President buys books during early Christmas shopping outing...To support "Small Business Saturday," President Obama this morning did some Christmas shopping, browsing the literary offerings at Washington, DC's Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, accompanied by daughters Malia and Sasha. The popular bookstore and cafe, located in Dupont Circle, has been open since 1976.
"You doing some Christmas shopping? Not yet?" President Obama asked a boy named Alexander, whom he greeted by the bakery case (above, as Malia and Sasha look on).
"Well, we're starting early. This is Small Business Saturday. So we're out here supporting small business."
Father and daughters browsed the travel/writing section for a while, and left with an armload of childrens' books, but not before the President shook hands and chatted with fellow patrons. (Above: Browsing the stacks)The event to encourage support of independently owned businesses was sponsored by some very large corporations: American Express, FedEx, Google, and Facebook, among others. Small businesses create one in three jobs in America, according to the Administration. The President arrived at 11:36 AM, and spent about 20 minutes with his daughters at the store.
The President began his Saturday with a rousing game of hoops in the gym at Ft. McNair, joined by personal aide Reggie Love, who will depart the White House by the end of the year.
"We're sad to see Reggie go," President Obama told his press pool, when queried. "But he's doing the right thing. He's going to finish his education and as you can see we're still getting a little basketball in."
The Presidential book purchases, according to the White House:
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - by Brian Selnick
Diary of a Whimpy Kid Cabin Fever - by Jeff Kinney
Tails - by Matthew Van Fleet
Descent into Chaos - by Ahmed Rashid
The Tiger's Wife - by Tea Obreht
The Phantom Tollbooth - by Norton Juster
The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao - by Junot Diaz
Zen Shorts - by Jon Muth
The President's motorcade was back at the White House by 11:57 AM. In the afternoon, the First Family traveled to Towson University, to watch First Brother-in-Law Craig Robinson's Oregon State Beavers trump the Towson Tigers 66-46, in a hoops match up.
Info: Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe is at 1517 Conn. Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Phone: (202) 387-1400.
*Top photo by Pete Souza/White House; second by AP/pool