Omen for Obama?
That is Arthur C. Clarke on the left, on a bench at the edge of the Ellipse, feeding birds. To the right, "Dr. Victor Millson" (James McEachin) and "Dr. Heywood Floyd" (Roy Scheider) talk. A scene from the 1984 film 2010: The Year We Make Contact . Photo credit: Coseti . The news came on Cinco de Mayo. It could be said that it might signal an omen for President Barack Obama. Nothing that sinister may be in the air, however. It might have more to do with what isn't in the ground. On Saturday, the National Christmas Tree planted near the White House a year ago had died and was being removed. The National Park Service says the Colorado blue spruce ( Picea pungens ) died of "transplant shock." It came from a tree farm in New Jersey last year and was planted on the Ellipse just south of the White House in March 2011. The tree replaced one that had stood on the Ellipse (on the other side of the White House from Lafayette Park) since 1978 but was destroyed ...