Everyone knows that the tourist that come to DC love to buy stuff from the street vendors. Street vendors are popping up everywhere throughout DC from Independence Ave to the streets around the Eclipse, to Constitution Ave and now on Capitol Hill (Pennsylvania Ave). They sell anything from hats and gloves, Redskins shirts to campaign shirts to the hottest Obama BeDazzled shirts, hats, and hoddies! Street vendors made millions off of Barack Obama during the inauguration. I saw people selling stickers, posters, hats, shirt, buttons, and the best off all a “Certificate of Participation”, but all good things must come to an end. The White House lawyers are looking into protecting Obama’s image. No longer will vendors or companies be able to market or sell “Yes We Can” on a shirt or in a marketing campaign.  Sorry Ikea, Southwest Airlines, and Ben & Jerry’s. No longer will you be able to use an image of Obama or his name on a t-shirt. No longer will you be able to come to your Nation’s Capital and get your “We Did It” Barack Obama Shirt for $5. You may be able to get it at the White House Visitor’s Center for $30. Maybe the money made on shirt sales will bring down the national debt or bail out some more banks. I’m sure that street vendors will still sell these shirts but it really depends on how strongly law enforcement will enforce it. This is not good for vendors since many of them use street vending as there only source of income. What do you think? Is this a good idea or not? In the long run will this impact the Presidents image negatively?

Photo Credit: Obama shirts, Detroit by katherine of chicago