White House Christmas Decorations? Yes. White House Christmas Card? No.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Republican lawmaker with a mission to save Christmas is aiming his latest salvo at President and first lady Obama, who've followed in a recent tradition to eliminate the mention of Christmas in the White House holiday cards.
The card selected by the Obamas announces: "Season's Greetings." Inside, it reads: "May your family have a joyous holiday season and a new year blessed with hope and happiness."
But Rep. Henry Brown, R-S.C., said abandoning Christmas at Christmas is just plain wrong. On Tuesday, he introduced a resolution calling for the protection of the sanctity of Christmas. So far, 44 lawmakers, Democrat and Republican, have co-signed the bill.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I believe that sending a Christmas card without referencing a holiday and its purpose limits the Christmas celebration in favor of a more 'politically correct' holiday," Brown told Fox News Radio on Thursday.
"This kind of reproach is exactly what my Christmas resolution, introduced to the House of Representatives earlier this week, is against as the resolution expresses support for the use of Christmas symbols and traditions and disapproval of all attempts to ban or limit references to Christmas," he added.
Presidents have been sending holiday cards since 1953. The White House told Fox News Radio that the Obamas are celebrating Christmas this year but they recognize that other Americans are celebrating other holidays this time of year and their holiday card reflects that idea.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The president is not breaking new ground. In 2008, President George W. Bush's card made no reference to Christmas. However, the president did include a passage from the New Testament, Matthew 5:16.
"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan said the White House card aims to be inclusive.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Like previous administrations, including President George W. Bush's, their holiday card offers the season's greetings to everyone who receives it," he said.
Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State added that it's unfair to target the president for not offering Christmas-specific greetings.
"People who somehow think Barack Obama is part of the so-called 'War against Christmas' ought to realize that for the past few years it was George Bush leading the charge against it," Lynn said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It makes perfectly good sense for a president of all the people, all the 2,000 different religions and the 20 million non-believers in this country, to send out a card that says this is a good, happy time of year but without referring to any one specific religion."
The Obamas' Christmas card was paid for and distributed by the DNC -- and the cards are now in the mail.