Obama: Whitney Houston's Passing A Tragedy, Thoughts And Prayers To Her Family

WASHINGTON — The White House says President Barack Obama's thoughts and prayers are with Whitney Houston's family, especially her daughter.

Press secretary Jay Carney says it's hard not to be an admirer of the singer's "immense talent." And, he says it's a tragedy to lose somebody so talented at such a young age.

Carney said he wasn't sure if Obama and Houston ever had met.

The 48-year-old singer died Saturday.

Comments

[rewith85man]

12:33 AM on 02/21/2012

Of course, he is right. Praise #Obama and others for celebrating the life of #WhitneyHouston.

[Jackie Gill]

12:16 AM on 02/15/2012

If Obama says something it is criticized. If he doesn't it is criticized. If he says something about Whitney, but not Michael, or not every other dead celebrity, it is offensive. There is no way the man can win. He said it is sad and sent thoughts and prayers to the family - nothing wrong with that. Whitney and Michael both got more coverage than Farah or Elizabeth Taylor because Whitney and Michael were still relatively young and it was not expected - no big conspiracy there and no reason to whine that all celebrities were not treated equally. Besides that, I am not sure why the White House should even be expected to care either way. For some reason the life and death of ridiculous celebrities should now be a national concern, so the POTUS feels pressured to speak, and all he is going to say is "it is sad" - what else is there to say and what is there to criticize? Whitney, Michael, Elvis, etc., they added entertainment to the world, nothing spectacular, nothing the world would have collapsed without. As usual, celebrities are over celebrated and worshiped, get god complexes, and ruin their own lives - nothing new, nothing that won't happen again, and nothing worth national concern.

[Spike5]

10:38 AM on 02/14/2012

Do conservatives really have so few things to complain about in life that the President's sending condolences to a family who lost a loved one is worth this many negative comments? Jeez. Find a topic worth the effort! It's embarrassing to read these.

[Jonathon Furman]

08:18 AM on 02/14/2012

nice he paid his respect to the family but did he do the same to the family of Elizabeth Taylor?

[bfrjds1981]

07:54 AM on 02/14/2012

Notice he didn't have a word to say about Peter Breck passing away. There was a great actor. He passed away the day before Houston. The Big Valley was a great show.

[deucejuice]

07:45 AM on 02/14/2012

So this is where we are at huh? Honoring a crack head

[Kali03]

08:39 AM on 02/14/2012

Y'all just can't give it a rest, can you?

[rav1267]

12:48 PM on 02/14/2012

You have to understand that some people have a brain the sizes of a marblr, so don't bother, it useless

[deucejuice]

02:25 PM on 02/14/2012

No, it's a bad example to set for young people. It says as long as you become famous for something people love, it's ok to be a terrible person in real life.

[Jackie Gill]

12:22 AM on 02/15/2012

OMG, he didn't honor a crack head - he didn't say everyone go out and do crack. Obviously Whitney is a testament to how drugs ruin a life. He said she was talented and it was sad - she was and it is. It is sad that she chose to do drugs and ruin her life, but that doesn't take away her talent or the pain her family feels. What he did was nice - nothing more. I don't think this is a matter of national concern, but that doesn't mean that someone can't just say that they are thinking and praying for a family who is hurting.

[answer24]

07:32 AM on 02/14/2012

maybe if hollywood would not glamourize drugs in movies ,they would not have a drug problem in this country !!

[Spike5]

10:26 AM on 02/14/2012

I'm trying to think of any recent movie that actually glamorizes drug use. How about naming a few?

By the way, what country? That's the British spelling.

[answer24]

07:42 AM on 02/15/2012

hollywood did`nt glamorize cigerette smoking either !!

[WGlovesKenya]

03:51 AM on 02/14/2012

This is political opportunism. I don't recall a message for Michael Jackson - a death that shocked and pained the whole world.

[mclkarim]

11:32 AM on 02/14/2012

Just because you don't recall that message doesn't mean there wasn't one.

[NoFaux]

07:06 PM on 02/14/2012

Yeah, there was one. A full week later and only under pressure from African-American and other journalists who took him to task for it.

[NoFaux]

07:08 PM on 02/14/2012

Yeah, a full week later and only after many in the broadcasting and African-American communities called him out for his lack of response.

[Brannon Smith]

02:51 PM on 02/14/2012

There was a message for Michael. Google is your friend.

[NoFaux]

07:09 PM on 02/14/2012

Same as above. The message was a full week later and only after many in the broadcasti­ng and African-Am­erican communitie­s called him out for his lack of response.

[atx888]

02:30 AM on 02/14/2012

The President can't do anything without incurring the wrath of republican hatemongers.

[Kali03]

08:40 AM on 02/14/2012

Fanned.

[Spike5]

10:27 AM on 02/14/2012

And they actually spend their time complaining about something this trivial. Why don't they go to the budget article? At least, there it would make more sense - like they actually had a basis for their hatred.

[docter79620]

01:44 AM on 02/14/2012

The irony of it all. Obama supports Big Pharma and they support him. Two great singing legends die from legal pills and he still allows the Feds to raid pot shops. How about a public sympathy every time an American dies in one of his wars? Not a good idea I guess if you want to keep pushing war propaganda. What he should have said was "Go back to bed America. We've got it all figured out." Indeed this is sad and most deaths are, but lets focus on the bigger issues like the death of the free market, liberty, and the middle class.

[atx888]

02:26 AM on 02/14/2012

When did Obama start "new" wars? He ended old wars started by the Texas village idiot.

[Kali03]

08:40 AM on 02/14/2012

Yup.

[Spike5]

10:34 AM on 02/14/2012

I think we'd have fewer wars if we declared a day of mourning every time a soldier was killed--but they are Bush's wars, not Obama's. Remember?

And if you mean Michael Jackson, he didn't die from pills. Weren't you following the news and the trial of his doctor? It was from a misuse of anesthesia that is supposed to be limited to hospitals for surgery. Want to go back to the days when people were held down screaming during operations before anesthetics were developed? Not me!

And since the tox screens on Whitney Houston haven't been completed, I wonder how you know what killed her? The coroner merely said that there were prescription drugs in her room but no more than the average person would have in his own bathroom.

I also think that Americans have lost a lot of liberty since 9/11 - and the Patriot Act is the greatest cause, along with TSA and the insistence now that Americans actually have government-issued identification in order to travel. We sneered at communist countries for this kind of thing half a century ago, and now we have gone beyond anything they ever imagined because we have better technology.

[Sistagirl Young]

01:25 AM on 02/14/2012

Chil' lemme tell y'all. I loves the internet. And Huff-Po. Even with all the this and that's that go wrong. But It tickles me no end to read a lot of the comments posted here. Some folk are courteous some less so. Then there are some who get really snippy. Over the most trivial things. But it be's that way some time. It's not my intention to offend anyone; but you never know. Sometimes it don't take much. Just my observation. Life.

[Spike5]

10:34 AM on 02/14/2012

Snippy is ok, but downright rude not so much.

[Sistagirl Young]

11:31 AM on 02/14/2012

Hello Spike5; What is it that so infuriates some folk just because one doesn't think as they do? I have an opinion. You have an opinion. Some times we may agree. Sometimes we may not. It doesn't make my opinion any less valid. It doesn't make yours any more valid. Right. It's just an opinion. But oh no. Some contributors have had their opinion handed down from Mt Sinai...or so one would think. There are as you said, the rudest comments. For what? I don't get it. Truly. I am always amazed to find one who agrees with me. In fact I find it most enjoyable. Yet by the same token I know there will be lotsa times when folk won't. But it's a two way street. Sometimes I agree with folk. Sometimes I doesn't. What's the big deal. The world ain't stopped. Rude folk. I guess they'd do betta if they knew betta. Thank you for the comment. Life.

[jokamachi]

12:16 AM on 02/14/2012

Wasn't sure if they had met? Trust me, he was sure.

[mgarrison0827]

12:09 AM on 02/14/2012

Well, the mighty Obama has spoken. Gee, I guess that just magically makes it all better.

[hotbarb2614]

12:46 AM on 02/14/2012

Shut the ---- Up.

[mgarrison0827]

03:39 AM on 02/14/2012

No, you.

[Tom Iarossi]

12:56 AM on 02/14/2012

What is the problem, exactly? He offers sympathy, and the right wing hate come oozing out of the swamp. Disgusting.

[rowdiman]

11:11 PM on 02/13/2012

I'm confused. I thought he was waging a War on Religon?

[msstrick40]

09:51 PM on 02/13/2012

Were you looking for it in the entertainment section????

[jtucci9449]

12:21 AM on 02/14/2012

Ms, it wasn't anywhere because it didn't happen! Seem the only place to find Obama during the election cycle is in the entertainment section.