Send in the Marines! Obama Beckons for Help Holding Umbrella

Marines Shield Obama from the Rain – But Not from Criticism (Guardian)

In the overheated world of partisan politics, no detail of the president's conduct is too small for dissection, no video frame from his time in the public eye too inconsequential for stern appraisal.

A marine deploying an umbrella to keep the president dry? That definitely qualifies.

A joint press conference Thursday with President Obama and the Turkish prime minister was direly threatened when rain broke out over the Rose Garden, the site of the event.

In a moment of decisive action, the president asked marines with umbrellas to come hold them over him and his guest, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"I am going to go ahead and ask folks, why don’t we get a couple of marines – they’re going to look good next to us," Obama said. "I’ve got a change of suits, but I don’t know about our prime minister.