So Much For That Energy Conservation

Do as I say, but don't do as I do.

There's a reason that you keep seeing all those politicians and President Obama not wearing jackets in the White House.

He's turned up the heat.

Are you kidding me? What a hypocrite.

The capital flew into a bit of a tizzy when, on his first full day in the White House, President Obama was photographed in the Oval Office without his suit jacket. There was, however, a logical explanation: Mr. Obama, who hates the cold, had cranked up the thermostat.

“He’s from Hawaii, O.K.?” said Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, who occupies the small but strategically located office next door to his boss. “He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there.”

Thus did a rule of the George W. Bush administration — coat and tie in the Oval Office at all times — fall by the wayside, only the first of many signs that a more informal culture is growing up in the White House under new management. Mr. Obama promised to bring change to Washington and he has — not just in substance, but in presidential style.

Right, this wasn't just about style. It was about Obama's comfort. Obama turned up the thermostats at a time when he's busy telling you and me to turn down our thermostats to save money.

What does he care? You're paying for his heating and cooling costs. He's got to be comfortable after all.

And lest you think I'm being a hypocrite myself, I have my thermostat set to drop to 60 degrees at night, and when I'm out of the house. When I am at home, the heat goes up to 66. We manage. We also save quite a bit of money because of insulation I've added to our attic.

Obama's excuse? Obama's flack David Axelrod says he's got to be comfortable like he was in Hawaii? Wait a moment.

Wasn't Obama living and representing the good people from the great state of Illinois? It gets pretty cold in Illinois. Chicago is known as the Windy City. Yet, Obama gets to crank up the heat?

Gotcha.

UPDATE:
Slublog notes that former President Carter at least had the courtesy to wear a sweater when he professed that the nation should conserve energy. Obama isn't even bothering to hide his disdain for everyone in saying do as I say, but not as I do.

Dan Riehl also weighs in.

BTW, I grow orchids in my house, and I don't need it to be 75 degrees for them to survive and thrive. If I kept the house 75 degrees, I'd be wearing shorts all the time.

UPDATE:
Someone needs to toughen up, and it's not just the District of Columbia's schools. Just yesterday, President Obama basically told the DC schools to suck it up and stay open despite the snow. He commented that such snows wouldn't have closed the Chicago schools.

At a meeting in the Roosevelt Room with business leaders to discuss the economy, President Obama asked to make an unrelated comment -- on the weather.

"My children's school was canceled today, because of what? Some ice," Obama said, and all at the table started laughing.

"As my children pointed out, in Chicago school is never canceled," he continued. He said that in their old hometown, "you'd go outside for recess in weather like this. You wouldn't even stay indoors."

The President said he would have to bring "some flinty Chicago toughness" to Washington.

Where's the flinty toughness President Obama? Looks like you're going to wilt unless the heat's turned up. (HT: Mrs. Lawhawk)