Ray’s Hell Burgers… Obama & Russian Prez Medvedev Go to Lunch (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on June 24, 2010
Ray's Hell Burgers for lunch... Obama and Russian Pres. Medvedev
When the news just isn’t news… wonder how that oil spill evacuation in Tampa Bay, Florida is going, Mr. President? Got that hole plugged?
This is the second “news” story about Pres. Obama having lunch at Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia.
Today POTUS ate with visiting Russian Pres. Dmitry Medvedev. Last May, it was with Vice Pres. Joe Biden.
They’re calling it a “hamburger summit.” Simply adorable.
From Washington Post, Obama, Medvedev chow down at Ray’s Hell Burger:
President Obama treated Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to a traditional American lunch at the Arlington eatery Thursday before returning to the White House for a joint news conference.
Obama ate a traditional cheeseburger, while Medvedev added jalepenos, mushrooms and onions to his. The pair shared an order of fries, according to the White House. No word on which superpower paid for the meal. (Update, 1:47 p.m.: It was Obama’s treat.)
Both sat, scrunched in at the tiny table in shirtsleeves, while the packed-in patrons gawked. There was much cheering when the pair came out.
It may not be the most glamorous location for a visiting head of state, but Obama clearly has a thing for the burger joint.
In May of last year, Obama and vice president Joe Biden stole away for a similar mid-day lunch, prompting a similar amount of restaurant chaos and forever making it even harder to get a table at the Virginia establishment.
Medvedev is in town for one-on-one meetings with Obama before the two head up to Canada for the meeting of the G20 nations.
Two videos made by patrons using their cell phones… the one with the motorcade departing in the second video is mind-boggling. As is the schoolgirl-esque cheering.
Shudder.
All this for a burger… how much does such a motorcade cost taxpayers, one wonders.
Obama leaving Ray’s Hell Burger – Arlington, VA 6/24/10
Motorcade w/ Presidents Obama and Medvedev depart from Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington, VA – 6/24/10
From CSMonitor, Ray’s Hell Burger: Obama and Medvedev have ‘historic’ hamburger summit:
President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev took a break from bilateral meetings at the White House on Thursday to make a burger run.
Traveling by motorcade, the two presidents ventured to Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington, Va., a popular hamburger joint just outside the nation’s capital. Obama ate there last year with Vice President Joe Biden.
A cheer went up from customers when the presidents walked in.
During their meal, Obama and Medvedev sat at a table with their interpreters, sharing a conversation through them.
The U.S. president had a cheeseburger with cheddar cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato and pickles. His Russian counterpart had a cheeseburger with cheddar, onion, jalapenos and mushrooms. Obama drank ice tea, Medvedev sipped a Coke, and they split fries.
Both leaders were in a shirt sleeves on a sweltering summer day. Other customers were seen enjoying their own meals and largely leaving the presidents alone.
From WhiteHouse.gov, 'Photo of the Day': Pres. Obama and Pres. Medvedev of Russia talk as they wait for their burger lunches at Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, VA, June 24, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
From Greensboro News-Record.com, I’ll be right back. I’m going to Hell for a burger:
If it’s good enough for President Obama to take his new buddy, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, then I’m gonna make a beeline for Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia. Turns out Medvedev took the name of the place to heart, too and went for the jalpenos on his burger. Nice!
From HULIQ, Which President Paid Today at Ray’s Hell Burger:
Presidents Barack Obama and and Dmitri Medvedev had a lunch at Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington where they showed up impromptu. Medvedev, who got on Twitter yesterday, tweeted about it and shared some pictures.
[...]
The question is who paid for the Burger?
Just about 15 minutes ago President Medvedev tweeted writing “Haven’t had a burger in a while. Lunch with Obama at Ray’s Hell Burger” and share some pictures from the lunch with Obama at Ray’s Hell Burger that can be found on Kremlin’s official website.
Washington area fast food restaurants are used to see either the Obama family or foreign heads of state stopping by unannounced and having some breakfast or lunch. Recently French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife visited Ben’s Chili Bowl during their last visit in Washington D.C. Before that Obama family had visited the place. According to Guardian “when Obama himself did visit, before his presidential inauguration in 2009, he paid in full.”
In May of 2009 the president also ate a burger at Ray’s Hell Burger. Each time one D.C. area small fast food restaurant gets such a high profile PR. Today is the turn of Ray’s Hell Burger. And the Facebook popularity of this fast food place is skyrocketing. At the time of writing this story Ray’s Hell Burger had 2320 fans and it’s rising.
VP Biden and POTUS at Ray's Hell Burger last year - gotta love that bizarre movie poster on the wall behind Biden of the 1960s B-flick 'Mantis in Lace' about a topless dancer who kills her seducers with garden tools... so many jokes, so little time
Previous burger reading:
Doug Powers, Michelle Malkin: Town hall time for Obama and ‘the mob’
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Michelle-O’s “Cheeseburger Paradise” Binges Off Limits Now to Cameras… Let The Masses Eat Arugula! and Damage-Control ‘Obama Food in the News’ Week: ‘Obama Date Time’ & ‘Joey & Barry Go Out for Burgers’ and We’re Confiscating That Burger! Obama Administration Wants to Control Americans Eating Meat?
Tim Slagle, Big Government: EPA’s Next Priority: Meat Control?
Huffington Post: Michelle Obama And Staff Go For Burgers
The Powers That Be: Michelle Obama Can Haz Cheezburger, But You Can No Haz Camera While She Eats It
Michelle Malkin: And now for some hard-hitting reporting on Michelle Obama and No snitching on Michelle Obama allowed!
Fire Andrea Mitchell!: No photos of Michelle Obama allowed!
Maggie’s Farm: Obama Blubbers Another One (UPDATED)
Obama Foodorama: On Larry King Live, Meat Safety In The Obama Era Gets Ground Up In Other Issues
Washington Post: President Obama, Burger Guy
ABC News: Brain Food: Bill Clinton Chows on Double Burger, Onion Rings, French Fries, Milkshake on Eve of Obesity Conference
Track-A-’Crat: Warning: Stay Out Of Eating Range
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