The next casualty of sequestration could be the Easter Bunny – at least according to a White House e-mail that recently landed in Capitol Hill inboxes.
The White House warned Congress that budget cuts could nix the annual Easter Egg Roll for kids, which is planned for April 1.
“[B]y using these tickets, guests are acknowledging that this event is subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty surrounding the Executive Office of the President and other federal agencies,” the White House cautioned, according to two Capitol Hill sources who provided the language. “If cancelled, the event will not be rescheduled.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney said last week that the egg roll would go forward, although he left open the possibility that that could change.
The administration has faced a backlash from Congress – and late-night comics – for canceling tours of the White House to save money as part of the $85 billion in automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration, that went into effect March 1. And there has also been criticism that the Easter Egg roll would go forward while the tours are not.
On Friday, Carney got into a contentious back-and-forth on Fox News and said the egg roll is for a lot of military families and it’s paid for by the sale of ceremonial eggs and outside donations. “It’s a totally different budget,” he said. “These are apples and oranges.”
Oh, he would have loved to cancel the Easter Egg Roll, but he's the one taking the heat for closing the White House Tours. Not what he planned at all! If he could just get the mean old republicans to take the blame, he's cancel in a minute, but the public is blaming Obama and he's not sure he can turn it around.
Quote: Olivia wrote in post #3Oh, he would have loved to cancel the Easter Egg Roll, but he's the one taking the heat for closing the White House Tours. Not what he planned at all! If he could just get the mean old republicans to take the blame, he's cancel in a minute, but the public is blaming Obama and he's not sure he can turn it around.
How's he gonna blame the Secret Service for this one? Fear that the eggs were IEDs? The Bunny was going to engage in a workplace act of violence? Or will it be "W's" fault?
"The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader