White House reporter wishes 'distant cousin' Obama 'Godspeed

It's not everyday that a White House reporter wishes President Obama "Godspeed." That's what Rick Dunham did Tuesday, his last day covering the White House for the Houston Chronicle.

"I'd like to salute the hard-working White House correspondents who strive for transparency, access and information," Dunham wrote at the bottom of a White House pool report that detailed Obama's meeting with congressional leaders on Syria. "And I'd like to wish Godspeed to President Obama, my (very) distant cousin on the Dunham side."

Obama's mother was Ann Dunham.

Rick Dunham continued in his report: "My grandfather Barrows Dunham and President Obama were both known as Barry to their schoolmates, but the comparisons end there."

Dunahm included his personal comments as a type of farewell to the national news media. On Wednesday he moves to China to teach journalism at a university.

We've reached out to Dunham for comment.

Fun fact: Back in March, Dunham was also the journalist who wrote in a pool report that Obama had mistakenly boarded Marine One without first returning a salute to the Marine standing just outside the doors of the aircraft.