This year, President Barack Obama and his family are spending Thanksgiving at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where they’ll dine on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes — and six kinds of pie. Here’s this year’s menu, as provided by the White House press office: Dinner: Thyme Roasted Turkey Honey-Baked Ham Cornbread Stuffing Oyster Stuffing Braised Winter Greens Macaroni and Cheese Sweet Potato Gratin Mashed Potatoes Green Bean Casserole Dinner Rolls Dessert: Banana Cream Pie Coconut Cream Pie Pumpkin Pie Apple Pie Pecan Pie Cherry Pie As the Associated Press notes, it’s Obama’s responsibility to pick up the tab for the meal — as he does every other day of the year: Gary Walters, who was chief White …
This year, President Barack Obama and his family are spending Thanksgiving at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where they’ll dine on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes — and six kinds of pie.
Here’s this year’s menu, as provided by the White House press office:
Dinner:
Thyme Roasted Turkey
Honey-Baked Ham
Cornbread Stuffing
Oyster Stuffing
Braised Winter Greens
Macaroni and Cheese
Sweet Potato Gratin
Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Dinner Rolls
Dessert:
Banana Cream Pie
Coconut Cream Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Pecan Pie
Cherry Pie
As the Associated Press notes, it’s Obama’s responsibility to pick up the tab for the meal — as he does every other day of the year:
Gary Walters, who was chief White House usher for many years, said the payment rule dates back to 1800 when the White House was first occupied by President John Adams and there was no staff. Presidents brought staff with them and paid for everything.
Congress gradually began spending money to maintain an official White House staff to oversee operations and maintenance, but presidents continued to pay for personal expenses.
What it boils down to, Walters said, is that the White House is first and foremost the president’s home.
“On behalf of the Obama family – Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Bo, and Sunny – I want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving,” Obama said in his Thanksgiving address to the nation. “Like many of you, we’ll spend the day with family and friends, catching up, eating some good food and watching a little football. Before we lift a fork, we lend a hand by going out into the community to serve some of our neighbors in need. And we give thanks for each other, and for all of God’s blessings.”
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