One Year Later Obama Souvenirs Still Sell

Wars, healthcare battle, GOP gains don't bog down bobble heads

A year ago almost 2 million people flooded downtown Washington for the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Dozens of little souvenir shops popped up all over town, selling all sorts of Obama stuff, from expensive to cheap, tasteful to tacky.

Now a year into office and struggling with two wars, a raging healthcare debate and the sudden ascendancy of the GOP in elections, we decided to revisit one of the souvenir shops that has actually stayed in business. In fact, it appears to be the only "temporary" store that's still open.

Inside the shop on Seventh Street NW near E Street, store manager C.J. Jack said the store originally had planned to close in early February 2009.

"But we kept on selling," he said.

A year later, it's still doing strong business in knick knacks, sweatshirts, key chains and T-shirts.

Many passersby Wednesday said they had skipped the Obama inaugural because of the crowds and the cold weather but were still warm to the president.

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"It's going to take more than a year to change things," one Obama supporter said.  "Four years, maybe eight!"

One more serious man said he was disappointed that Obama had not ended the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

"My son just left for Iraq," he said solemnly.

Overall, a new Wall Street Journal-NBC poll shows that people still like Obama personally -- and Michelle Obama, too -- but offer mixed assessments of his policies.

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