This morning the White House photo office released the most recent photo portrait of the Obama family or now the First Family. The photo was taken by Annie Leibovitz (maybe as part of another stimulus package for the financially strapped star photographer).

This is not the first photo taken of the Obamas by Leibovitz. I believe one of the first was taken shortly after Barack Obama won the Senate seat. I got that one as a Holiday card in 2006.

An earlier family portrait card I received looked like it was taken at the Sears photo studio. I got this one in 2005 while he was campaigning for the Senate seat. There’s no photo credit on the back.

Both cards include “Authorized and paid for by Obama 2010, Inc.” I suppose at the time the Illinois Senator had his eyes set on his future mid-term campaign.

It is to be determined what the White House holiday card design will look like. They tend to be traditional Winter Wonderland, White Christmas kind of designs. Eclectique|916 will accept leads, leaks or tips. I’ve noticed representatives and senators usually send family portraits as holiday cards. I suppose the idea is to appeal to their broader constituency as not all voters celebrate Christmas, know what their representatives look like or are aware of their domestic arrangements [as candidates of course].

It is my understanding the late Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina would spend every Christmas holiday at his desk signing cards to his constituents. Apparently, the card thing worked for his political career. Not so much with the family during the holidays. Maybe one of those cards was addressed to his African American daugther, Essie Mae Washington-Williams.

One of my favorite off-the-wall Holiday cards from a poitician was from former California state senator Tom Hayden who was then married to actress Jane Fonda. My sister received this one. The family portrait was taken underwater in a swimming pool with Jane giving her famous work out body pose in a one-sie bathing suit (for good taste).

I’m not sure if holiday cards will go the way of newspapers and magazines this year. There’s still something to be said about getting that square paper envelope in the mail. An envelope with a White House return address even better. But will the White House send electronic cards as a sustainable environment knod? Or will the cards be printed on recycled paper stock with plant based ink?

We’ll see. But for now, the Obamas family’s admirers have a lovely screen saver.