‘The Bear Is Loose’ : Barack Obama Goes out and About

“The bear is loose!” Those were President Barack Obama’s words last week as he ditched his motorcade and left the White House on foot.

Tourists near the White House never expected to see the president in person on a spring afternoon. One woman squealed with delight. Another suggested that Wednesday’s sighting might be an impostor.

“We can shake hands. I won’t bite,” Obama said as he ushered them over, despite being flanked by burly Secret Service agents.

Obama’s busy day included meeting with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki in the morning amid an investigation of veterans hospitals across the country, and honoring the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks at a White House ceremony in the afternoon.

In the past, Obama has walked through Lafayette Square adjacent to the White House to attend church services with his family. During the partial government shutdown in October, he walked to a sandwich shop on Pennsylvania Avenue that was offering discounts to furloughed federal employees.

But typically the president rides in a heavily guarded motorcade to wherever he’s going.

Agencies/Canadajournal