Weekend: more important decisions
Updated on 15 December 2008
Weekend, Fri 12 - Sun 14 December 2008: more team appointments and a tricky tree selection.
Another weekend, another YouTube address on the change.gov website. This time the video doubles up with president-elect Obama's weekly Democratic radio address.
But Obama did deviate from his set pieces this weekend. He abandoned the regular press conference to announce an appointment, favouring the weekly address to name Shaun Donovan as secretary of housing and urban development.
"To end this economic crisis, we must end the mortgage crisis where it began," Obama stated. "One in ten families who owns a home is now in some form of distress, the most ever recorded. This is deeply troubling. It not only shakes the foundation of our economy, but the foundation of the American Dream."
"Shaun will bring to this important post fresh thinking, unencumbered by old ideology and outdated ideas," he said of the man who, like many others on the Obama team, previously served in the Clinton administration.
"He knows that we can put the dream of owning a home within reach for more families, so long as we're making loans in the right way, and so long as those who buy a home are prepared for the responsibilities of homeownership."
Barack Obama waves after buying a Christmas tree.
Obama had another important task for the weekend - choosing a Christmas tree with his daughters. He and his two girls went to pick their tree on Sunday, with a crowd gathering across the road to witness the event.
As the family left (without the tree that will be delivered to their house a few blocks away) Obama waved, saying "Merry Christmas everybody".
Finally, preparations are underway at the Washington Post to produce a keepsake Inauguration Day issue. The newspaper is offering it's readers the chance to place a personal message to the soon-to-be- president which will be printed in the Classifieds section.
So how much will this rare opportunity cost? Messages can be published from "as low as $10", declares the website.
