Super Bowl Sunday

Sunday morning February 1st 2009.

Super Bowl Sunday at the White House

It's Super Bowl Sunday! The Cardinals and Steelers will be battling it out on the field later on in the day as the United States settles who will be the Champion of the season. It is a day filled with junk food like hot-wings, chips, dip, popcorn, burgers and beer. Even the President is getting in on the party.

Today, President Obama will host a Super Bowl party which will include 15 lawmakers. They will descend on the White House television room to watch the game and continue the political fight over the stimulus package that Obama feels is paramount to the success of his Presidency and the nations return to financial fortitude.

5 of the people who have been invited to the White House for this Sundays game are from Pennsylvania, Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. While two of the 15 are from Arizona, home of the Arizona Cardinals. One might wonder how the language will flow as the game progresses if all that are in attendance are true American Football fans.

The Steelers will be represented by a Bi-Partisan group. Perhaps the only bi-partisan assembly that will really work out in this early stage of the Obama Administration, especially after the attempted Republican blockade during the Stimulus vote of this past week while the Republicans voted unanimously against the bill.

Pennsylvania Republican Senator Arlen Specter will be attending. Pennsylvania Democratic Senator Bob Casey is reported to have stated that he's bringing the "terrible towels." Joining in on the Steelers side of the office will be Republican Congressman Charlie Dent and Democratic Congressman Mike Doyle & Patrick Murphy all from Pennsylvania.

The Arizona Cardinals will have representation as well, however it will not include Senator John McCain as one might expect. Reports suggest that though he was invited, McCain declined the invitation to the Super Bowl festivities. Instead the Cardinals will be represented by two Congressmen, Republican Congressman Trent Franks & Democrat Congressman Raul Grijalva. One would think these two could have used the support of Senator McCain and his fellow Arizona Senate colleague Jon Kyl. Both of the Arizona Senators staffers have confirmed that they will not be in attendance.

The remainder of the party goers are a from all over the country, though the allegiance to a team on the grid iron this Super Bowl may not be clear the party affiliations are. Seven more Democrats and just one more Republican will fill the television room. The Democrats are Senator Dick Durbin from Illinois, Congressman Artur Davis from Alabama, Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota, Congressman Paul Hodes from New Hampshire, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton from the Distric of Columbia, and what should come as no surprise Congressman Elijah Cummings from Maryland will also be there. The fourth Republican to be in attendance? Congressman Fred Upton from Michigan.

President Obama has astated that he will be supporting the Steelers, since his team, the Chicago Bears are not in the Super Bowl. Will they be having wings and beer in the White House television room, or will they be using the time to discuss support for the stimulus bill as it moves forward?

Personally I have two teams I follow, One AFC and one NFC. Neither made it this year. Wings and chilli in my house tonight, but no beer this year. It's just not a party if you don't have the Patriots or the Packers in the Super Bowl. But there is always next year.