How the Obamas Are Changing Washington

He's striving to save the country from a second Depression, wind down two foreign wars, and fight climate change, not to mention an outbreak of swine flu. So it wouldn't be a surprise if President Barack Obama skipped Friday-night dates with the first lady or watched the Washington Wizards from his desk.

But just a few months into office, the first couple have left their mark not only on domestic policy and domesticity but on the city beyond their doors. That's in stark contrast to most previous administrations, insiders say—never mind the Bushes, who made their preference for Crawford, Texas, Camp David, Md., Kennebunkport, Maine, or, well, almost anywhere else quite clear to District of Columbia residents. "A Bush sighting at a city landmark was unusual," says Allan J. Lichtman, a presidential historian at American University in Washington. "Obama may have done it more in 60 days than Bush did in his whole first year."

It makes sense that, as city people and former community organizers, the Obamas want to know D.C. Even so, their presence has been notable, given the security and prying eyes they must contend with and the number of other issues on their plates.

Already, the president has cheered courtside as the Chicago Bulls took on the Wizards, attended a dance performance at the Kennedy Center, taken the first lady to the upper-crust Equinox Restaurant, and joined Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty at the down-home Ben's Chili Bowl. Along the way, he has dealt with questions on every move he makes. (On the significance of going to Ben's: "It means I'm going to get a hot dog.") Still, with the demands of the job, says Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest, Obama doesn't have many opportunities to connect with the community. So the Obamas have brought the city to them, inviting locals to a town hall on the economy, dinner with celebrities, a cappella in the East Room, and planting a garden.

Michelle, however, has been the real force in Washington. She has visited schools and soup kitchens to spread her message of personal responsibility. She has hugged a pile of preschoolers, dished out mushroom risotto to the homeless, and reciprocated to declarations of affection at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, responding to her audience's "We love you!" with "I love you, too!" She's also added a touch of whimsy to the White House, whether by having the fountains dyed green on St. Patrick's Day or by taking her staff to lunch at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a chain best known for food that turns takeaway bags translucent with grease. "That was her stated goal, when she came into the White House: to make it more a part of the people's lives," says Letitia Baldrige, White House social secretary to Jacqueline Kennedy. "She's doing a brilliant job."

Engaging. Elizabeth Carballo, 16, agrees. Going to her local community center for homework help, the D.C. native found she was in for a surprise visit from the first lady. Afterward, Carballo was one of three teenagers picked to accompany Michelle to the Capitol to hear the president's address to Congress. The Obamas' effort to engage has helped change how she and her peers view government, Carballo says. "Before that, I don't think that people really cared who the president was or what he was doing," she says. "Now I can hear my classmates, and they're actually discussing politics."

Some of the Obamas' motivation may be strategic, stemming from their desire to be known for an agenda that includes everything from encouraging healthful eating to education or to soften the president's cerebral image. But, experts say, at the end of the day, the Obamas don't need much more political capital from the capital.

According to Michelle, the motivation is simple. "We were taught you have to get to know your community you're in," she told Carballo and the others at Mary's Center. "D.C. is our community now, and it's our home." And if residents' excitement over the spot-the-Obamas game is any indication, it's a home that they're happy to share.

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