Obama ‘Loves’ Bush’s Decor in Oval Office

Way to be fiscally conservative. Changing drapes costs money. Probably more money than need be.

If I remember correctly, Bush and Laura’s oval office rug cost $68,000. So, yeah, keep it for awhile.

I just found a picture.. I like it. It also showed the rugs of Clinton & the other President Bush. I liked both of those too.

ellsbells930—would you share the link with us? i would like to see it. thanks!

Ford, Carter, Reagan and G.W. Bush have the warmer, brighter feel to them.

I had to find photos and peek. Yup, I’d rate Bush’s rug best in many years. I never thought I’d compliment the man over decorating. Oh well, finally something. Boy, Clinton’s look wasn’t much.

Michelle will make the decision, I am sure.

You can thank Laura……

disgusted in Ohio: “Big Bucks on the inauguration too! I suppose that is filed in the stimulas pkg.”
The public cost of the inauguration is a matter of public record and is quite in line with past inaugurations. Especially when you consider this one is shaping up to be 4 to 6 times as many people. As for the impact on local businesses, I’ve already seen it compared to having a Superbowl in town – this party (the majority of which is PRIVATELY funded by non-lobbiest donations) is really going to help a lot of hotels, restaurants, and bars through an otherwise grim winter.

I think that the Obama’s will be conservative in what they are doing. If they are allowed to spend an alloted amouint of money on decorating, then they should. Is it true that Mrs. Obama is going to change out the bathrooms? If so then this is ridicilous. Times are hard and everyone even our First Family needs to save the tax payers money.

I think Bush will be able to take that carpet for his Presidential Library, but Obama will probably order a new one.

JamesInKY , You know Clinton lied about being with another women .Bush lied about WMD’s and now 5500 american service man and women are dead because of his lies . Republicans need to get there prioritys straight !!!!!

Just an FYI — Decorating of the White House is done with donor dollars and not tax dollars. Tax dollars are only used when physical changes are made to the structure itself (moving walls, electric, HVAC, etc).

Lets face it Obama is the next Bush. In an interview on CNN Obama said he has always thought Pres. Bush was a”good guy”
I guess he said all those things about Bush so he could get elected…LOL

Did Jackie O make decorating the WH so important? Why is this important or who really cares unless the elite wealthy want to get the same decorations or decorator. This poor person lives in a trailer and thankful I have that. In regard to the statement of BO about Dubyah being a good guy, if you read Audacity of Hope, BO said the Congress has all nice guys. That was one of the reasons I didn’t vote for BO, his two books and the fact he thinks self serving, pompous, greedy, corrupt politicians are nice guys.

What a class act Bush and his team has been during this time of change remember when Clinton left office his people trashed everything.

Diane Smith – I’m sure the Bush’s are very proud of their son. Just because you don’t like him, doesn’t mean they don’t love him. I didn’t like Clinton as a President, but I’m sure his family was proud of him…. that’s why they are your family.

Obama and Bush are saying nice things about each other and seem to have got along well since Obama’s victory. At least America is beginning to lead the world in graceful hand over of power and is a shinning example to the world on how to go about relinquishing office and facilitating the transfer of power. Even Britain the oldest democracy can learn from the USA. Gordon Brown could not wait until Tony Blair’s term had expired and was impatiently waiting when Tony Blair was taking his own sweet time tying his tie before the formal handover of power. I hope Obama also brings back hope and peace all over the world.

At the risk of getting chewed out – republicans have a valid grip about the cost of the inauguration. Bush caught it for spending approx. 48 million four years ago. Obama’s is approaching 150 million. This during the worst recession in my lifetime? A large part of this is that he’s opened it more to the public. So that’s neat. And it is history as it’s the first black president. But it is a valid gripe. And yes, we’re up to almost 50 million in tax money.

Rob – Thanks for the history lesson!
CUE REALITY: Lincoln is remembered as a great President because he held a divided nation together despite a civil war. Bush is regarded as a failure because he took a nation and a world that was united behind America after 911 and blew it.

I was fortunate enough to get a private White House tour last year which included the Oval Office.
The office is really stunning, I think. Bright yellow, really cheerful. I loved it and I think President Obama will really enjoy it!

I always laugh at people who comment that an article or post is a waste of time.
It makes me question their sanity if they are willing to invest their own time writing about something they think of as being a waste of time.
As for the people who complain about the cost. It is a decoration for the most important man in the world residing in the most important home in the world. I would expect nothing less. I would not want the decorators of such a significant house bragging about an area rug they got on sale at Wal-Mart.
I would only be concerned if the head of every government agency had a similar rug in their office. The President, in the oval office of the White House? Not so much.
As to the commenter who said they did not vote for Obama because he said that every Congress person was nice in his book The Audacity of Hope…you totally missed his point. He was trying to reconcile how they are all a lot more down to earth than he imagined they would be. He envisioned them being arrogant and difficult. Instead, he found that they were real humans. For all of the horrible things they do, they are still people with flaws and that was his point. Just like you shouldn’t believe what you read in tabloids, you shouldn’t think that members of Congress are not people at the end of the day, too.

Thank you ABC for this story!!! It appears to me that Obama is starting to clean up the old trail of feces! He felt the need to ‘love’ the Oval Office rug, only because his wife criticized Laura’s taste. Michelle needs to learn how to be pleasant and stop those ‘biting’ remarks.
Pat H.

There are currently no bedrooms in the WH decorated appropriately for 10 and 7 year old girls. Redecorating does not necessarily include purchasing new furniture. The new residents have the entire inventory of existing WH furniture available to them. “Redecorating” in large part means selecting pieces from the warehouse – expense therefore is minimal.

Can anyone tell me why we have to pay for Michelle’s mother to live in the Whitehouse? ABC News, I will like you to investigate how much it will cost the taxpayer for secret service and and other accommodations for this woman. Has the whitehouse become a welfare project for the Obamas? Again, ABC News, do some real reporting, and get off your fawning over this con man. And while you are at it, investigate all the relatives who are coming from Kenya for the inauguration, who is paying for that, and how many of them will stay on in America and join the other illegal relatives that Hussein has in this country…………..BUT NEVER KNEW ABOUT! FRAUDSTER!

Class act by Bush?? Gimme a break!! Sure, he mouthed the words penned for him at his “farewell” event. However, words are dirt cheap and you can utter anything for free. It is what he did not do and feel for us Americans, as well as the rest of the world that really matters. If he had a heart, or a conscience, he would be ashamed of saying what he said, for they were just lies. Throughout the eight years, he has shown an uncaring and unknowledgeable personality. He was only concerned with the implementation of his ideology and conservatism. He had no connection to, or had any ideas about how the rest of us live or struggle. So yeah, those cheap words will still and forever define him and his administration as the worst in history.

I think the Bush Oval Office looks like a child’s Day Care Center…..keep the rug, keep the decor, if it will save money. Hang some brightly painted African type pictures, colored pillows, plants, wooden sculpture, something to give the place life and a sense that something goes on in there, besides babysitting.

Had not yet heard this account, but very interesting. That rug sure has caught a tremendous amount of attention. Thanks for the entry!

really? all that attention for the rug? in case you’re unaware of how budgets work, the money any of the presidents use is allocated prior to knowing any of the economic status of the country.
no it’s not ideal to have a $62K rug, but if it’s there, keep it. let’s realize that this is the office of the highest elected official in the land, a place where leaders of the WORLD meet the leader of our free world. is it too much to to ask not have it look like a motel 6 conference room?
it will be a very different administration but only if people can move past differences and petty crap to make a positive impact. nit picking stuff like this reminds me of Star magazine.

I would like to see the rug from the West Wing. Great Blue colors.

One of the people in their comments stated that the White House will be building living quarters for Mrs. Obama’s mother. This is not true and it was reported in the press that the mother in law will be living on the third floor which has several bedrooms as well as living space. As for the re-decorating I agree that in a time when people are having a hard time just making it through to the next day that the Obama family could use the Bush decore and just re-vamp it at a low cost to make it feel like their space. Laura Bush used a lot of nutarals in her color and I am sure that there are plenty of good designers that would not charge the White House just to have it on their resume. Use what is there and cut cost.

These comments from 09 right after the inauguration are now hilarious. Bush’s mountain of debt, Obama’s going to be more frugal, put up some African art etc… The man has spent more money (or wasted via the stimulus) than all presidents before him combined. Since he has taken office, the unemployment rate has increased and held steady at over 9%. Troops still in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gitmo still open and Iran is on the verge of becoming a nuclear nation.
Michelle just returned from an elaborate vacation to Spain, then to Florida and then to Marta’s Vineyard. The Obama’s have just redecorated the Oval Office and it looks like a Motel 6 lobby or as someone said Nuevo Ghetto.
The Pres’s approval rating is at 41 and Dems are on the verge of loosing both houses of Congress….
Funny how things change in 18 months