Weekly Wrap Up: "I Have to Pinch Myself"

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov:

#My2k: On Monday, President Obama connected directly with Americans on Twitter, where he answered questions about extending middle class tax cuts, using the hashtag #My2k.  During the conversation, the hashtag #My2k was used more than 31,000 times and trended nationally on Twitter throughout the chat.

On Thursday, President Obama continued the conversation by visiting Tiffany Santana and her family—one of the thousands of people who wrote in to the White House to share what it would mean to her family if their income taxes went up next year. Tiffany’s family is just one of 114 million American families who would see their taxes go up if Congress fails to extend the middle class tax cuts.

• Join the conversation and share what $2,000 means to your family
• Watch why You Don’t Have to be an Economist to Understand
• Read Some More Stories from the Middle Class Tax Cut Debate

Kennedy Center Honorees: Over the weekend, President and Mrs. Obama welcomed the 2012 Kennedy Center honorees to the White House. From the East Room of the White House, they celebrated the individuals who have made a lifetime contribution to American culture through the performing arts. This year’s honorees include David Letterman, Dustin Hoffman, Natalia Makarova, Buddy Guy, and the surviving members of Led Zeppelin.

Prime Minister Borissov of Bulgaria: Earlier this week, President Obama met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. The President thanked Prime Minister Borissov for Bulgaria’s strong partnership in NATO, as well as the country’s support in Afghanistan and its cooperation on criminal investigations, law enforcement, and counterterrorism.

Business Roundtable: On Wednesday, President Obama spoke to members of the Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs of American businesses, and reiterated his plan to extend tax cuts for middle class families. Read the President’s full remarks here.

White House Tribal Nations Conference: On Thursday, President Obama hosted the annual White House Tribal Nations Conference to provide leaders from America’s federally-recognized tribes the opportunity to interact directly with members of the Obama administration, including the President. Administration officials discussed programs and initiatives that affect Native American communities. The President took the opportunity to commemorate Sonny Black Eagle—the Crow National tribal leader who adopted the President in 2008. Watch the President’s remarks here.

White House Holidays:  On Thursday evening, President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters, helped light the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse of the White House south lawn. Watch the First Family kick-off the holiday season in Washington here. The White House also released the 2012 White House holiday card, a glimpse of the White House holiday china, and a tribute to past First Ladies to honor their holiday legacies.

• See the complete 2012 White House holidays coverage at WhiteHouse.gov/holidays