Michelle Obama to Welcome Gloria Estefan, Jose Feliciano, George Lopez to White House
Lynn Sweet
Correspondent
Posted:
10/12/09
After all the excitement of First Lady Michelle Obama hitting Copenhagen to promote Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid -- Chicago came in last, you've surely heard by now -- Mrs. Obama is settling back into her more measured low profile routine.
She has three public events on her schedule so far for the week ahead -- talking about healthy eating at the Department of Health and Human Services, hosting the White House's first Hispanic music night with lots of stars (keep reading for the names) and then heading to Miami to speak at Miami Dade College.
On Tuesday afternoon, President Obama meets with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero at the White House.
(I digress: Zapatero's reaction to Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize: It is an "encouragement and endorsement" for Obama to achieve "conquests of peace.")
While the president is with Spain's leader, Mrs. Obama heads over to HHS to "continue to discuss the importance of healthy eating and good nutrition for children."
(Another digression: Obama last week tapped a few of his Cabinet secretaries and several House members to play basketball at the White House. No women were included. Now, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius played college basketball when she was at Trinity (class of 1970) in Washington. Last week, Sebelius was asked by Jay Leno who would win a game of Horse if she played with Obama. "You know, I actually made my college basketball team. I'm not sure he did, so, you know, bring it on. Give me your best shot," she said. End of digression.)
On Tuesday night the Obamas attend the final in a series of music events at the White House with a program called "In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina," a concert on the South Lawn celebrating Hispanic musical heritage.
Fiesta Latina follows White House jazz and country shows. This one will be televised on Oct. 15 as part of WETA in Washington's "In Performance at the White House" series. Other show times: Oct. 18 on Telemundo and Dec. 25 on V-me.
Stars in the show: Marc Anthony, Jimmy Smits, Pete Escovedo, Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, George Lopez, Thalía, Tito "El Bambino," the Bachata music group Aventura, and the Chicano rock band Los Lobos, with Sheila E. leading the house band.
It will all be streamed live on www.WhiteHouse.gov.
On Thursday, Mrs. Obama keynotes a program in Miami giving awards to community service activists, an event right up her thematic alley.
While I'm at it, here's the president's week ahead, from the White House:
"On Wednesday morning, the President will meet with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the afternoon, the President will sign an executive order regarding the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In the evening, the President will attend a fundraiser for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.
"On Thursday, the President will travel to New Orleans, where he will make two stops, including a town hall open to the public. He will then travel to San Francisco, where he will attend a DNC fundraiser.
"On Friday, the President will travel from San Francisco to College Station, Texas, where he will attend a Presidential Forum on community service hosted by former President George H.W. Bush and the Points of Light Institute at the George Bush Presidential Library Center on the campus of Texas A&M University. The President will return to the White House that night.
