Democratic politicos are miffed at Obama for killing DC's party scene



Democratic politicos living and working in the nation's capital are reportedly disgruntled following the fallout from former President Barack Obama's extravagant 60th birthday celebration — but not because the event may have caused a COVID outbreak.

No, they're irked because the backlash over the Aug. 7 bash has supposedly killed Washington, D.C.'s party scene.

"The bashing of the bash is having a chilling effect on the D.C. party scene as (especially Democratic) pols and their staffers scramble to figure out when and where — or even if — they can party again," Politico reported Friday.

The bashing of former President BARACK OBAMA'S birthday bash is having a chilling effect on the D.C. party scene as… https://t.co/3cEUydL4IS

— POLITICO Playbook (@playbookdc) 1629455618.0

Obama's lavish Martha's Vineyard event, originally slated to host more than 700 people, was "significantly scaled back" before launch two weeks ago after the former president was grilled for hosting a massive party amid a coronavirus surge. But critics pounced on Obama once again after it was revealed that his downsized party wasn't so downsized, after all.

And for good reason. It just so happened that the coronavirus numbers shot up in the area one week following the bash. Two weeks later, Martha's Vineyard Hospital was reportedly "bursting at the seams" while also seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases.

The backlash and unfortunate result has apparently made Democratic party-throwers in D.C. think twice before hosting their own shindigs.

"What we could do six weeks ago, we can't do now," Democratic strategist and Biden presidential campaign alum Adrienne Elrod lamented. "We have to be so cognizant because Republicans are looking for any reason to call us hypocrites or to call us liars."

"Who wants to throw a party right now when Obama hired a doctor to make sure everyone's vaccinated and passes a COVID test and he still gets shamed for it?" John Arundel, former associate publisher of Washington Life magazine, added.

"There's a stigma to throwing any kind of event," he said. "The optics of throwing the party or being at the party, it can be chilling."

Politico noted, "Just weeks ago, D.C. looked like it was back." But now some big events have been put on ice:

The French, Italian and British embassies marked the return to life by opening their residences to hundreds of guests with Champagne and oysters. The Hill's editor at large Steve Clemons, lobbyist Heather Podesta and French Ambassador Philippe Étienne were planning to host another lavish party at the French ambassador's residence in September, but they've decided to push it back to November. The U.K. embassy is holding smaller events in September.

Some are trudging ahead, albeit carefully.

Event planner Kimberly Stroud told the outlet she is still planning to put on multiple 200-300 guest galas in the fall — including a film festival gala to honor House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn(D-S.C.) and the Halcyon Awards gala — but with extra precautions such as proof of vaccination and social distancing.

"We're not footloose and fancy-free yet," Stroud noted.

Martha's Vineyard Hospital claims it is 'bursting at the seams' along with 'highest amount' of COVID — 2 weeks after Obama's birthday bash



A surge in COVID-19 cases is reportedly wreaking havoc on Martha's Vineyard two weeks after former President Barack Obama hosted an extravagant birthday celebration on the island.

To this point, health officials have not made a connection between the 60th birthday bash and the outbreak, but the timing is hard to ignore.

What are the details?

The Virginia Gazette reported this week that Martha's Vineyard Hospital's emergency room is "jam-packed" and that the health facility grapples with its largest number of COVID-19 patients since the start of the pandemic.

During a press briefing Wednesday, hospital officials said that three patients are currently hospitalized with the virus and a fourth patient is being monitored for COVID-like symptoms, with one of those patients reportedly in serious condition. A fifth COVID-19 patient had to be critically airlifted to Boston last week.

"This is the highest amount of COVID-positive patient activity that we've had since the onset of the pandemic," the head of hospital operations and chief nurse, Clair Seguin, said.

The hospital's president and CEO, Denise Schepici, added that the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases has come at an already busy time for the facility.

"We're bursting at the seams," she said. "We're hoping there will be a reprieve in September. But that's a prayer right now."

She added that the hospital has resorted to urging residents not to come to the facility for treatment unless they are feeling "really, really sick" and believe the issue to be "an emergency."

What's the background?

The increase in hospitalizations follows a dramatic uptick in COVID-19 cases in the area over the past couple of weeks. Dukes County, where Martha's Vineyard is located, recorded a 1,350% increase in new cases last week.

Amid the spike in new infections, however, Janet Hathaway, assistant to the Edgartown Board of Health, said "it's too early to tell" whether Obama's party is the culprit.

Following mounting criticism ahead of the party, the Obamas announced that they would "significantly scale down" the celebration, which was originally slated to include 500 guests and more than 200 staff.

However, photos of the supposedly downsized party still showed massive tents constructed to house a lineup of celebrity guests on the Obamas' vast multimillion-dollar waterfront estate.

Obama's version of "family and close friends" still included a star-studded cast of guests such as Beyonce, Jay-Z, Eddie Vedder, Tom Hanks, and musician Questlove. Don Cheadle, Dwayne Wade, Stephen Colbert, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, and others were also reportedly present for the shindig. Presidential climate envoy John Kerry even rolled up to the party in his private jet.

Several social media posts showed a maskless Obama and other guests enjoying themselves at the party until its conclusion at around midnight.

A local police officer allegedly said the band of celebrities leaving caused a traffic "s***show."

Martha's Vineyard records COVID spike after Obama's birthday party, but officials caution connection — at least for now



Martha's Vineyard is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases one week removed from former President Barack Obama's extravagant 60th birthday bash, which took place on the island last Saturday.

But health officials on the island are urging caution in making a connection between the party and spike — at least for now.

What are the details?

According to the Daily Mail, at least 74 people have tested positive for COVID-19 on Martha's Vineyard since Obama's birthday party. The figure is the largest weekly total of cases on the island since April.

Prior to Friday's report from the Daily Mail, health officials had reported 54 new COVID-19 cases, the Vineyard Gazette reported.

The New York Times' COVID-19 dashboard reported that cases in Dukes County, where Martha's Vineyard is located, "increased recently and are extremely high." In fact, the dashboard reports that cases have increased 1,350% over the past two weeks, the majority of which happened over the last week.

Obama's birthday bash, which took place at his sprawling Martha's Vineyard estate, featured celebrity guests — most of whom were maskless — that traveled to the small island from all over the country.

What did health officials say?

Janet Hathaway, assistant to the Edgartown Board of Health, told the Boston Herald "it's too early to tell" whether the spike is connected to Obama's party and the mass of celebrities that traveled to the island for the extravaganza.

"We've seen an uptick of the virus since the first week in August," Hathaway explained. "There's also been a huge run on over-the-counter [COVID] tests."

Martha's Vineyard Hospital spokeswoman Marissa Lefebvre told the Herald the island's hospital also has experienced a surge in people coming to them for COVID-19 tests, but agreed it remains too early to determine the cause of the spike.

Whether the COVID surge is related to Obama's party will likely be determined next week after health officials pour over data from the spike in cases this week.

Meanwhile, Maura Valley, a health agent in the town of Tisbury, dismissed a connection between the spike and Obama's party before acknowledging contract-tracing remains unfinished.

"At this time we're not aware of any cases connected to the Obama party," Valley told the Daily Mail. "It's a little too early and the only way we're going to know is through comprehensive contact tracing."

Media Ignores Obama's Birthday Party

Media Ignores Obama's Birthday Party

CNN guest suggests Obama's birthday party justified in spite of COVID because attendees were 'sophisticated' and 'vaccinated'



A New York Times reporter sparked a firestorm of backlash over the weekend after relaying sentiment that justified former President Barack Obama's grandiose 60th birthday party.

The star-studded crowd — which included famous actors, musicians, media personalities, and politicians from all across the country — were seen partying around Obama's Martha's Vineyard estate without wearing face masks. Obama himself was pictured without wearing a face covering.

What did the reporter say?

While Democrats advocate for mask and vaccine mandates, New York Times White House correspondent Annie Karni seemingly justified the mass gathering of Obama's birthday party by relaying the sentiment of some Martha's Vineyard residents.

"They're following all the safety precautions. People are going to sporting events that are bigger than this," Karni said, repeating some island residents. "This is a sophisticated, vaccinated crowd."

Speaking about criticism of the party, Karni added, "This is just about optics. It's not about safety."

"a sophisticated, vaccinated crowd" https://t.co/qzh3glcQTQ

— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) 1628381147.0

Earlier in the interview, Karni explained the COVID-related precautions that Obama's staff took — and requiring guests to be vaccinated was not one of them.

"Well, first of all, to be clear, this party is outdoors. All the guests had to submit negative COVID tests to a COVID coordinator and were encouraged to be vaccinated," Karni said.

"They were not required to be vaccinated, but most of this crowd is assumed to be vaccinate," she added. "So they are following all CDC precautions."

What was the reaction?

The sentiment that Karni relayed was quickly called out for its elitist stench that suggests "sophisticated" people can live by different rules than non-sophisticated people.

  • "It's important to note that the latest research in virology proves that sophisticated progressive people are protected against COVID via a BS-13 enzyme. Not to be confused with Noble members of MS-13," reporter Gad Saad mocked.
  • "Oh that explains it. As long as you are rich and sophisticated, you are safe from Covid. All the rest of us lower level citizens must practice social distancing," one person reacted.
  • "A NYT reporter on CNN justifying Obama's huge maskless birthday bash because he only invited 'a sophisticated, vaccinated crowd' is about as emblematic of liberal discourse as it gets.What happened to all the concerns about vaccinated people passing Delta to the unvaccinated?" Glenn Greenwald said. "Yes, it's a pandemic and a crisis, but let the sophisticated people have their fun!"
  • "A case study in media elitism, in one telling segment, with the very worst of journalism in the 'objective' Jim Acosta running the performance art," media reporter Joe Concha reacted.
  • "With distinct notes of vanilla, elderberry, and aged hickory," Washington Examiner editor Seth Mandel mocked.
  • "Everyone knows COVID doesn't affect people who sip wine with their pinkies out," another person mocked.
  • "Notice how she pivoted to 'they're following the rules' to 'there are people doing much worse at sports events anyway'. So which is it? Are they all rule breakers, or none are?" one person pointed out.
  • "That's it right there, the quiet part out loud: 'We are better than some other people, we are sophisticated, we are educated, we can break the rules,'" another person said.

Martha's Vineyard has been designated as an area with "high" transmission of COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which theoretically means residents should wear face masks indoors and avoid large gatherings.

Internet reactions to photos of Obama's supposed 'scaled back' birthday bash boasting massive tents for celebrities: 'Do you feel like a peasant yet?'



Former President Barack Obama is throwing a huge birthday party for himself at his opulent $12 million waterfront mansion on Martha's Vineyard on Saturday. The birthday bash was originally supposed to include nearly 500 guests and more than 200 staff, but the celebration was "significantly scaled back" to include "only family and close friends" due to criticism over holding a social gathering of that size during a surge in COVID-19 infections.

However, photos emerged of massive tents constructed specifically for the birthday party on Obama's 29-acre estate. There were also images of celebrities arriving at Martha's Vineyard to attend the festivities. The internet was quick to point out that the preparations for the party looked anything other than "scaled back."

Several celebrities were reportedly invited and then uninvited, including late-night talk show hosts David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" actor Larry David, and David Axelrod, chief strategist for Obama's presidential campaigns, according to the New York Times.

The celebrities who did make the cut include Beyonce, Jay-Z, Eddie Vedder, Tom Hanks, and musician Questlove, who reportedly coordinated a meat-free menu for the party. "Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay had pulled out of the party earlier because of concerns over the Delta variant," the Times reported. Steven Spielberg, Bruce Springsteen, and George Clooney were reportedly on the original guest list, according to the New York Post. There were no reports of Obama's "bro" and former vice president Joe Biden attending the birthday party.

The New York Times added that the attendees of the party would be a "mostly vaccinated crowd," but "all of whom had to submit negative tests to gain entry to the property."

The party had been planned for months, and "the former president had baseball caps made for the occasion that read '44 at 60.'"

The Daily Mail released photos of massive tents on the Obamas' grandiose grounds. The outlet also published photos of celebrities arriving at the wealthy Massachusetts enclave for Obama's 60th birthday party, including Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Dwayne Wade, Gabriel Union, Don Cheadle, and Stephen Colbert. Biden's climate czar, John Kerry, was seen in photos taking a private jet to Martha's Vineyard.

EXCLUSIVE: Obama's 60th birthday bash looks anything but intimate as huge tents are erected on his $12M Martha's Vi… https://t.co/JfLmqD7Wzh

— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) 1628297308.0


JUST IN - Massive tents are erected ahead of Obama's 60th "scaled back" birthday bash on Martha's Vineyard.… https://t.co/DqlIoG3qBQ

— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) 1628339097.0


“Scaled Back” https://t.co/wvSLvGM1We

— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) 1628298626.0

The internet reactions to Obama's swanky and seemingly over-the-top birthday party complete with circus-like tents were delivered fast and furious.

  • "Do what we say, not what we do."
  • "The hypocrisy is the point."
  • "These are the people calling you selfish if you don't want to close your small business."
  • "Do you feel like a peasant yet?"
  • "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."
  • "The virus so deadly the elites risk their lives for a birthday party!"
  • "Look, news outlets raised cane when @POTUS45 held events at his compound in Florida during the pandemic. Now. @BarackObama celebrating his 60th with a tent larger than a lot of homes. It's just the news cycle. Stay healthy."

This is the tent for Obama’s “scaled back” birthday party where only close friends & family were said to attend. In… https://t.co/hUlhc3ePdB

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) 1628349304.0