Obama Date Night: May 30, 2009

UPDATE: Obama Date Night: Paris, June 6, 2009
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UPDATE: Gibbs: Obama Date Night Cost
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The Obamas last had a date night that included full coverage by the press on May 2, 2009.

They had dinner at Citronelle, a posh Georgetown restaurant. Afterward, they went for a private, romantic stroll on the White House South Lawn. The "stroll" was taped and packaged and circulated by the lib media for the public's consumption.

Isn't it romantic?

It's the last weekend in May. Time for another Obama date night!

This date involved air travel -- the helicopter, Marine One, and three planes. Not your average date.
Jake Tapper has the details, as reported by ABC's Vija Udenans.

Today Pres. Obama and the First Lady are taking their 'date night' to New York, dinner and a Broadway show. Mid-afternoon the President, tie-less in a stunning black suit escorted the first lady to Marine One on South Lawn, while Sasha, the youngest daughter watched and waved from the upper balcony.

Michelle Obama wore a sleeveless, body-fitting, knee length, black cocktail dress and black heels that almost stuck in the South lawn sod. The President took her hand as they continued to the waiting chopper.

A White House press spokesperson tells us the President had explained the visit, "I am taking my wife to New York City because I promised her during the campaign that I would take her to a Broadway show after it was all finished."

The couple did not take the large 747 to New York, but flew a much smaller C-20 (G3). The press pool flew in a separate plane, identified by the military as a G5, followed by a staff in a third plane (G3). White House staff said the smaller planes were more fuel efficient.

AF-1 landed at Kennedy Airport. Marine One flew them over the Brooklyn Bridge to Lower Manhattan.

The smaller planes are more fuel efficient. How green of the Obamas!

Great. They didn't take the 747. But the "date entourage" still took three freaking planes to New York.

This is obviously just a lame attempt to quell criticism about them blowing through jet fuel and making the taxpayers foot the enormous bill.

Even with the "fuel efficient" planes, I wonder what the carbon footprint of the Obamas' date night was.

Earlier in the week, Obama dictated how many miles per gallon our cars must get. Has anyone suggested to him that even the small planes don't cut it in terms of being environmentally friendly?

I don't get this date night stuff. It looks really bad. The Obamas don't seem to be sacrificing much in these tough economic times. They keep telling us to sacrifice but they aren't. It's so hypocritical.

As I've said before, these aren't dates. They're circuses. They're weird. And the media eats them up.

The motorcade made its way over to West Street, banged a right on a cobblestone Clarkson, then on to Carmine. They ended up at 6th and Washington place.

The first couple dined at Bluehill Restaurant where reservations are reportedly hard to get. The restaurant features "locally grown fare" and
has it's own farm in upstate new York.

The first couple arrived at the Belasco theater on West 44th Street, where they will see "Joe Turner's Come and Gone."

...They are expected to return to the White House tonight.

Here's how the New York Times reports on this very important story:

The Obamas escaped Washington on Saturday in search of a quintessential New York evening — dinner and a Broadway show.

They found it at Blue Hill, a low-key Greenwich Village restaurant, and at the Belasco Theater near Times Square for a performance of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” the Tony-nominated August Wilson play.

It was the Obamas’ first joint visit to the city as the first couple. And even cooler-than-thou New York allowed itself a bit of excitement over their arrival.

...Along Avenue of the Americas, pedestrians stopped to wave, snap pictures and press against metal barricades as the Obamas’ motorcade zipped by.

...They landed at Kennedy International Airport at 4:45 p.m. and after taking a quick helicopter ride to Lower Manhattan, the presidential motorcade snaked its way up to Blue Hill, a restaurant off Washington Square Park that specializes in cuisine from the Hudson Valley. (It sounded like the choice of Mrs. Obama, who favors local food.)

Hours before the show began, the Secret Service cordoned off the entire block of 44th Street between Avenue of the Americas and Broadway, where the Belasco is located. Outside the theater, as the actors in the play began to trickle in, one of them, Chad L. Coleman, signed autographs and spoke with reporters, wearing a broad smile and an Obama cap.

...The Obamas arrived at the theater in a black stretch limousine just before 8 p.m., but lines at the metal detectors delayed the show more than 45 minutes.

When the Obamas walked down the aisle to take their seats, “it was utter pandemonium,” said Tim Johnson, who was in the audience, and described a scene of shouting, clapping and a long standing ovation.

This is not a date, in my opinion.

It's a public appearance. It's like an official visit, not private time as a couple. It's verging on a campaign appearance.

Although the Times does not report that people were annoyed that the show started 45 minutes late, I think it was an incredible disruption. Obama date night certainly caused an inconvenience in terms of traffic for hours.

The online headline of the story in the Times: "Politics Can Wait: The President Has a Date."

That should be "The Public Can Wait: Obama Has a Date."

Make way for King Obama, the Imperial President, and his Queen!

But hey, during the campaign Obama promised to take Michelle to a Broadway show. That's one campaign promise Obama kept.

So the Obamas' date night in New York is big news, documented by the fawning press.

These date nights are cheesy photo ops.

What's next?

Will the press hang around after the first couple return to the White House?

Will they wait for a "Mission Accomplished" banner to be hung outside the Obamas' private living quarters to signal the end of date night?