Anti-egging insurance: White House adds more candy to bags that contain Presidential M&Ms and cookies...His wife may be running a national healthy eating campaign, but President Obama wanted more candy in this year's White House Halloween treat bags. On national television, the President declared that "the White House is going to get egged" thanks to the First Lady's insistence on including dried fruit in goody bags. He suggested that it would be a good idea to "put in a couple Reese's Pieces or something." The President got his wish on Saturday: Reese's candy was included in the treat bags that he and Mrs. Obama handed out during a snowy early Halloween celebration. But the White House didn't mention the extra candy on Friday, as it announced the contents of the Presidential treat bags in a media advisory. (Above: The President holds a basket filled with the treat bags; the Reese's candy is visible)
Standing in the White House driveway, President Obama commented on the presence of the Reese's candy as he handed out treats alongside Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses, the man in charge of the goody bags.
"I notice you got the Reese's in there," the President said.
"We listen to what you say," Yosses responded. The chef was costumed as a giant red chili pepper for the event, in homage to Mrs. Obama's South Lawn vegetable garden.
On Friday, in its media advis
ory, the White House said that this year's treat bags would be the same as in 2009 and 2010, and include a box of White House M&Ms with the Presidential seal, a White House Sweet Dough Butter Cookie, and a scoop of a dried fruit mix. The thousands of costumed kids who filled the North Lawn all got those treats--and the extra dose of sugar with the Reese's candy. (Above: A photo of this year's treat bags before the Reese's candy was added)The President's exchange about the treats with Yosses is captured in this AP video:
it was during an appearance on The Tonight Show that the President complained about his wife's campaign:
"Halloween's coming up, and she's been giving--for the last few years--the kids--fruit and raisins in their bags," President Obama told host Jay Leno. "And I said 'the White House is going to get egged if this keeps up. You need to throw some candy in there...Put in a couple Reese's Pieces or something.'"
A White House video released on Friday of the treat bags being assembled in the pastry shop shows the ready-to-go treat bags with no Reese's candy. The segment begins at 1:06:
The First Lady sent out a tweet about the private party for military families inside the White House after the trick-or-treating, and she also offered some treat advice for parents: Confiscate the candy.
Related: CLICK HERE for a post about the 2009 Obama Halloween Celebration; CLICK HERE for a post about the 2010 Obama Halloween Celebration.