White House To Obamas: Sorry, We're Booked

New York Times:

The White House has turned down a request from the family of President-elect Barack Obama to move into Blair House in early January so that his daughters can start school on January 5.

The Obamas were told that Blair House, where incoming presidents usually stay in the five days before Inauguration Day, is booked in early January, a spokesperson to the Obama transition said. "We explored the idea so that the girls could start school on schedule,' the spokesperson said. "But, there were previously scheduled events and guests that couldn't be displaced."

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Egalitare]

Let's get the Obamas a double wide FEMA-styled trailer, and park it on the WH grounds.

I bet Blair House becomes available really quick then.

[urbanscorpio88]

Where do I make the donation.......

[Peachie49]

sorry folks, there is one president at a time and until January 29, 2009, that is President George Bush.
Pres Elect Obama & family should rent a house or use hotel accommodations for the two week period until the White House becomes available. If Sen Obama had secured housing in DC during his period in the Senate, this would not be a problem. Don't blame the Bushes, they have invited guests and it's beside the point who/why/or how the Blair House is being used for the period Jan 1 - 15th. Think the Obama Transition Team is out of line on this one.

[BrahminNoodles]

No. The Bushes are out of line allowing their staffs to use Blair House for parties.

There are no guests staying there.

Blair House is funded as a guest house, not as party central.

[ArturoYee]

Excuse me - don't prior commitment have priority over newer requests?
We taught that to our children! Once you make a commitment - you keep it.

Or has that changed now in our western culture? I really want to know -

[Egalitare]

Then Reagan (who was given access to Blair in December 1980) and the Clintons (who were given access in early January 1992) were also "out of line."

[hotstuff]

Wrong! The House is ours, and is often offered to the incomeing president in the past! Plus Bushes should have known/had time too, to figure the Obama would need it/ school an all!

[eden4barack08]

You are historically incorrect! Not to mention you even got the inauguration date wrong. It's Jan 20th, not 29!
Herbert Bush even let Clinton, who had actually defeated him, move in on Dec 7th. A whole month before most transition teams in the past.
The Blair House belongs to the people, and the President uses it for foreign dignitaries or some special domestic cases, like ex First Ladies and past Presidents.
Being that there are no guests expected for that period, there's no reason the Bushes should've said no, other than perhaps writing their last classless act in history.
George got emotional at a speech yesterday speaking about his father, yet he did not even learn basic common decency from him, at least Herbert had that.

[nippyfan]

You people are fools, who deserve Bush as a President. Speculating on a bunch of bs that doesn't concern you. Paying your rent, keeping a job, educating your children so they don't rank lowest educated in the world. A bunch of reality television watching dumb dumbs. Pitiful. We'll see how much you care about who moves where when we are fighting for bottled water. Jeesh.

If you aren't part of the solution, you ARE part of the problem.

[MrKINOKO]

LOL...excellent post. I agree. Water may well be worth it's weight in Platinum, or Plutonium, in the not so distant future. Wake up, America.

[Pepper14]

Obama is not a King and he better start learning this now. He should follow the the rules and should never have asked to move in early. I am sure Hillary would love him to stay at her house.

[hotstuff]

There is no rules for the blair house! In the past president elect's has moved in early for one reason or another! what, Obama isn't as good or white as other presidents pepper?

[nikky]

i think you got it

[roshni]

You hit it. Some people don;t want Obama in the White House at all and it's O.K. for them that Bush is being disrespectful.
I hope he has a really bad hangover from whatever party he goes to at Blair House.

[nippyfan]

They tried to tell all the slaves about "RULES". Whose rules? The same people who had us paying over 4 dollars a gallon. Bunk rules.

[eden4barack08]

Why would you risk showing your ignorance, when it's so easy to google information nowadays? I don't get it!

[jingles32]

ONE MORE TIME, there are no 'RULES" regarding Blair House. One more time, he is not in the least, in any way, shape or form, offended by having his request denied. But YOU had better start learning how to respect your soon to be president.

[TomTheAlmostUgly]

Pepper14's a Republican. Don't bother him with facts, especially facts that demonstrate that Bushie might have done something wrong.

*snicker* "Obama is not a King." But now he CAN be, thanks to all the precedents that Bushie's laid down.

Just a friendly reminder to all Republicans: Come January 20th, Barack Obama can read YOUR mail, and tap YOUR phones, and access YOUR charge-card statements and ISP history, all without a warrant; and Obama can declare YOU an enemy combatant without trial. But I'm sure you don't sacrificing a little freedom, right?

[demrepub]

The Obama's are sending their children to a private school in Washington which is certainly their right. It's interesting though that Obama opposes school vouchers that would allow people of less means to have the same opportunities as their children.

[BrahminNoodles]

If you think a voucher could pay the tuition at Sidwell or the other good schools, you are delusional.

[Egalitare]

I'm not sure it covers the application fee at those schools.

[demrepub]

Is it Noodles? That somewhat describes your thought processes. Your argument begs the point which is why don't we provide those who are less fortunate with the same educational opportunities provided to those who are more fortunate? Why don't we ask people in DC if they would like to send their kids to a private school? Without a doubt they do, yet Obama opposes vouchers that would allow them to do so. By the way, f&^% you.

[viewfromuphere]

I suspect most children in either public or private school don't have a secret service detail with them.

Barack Obama was given Secret Service protection sooner than any other presidential candidate for a reason.....and after reading some of the comments made against this family...is it a surprise they might want those kids in a slightly more controlable environment

[nippyfan]

Nobody told George Bush to send his girls to public school. Why do you people feel like you OWN Barack Obama? Something in your history chaps. You don't. And you should feel blessed he is foolish enough to step in and try to help this mess YOUR former President left. I can't believe all these ridiculous opinions. None of you would put your kids in some half assed public school if you didn't have too. You sound like FOOLS. How the hell can the President of the United States offspring go to public school. For that matter,we shouldn't even know where his children are going to school. I can't wait for the world to reset itself. News will travel a lot slower when there's no electricity.

[keepemhonest]

school vouchers will NOT help anyone at all. Seriously, what is the main difference bet. a private school & a public school? Answer: Discipline.

The primary problem with the school system is the school administrators (principal, teachers) have been stripped of being able to discipline children who: don't do homework, don't do class work, disrupt the class room by mouthing off to teachers ...

You get discipline back in public schools and you will begin to see a turn around in grades, drop out rate etc.

[eden4barack08]

First of all, he does NOT oppose vouchers, he just doesn't think they are the answer to all the education problems of this country. Second, no child can go to Sidwell on vouchers.

[pfc1369]

Yes.

By all means let's totally destroy what's left of our public schools. That will really allow Americans to keep up with the rest of the world which is rapidly passing us by in education, health care, production, you name it.

All in the name of an outmoded ideology that does nothing but enrich the criminals at the top of the totem pole.

[CLEDUC]

I've been trying to think of a good excuse as objectively as I can but I haven't been able to come up with one. The question I asked myself is what is more important than (within reason) doing everything one can to make the transition as easy and safe as possible for the president elect? He's got a heck of a lot of Bush's mess to clean up as it is. "Country first", remember GOP ?

I'll bet the Obamas are flooded with offers from others who will let them use their home. Hopefully, they can find an arrangement that doesn't compromise their safety or the transition.

[eden4barack08]

Me too, and there's just no good excuse, other than plain ignorance on the part of Bush one last time I guess. Laura Bush surprises me even more, since she at least publicly tries to act civil, and is a mother, you'd think she understands at least. Go figure.
No doubt the Obamas are flooded with offers now, that's not even the issue. But nothing compares to an official place where it's easy and familiar for everyone, especially the Secret Service.

[roshni]

Bush is as dumb as a box of rocks and equally rude.

[DWP]

The Bush Administration needs to tell the tax payers who will be staying in Blair House that cannot be inconvenienced. Of course, the press will find out and let us know. It would seem that a kinder thing to do would be to find some place the for the Blair House guests -- Goodness knows there are plenty of them around including hotel suites and let the Obama children settle in before they start to school. If children were not involved it would not be so bad. I thought Laura Bush was all about being kind to children.

[starfire426]

Are you that naive??? The shrub won't even disclose how much of OUR MONEY (TWO TRILLION IN EMERGENCY LOANS) is being dispensed to unknown sources!!!! So you know that the "unknown visitors" to Blair House is totally out of the question!!! Just another one of the bigoted low-down tactics that the Rethugs can be proud of....compassionate, conservative Christians that they are!!! These are the same people who will burst the doors of he 11 wide open...won't be a moment too soon for me!!!!

[paulfromportland]

If only the lede could be changed to "Sorry, We're being booked, at the moment".

[Mercy8 om]

The last attempt at heaving power around!

[roshni]

Underline heaving!
The Obama kids can't move in because Bush is having another drunken orgy.

[darker]

Absolutely typical DISGUSTING Republican FRAT-BRAT BUSH behavior.

It DOES matter where Obama stays in Washington, D.C. since not
every place can be secured by the Secret Service responsible for
protecting the President-Elect.

Bush is an abomination to our nation. He belongs IN JAIL.

[edwarvir]

That is the people's house so why can't we know
who is staying there. If roles were reversed the msm and
the pundits would be hounding President Obama to tell them
who is staying there and why.

[JMBrodie]

So, they really have to stay at a Holiday Inn Express?

[VOTER]

George and Laura have been searching for "supporters" and having a difficult
time finding any to celebrate the end of his 8 years with them.

Who will love George at the very end of his term?

Pardoned crooks and their families.

: - )

[thatsitfortheother1]

The White House has turned down a request from the family of President-elect Barack Obama to move into Blair House in early January so that his daughters can start school on January 5.

Might be prudent to remind shrub to bring ALL the keys to the White House to the inauguration.

[debrouillard]

Geez!
America has no dignity left. Your current government just told your next president that,some anonymous guest is more important than he is.

Will the Bush government ever gets one priority right? I swear to God,if I was Obama,Bush will face trial for war crimes.

[JMBrodie]

Well, now why should Bushie be bothered with such a trivial thing as somebody else moving in? Wasn't like he had an exit strategy for the White House.

[Republicrats]

another non story, they asked, its booked already, plenty of other options, no big deal, not relevant, means nothing else, that there are so many bs see i told you so repubs are all evil speaks more about our public un-consciousness than anything else!

[schatsie]

Absolutely typical Republican behavior..
'Sorry, but we didn't know that Iraq would be such a mess'
'Sorry, but we didn't know that the New Orleans Levees were in such a mess'
'Sorry, but we didn't know that there was such a thing as PSTD'
'Sorry, but we didn't know we would need the Body Armor"
'Sorry, but we have to go with the army we have"

But when it comes to Wall Street,
Sorry, but we need a BLANK CHECK AND NO OVERSIGHT....

[Republicrats]

ha the dems were right there all along, arm in arm, dancing the same tune!

[thatsitfortheother1]

Get a warm coat. You will need it wandering in the desert for the next 40 years.

[darker]

For the WUSS-IN-CHIEF Bush this is just "irresponsibility as usual".

His MISSION ACCOMPLISHED? Being A PERPETUAL PUNK with an ax to grind.

Bush should've had the crap thrashed out of him by mommy Babsie and Poopy Poppy.
They were too busy smilingly planing vicious politics while their Georgie ran wild.

[Republicrats]

you are a whack job

[thatsitfortheother1]

Uh, nope.

[Dynamohum]

republicrats are the whack jobs! whack job. go to a reich-wing blog and do forget to write.

[trish74]

His mother is a piece of work herself. You can't expect any better from her son.

[roshni]

Trash breeding trash in this family.