Comments on: Oval and Out

Oval and Out

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:13:01 -0800

A New Look for the Oval Office Obama makes his mark on the First Office. It is a different look than the office of George W. Bush and the presidents before him. And yes, the rug is gone (previously).

By: ThePinkSuperhero

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:15:04 -0800

I think I liked it better with more blue accents. But hey, at least it's not Ford's decor: "Pale gold rug with blue florettes; pumpkin drapes with gold curtains".

By: mazola

mazola — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:15:50 -0800

That rug really tied the room together.

By: l33tpolicywonk

l33tpolicywonk — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:16:08 -0800

ThePinkSuperhero: "Obama makes his mark on the First Office" I see what you did there.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:17:00 -0800

The worst White House Design was under the Eisenhowers. it looked like aliens trying to re-create a B&B for their human Zoo.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:19:38 -0800

Clinton, what the fuck were you thinking?

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:21:14 -0800

Gah! It's the ghost of Ethan Allen Yet To Be!

By: ThePinkSuperhero

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:21:18 -0800

I like the Clinton office. Not so much the red striped couch, but the blue carpet and yellow drapes.

By: DU

DU — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:21:22 -0800

"The Welfare of Each of Us is Dependent Fundamentally Upon the Welfare of All of Us," President Theodore Roosevelt I've never heard this quote before (despite espousing the sentiment myself many times). For that, I thank this rug. Also: I've never understood why the doors into the Oval Office have to be camouflaged. Preventing the escape of your co-negotiator?

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:21:24 -0800

"The makeover was not done at taxpayer expense; the White House said the costs were covered by the White House Historical Association, a nonprofit group, through a contribution from the committee that paid for Mr. Obama's inauguration." But the economy is so terrible, does even this send the right message?? Couldn't they have just smeared ashes all over the walls and just laid down a picnic blanket?

By: l33tpolicywonk

l33tpolicywonk — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:21:49 -0800

I love how clean the desk is: phone, intercom, sticky notes. Chairs to the side rather than across. This is the desk of someone who gets stuff done. I need to get all this crap off my desk...

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:22:06 -0800

The Clinton office is gangsta.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:23:30 -0800

Needs more color. They really just put the stripes from the old rug on the walls.

By: Artw

Artw — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:23:36 -0800

This is simultaneously too Socialist and not Socialist enough!

By: padraigin

padraigin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:23:37 -0800

It's so classic Jimmy Carter that he just used what was already there. No fancy new rug for him, by gum.

By: boo_radley

boo_radley — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:23:47 -0800

This was just featured on Snopes where Your Angry Relatives confused pictures of Presidents at press conferences with the Oval office. I'm not saying this is your angle, TPS, just where I saw it first. The Whelk: "The worst White House Design was under the Eisenhowers." You are wrong. Please check out Bill Clinton's Oval Office in that snopes link above. Good god.

By: ThePinkSuperhero

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:24:29 -0800

But the economy is so terrible, does even this send the right message?? Commenters all over the internet are already bitching. People, if we all stop spending, that's not going to help things. Those with money (like the President) should go ahead. And buy me something while you're at it...

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:24:32 -0800

The Clinton office is gangsta. If the gansta lives in a trailer park.

By: wreckingball

wreckingball — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:24:44 -0800

That wallpaper! Those couches... It... it looks like the "continental breakfast" area of a Holiday Inn.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:25:03 -0800

The only justification for that Clinton Couch is if it is literally made of peppermint.

By: Solon and Thanks

Solon and Thanks — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:25:10 -0800

Why, I can practically smell the bland through my computer screen!

By: DU

DU — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:25:15 -0800

The Johnson Oval Office in 1964, temporarily using the final Kennedy rug and curtains but with LBJ's desk—built for him by the Senate cabinet shop... Oh FFS, they have free healthcare AND a dedicated cabinetmaker?

By: The Card Cheat

The Card Cheat — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:25:37 -0800

Yeah, all of the couches from the past half-century look like they were picked up at a sale at The Brick.

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:25:46 -0800

I love how clean the desk is... This is the desk of someone who gets stuff done. This is the desk of someone whose desk is about to be photographed for the New York Times.

By: bearwife

bearwife — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:25:54 -0800

Elegant. Very understated and carefully thought through and modern, like the President himself. I particularly like the quotations on the new rug, and the sources. George W may have loved his sunburst rug, but it reminded me too much of the Sun King, Louis XIV. (George W is a good match for the Sun King's most famous alleged quote, too -- "L'État, c'est moi.")

By: Fizz

Fizz — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:26:06 -0800

The only justification for that Clinton Couch is if it is literally made of peppermint. It also has a certain Champagne Room vibe to it.

By: penduluum

penduluum — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:26:32 -0800

GWB seems to have stolen his look for the office almost directly from Reagan. Colors, furniture. Even down to the sunburst rug pattern. That's kind of interesting.

By: oinopaponton

oinopaponton — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:26:37 -0800

Did George W. Bush bring his dad's sofas into his Oval Office? That's got to be a metaphor for something.

By: outlandishmarxist

outlandishmarxist — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:28:12 -0800

It is a different look than the office of George W. Bush and the presidents before him. Aren't they all "different looks"?

By: ThePinkSuperhero

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:29:59 -0800

Cut me some slack.

By: contessa

contessa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:30:21 -0800

I rather liked the decor Bush had. I am not sure about Obama's redo, it looks a little too upscale-rec-room for me. Maybe it's all the caramel colored upholstery.

By: BozoBurgerBonanza

BozoBurgerBonanza — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:30:37 -0800

OOL--Bush finally gets the Oval Office just the way he wants it

By: l33tpolicywonk

l33tpolicywonk — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:30:47 -0800

Obama reupholstered Mr. Bush's two mahogany chairs and kept the desk, called the Resolute, that every chief executive since Rutherford B. Hayes — with the exception of Johnson, Nixon and Ford — has used. Practically, does that have anything to do with having to slip recording equipment into the desk?

By: escabeche

escabeche — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:32:31 -0800

And yes, the rug is gone. That's strange -- what does he pray on?

By: 2bucksplus

2bucksplus — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:32:36 -0800

Sure is a lot of brown in that office, if you know what I'm saying

By: DU

DU — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:32:49 -0800

An empty desk is not the desk of someone who gets stuff done. It's the desk of someone who delegates everything that lands on their desk. This guy is getting stuff done. Thumbed books on the desk. Wire tangle underneath.

By: octothorpe

octothorpe — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:34:34 -0800

This was just featured on Snopes where Your Angry Relatives confused pictures of Presidents at press conferences with the Oval office. I count myself blessed that I have no Angry Relatives who send me stuff like that.

By: jquinby

jquinby — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:35:45 -0800

I love that the desk has a name ("The Resolute"). I'm going to name my desk too...I shall call it...The Hesperus.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:36:48 -0800

My desk is called The Bastard.

By: umberto

umberto — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:37:44 -0800

I wonder where the old sunburst rug went. Do people fight over this stuff? I imagine the rug in the rumpus room of Skull-and-Bones, for some reason....

By: kalimac

kalimac — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:40:15 -0800

I like the blocky, modern table. I have to admit, though, I like H.W. Bush's office the best -- those pale blue drapes are really lovely.

By: COBRA!

COBRA! — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:40:24 -0800

"No Problem of Human Destiny Is Beyond Human Beings" – President John F. Kennedy Holy shit! So the Bene Geserits got to Kennedy and Obama?

By: contessa

contessa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:40:31 -0800

An empty desk is not the desk of someone who gets stuff done. It's the desk of someone who delegates everything that lands on their desk. I'm taking for granted that the desk is cleared off for the sake of the photo-op. Anyway, I bet Obama has a sweet Macbook Pro stashed in one of those drawers, where all the magic happens.

By: MCMikeNamara

MCMikeNamara — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:40:47 -0800

I realize (I think) that any jokes about spending and the economy and sending the right message are jokes, but to be perfectly serious, in regards to the economy, it does send the right message, which is: If you have money, please, for the love of God, spend it so eventually some of the rest of us might see it.

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:40:57 -0800

I call mine Liza With a Z.

By: orthogonality

orthogonality — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:41:06 -0800

So they're literally re-arranging the deck chairs? When the Gallup gives the Tea Publicans a ten point lead in the generic congressman poll? Yeah, that's going to go over real well with the Democratic congressmen facing defeat for voting for health care refortm.

By: Joe Beese

Joe Beese — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:41:37 -0800

Bland. Careful to offend no one. The office is kind of dull too.

By: washburn

washburn — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:43:00 -0800

Hmm. I wonder how long it will be before any president dares adopt the Carter couch arrangement.

By: zennish

zennish — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:43:41 -0800

If that Resolute desk doesn't have an ancient map plank hidden inside leading to treasure I'm calling shenanigans. It's kinda neat that the desk really is named 'the Resolute'.

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:44:56 -0800

I'd have put a beanbag chair in there, just to mess with people's heads. Reason 7,546,324 I will never be President.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:45:52 -0800

How much fun would it be to give random citizens the chance to design the oval office for a year? And by fun I mean shit-stormingly hilarious. I'd remove everything but a sackcloth and a pile of sand. once the President has fully Considered The Sand, they are ready to lead us through the forest

By: usonian

usonian — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:47:42 -0800

Queue inflammatory Fox News outrage at use of taxpayer money to remodel the oval office (regardless of the fact that Republicans have remodeled it in the past) in 3...2...1...

By: maqsarian

maqsarian — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:47:50 -0800

The only justification for that Clinton Couch is if it is literally made of peppermint. It also has a certain Champagne Room vibe to it. Yes, but unlike the Clinton Oval Office, there is no sex in the Champagne Room.

By: phunniemee

phunniemee — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:48:32 -0800

I love that the desk has a name ("The Resolute"). This is old news. Haven't you seen the National Treasure movies? That's where I learn all my American history. Frankly, all of these designs seem way too stuffy for me. Though I do kind of like Johnson's Oval Office. It kind of has that "grandpa's den" vibe going on. If it were me, I'd just slap up the same Queen poster and Kandinsky print I've been toting around with me since I was 17 and be done with it.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:48:59 -0800

I'd have put a beanbag chair in there, just to mess with people's heads I'm wondering who the first president will be to have one of these commissioned for the Oval Office.

By: Hardcore Poser

Hardcore Poser — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:49:12 -0800

One random citizen's design. Re: Naming your desk. I make up a new one every time I bash my knee on it. None of them are safe for work.

By: grabbingsand

grabbingsand — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:50:20 -0800

In spite of both articles mentioning that the re-do is paid for by the non-profit White House Historical Association (through a contribution from the Presidential Inaugural Committee), I am sure my parents' e-mailboxes will be stuffed by day's end with forwards, each one a variation on a theme of "Obama's Spendin' While We're Starvin'!" or "Obama's Got Socialistic Messages All Up In The Oval Office!"

By: T.D. Strange

T.D. Strange — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:50:58 -0800

Yes, but unlike the Clinton Oval Office, there is no sex in the Champagne Room. Only until Boehner gets subpoena power.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:51:26 -0800

"Pale gold rug with blue florettes; pumpkin drapes with gold curtains". It was the 70s. Whuddyagoando?

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:52:53 -0800

Clinton, what the fuck were you thinking? "What? Italian silk goes great with buffalo wings."

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:56:56 -0800

What? No bearskin rug? What a lost opportunity. Also, "the Clinton Couch" sounds like a sex position.

By: saulgoodman

saulgoodman — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:57:01 -0800

or "Obama's Got Socialistic Messages All Up In The Oval Office!" Yep. Socialistic messages from Republican presidents past. Another fact that will be ignored, or blithely hand-waved away to that knowing refrain "things are different now" that I always hear from my hardcore Christian Conservative Crusader cousin.

By: boo_radley

boo_radley — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:01:45 -0800

orthogonality: "When the Gallup gives the Tea Publicans a ten point lead in the generic congressman poll? Yeah, that's going to go over real well with the Democratic congressmen facing defeat for voting for health care reform." Did you know? When the President redesigns the Oval Office, he has to do it himself, totally alone. Not even his wife can help. He has to move the furniture out all on his own, and tear up the carpet all on his own. And once he starts, he can't do anything else.

By: sonika

sonika — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:01:53 -0800

I love that the desk has a name ("The Resolute") It's because it's built out of the wood from a ship of same name. Funny that the Tea Party has yet to get up in arms about the Un-American Socialist Desk camping out in the Oval Office. Thing was a gift from Queen Victoria! Cast off the oppressor! Buy American made desks!

By: wierdo

wierdo — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:04:25 -0800

DU wrote: "I've never heard this quote before (despite espousing the sentiment myself many times). For that, I thank this rug." Yeah, I definitely dig the quotations on the rug, and most especially that one.

By: wabbittwax

wabbittwax — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:06:24 -0800

I have a question. Why doesn't the oval office have a computer? Doesn't the President get to use a computer?

By: dersins

dersins — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:08:03 -0800

love that the desk has a name ("The Resolute") You might be interested in this awesome post about it, then.

By: lapolla

lapolla — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:09:20 -0800

needs more blue. and i'm not just sayin' that from a meta standpoint. the quotations are awesome, though.

By: Joe Beese

Joe Beese — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:09:29 -0800

Why doesn't the oval office have a computer? Doesn't the President get to use a computer? When Bush's staff left, they stole all the O-s from the keyboards.

By: Xoebe

Xoebe — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:11:49 -0800

If I were president!

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:14:12 -0800

Why doesn't the oval office have a computer? Doesn't the President get to use a computer? It was removed when Clinton violated the Acceptable Workplace Internet Use Policy.

By: dbiedny

dbiedny — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:15:01 -0800

Who cares?

By: mazola

mazola — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:17:59 -0800

Totally dig LBJ's TV setup.

By: amethysts

amethysts — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:20:26 -0800

I'm just glad it looks like an actual office now. W and Clinton had it looking like a day-care center or a circus tent or something.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:20:46 -0800

Why doesn't the oval office have a computer? Doesn't the President get to use a computer? The Oval Office is for show. The President has a study right next door -- that's where he can go and screw around (figuratively and in Clinton's case, literally).

By: mr vino

mr vino — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:21:09 -0800

George W is a good match for the Sun King's most famous alleged quote, too -- "L'État, c'est moi." Funny, I was thinking of a different quote: "Après Moi le Deluge."

By: killdevil

killdevil — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:22:00 -0800

An empty desk is not the desk of someone who gets stuff done. It's the desk of someone who delegates everything that lands on their desk. Why doesn't the oval office have a computer? Doesn't the President get to use a computer? You do know that modern presidents have all had their real, day-to-day private offices in a different spot, right? Where they can leave their papers strewn all over the desk without causing an international incident? Where they can surf the Internet for porn to their hearts' content?

By: Durn Bronzefist

Durn Bronzefist — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:25:36 -0800

Forget the couch. I want to see pneumatic tubes.

By: wabbittwax

wabbittwax — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:25:41 -0800

The President has a study right next door -- that's where he can go and screw around (figuratively and in Clinton's case, literally). You do know that modern presidents have all had their real, day-to-day private offices in a different spot, right? I did not know that. Now I do. I want to see pictures of THAT office.

By: wabbittwax

wabbittwax — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:28:01 -0800

there, found some.

By: orange swan

orange swan — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:29:32 -0800

I actually did prefer the Dubya décor. It's lighter and fresher looking. Not that the Obama redesign is unattractive, but it is a little too neutral for my tastes. I'd have put some red throw pillows or something in there to liven it up a little.

By: fusinski

fusinski — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:30:29 -0800

Loving all the hacks going off in the comments about how Obama is wasting taxpayer money redecorating. The ignorance of tradition and/or opportunism is astounding.

By: ericb

ericb — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:30:43 -0800

Pictures of the President's Private Study.

By: ericb

ericb — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:31:08 -0800

Or, what you said!

By: filthy light thief

filthy light thief — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:34:10 -0800

Clinton, what the fuck were you thinking? America, ~~fuck yeah!~~ dear gods! Why doesn't the oval office have a computer? Doesn't the President get to use a computer? There was a concern that a computer in the Oval Office would lead to less productivity and more time on Facebook, just like 50% of office workers.* * This statistic is purely speculation. And in regards to the red, white and blue theme: that isn't the sole domain of the United States. Based on flags alone, USA is with Australia, Bermuda*, Burma, Cambodia, Chile, Cook Islands, Costa Rica*, Republic of Croatia*, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, Iceland, North Korea, Laos, and more (* ignoring coat of arms or other details with smaller amounts of other colors). Just sayin'.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:34:59 -0800

Those sconces are dreadful. Is there no end to this man's tyranny?

By: killdevil

killdevil — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:37:43 -0800

I did not know that. Now I do. I want to see pictures of THAT office. There were some pictures of Obama's private office published to the White House Flickr feed back in 2008. It's small, has a computer and is decorated with pictures of his kids.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:38:28 -0800

Oh and RE: the current decor? Eh. It's too homey for a State Office for my likely, and a bit too carefully tasteful genteel but what are you going to do with a national symbol like that? Paint is hot pink and glitter? well yes OF COURSE but they wont let me re- paint the Lincoln Memorial in life-like colors either so nyah

By: smackfu

smackfu — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:39:36 -0800

Pictures of the President's Private Study. Amazing how ancient the 1991 Bush study is. Tiny tube TV, a typewriter, an actual intercom.

By: bearwife

bearwife — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:40:22 -0800

Funny, I was thinking of a different quote: "Après Moi le Deluge." I would love to attribute that to Louis XIV and George W too, but actually Louis XV is the prescient source of that quote. The other famous French quote that comes to mind when I think of George W's attitude is actually a song title: "Non, je nes regrette rien."

By: ericb

ericb — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:40:24 -0800

There was a concern that a computer in the Oval Office would lead to less productivity and more time on Facebook, just like 50% of office workers.*

"Will President Obama have a personal computer? ... Probably not, if recent history is a guide—neither Bill Clinton nor George W. Bush had a dedicated office computer. On Thursday afternoon, the White House did confirm that Obama will keep a BlackBerry to communicate with a small group of friends and senior staff. Before Obama, presidents had gone without e-mail, both to keep their messages secure from hackers as well as to sidestep the Presidential Records Act of 1978, which requires that all correspondence be archived and eventually made available to the public. (Plus, it helps keep them focused on the job at hand; all documents that arrive at the office, from bills to birthday cards, get filtered by the staff secretary.) Ultimately, it's the president's decision whether he wants a computer, one he makes under advisement from the White House counsel and, most likely, the White House Communication Agency, the Department of Defense office that handles his classified correspondence. Even if he doesn't have a desktop computer, Obama will still be able to go online now and again while he's on the job. The president has a fleet of computer-equipped staffers sitting directly outside his office doors. President Bush sometimes used the computers of these personal aides to check news reports or sports scores. (He also had a personal computer at his Crawford ranch, which he used for limited personal surfing.) ... During Bush's tenure, the White House's IT department blocked sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and most of MySpace. The ability to comment on blogs was blocked, as was certain content that was deemed offensive. According to David Almacy, who served as Bush's director for Internet and e-communications from 2005-07, only two people had access to the iTunes store during that period: Almacy, who had to upload speeches to the site, and the president's personal aide, so that he could download songs for Bush's iPod."*

By: killdevil

killdevil — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:40:56 -0800

And on the new color scheme, my only comment is:

Neutral Official: "Your neutralness, it's a beige alert."
Neutral Leader: "If I don't survive, tell my wife: Hello."

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:41:30 -0800

When Bush's staff left, they stole all the O-s from the keyboards. It was removed when Clinton violated the Acceptable Workplace Internet Use Policy. that's where he can go and screw around (figuratively and in Clinton's case, literally). Jesus Christ, can someone please ban Jay Leno for having multiple sockpuppet accounts?

By: washburn

washburn — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:44:00 -0800

I did not know that. Now I do. I want to see pictures of THAT office. In addition to the Oval Office and the adjoining private study, there's also the Treaty Room in the White House residence, which serves as a personal office.

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:44:08 -0800

Huh. I had no idea about the private study. Dorky question: did that ever show up on West Wing? I only remember Bartlet working in the Oval.

By: dirigibleman

dirigibleman — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:46:29 -0800

Office design by the Neutrals of the Neutral Planet.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:47:36 -0800

OMG, is that new rug sisal?

By: T.D. Strange

T.D. Strange — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:48:06 -0800

When Bush's staff left, ~~they stole all the O-s from the keyboards.~~ destroyed the country. FTFY, Leno.

By: inigo2

inigo2 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:49:54 -0800

as well as to sidestep the Presidential Records Act of 1978, which requires that all correspondence be archived and eventually made available to the public. Or you can just delete those emails. I thought that was the policy in place last term?

By: ricochet biscuit

ricochet biscuit — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:56:52 -0800

Hmm. I wonder how long it will be before any president dares adopt the Carter couch arrangement. I'm wondering who the first president will be to have one of these commissioned for the Oval Office. Myself, I wonder when the next time a president will dare to put pictures of FDR and George Washington flanking a damn foreigner. Truman was lucky to have lived before the rise of cable news.

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:58:16 -0800

Needs more bean-bag chairs and velour.

By: sonika

sonika — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:00:31 -0800

Dorky question: did that ever show up on West Wing? I only remember Bartlet working in the Oval. Don't think so, though you do see Bartlet working in the residence from time to time, but that's not in any kind of "study" but just sort of "I'm in my jammies with national security."

By: ricochet biscuit

ricochet biscuit — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:01:11 -0800

Huh. I had no idea about the private study. Dorky question: did that ever show up on West Wing? I only remember Bartlet working in the Oval. And in the Residence, too, occasionally. But no: real life West Wing and TV West Wing do not line up perfectly. The Mural Room on the show is the cabinet room in the real world, Leo's (later CJ's) office is actually a dining room, etc.

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:04:06 -0800

Jesus Christ, can someone please ban Jay Leno for having multiple sockpuppet accounts? I love ya man, but having read your strip I do not think you want to get into a comedy pissing match on the nets. But yeah, I concede the Clenis is played out [ insert your own joke here, wait: insert? insertion?! ... 10010101001 JOKE-BOT IMPLOSION 0101011100 ]

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:05:15 -0800

I love ya man, but ... must be the new With all due respect ...

By: wabbittwax

wabbittwax — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:14:55 -0800

Dorky question: did that ever show up on West Wing? I only remember Bartlet working in the Oval. Don't think so, though you do see Bartlet working in the residence from time to time, but that's not in any kind of "study" but just sort of "I'm in my jammies with national security." Seems to me they placed the Chief of Staff's office where the presidential study is located and, yeah Bartlet did all of his official business in the Oval office or was sometimes seen in the Treaty room and the bedroom in the residence.

By: schmod

schmod — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:15:57 -0800

The Johnson Oval Office in 1964, temporarily using the final Kennedy rug and curtains but with LBJ's desk—built for him by the Senate cabinet shop... Oh FFS, they have free healthcare AND a dedicated cabinetmaker? Yep! The Senate cabinetshop has a long history, and actually still makes a lot of sense. Furniture is rotated and passed down through many generations of senators. Rather than discard nice pieces of hardwood furniture, the cabinetmakers sand, restore, and refinish them. Many of the items that they work on have some level of historic value as well. I believe they also employ a guy who does nothing but make picture frames. The capitol complex is huge, and the architect employs a maintenance staff that is almost completely self-sufficient. It cuts down on waste, and provides steady, local employment. If there's demand for it, why not employ a cabinetmaker? Compared to almost every other country on the planet (first-world and otherwise), the Capitol and White house are incredibly austere. Many of the ambassadors in DC have more impressive offices than our own political officials. (I got a glimpse into the Indonesian ambassador's office during their open house earlier this year. It's the sort of office where'd you expect there to be a shark tank under the floor -- outright intimidating. It's also got a pipe organ inside!)

By: misha

misha — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:17:39 -0800

I'm still waiting for this.

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:18:23 -0800

Pictures of the President's Private Study. LBJ had three TVs in there too. He was like the nation's grandpa-- always staring at the TV when he wasn't yelling to you while he was taking a shit.

By: m@f

m@f — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:25:10 -0800

In addition to the Oval Office and the adjoining private study, there's also the Treaty Room in the White House residence, which serves as a personal office. Look! A computer! BURN IT.

By: oneirodynia

oneirodynia — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:27:05 -0800

I have to admit, though, I like H.W. Bush's office the best -- those pale blue drapes are really lovely. Me too. And sadly, I even like W's design better than Obama's. It's so brown.

By: yeloson

yeloson — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:28:52 -0800

I'm sure there are teabaggers right now screaming, "See?!? Welfare state! Welfare state!" based on that Kennedy quote. Context - the most under appreciated treasure of the real world.

By: I Foody

I Foody — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:31:14 -0800

If I was president I would have one of those treadmill desks forever set to sprint. Behind me would be a screen , a projector would show a looping video of a jaguar forever running right towards the camera. Chasing me. I would have a photometer set on the roof of the white house. Powerful full spectrum lamps would create an amount of light identical to the outside world. The space would be dominated by a large tank of saline water heated to 98.6 degrees kept absolutely dark and silent. That's where I'd do my thinking and enter a state not so different from your sleep. "Greetings Mr. Medevev" my voice would boom with such a rich resonance that you would wonder whether the words emerged from inside him. He would reply in a thick accent "an interesting garb you have chosen" He would of course be refering to the fact that I was wearing only a weighted vest and shin guards. Then we would probably just listen to REM records for a while and really hash things out.

By: roystgnr

roystgnr — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:34:54 -0800

The only justification for that Clinton Couch is if it is literally made of peppermint. It also has a certain Champagne Room vibe to it. Yes, but unlike the Clinton Oval Office, there is no sex in the Champagne Room. See, here's the problem with that couch idea: even if a Clinton couch was made of solid peppermint candy, are you going to risk licking it?

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:37:04 -0800

misha: Close enough.

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:38:10 -0800

I want to see pictures of the real "Kennedy Room," as seen in Mars Attacks!

By: ocherdraco

ocherdraco — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:40:02 -0800

Oh no! Obama was just a red herring—the real crypto-Muslim was President Taft!

By: 1000monkeys

1000monkeys — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:52:13 -0800

It's nice and neutral, but it looks like anybody's family room. The first thing I thought when I saw it was that it looked like a generic furniture showroom display. That being said, it is rather calm and subdued, and slightly casual, which is fitting I guess. I prefer this laid back look to some of the previous presidents' tacky and over-the-top AMERICA, HOME OF THE FREE crap.

By: JoeXIII007

JoeXIII007 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:53:07 -0800

Via the USA Today Link: New rug produced and donated by a Michigan-based business and paid for by the non-profit White House Historical Association through a contribution from the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Oh yes! Thanks Mr. President for stimulating the Michigan Economy. A little will go a long way.

By: Omon Ra

Omon Ra — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:03:12 -0800

Taft was a terror baby.

By: blucevalo

blucevalo — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:05:51 -0800

In addition to the Oval Office and the adjoining private study, there's also the Treaty Room in the White House residence, which serves as a personal office. That image of Bush leaning back with his feet hoisted up on the desktop reminds me of everything I hate about that bastard.

By: Neofelis

Neofelis — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:11:39 -0800

Clinton's! Oh my. That's the ninetiesest thing I've ever seen.

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:13:23 -0800

having read your strip I do not think you want to get into a comedy pissing match on the nets. But yeah, I concede the Clenis is played out I guess you were trying to return an ego bruise there or something, but honestly I'm just confused. I said your comment wasn't funny and you agree with me. Ummm... hell of a "match" there, Roger Federer.

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:24:11 -0800

Sorry, but nothing is remotely funny about didacticism (of any ideology), is all, especially in comic strip form. Keep up the good fight, though. Besides, the impeachment was twelve years ago. Studies have shown that Leno is approximately six years behind the times.

By: the young rope-rider

the young rope-rider — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:32:41 -0800

there is really zero need to go to people's profiles to insult them. when we could all be happily insulting that fake-ass velvet fabric which is, in my opinion, the worst upholstery fabric ever. Every time you sit on it you leave an ass print.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:40:46 -0800

The Speech President Obama Should Give about the Iraq War (But Won't)

By: Kabanos

Kabanos — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:41:53 -0800

They need to dig this Lyndon Johnson-era chair out of storage.

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:44:10 -0800

You assume incorrectly, young rope-rider. I was familiar with his work long before this thread. Hell, I discovered it because he linked (several times, if memory serves) to strips he had drawn in the past. I have been here long enough to become familiar with people and their work before they contribute to a thread. But your general point is absolutely spot-on, even though it does not apply here. And yes, fake-ass velvet is not my thing.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:44:17 -0800

Omens for Tonight's Speech

By: haveanicesummer

haveanicesummer — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:46:49 -0800

Every time you sit on it you leave an ass print. posted by the young rope-rider Feature, not a bug. How else will we thwart the Russian's assprint scanning technology when entering their secret lairs? Yes! Won't you sit down Mr. Medvedev! And don't squirm around too much. *narrows eyes shiftily*

By: Kevin Street

Kevin Street — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:55:52 -0800

"That image of Bush leaning back with his feet hoisted up on the desktop reminds me of everything I hate about that bastard." Is that the Treaty Table? I kind of like the new Oval Office decor. Yes it's coloured neutrally, but that's not a bad thing when the room is used for high powered meetings and diplomacy. (But then, I like the Ford-Carter decor too, so maybe my taste is weird.) The worst decor is probably Nixon's, with that deep blue and bright yellow it looks like a movie set. (Probably a black and white movie, since there's so much contrast.) And the next worst is Kennedy's, with the bright red carpet, although he never actually saw it. If you've got powerful people getting together to talk about important things in an atmosphere that's always emotionally charged, the last thing you should probably have is a room design that subliminally encourages extremes.

By: The 10th Regiment of Foot

The 10th Regiment of Foot — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:04:53 -0800

Sorry, but nothing is remotely funny about didacticism (of any ideology) I guess that's why the Daily Show struggles for ratings.

By: blucevalo

blucevalo — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:38:58 -0800

Is that the Treaty Table? Yes. Sorry, I should have specified.

By: Kevin Street

Kevin Street — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:39:56 -0800

No, you didn't make a mistake or anything. I'm just amazed that he'd put his boots up on a genuine antique.

By: I Foody

I Foody — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:41:41 -0800

I remember a lot of people were really upset about obama putting his feet up on his desk too. Fairs fair. Neither of the men respect wood.

By: Mental Wimp

Mental Wimp — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:45:08 -0800

Is this where I tie this activity to him being a Nazi Muslim Communist Kenyan?

By: Authorized User

Authorized User — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:49:28 -0800

What is it with the couches. Looking at that page, the last time the President of The United States had a decent-looking couch was in 1925.

By: wabbittwax

wabbittwax — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:54:19 -0800

What is it with the couches. Looking at that page, the last time the President of The United States had a decent-looking couch was in 1925. I don't know. Obama's at least looks comfy.

By: Kevin Street

Kevin Street — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:54:31 -0800

I were was somehow President, I'd use that little study for the real work. No antiques in there, just an ordinary desk that could be scratched and stained and worn through use, with a computer on it. Then a big TV and comfy couch in the middle of the room for watching Important Stuff. (Maybe with a videophone thingie installed.) And if there was space maybe a little table at the far end, so the Vice President and I could get drunk and play chess. That would be sweet.

By: jquinby

jquinby — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:56:21 -0800

You might be interested in this awesome post about it, then. YE GODS AND LITTLE FISHES.

By: jquinby

jquinby — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:57:10 -0800

whoa, my quoting got all screwed up. Thanks for the pointer, dersins.

By: Joe Beese

Joe Beese — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:35:54 -0800

The comments about Obama's speech tonight remind me that the deaths of millions of innocent people have been caused by the decisions reached in that room over the years. It's rather macabre, actually.

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:37:43 -0800

I guess that's why the Daily Show struggles for ratings. I was gonna stay out of this now, but Jon Stewart does not take himself seriously. And I guess I should have specified self-important didacticism, but that strikes me as redundant. I am sorry I told a humorist who found me like Leno that I did not appreciate his own humor, either, with which I was already familiar. Carry on with the couch talk already, jeez.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:43:23 -0800

I thought it was pretty weird you called him unfunny based on non MetaFilter work he's done.

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:57:41 -0800

I thought it was pretty weird you called him unfunny based on non MetaFilter work he's done. Can we please drop it? He linked to his work here. His username is the name of his strip, which I have read, LINKED HERE. I referenced it. That is all. If you guys want to die on this hill, be my guest, but I am out. I think the dude is not funny, he thinks I am not funny. Game over, already.

By: Ritchie

Ritchie — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:02:50 -0800

Well, if there's a Round 2 of the global financial crisis, every president from now on will be redecorating with stuff they found through Craigslist.

By: zennie

zennie — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:11:43 -0800

Are those ashhtrays on the sitting area tables?

By: naoko

naoko — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:20:52 -0800

Oh FFS, they have free healthcare AND a dedicated cabinetmaker? Members of Congress actually pay into FEHBP, just like other federal employees (until 2014, at which point they will instead be required to use the exchanges set up under health care reform). It's good health insurance, but it's not free.

By: bearwife

bearwife — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:31:53 -0800

Are those ashtrays on the sitting area tables? No, I think the answer to that is definitely not, even if the President is still sneaking smokes now and then. This is a pretty good slideshow of what the Oval Office looks like now, and close up it seems clear these are not ashtrays.

By: msconduct

msconduct — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:53:57 -0800

that coffee table looks like it came from ikea.

By: pearlybob

pearlybob — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:16:03 -0800

msconduct....you beat me to it. That coffee table is horrid!!! Can we GET any more presswood?? It makes the whole thing (which otherwise isn't so awful) look like PC beach condo, circa 1977. Bleeeeeech!!

By: homunculus

homunculus — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:15:01 -0800

Here's the full text of President Obama's Oval Office address.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:29:45 -0800

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the most 'radical speech' an American ex-President has ever delivered.

By: digitalprimate

digitalprimate — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:36:40 -0800

I gotta say, all the photos that feature President Obama are pretty much what I expected; utilitarian but comfortable, bland but modern. Just like the man. Which is exactly why I voted for him. He's not nearly progressive enough for me, but he's done pretty much what he said he would, and his decor, I think, reflects that. For some odd reason this comforts me despite the aforementioned hatred of some of his policies.

By: wallstreet1929

wallstreet1929 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:04:16 -0800

Insipid, eom.

By: taz

taz — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:55:34 -0800

I think I'd like it quite a bit, if the wallpaper were blue. Quick and dirty PS: Blue Walls (current) Yellow Walls

By: Foam Pants

Foam Pants — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:22:03 -0800

I think those couches and the coffee table look like they found them down at Discount Furniture Warehouse. Or maybe they were donated by La-Z-Boy.

By: gorgor_balabala

gorgor_balabala — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:45:04 -0800

Where DID he get those couches? At least Clinton's don't look freshly delivered from Furniture Warehouse DEALS DEALS DEALS!!! If you must have those (as apparently you must), at least make them interesting.

By: ThePinkSuperhero

ThePinkSuperhero — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:58:49 -0800

OMG I love the blue walls, taz.

By: contessa

contessa — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:16:10 -0800

Nicely done, taz! Major improvement!

By: homunculus

homunculus — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:29:17 -0800

As Troops Leave Iraq, Why Is Obama Sounding Like A Neocon?

By: Plutor

Plutor — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:17:37 -0800

As MetaFilter Discusses Interior Design, Why Is Homunculus Bringing Up Politics?

By: homunculus

homunculus — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:05:38 -0800

What, really? Because the only reason the Oval Office redesign is being unveiled to the public now is for it be the backdrop for Obama's speech about Iraq. Almost every article about it opens like the first one of this post: "The Oval Office has gotten a makeover. When President Obama addresses the nation on Iraq on Tuesday night, he will do so from newly redecorated digs." The timing is not a coincidence; the Iraq speech has been bundled with the Oval Office redesign to make it more palatable to the public.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:12:54 -0800

Well, maybe that was a clear link in your mind, but I thought you were just posting in the wrong thread.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:42:47 -0800

Well, I don't want to derail the thread if I'm the only one who sees it that way, so I'll bow out. Carry on.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:53:27 -0800

It's like that time we bombed Hiroshima. Truman was wearing a new suit, so it was A-OK by me.

By: WalterMitty

WalterMitty — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:57:43 -0800

the Iraq speech has been bundled with the Oval Office redesign to make it more palatable to the public. Or maybe the Oval Office redesign has been bundled with the Iraq speech to make it more palatable to the public.

By: Frank Grimes

Frank Grimes — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:48:44 -0800

More rug criticism: The Washington Post reports that a quote on the rug is misattributed to MLK instead of Boston abolitionist Theodore Parker.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:01:11 -0800

The Washington Post reports that a quote on the rug is misattributed to MLK instead of Boston abolitionist Theodore Parker. Ditto for the Lincoln quote.