# Anybody in DC know what's going on with the OEOB? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531 "2009-08-15T17:02:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/1 "2009-08-15T17:02:13Z")
In this picture: [http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/3817363887/sizes/l/](http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/3817363887/sizes/l/) taken late last month, the Old Executive Office Building seems to be completely surrounded in scaffolding, like an architectural cocoon. Does anybody know what they’re doing to it? Cleaning, painting, resurfacing, bulletproof windows? Couldn’t find anything online about it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/2 "2009-08-15T21:06:53Z")
Wiki says there was a small fire there in late 2007. Funny that neither Mark Twain nor Harry Truman apparently admired the building: [Eisenhower Executive Office Building - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OEOB) But this looks like it’s a general renovation. See the third, fourth and fifth items here: [http://www.cfa.gov/meetings/2009/jun/20090618con.html](http://www.cfa.gov/meetings/2009/jun/20090618con.html) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/3 "2009-08-15T21:44:24Z")
They had to do a thorough environmental and spiritual cleansing to release the multitude of demons that had taken up residence during the 8 years that their Dark Lord had his official office there. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/4 "2009-08-16T00:22:58Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > They had to do a thorough environmental and spiritual cleansing to release the multitude of demons that had taken up residence during the 8 years that their Dark Lord had his official office there. Aaaaaand the dickhead arrives in three. A new record? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/5 "2009-08-16T02:33:47Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Wiki says there was a small fire there in late 2007. [/QUOTE] How quickly we forget! Previous thread on the fire, with ample suspicions expressed about VP Cheney’s role in it: [Were any Whitehouse documents destroyed in the fire?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=448582) Gotta admit, Cheney sparked much better threads and speculation than Motor-mouth Joe Biden. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/6 "2009-08-16T02:36:11Z")
Was that the fire when someone tried to light a fireplace that wasn’t an actual fireplace? Or was that in The West Wing? I swear it happened for realsies, too. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/7 "2009-08-16T03:53:07Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Aaaaaand the dickhead arrives in three. A new record? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/8 "2009-08-16T05:37:27Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > They had to do a thorough environmental and spiritual cleansing to release the multitude of demons that had taken up residence during the 8 years that their Dark Lord had his official office there. > [@friedo](#): > > Aaaaaand the dickhead arrives in three. A new record? **jayjay**. You’re in General Questions. Political jabs don’t belong here. Don’t do this. **friedo**. You’re in General questions. Personal insults aren’t allowed here. Not appropriate for the forum. **samclem** Moderator, General Questions ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/9 "2009-08-16T05:40:26Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > They had to do a thorough environmental and spiritual cleansing to release the multitude of demons that had taken up residence during the 8 years that their Dark Lord had his official office there. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Gotta admit, Cheney sparked much better threads and speculation than Motor-mouth Joe Biden. [Moderator Note] Let’s refrain from political commentary in GQ, please. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. ETA: I was about to issue a separate note to **friedo** for insults, but since **samclem** beat me to it I won’t bother. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/10 "2009-08-16T05:47:16Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > **jayjay**. You’re in General Questions. Political jabs don’t belong here. Don’t do this. Sorry. It was just meant to be a light joke, since the question had been answered (the fire and renovation). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/11 "2009-08-16T06:20:28Z")
Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-in-dc-know-whats-going-on-with-the-oeob/506531/12 "2009-08-16T13:13:57Z")
The OEOB isn’t the handsomest structure - looks like a stale wedding cake. But it is to be preferred to the [New Executive Office Building,](http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=566012) which looks like it was transplanted from East Berlin.