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Home Front: Politix
Obamas reap windfall in diplomatic gifts
2011-01-19
WASHINGTON — Foreign leaders showered President Barack Obama and his family with hundreds of thousands of dollars in art, jewellery, rare books and other presents during their first year in the White House. Saudi Arabia’s king was the most generous gift-giver.
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 backwards sideways all crooked with a bandana underneath*
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  

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