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Home Front: Politix |
Obamas reap windfall in diplomatic gifts |
2011-01-19 |
![]() Boy howdy, there's a surprise... Government documents released on Tuesday show that Saudi King Abdullah gave the Obama family nearly $190,000 in luxury baubles in 2009. That includes the single-most valuable gift reported: a ruby and diamond jewelry set worth $132,000 for the first lady. Goes well with a wide leather belt, so I hear... The king also presented Michelle Obama with a $14,200 pearl necklace, the president with a marble-based clock adorned with gold palm trees and camels valued at $34,500 and their daughters with diamond earrings and necklaces worth more than $7,000. And to think we gave the British PM a matched set of DVDs... The gifts have all been turned over to the National Archives. |
Posted by:Steve White |
#11 If Obama were doing his job he'd be getting bags of $hit from a lot of these countries. Instead, we're getting the shizzle from him ... at taxpayer expense ... and we have to bag it ourselves. Hey! I said 'shizzle'!! *turns baseball cap |
Posted by: ryuge 2011-01-19 16:36 |
#10 Last spring I went to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA. You should see the gift that the Soddies gave him, a solid gold water pitcher with solid gold cups. (Well, knowing the Soddies, you wouldn't expect it to be intended for margaritas.) But it's in the library now. I don't think Reagan ever got to use it. Kind of a shame, really. Somebody should have been allowed to drink water out of it at least once. There were all kinds of other gifts there too. |
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2011-01-19 16:05 |
#9 If Obama were doing his job he'd be getting bags of $hit from a lot of these countries. |
Posted by: gorb 2011-01-19 10:56 |
#8 History and US policy on diplomatic gifts. I think a lot of them end up in the presidential libraries. |
Posted by: tu3031 2011-01-19 09:57 |
#7 The gifts have all been turned over to the National Archives. Then this is a non-story. I was ready to get pissed for a moment there. |
Posted by: Mitch H. 2011-01-19 09:48 |
#6 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas offered the U.S. leader $521 in gifts, including the least expensive item listed by the State Department: a $75 bottle of olive oil. Oh, shit! Mahmoud! Run down to duty free and grab something! And a carton of Newports. |
Posted by: tu3031 2011-01-19 09:46 |
#5 Presidents don't keep such gifts, which are made to the US proper. |
Posted by: lotp 2011-01-19 09:03 |
#4 It's good to be a King! |
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-01-19 08:14 |
#3 Something about dignitaries receiving gifts, payoffs, or something. Never mind, look at the campaign contributions. Obama is POWNED. |
Posted by: newc 2011-01-19 02:24 |
#2 Now I understand why Obama bowed so low before King Abdullah. |
Posted by: Swamp Blondie 2011-01-19 00:25 |
#1 Anyone know what the royal couple (Bama and the Wookie) gave to the Saudi King? DVD of Bama's speeches? |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2011-01-19 00:13 |