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Obamas Will Pick Up Tab for White House Renovations

First family turns down $100K in public cash

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 30, 2009 7:44 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Barack and Michelle Obama won’t be using the $100,000 in taxpayer cash the first family is allotted for White House renovations, New York magazine reports. Instead, they’ll fund their fix-up out of their own pockets. Which may be a good political investment, since they’ve hired Michael S. Smith, a Hollywood decorator who's worked for the likes of Rupert Murdoch and Steven Spielberg—and scored the infamous $87,783 rug for former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain.

They “are not using public funds or accepting donations of goods for redecorating their private quarters,”  the first lady's communication director tells New York.

President-elect Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are welcomed to the North Portico of the White House by George W. Bush and Laura Bush in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.
President-elect Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are welcomed to the North Portico of the White House by George W. Bush and Laura Bush in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
President Barack Obama, left, and first lady Michelle Obama, right, walk across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington Saturday, March 21, 2009.
President Barack Obama, left, and first lady Michelle Obama, right, walk across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington Saturday, March 21, 2009.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
President Barack Obama, left, and first lady Michelle Obama, right, walk out of the main residence of the White House in Washington, March 7, 2009.
President Barack Obama, left, and first lady Michelle Obama, right, walk out of the main residence of the White House in Washington, March 7, 2009.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
northeast
Mar 30, 2009 4:46 AM CDT
Whatever his motives for doing it were (at least partially political), he still footed his own bill.
northeast
Mar 30, 2009 2:35 AM CDT
Say what you will about his politics (they suck), but that's an excellent precedent to set. Kudos to Obama.

More on the Obamas' decorator
Los Angeles Times

 
Barack Obama • Michelle Obama • White House • Oval Office • taxpayer money • first lady • renovation • President Obama

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