White House Xmas decor featuring Mao, drag queen invites criticism - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The official White House Christmas Tree, which features controversial ornaments including an orb depicting former Chinese leader Mao Zedong and another showing drag queen Hedda Lettuce, has invited widespread criticism. The 18-and-a-half-foot Douglas Fir tree is said to be environmentally friendly, using recycled ornaments, energy-saving LED lights and an organic tree skirt. Noting some of the tree's more provocative baubles, Mike Flynn, editor of BigGovernment.com, which first broke news of the controversial ornaments: "Can we have one aspect of this White House that isn't trying to make a political statement?" Azaria Jagger, a blogger, said: "[D]oes it really make sense to put a tyrannical communist leader's visage on the American president's Christmas tree? On the other hand, an ornament that shellacks [Obama's] face onto Mount Rushmore is just tacky. It's in the guy's living room, for crying out loud." Watchdog group Media Matters went on the counterattack, calling the controversy "the right-wing's White House Christmas tree freak-out." And drag queen Hedda Lettuce chimed in that she is proud to have her portrait hanging in the White House, even if it's just temporary: Designer Simon Doonan, who was in charge of organizing Christmas decorations at the White House, did not respond to calls for comment. Neither did the White House.