Future First Family Denied Early Move-In at the Blair House

[BlueJessamine]

Source: ABC News

ABC News has learned that the future First Family has been denied a request to move in early to the Blair House –- the traditional temporary housing of President-elects in Washington, DC.

Sources tell ABC News that the Obama Transition Team "explored the idea" of moving President-elect Obama and his family to the nation's capital earlier than normal for an incoming president because of the start of the school year for daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7. Students at Washington’s Sidwell Friends are slated to return to school after Winter break on Monday, January 5.

Since the Bushes aren't leaving their current abode for their new home in Dallas before Inauguration day on Jan. 20, the Obamas need somewhere to temporarily live. Sources say that officials at the Obama Transition Team asked if the Obamas could stay at the Blair House starting around Jan. 5th so that the girls could start school on schedule.

By tradition the Blair House is the President’s guest house for visiting dignitaries and is reserved for the President-elect’s use starting on Jan. 15.

The White House conveyed to the Obama team that due to previously scheduled events and guests that couldn’t be displaced from the Blair House; they could not meet their request.



Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/future-first-fa.html

[LeftyMom]

1. The Bushes are assholes.

Not that this is news.

[EFerrari]

6. They need the time to pack up the silver and take the copper out of the

walls.

:rofl:

[LeftyMom]

11. They don't want anybody to hear them running the paper shredders all night, either.

[marshall]

59. I wonder if they'll take all the "O"s off the WH keyboards

And other such "pranks".

[Creationismsucks]

18. MY BETS

are that

1. The Bush's are renting out that residence, Fred Thompson style, to the highest bidder, for the run up to Obama's inauguration.

2 ...or the Bush's are never leaving. Some part of me keeps whispering that in my worst moments. I brush it off as paranoia, but seriously, could there be a president who would surprise us less by pulling some kind of coup? I mean, the de facto coup has been complete enough.

Is it a matter of public record who is staying there in January? If not why not?

[bluestateguy]

2. Any DC area DUers willing to have the Obamas crash at your place for two weeks?

nt

[spooky3]

24. Yes. They'd be more than a little cramped here but very welcome to try!

[AnnieBW]

36. I'd take them in a heartbeat, except

That the girls are probably allergic to cats.

Besides, I'd have to clean. :D

[elleng]

47. Yup!

HAPPY to!

[TomInTib]

3. Yeah, right. I'll bet LittleMan has reserved it for PopEye and the Old Man.

ThumbSucker probably needs some wide-ass skirts to hide behind.

[rainbow4321]

4. Chimp being an asshole til the bitter end, I see

I hope this backfires on his drunken ass...not that he will care, obviously.
Wonder what they would do if all those "previously scheduled events" had to be CANCELLED if the guests said "we're not coming, go ahead and let them move in". Someone needs to find out exactly what those events are and who is on the "guest list". Probably a bunch of chimpass' cronies, in which case, they will be there come hell or high water.

[LisaM]

5. Hillary should step in and put them up

It may very well be that the space was promised. But as I understand it, Hillary has a nice house there.

[aquart]

12. Excuse me?

That's the only name you could think of? The future Secretary of State? Wouldn't Treasury be a better bet, dear?

[LisaM]

19. I think it would be cute to see Hillary sending them off to school each day

:)

[stillcool]

14. Why would the space be promised..

if it is traditional for the President-elect's family to stay there?

[robinlynne]

26. after January 15th. You missed the end of the sentence.

But isn't the white house huge? Couldn't their guests stay in there. I would imagine they have an extra bedroom or two in the whitehouse!

[stillcool]

29. Thanks for pointing that out..

what a non-story this story is.

[robinlynne]

34. true.

[pnwmom]

40. Yeah, but the guest quarters at Blair will be EMPTY.

"The Blair House says that they are ready for the Obamas whenever -- if ever -- they choose to come, yet they have no idea when that will be. They also confirm that there are no other foreign dignitaries scheduled to stay at the Blair House for the duration of the Bush administration.

"The president often hosts receptions on the first floor of the Blair House, however -- which may be why the White House was not comfortable with allowing the Obamas to move in when there were scheduled events.

"But the Blair House describes the president-elect's residential quarters within the house as a separate area -- purposely designed to provide privacy from the rest of the house. Still, the White House insists that, regardless of the set-up, the dates are non-negotiable, as is tradition."

[beac]

58. Well, Bush does have a "tradition" of being a complete and total a-hole, so I suppose

making the Obama girls go through THREE moves instead of two fits the pattern just perfectly.

It's not like the Obamas are going to tip-toe down in their footie pajamas and spy on the party from the stairs!

I'll bet the REAL reason the Chimperor doesn't want them in residence is that all his guests trying to sneak over to the residence to get a glimpse of Barack instead of paying homage to the Lame Duck Boy King.

[jwirr]

30. That is the real question. How dare the *ss take our property and

change our traditions.

[Captain Hilts]

31. This whole story makes NO SENSE. nt

[stillcool]

37. You're right..

I guess Jake Tapper had nothing worthwhile to write about.

[jaysunb]

33. Actually, that might work.

She already has Secret Service protection so, they must already have everything all set up. Hillary could kick back at her other place in N.Y.

:shrug:

[itsrobert]

7. Seems like a straight-forward answer

It's already been tasked out. I'm not one to defend the Bush Administration, but I don't see anything wrong on their part here.

[Beaverhausen]

8. Did you miss the part about Blair House being the traditional temporary housing for presidents elect

and their families?

[itsrobert]

20. Yes traditionally starting on January 15.

Did you miss that part?

[pnwmom]

41. You missed something bigger.

IMO, Bush is just pulling rank.


"The Blair House says that they are ready for the Obamas whenever -- if ever -- they choose to come, yet they have no idea when that will be. They also confirm that there are no other foreign dignitaries scheduled to stay at the Blair House for the duration of the Bush administration.

The president often hosts receptions on the first floor of the Blair House, however -- which may be why the White House was not comfortable with allowing the Obamas to move in when there were scheduled events.

"But the Blair House describes the president-elect's residential quarters within the house as a separate area -- purposely designed to provide privacy from the rest of the house. Still, the White House insists that, regardless of the set-up, the dates are non-negotiable, as is tradition."

[qwlauren35]

57. Sidwell could board the girls.

I guess it's unusual for parents to be focused on their kids. No wait, every DEMOCRATIC president we've had for the last ~50 years had school aged kids...

Darn that family values thing... Democrats aren't supposed to be good parents!

:sarcasm:

[aquart]

13. And absolutely nothing right, either.

Now ask yourself, WHY DID THEY BOOK BLAIR HOUSE BEFORE THE INAUGURATION? Because it ain't like it's not a tradition for the First Family incoming to stay there.

[EFerrari]

16. Are you kidding? The Obamas will probably find Barbara Bush on her knees

"looking for an earring" in the Lincoln bedroom come April.

They never intend to really leave. They're like the heartbreak of national psoriasis.

[davidinalameda]

32. thanks for the image

Barbara Bush on her knees

I have go wash my mind out now

[EFerrari]

35. LOL

:)

[No Elephants]

48. Do you mean Laura?

[nolabels]

51. Ah heck, what's a couple of decades between friends?

:hug:

[itsrobert]

21. It's available starting January 15.

The traditional move in date for the First Family. The Obama's ask to MOVE in Early. "Early" means before the traditional date.

[pnwmom]

44. It's available today and every day till inauguration.

From the OP:

"The Blair House says that they are ready for the Obamas whenever -- if ever -- they choose to come, yet they have no idea when that will be. They also confirm that there are no other foreign dignitaries scheduled to stay at the Blair House for the duration of the Bush administration."

[robinlynne]

27. AFTER JaN 15th!

[pnwmom]

42. They didn't. It's NOT booked! They're just being nasty.

"The Blair House says that they are ready for the Obamas whenever -- if ever -- they choose to come, yet they have no idea when that will be. They also confirm that there are no other foreign dignitaries scheduled to stay at the Blair House for the duration of the Bush administration.

"The president often hosts receptions on the first floor of the Blair House, however -- which may be why the White House was not comfortable with allowing the Obamas to move in when there were scheduled events.

"But the Blair House describes the president-elect's residential quarters within the house as a separate area -- purposely designed to provide privacy from the rest of the house. Still, the White House insists that, regardless of the set-up, the dates are non-negotiable, as is tradition."

[arcadian]

9. There is another house reserved soley for ex-Presidents.

Trowbridge House. Why couldn't they use it?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1305139

[Festivito]

10. It's not as though there are two wars and an economic crisis...

are there?

[varelse]

15. the comments on the abc blog

are rather depressing :/

[santamargarita]

17. Why doesn't that goddamn Bush get the hell out - an asshole to the end

Bastard!

[Maraya1969]

22. How gracious of them. NOT

[Iwillnevergiveup]

23. What the hey?

Other First Families arrived with school age kids - where the heck did they stay until the 20th?

[No Elephants]

49. Not many First Families with elementary school kids. Maybe kids of other first families

started the semester late, but that is not the point. The point is, why can't they stay at Blair House? The private quarters are available from now until Inauguration Day. Bush is a pr*ck, start to finish.

[llmart]

25. That's OK.....

They're going to have to fumigate the White House anyway to get rid of all the bad stuff left behind by the Bush/Cheney gang and their criminal cohorts, so I'm guessing they'll have to fumigate the Blair House also.

The Obamas are a classy family, unlike the Bushes.

[elleng]

28. Those pieces of s**t!

They can stay at MY house!

I'm sure some Sidwell families will offer to help! Maybe the Bidens, friends of the girls already!

[defendandprotect]

38. Bushco is not going to be helpful ...let them go to hotel in DC and then UPROAR ...

will force the issue for security reasons --

And I hope Obama and family always pay a lot of attention to their security

and who's involved --!!!

[Waiting For Everyman]

39. What idiots, to book it knowing that there would be a transition!

Stupid to the end.

[pnwmom]

43. It's NOT booked. This is a nasty power play.

"The Blair House says that they are ready for the Obamas whenever -- if ever -- they choose to come, yet they have no idea when that will be. They also confirm that there are no other foreign dignitaries scheduled to stay at the Blair House for the duration of the Bush administration.

"The president often hosts receptions on the first floor of the Blair House, however -- which may be why the White House was not comfortable with allowing the Obamas to move in when there were scheduled events.

"But the Blair House describes the president-elect's residential quarters within the house as a separate area -- purposely designed to provide privacy from the rest of the house. Still, the White House insists that, regardless of the set-up, the dates are non-negotiable, as is tradition."

[Cha]

45. Well, at least they tried and now

to Plan B.

[superconnected]

46. Its too bad pres Bush doesn't leave now. A whole country would be happy. He could go on immedate

vacation - something he prefers to do than being prez anyway. It would be a happy exit to the worst president ever.

[PfcHammer]

50. Prolly, that's where W and Condi do the nasty

AND where she reads to him. :eyes:

[suegeo]

52. Putting distance between the scandal

Isn't the pres. elect based in Chicago right now? And isn't there a scandal with the governor there now?

It makes sense to get out of dodge (Chicago) right now.

Bush is nasty, and his instincts are to be an asshole. So with the instincts of the assholes he surrounds himself with.

No surprise the shrub is being an asshole to the bitter end.

[Trillo]

53. Little difficult to reconcile these two sentences

"the Blair House –- the traditional temporary housing of President-elects in Washington, DC" and "due to previously scheduled events and guests that couldn’t be displaced from the Blair House; they could not meet their request"

[Mz Pip]

54. Let the Obama's stay in the WH then

There must be plenty of spare rooms in that huge place.

[goclark]

55. Watch the press remain silent on this ~

The first non White President can't stay where his family is suppose to stay..... is this a first or not?

[beac]

56. I can't imagine that any actual "dignitaries" would be visiting ANY President with only 15 days left

in his term, much less Bush. This stinks to high heaven. I hope someone can find out what these alleged "events" are and why they are so important that they couldn't be held elsewhere.

[Beaverhausen]

60. Thom Hartman is talking about this right now

[KamaAina]

61. Would it have been "booked" for McLoser and Trophy Wife?

:shrug: