figs and dates and grapes and cakes

David Remnick wrote "notes-on-the-second-inaugural" in The New Yorker:

-------------- [excerpt] ------------ The conventional wisdom in much of élite Washington and beyond is that Barack Obama, for all his intelligence and political skill, cannot make a political deal because he is a loner, a snob, and a reluctant host.  It's as if the country has such trouble making progress on a range of issues because the President isn't big on inviting the Republicans over to the White House for a jackets-off, sleeves-up night of gin rummy, bourbon, and branch water. 

"He never goes out."
"He doesn't romance the opposition."
"He's not like Bill Clinton, who could make a deal with an enemy like Newt Gingrich."

...As Rick Klein at ABC News points out, Obama's social reluctance is largely a myth.  The Speaker of the House, John Boehner, has been invited to six formal state dinners -- every one the Obamas have thrown so far.  The Speaker has turned down every invitation.

Last year, the White House held a reception for new members of Congress; only twenty-seven out of eighty-seven new Republican House members bestirred themselves to attend.

Last month, Obama invited a small group of Congressional leaders to the White House to watch "Lincoln," Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner's remarkable portrait of a founder of the Republican Party.  G.O.P. chiefs Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spurned the invitation.

...In his last press conference of the first term, in the East Room of the WH, Obama replied to a reporter's question about his sociability with a wry turn:  "I'm a pretty friendly guy.  And I like a good party....I promise you we invite folks from Congress over here all the time.  And when they choose to come, I enjoy their company.  Sometimes they don't choose to come...."  Come on-a my house my house, I'm gonna give you candy
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm gonna give-a-you
Apple a plum and apricot-a too eh
Come on-a my house, my house-a come on

Come on-a my house, my house a come on
Come on-a my house, my house I'm gonna give-a-you
Figs and dates and grapes and cakes eh
Come on-a my house, my house a come on
Come on-a my house, my house-a-come on
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm gonna give you candy
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm gonna give you everything...

{written, Ross Bagdasarian and William Saroyan; a 1951 pop hit, singer Rosemary Clooney; melody based on an Armenian folk song}

[Remnick article, continued]-------------- The President allowed that the future may bring new opportunity:  "The thing is, now that my girls are getting older, they don't want to spend that much time with me anyway...so I'll be probably calling around, looking for somebody to play cards with me or something, because I'm getting kind of lonely in this big house.  So maybe a whole bunch of members of the House Republican caucus want to come over and socialize more." 

Come on-a my house my house, I'm gonna give you Christmas tree
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm gonna give you
Marriage ring and a pomegranate too ah
Come on-a my house, my house a come on
Come on-a my house, my house a come on

Come on-a my house, my house I'm gonna give-a-you
Peach and pear and I love your hair ah
Come on-a my house, my house a come on
Come on-a my house, my house a come on
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm gonna give you Easta-egg
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm gonna give you
Everything - everything - everything

SPOKEN:  Come on-a my house-a !

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