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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Change #19846: No "Hail to the Chief" for The One |
| 2009-02-03 |
| It's long-standing tradition that just before the chief executive enters a room for a speech, he is announced: "Ladies and Gentlemen – the President of the United States," is the standard introduction spoken by a staff member of the White House Communications Agency. But this morning when Mr. Obama entered the East Room to address an audience about the economy, there was no announcement. He just walked right in – announcing his own presence with a hearty "Hello, everybody – good to see ya." On Day One of his presidency, everywhere Mr. Obama went they played "Hail to the Chief" for him – but not since. In fact the U.S. Marine Band's duties at the White House over the last 10 days appear to have been dramatically downsized. Instead of the usual contingent of trumpets, tubas and drums, a single piano player now provides musical interludes before and after the president's appearance. And the tunes have little connection to the military marching music of John Phillips Souza that is the usual accompaniment to presidential appearances. These days the pianist's repertoire includes Cole Porter's "Night and Day" and Sting’s "Desert Rose." "He's not a 'Pomp and Circumstance' kind of guy," says press secretary Robert Gibbs of the new president. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #17 How about playing The Entertainer on piano, you know the theme song from the movie, "The Sting." |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2009-02-03 21:15 |
| #16 Mike beat me to it. |
| Posted by: no mo uro 2009-02-03 17:49 |
| #15 These things will catch up. Just watch how pissed he will become when people start treating him like "Joe the Plumber" instead of the president. There was a reason pomp and circumstance is used. |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2009-02-03 17:21 |
| #14 The Kenyan national anthem? |
| Posted by: Iblis 2009-02-03 16:08 |
| #13 I'd suggest "Cult of Personality" by In Living Color. |
| Posted by: Mike 2009-02-03 15:48 |
| #12 Can the Marine guy play "Jump Around" on that piano? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-02-03 15:46 |
| #11 "He's not a 'Pomp and Circumstance' kind of guy," Music is haram. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2009-02-03 15:37 |
| #10 Wiki cc Cole Porter: He did not register for the draft, yet loved to tell the press that he had joined the French Foreign Legion. In reality, he went to work for the Duryea Relief Fund and maintained a closet full of various tailormade military uniforms that he wore when the mood suited him. The French Foreign Legion, however, claims Porter as an enlistee and displays his portrait in its museum in Aubagne. So, the President of the United States has muzak played for him - how common. Appalled he is not having played the piano classics of Scott Joplin; you know like The Entertainer or Fig Leaf Rag. Sting - isn't he the guy who tried to kill moaddib? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2009-02-03 14:43 |
| #9 With all the sabre rattling going on, I suspect we'll be seeing the new flag very soon. My guess is it will be white on a field of white. Or possibly solid red on a field of red. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-02-03 13:39 |
| #8 The Marine Band is indisposed rehearsing L'Internationale. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-02-03 13:26 |
| #7 "U.S. Marine Band" Could that be the problem? Maybe his Mum was scared by a harmonica while she was pregnant with the future POTUS fetus. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2009-02-03 13:26 |
| #6 wonder if the new flag will have a crescent moon on it? |
| Posted by: rabid whitetail 2009-02-03 13:17 |
| #5 "He's not a 'Pomp and Circumstance' kind of guy," says press secretary Robert Gibbs of the new president. Not much into American tradition either I can see. I keep wondering when he'll come up with a new design for Old Glory. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-02-03 13:02 |
| #4 "U.S. Marine Band" Could that be the problem? His dislike for the military is showing. |
| Posted by: Lagom 2009-02-03 12:52 |
| #3 The Day the Music Died |
| Posted by: Claque White8043 2009-02-03 12:47 |
| #2 "You're So Vain" |
| Posted by: DoDo 2009-02-03 12:38 |
| #1 "Desert Rose"? You mean that Sting song that they pretty much stopped playing after 9/11 because of the Arabic chanting in it? (Disclosure....I actually liked the song. It was great to speed along the highway in a Corvette with it blaring on the speakers. Not that I ever did that.) I think we can come up with some other appropriate songs to play. My nomination is "Send in the Clowns". |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-02-03 12:10 |