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Fury Over Warhol White House Ornament

Controversy

The Obamas’ holiday cheer endured a little humbug when the website Big Government chastised the first family’s inclusion of an ornament featuring Andy Warhol’s Mao Zedong on their tree. The Pop artist’s silkscreen, “Mao,” depicting the Chinese communist dictator Marilyn Monroe-ized with make-up, did not sit well with some Republicans, who furiously took to blogs questioning the image. Though the exact source of the ornament in question is unknown, First Lady Michelle Obama explained in a press release that the nearly 800 ornaments on display were left by previous administrations and sent to local community groups to decorate to “pay tribute to a favorite local landmark” and return for the Obamas’ many Christmas trees.

Read it at The Los Angeles Times