive Halloween weekend.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

*Summer's Rose says:

Awesome shot, Pete...you captured all the smiles and emotions here! Lovely colors too!
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

tunde4 says:

Love, love, love
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

nbklx17 (Sandy) says:

I love looking at the different expressions on everyone's faces! It' makes me curious to see what they saw. ;-)
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

félinelilly says:

the guy with the cap isn't a secret sevice guy but the president's chicago friend Dr Whitetaker.they sometimes play basketball together.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Niklas Plessing says:

I really like that.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Sheila in Millstone says:

what fun and so spontaneous
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Happy New Year 2010 says:

Obamacare.... Michelle and Barrack, wolves in sheep's clothing
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Mona Loldwoman Happy New Year says:

hmeddac / US Army Medical Department Activity, Heidelberg photostream
www.flickr.com/photos/hmeddac/

Military Health's photostream
www.flickr.com/photos/militaryhealth/
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Maximus Molestissimus TROLL Praedatoris AMERICA 20 says:

There is one WOLVERINE amongst these commenters.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Gmonkey says:

@ mnm1505: the "Secret Service guy" in the cap is Obama's friend, Erik Whitaker

Lunch with Dr. Eric Whitaker,...

Whitaker is an MD and VP at the University of Chicago.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

ALEXANDER-UD-DIN [deleted] says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Youth Are United!, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

naty.s says:

great shot! look at their faces..; )
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

XlkMimmo68* says:

Great shot
I Love Obama
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Happy New Year 2010 says:

Why did Jim Rogers move out of the United States, a partner in business with George Soros?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHh4olx5Duo
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

sweetie pie2001 [deleted] says:

DisTROLL, I think the likely person would be to ask Jim Rogers, but you go ahead and tell us your brand of news so you can divert the good comments here.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

expojoe says:

awesome shot at ISO 2000!
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

garlandcannon says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Calm, Assertive Consciousness, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

allr1 Taking time off for the Holidays. P&L says:

Great to see you smile.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

mnm1505 says:

@félinelilly and gmonkey:

thanks for the correction to my comment!
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

eoconn says:

i love the haphazardness of this scene.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

denebola2025 says:

Great shot, looks like a fun time!
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

eglinskibernd says:

Nice Partner.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

Happy New Year 2010 says:

How much did this cost you tax payers?
AND this? Think of all the hungry Michelle Antonetta and King Barrack could feed instead.
Setting a FINE example:

Total Personal Staff members for other first ladies paid by taxpayers:

Mamie Eisenhower : 1 paid for personally out of President's salary

Jackie Kennedy: 1

Roseline Carter: 1

Barbara Bush: 1

Hilary Clinton: 3

Laura Bush: 1

Michele Obama: 22

How things have changed! If you're one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Ms Michelle are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by YOU, John Q. Public:

Michele Obama's personal staff:
1. $172,200 - Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)
2. $140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (Dep Asst to President and Dir of Policy And Projects for First Lady)
3. $113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (Spec Asst to the President and WH Social Sec for Mrs. Obama)
4. $102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (Spec Asst to President and Dir of Communications for First Lady)
5. $100,000 - Winter, Melissa E. (Spec Asst to President and Dep Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
6. $90,000 - Medina , David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
7. $84,000 - Lel yveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady)
8.. $75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)
9. $70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
10. $65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
11. $64,000 - Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (Dep Director of Scheduling & Events Coord For The First Lady)
13. $60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady)
14. $57,500 - Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady)
15. $52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Assoc Dir and Dep Press Secretary To The First Lady)
16. $50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (Spec Asst for Scheduling and Traveling Aide To The First Lady)
17. $45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence For The First Lady)
18. $43,000 - Tubman, Samanth a (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
20. $36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)
21. $35,000 - Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. $35,000 - Jackson, Deilia A. (Dep Assoc Dir of Correspondence for the First Lady)
(total = $1,591,200 in annual salaries)

There has NEVER been anyone in the White House at any time who has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady's social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

*Summer's Rose says:

I don't know where some people get their sources and if those sources are reputable but here's a link to the Fact Check Annenburg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania . The following three paragraphs are noteworthy:

www.factcheck.org/2009/08/michelle-obamas-sta ff/

The chain e-mail’s author claims that "[t]here has never been anyone in the White House at any time that has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady’s social life." The author claims that "even Hillary, only had three; Jackie Kennedy one; Laura Bush one." But the counts for those first ladies are incorrect – and they’re way off.

The combined annual salaries for the 22 staffers we can specifically identify as working for Michelle Obama come to $1.6 million. For the 18 we could identify as working for Laura Bush in 2008, the total is $1.4 million.

Dr. Myra Gutin, a professor of communications at Rider University and a first ladies historian, says that the first lady’s role has certainly "grown and evolved" since the 1960s, but generally speaking, the first lady’s "staff numbers about 14-16." Gutin told us she recalled "some first ladies have had staffs of more than that."

–D’Angelo Gore

Michelle Obama’s Staff
Bookmark and Share

Q: Does First Lady Michelle Obama have an "unprecedented" number of staffers

A: A spokeswoman for the first lady says that Michelle Obama currently has a staff of 24. That may indeed be the largest of any first lady, but Hillary Clinton, with 19 staffers, and Laura Bush with at least 18 and perhaps more, weren’t far behind.

FULL QUESTION:

Is this accurate? And how does it compare to prior first ladies’ staffs?

First Lady Requires More Than Twenty Attendants

⬐ Click to expand/collapse the full text ⬏
Recession, Depression, What, Michelle Worry?

July 7, 2009

Dr. Paul L. Williams

"In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much," she said. "See, that’s why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service, " Michelle Obama.

No, Michele Obama does not get paid to serve as the First Lady and she doesn’t perform any official duties. But this hasn’t deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession. Just think Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china for the White House during the Civil War. And Mamie Eisenhower had to shell out the salary for her personal secretary.

How things have changed! If you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Miz Michelle are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by John Q. Public:

1. $172,2000 - Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)

2. $140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy And Projects For The First Lady)

3. $113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary)

4. $102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)

5. Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)

6. $90,000 - Medina, David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)

7. $84,000 - Lelyveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady)

8. $75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)

9. $70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)

10. $65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)

11. Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)

12. $62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator For The First Lady)

13. $60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady)

14. Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady)

15. $52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary To The First Lady)

16. $50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide To The First Lady)

17. $45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence For The First Lady)

18. Tubman, Samantha (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)

19. $40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)

20. $36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)

21. Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)

22. Jackson, Deilia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)

There has never been anyone in the White House at any time that has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady’s social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense, when even Hillary, only had three; Jackie Kennedy one; Laura Bush one; and prior to Mamie Eisenhower social help came from the President’s own pocket.

Note: This does not include makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and "First Hairstylist" Johnny Wright, 31, both of whom travelled aboard Air Force One to Europe.

FULL ANSWER:

The White House published the 2009 Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff on its official blog on July 1, listing the title and salary of many White House office employees. A few days later, a fuss began online over the number of people who are assigned to work for the Office of First Lady and how much they earn per year.

A blog post from Chicago Sun-Times reporter Lynn Sweet on July 6 put the spotlight on "What Michelle Obama’s Staffers Earn." The staff of TheLastCrusade.org, a Web site that describes itself as a place "where you can engage in the life and death struggle against the forces of Islam, apostasy, moral complacency, cultural relativity, and the New World Order," then took the information and posted a piece claiming that the first lady had hired an "unprecedented number of staffers" to "cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession." That piece was also posted on the conservative Web site CanadaFreePress.com under the byline of Dr. Paul L. Williams, who runs TheLastCrusade.org. That post has become part of a chain e-mail that some of our readers have passed on to us, and the e-mail expands upon Williams’ post, falsely claiming that some recent first ladies have had only one or three staffers.

How Many?

According to the 2009 White House report to Congress, there are 16 people with a title specifically indicating they work for Michelle Obama’s office. In other words, there are 16 people with "first lady" somewhere in their title, such as Jocelyn Frye, deputy assistant to the president and director of policy and projects for the first lady.

The list reported by Sweet and The Last Crusade, however, includes six other staffers who do not have "first lady" in their title but are a part of the first lady’s office staff, such as Desiree Rogers, special assistant to the president and White House social secretary, and Natalie Bookey, staff assistant.

We contacted Katie McCormick Lelyveld, Michelle Obama’s press secretary, to check the list’s accuracy. Lelyveld told us in an e-mail that the first lady’s current staff size is actually 24, not 22, as the chain e-mail claims. Lelyveld couldn’t provide a list of the staffers at that time.

First Ladies Past

The chain e-mail’s author claims that "[t]here has never been anyone in the White House at any time that has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady’s social life." The author claims that "even Hillary, only had three; Jackie Kennedy one; Laura Bush one." But the counts for those first ladies are incorrect – and they’re way off.

Stephen Plotkin, reference archivist for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, told us in an e-mail that Jacqueline Kennedy’s office was "headed" by one person, but said that there were "at least 9 people working for Mrs. Kennedy, with the promise of a great many more" during her time at the White House.

Kim Coryat, an archives technician at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, told us it can be difficult to nail down a precise count of staff considering "White House staffing for all offices ebbs and flows with time." But she said in an e-mail that White House telephone directory records indicate that Hillary Clinton had at least a staff of 13 as of October 1993; 18 as of April 1997; and 19 as of March 2000.

Lelyveld said that Michelle Obama’s staff was actually no different than that of her predecessor, Laura Bush. "[W]e have exactly the same staff number as Mrs. Bush and our office organization reflects a similar staffing model, so insinuations otherwise are wrong," she said. Lelyveld said that the White House’s "personnel records indicate" that there were 24 staffers for Laura Bush at some point. We were able to verify at least 18 staffers for Laura Bush, as of June 30, 2008, via the 2008 White House staff list published in The Washington Post’s White House Watch column. Sixteen people were specifically referred to as a "first lady" staffer, and Amy Zantzinger and Dorothy Thornton served as White House social secretary and deputy social secretary, respectively. It’s possible that someone with the title of "staff assistant" was assigned to the Office of First Lady as well, as is the case with Michelle Obama’s staff.

The combined annual salaries for the 22 staffers we can specifically identify as working for Michelle Obama come to $1.6 million. For the 18 we could identify as working for Laura Bush in 2008, the total is $1.4 million.

Dr. Myra Gutin, a professor of communications at Rider University and a first ladies historian, says that the first lady’s role has certainly "grown and evolved" since the 1960s, but generally speaking, the first lady’s "staff numbers about 14-16." Gutin told us she recalled "some first ladies have had staffs of more than that."

–D’Angelo Gore

Sources

Executive Office of the President. "Annual Report on White House Staff to Congress." WhiteHouse.gov. 1 Jul 2009, accessed 30 Jul 2009.

Sweet, Lynn. "What Michelle Obama’s Staffers Earn." PoliticsDaily.com. 6 Jul 2009, accessed 30 Jul 2009.

Sweet, Lynn. "More Michelle Obama staff appointments." SunTimes.com. 16 Jan 2009, accessed 30 Jul 2009.

"First Lady Requires More than 20 Attendants." TheLastCrusade.org. 6 Jul 2009, accessed 30 Jul 2009.

Froomkin, Dan. "2008 White House Office Staff List." Washington Post White House Watch Column. 24 Jul 2008, accessed 30 Jul 2009.

Gutin, Myra. E-mail sent to FactCheck.org. 30 Jul 2009.

Plotkin, Stephen. E-mail sent to FactCheck.org. 31 Jul 2009.

Coryat, Kim. E-mail sent to FactCheck.org. 31 Jul 2009.
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

ready aim click(Happy New Years!) says:

Excellent colors and focus!
Posted 5 weeks ago. ( permalink )

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P103109PS-0740

Comments

crsfoto.com says:

Oh Nuts says:

leslie.hawes says:

joecrowaz (First Shots of '10) says:

Carlynfry says:

kightp says:

MŪV*MƏNT says:

mnm1505 says:

Mona Loldwoman Happy New Year says:

Ahmed Awad Ellaban says:

joecrowaz (First Shots of '10) says:

SLH Photography 2009 says:

*Summer's Rose says:

tunde4 says:

nbklx17 (Sandy) says:

félinelilly says:

Niklas Plessing says:

Sheila in Millstone says:

Happy New Year 2010 says:

Mona Loldwoman Happy New Year says:

Maximus Molestissimus TROLL Praedatoris AMERICA 20 says:

Gmonkey says:

Lunch with Dr. Eric Whitaker,...

ALEXANDER-UD-DIN [deleted] says:

naty.s says:

Xlk*Mimmo*68* says:

Happy New Year 2010 says:

sweetie pie2001 [deleted] says:

expojoe says:

garlandcannon says:

allr1 Taking time off for the Holidays. P&L says:

mnm1505 says:

eoconn says:

denebola2025 says:

eglinskibernd says:

Happy New Year 2010 says:

*Summer's Rose says:

ready aim click(Happy New Years!) says:

Would you like to comment?

The White House's photostream

October 2009 (Set)

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XlkMimmo68* says: