Blocked from Blair House

If I were the political editor at a newspaper -- or Washington bureau chief of a network -- I'd call in my White House team, as well as the investigative reporters, and ask them to try to answer the following questions:

1. Given that the Obamas want to move to Blair House ten days before the traditional January 15 pre-inaugural start date -- so that they're in DC for Sasha and Malia's first day of school -- which Bush administration official decided to shut them out of the official presidential guest house and tell them to book a hotel?

2. Laura Bush's spokeswoman will say only that Blair House "is not available and won't be available until January 15." Why is it unavailable? The New York Times reports that the State Department isn't aware of any foreign dignitaries visiting from January 5 to 15, so what distinguished Americans are staying there who take precedence over the president-elect?

3. If -- as some report -- Blair House is being used for receptions, why can't the receptions be held in one of the 132 rooms in the White House? Or in one of the hundreds of reception halls in government offices from the State Department to the Reagan Building?

4. At a time of economic crisis and record debt, how much is it costing taxpayers to put the Obamas up at the Hay-Adams? (Presumably, the Secret Service requires not just the presidential suite, but the whole floor. And maybe the floor above and the floor below.)

5. Blair House is just across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. It's already part of the presidential security cordon. What will the inevitable concrete barriers and sharpshooters do to pedestrian and automobile traffic around the Hay-Adams? And more importantly, will President-elect Obama and his family be as safe there as they would in Blair House?

Comments

[lpcon]

Shame on them. No class, no refinement!

[history1675]

I believe that the Bush family and administration are really showing their true TEXAS colors. I also have one point to make for you all to think about....if McCain won the election, would the Blair House still be off-limits to the incoming president? I do not want to sound like a militant, but this is not only an insult to the President, but it is also a deep stain on this nation that needs to be removed.

[fumes]

january twentieth cannot come soon enough!

[buddy655]

All instructions about Blair House in this matter come from the White House--directly from the Bushes. When is someone going to tell us what is going there. Where are all the journalists??

[associate43]

The Chief of Protocol of the United States is responsible for the operation of Blair House. The current Chief of Protocol is Nancy Brinker. Undoubtedly, Ms. Brinker would have been involved in making the decision to rebuff the Obama's request for an "early" arrival at Blair House. "Protocol" is that the President-elect and their family have Blair House from January 15-January 20th, until the inauguration is completed and they then move into the White House. While it's technically the correct decision, it's a bad decision and Bush should have overridden Ms. Brinker as a final gesture of good will.

[eden4barack08]

Ok, it seems like you're well informed on the subject. Can you please provide any link or record of this "protocol" of the House's availability from Jan 15-20? All the research I've done has been futile in that sense, and I only see past Presidential transitions' dates which completely disprove that "protocol" since NONE of them have adhered to those dates. How do you explain that given the so called "protocol"? Does that mean that past Presidents BROKE protocol in order to accommodate the incoming PE, and so now Bush, the most lawless President in our history, is the only one upholding the protocol in THIS case? After breaking every law under the sun, now he wants to abide by protocol? On a matter of national security, such is the safety and accommodation of our future leader and his family? Oh PLease!!

[ciotog17]

Psst. There's a way for Barack to repay this slight. It's called prosecuting Bush and Cheney for war crimes. They won't get to stay in Blair House either, but they will have federally-provided housing for a long long long time.

[buddy655]

Nancy Brinker did not make that decision without the instructions from Laura Bush and the White House. She was doing what she was told to do. There are no visiting heads of state and any receptions could be moved. This is costing the taxpayers millions of dollars. When is the press going to write about this???

[SoCalKev]

This has been the "best kept secret" in Washington for some time. I can't believe for a minute that NO ONE was able to make arrangements for this. I'd also like to know the LAST TIME a President Elect was not able to use Blair house?? They had 4 years to get ready for SOMEONE to use the facility and SUDDENLY it's not available. ?? Finally, who is using it ??? Who's going to ask the questions???

[LADY2CNTX]

Elephant in the room. We know why the Obamas were not allowed to stay in the Blair house. Had it been any one other than BHO there would have been immediate schedule changes and accomodations made.

If the Bush/Chaney administration were hosting guests or events then they could have been moved to the Hay Adams.

[Anita-indep]

I think we should send Shrb Sr and Jr and the rest to explore jupiter

[Anita-indep]

Do they have gui ll otines in Texas? for B. Sr and Jr and the rest of the shrubs?

[kepary]

how petty can you get... its the presidents guest house until the 15th get over it

[highflag]

You've identified the proper description, "petty". You've simply pointed it in the wrong direction...

[anm]

Actually, it belongs to the people of the United States of America. Before, during, and after the time period when the Bushes were allowed to live there. So get over it.

[HunterHunt]

Great! So when do you plan to stay there? I would like to be there on Jan. 20...if it is mine, then certainly, i can get it, right? Typical one sided logic you are spewing!

[cgoodie]

Maybe this has been Cheney's undisclosed location???

[groark]

BUSH...ALL of them should be burned at the bush.
GOOD riddance to bad rubbish.
WHAT they have done to destroy our great country is just a crime.
I think we are just beginning to find out just a few of the very many things that have happened.
When I travel to other countries, it is a shame how far we have fallen in the eyes of the world.
SAD....SAD.
WHAT we have LET them do to our dear country....
greed, arrogance, stupidity...I think that as history will show.
the name of BUSH...will be come a name of shame...

[sugarmoes]

i know why... cuz dubby and his pickles like the blood red color of the such and such antique this and that rug in the so and so room where who and who stayed and they want a few more days to be able to sneak in at night and gaze at the deep rich color and imagine how it must look exactly like the streets of iraq flowing deep with blood... and they just giiiiiiiiggle and giggle and tickle each other and talk about how great it is to make so much money off the peons.

[hollybork]

You are right. This deserves a series of stories. Who is at Blair House, what are they doing, who is sleeping there and why. There are millions of Americans who want to know this. Who is more important than the Obama's right now ? Who are these Bush family members and hangers on, the Washington insiders and their lobbyist friends and hard partying Texans?

[MmeFlutterbye]

I'll be glad when this redneck administration is out of office. What a nightmare it's been! The Obamas are gracious, thoughtful people. I'm looking forward to having them as our leaders even though I feel sorry for the mess the Bushies have left them. And how about old George touting his other son for president! Are we stupid and naive enough to try another Bush as a leader? II's possible that the media will help the VERY RICH Bush family in this endeavor. They'll salivate over all that wealth and hold Jeb up as a saint. YUK! And I think there are enough stupid people in the USA who'll want to repeat the two (Bush) worst mistake we've ever made.