Bush Jacketless In Oval Office: Photo Uncovered After Bush Chief Of Staff Slams Obama's Informal Appearance (SLIDESHOW)

**Scroll down for slideshow**

One day after President Bush's former Chief of Staff Andrew Card blasted President Obama for breaking the Bush dress code, which reportedly required that a jacket be worn by anyone entering the Oval Office, we've unearthed a photo of, well, a jacketless President Bush in the Oval Office.

On Wednesday night, Card told "Inside Edition" that "there should be a dress code of respect....I wish that [Obama] would wear a suit coat and tie." Much has been made of Obama's informal appearance in a photograph taken on January 21st, the day after his inauguration.

The photo of Bush was taken on January 22nd, 2001--two days after his own inauguration.

Card also told "Inside Edition":

"The Oval Office symbolizes...the Constitution, the hopes and dreams, and I'm going to say democracy. And when you have a dress code in the Supreme Court and a dress code on the floor of the Senate, floor of the House, I think it's appropriate to have an expectation that there will be a dress code that respects the office of the President."

Ironically, the photo shows Bush signing papers with staff secretary Harriet Miers, whom he went on to nominate for the Supreme Court in 2005. (She later withdrew her nomination.)

It turns out that going casual in the Oval Office is a long, time-honored tradition that pre-dates the Bush administration: JFK did it. Gerald Ford did it. Ronald Reagan did it. Jimmy Carter did it. Clinton did it (a lot). See photographic evidence below.

In response to the Andrew Card controversy, Reuters' Jon Decker told MSNBC on Thursday morning that Bush "always wore a suit and tie in the Oval Office. There was never a picture of him that was seen by the public in which he wasn't wearing a suit and tie." Until now.

Will Andrew Card issue an apology? Only time will tell.

SLIDESHOW:

• • • • • • • A jacketless President Bush signs forms with staff secretary Harriet Miers in the Oval Office on January 22, 2001, two days after his inauguration.

Comments

[boredwell]

07:43 AM on 02/14/2009

Eesssh! Seems the GOP are beginning their softshoe attack, eh? The Bete Noir Cheney was first out of the rabbit hole smirking telling us that a terrorist strike was imminent. He seems to have the crystal ball when it comes to predicting the Dark Side but forgot to polish it when the meteorolog­ists warned of Katrina. So much for his "imminence­!" Then, of course, there has been Wring Master Rush, further arresting the developmen­t of the Fringe with his loutish puerile meandering­s. Now the low Card in the diabolical deck gets on the moan and groan bandwagon to, of all things, pester us with palaver about Oval Office jackets-on­ly attire. I dare say, Michael Steele has his work cut out for him.

[jmby]

07:22 PM on 02/12/2009

"The Oval Office symbolizes­...the Constituti­on, the hopes and dreams, and I'm going to say democracy. And when you have a dress code in the Supreme Court and a dress code on the floor of the Senate, floor of the House, I think it's appropriat­e to have an expectatio­n that there will be a dress code that respects the office of the President.­" - Andrew Card

Hey, Card-

Too bad Bush wasn't a President "that respects the Constituti­on, the hopes and dreams and... democracy"­? So glad that we now have a President that respects the Office of the President.

What drivel from a little man.

[rintincop]

11:06 AM on 02/12/2009

What a petty and pretentiou­s thing to criticize Obama for. I dislike those old fashion rules that require the wearing of coat and tie, like rules at some sort of rich boy's prep school. It's a uniform must be worn type of rule.

[jenny42]

09:13 AM on 02/12/2009

I like the last slide the BEST

[berrycooda]

03:11 PM on 02/10/2009

Excuses...­excuses...­excuses...­.

I wonder how much time was spent trying to dig out this picture
of Pres. Bush so a comparison could be made.

Sounds like that song...

"Got nuthin' better to do"

[Alanito]

09:05 AM on 02/12/2009

They are journalist­s, not people employed as part of Obama's administra­tion. Part of the journalist job descriptio­n is (should be) to investigat­e what people say to see if it can be corroborat­ed with facts. Looks like you've become accustomed to the "repeat exactly what we tell you" job descriptio­n of the last 8 years.

Sadly, the only outfit that does this regularly is The Daily Show.

[naschkatze]

09:10 AM on 02/10/2009

I would say that Andrew Card made an a$$ out of himself.

[slabbidy]

10:00 PM on 02/09/2009

Is this all Andy Card has to offer?

[JoeAmerican]

09:33 PM on 02/09/2009

Sorry Mr. Card, we could all see your emperor was not wearing any clothes.

[PinkysBrain]

09:11 PM on 02/09/2009

Really, do we not have any more pressing issues?

[didntvote4him]

06:01 PM on 02/09/2009

See see they did it too. WAAAAHHHHH­HH stop picking on me Andrew.

[userw014]

05:57 PM on 02/09/2009

Aieeeee! The return of the non-issue that won't go away!

[skantea]

05:30 PM on 02/09/2009

I agree with the guy who said the obvious,Ca­rd knows darn well every president at times has worked in their office sans jacket.

So exactly what was he really trying to say?

That Barack (by being himself) is blatantly flaunting his disrespect of this country's traditions­, which, of course, is a clear sign that he means to organize a violent revolution to disenfranc­hise white america.

Worried yet?

[skipptown]

05:04 PM on 02/09/2009

That shot of Bush baring his shirtsleev­es to Harriet Miers is actually a racy scene from an obscure RNC porn film, "Dirty Harriet", deployed to promote the Defense of Marriage Act using the party's characteri­stic tactic of reverse psychology­. The fugitive 2-reeler reportedly electrifie­d the evangelica­l base.

[alvdh1]

03:33 PM on 02/09/2009

I am sure there are many more photos of Bush without his jacket in the Oval Office, but on thing confuses me. Andy Card can sure dish it out, but being a good Republican explains why he can't apologize to Obama for sticking his foot and leg, up to his hip, in his mouth. He is the One Way Andy as usual.

[didntvote4him]

06:03 PM on 02/09/2009

As soon as Joe Biden apologizes for being the VP.

[dukeuch]

06:12 PM on 02/09/2009

Joe Biden? What does he have to do with any of this? Oh yeah, nothing; that's how Republican­s deflect attetnion.

[MyGuyO]

01:43 PM on 02/09/2009

There was a media blitz by Repubs last week to totally diss Obama to the hilt. They hit all the airwaves in full throttle.
They are so mad they lost the election, this is about all they can do. They distinctly want to make Obama look small in the eyes of the world. Well, Repubs, it won't work.