President Obama, who has been criticizing House Republicans for risking a tax increase that would cost the average American worker $40 per week, went out and spent $41 on his dog Wednesday.
Mr. Obama went Christmas shopping at the Potomac Yards shopping center in Alexandria shortly after noon, and his first stop was the PetSmart store. With dog Bo in tow, the president purchased two items, one a large bone, and paid $41.
In the feud with congressional Republicans over extending a payroll-tax cut, the White House has been arguing that $40 per week is a make-or-break amount for many struggling families.
Another pet owner in the store said Bo, a Portuguese water dog, appeared to be “sizing up” the owner’s small, brown standard poodle at the checkout counter.
“OK, Bo, don’t get too personal here,” Mr. Obama admonished, holding tightly to Bo’s leash, according to a pool reporter traveling with the president.
Mr. Obama then went to Best Buy to purchase gifts for his daughters, Malia and Sasha. He bought a Wii game called “Just Dance” for the girls.
“The girls beat me every time on these dance games,” he said, “but you’ll never get a picture of me (playing) because I get graded ’F’ every time.”
The president also bought a pair of $50 iTunes gift cards and an unidentified game, paying a total of $194.48.
“Let’s see if my credit card still works,” Mr. Obama said. It did.
The motorcade then traveled to the Del Ray Pizzeria, where the president shook hands and picked up three large pizzas.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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