# Bush White House to Obamas: Maybe you can find a park bench to sleep on? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 13, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962 "2008-12-13T00:04:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/121 "2009-01-07T18:47:37Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > Does the Hay-Adams really have a suite that expensive? My family of four can stay at The Ritz-Carlton on Central Park in NYC in a nice suite for considerably less than that… > > 😕 The Secret Service may also rent the adjacent rooms (and possibly the rooms above and below) for security reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/122 "2009-01-07T18:51:10Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Actually, I just this week booked a hotel room for January 14th/15th, which by my calculation is less than a week before the inauguration. It’s true that my hotel is near the Capitol (two blocks away) rather than near the White House, but if I can get a room I think the Obamas might be able to swing a room or two. Whoosh. They’re staying [here](http://www.hayadams.com/washington-dc-hotel-rooms.php), incidentally (in a room very near the ice machine). ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/123 "2009-01-07T18:52:16Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Thank God those troglodytes will be out of there soon. That’s a little harsh on the Australian PM, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/124 "2009-01-07T21:01:00Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The Secret Service may also rent the adjacent rooms (and possibly the rooms above and below) for security reasons. That’s it. I can’t find the link where I read that figure, but it included 3 floors, not just one suite. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/125 "2009-01-07T21:03:18Z")
I have an image of Barack in bathrobe and hunting cap outside a camping trailer on the White House lawn telling tourists “[Shitter’s full](http://blog.gabefrost.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/eddie.jpg)!” > [@Miller](#): > > That’s a little harsh on the Australian PM, isn’t it? I will say that whoever handles protocol for the PM from Oz should have offered for him and his staff to stay at the luxury WH adjacent hotel so the Obamas could have moved in. Not that it’s a negative reflection, just would have been a nice gesture and would insure that the U.S. doesn’t have to go “spread freedom” in New South Wales anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/126 "2009-01-07T21:07:03Z")
Missed the edit window. I wonder how many people the Hay-Adams had to displace. It’s likely most if not all of those rooms/floors were booked too. I haven’t heard anybody complain though. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/127 "2009-01-07T21:09:20Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Missed the edit window. I wonder how many people the Hay-Adams had to displace. It’s likely most if not all of those rooms/floors were booked too. I haven’t heard anybody complain though. From my source, the people who had rooms already were moved to the Super 8 in Camp Springs, MD, where they get free local calls and an in-room mini-fridge and coffee (plus donuts if they get to the lobby by 9 a.m.) so I doubt they’re complaining. While making a bulletin board on inaugurations I thought this was interesting: on the evening after Jefferson’s inauguration ([the capitol at the time](http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/magazine/features/2008/dc-1791-to-today/gr/art-capitol1.jpg)) he walked, without bodyguards, to a popular tavern. It was full and he had to stand in line for a table. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/128 "2009-01-07T21:18:44Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > While making a bulletin board on inaugurations I thought this was interesting: on the evening after Jefferson’s inauguration ([the capitol at the time](http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/magazine/features/2008/dc-1791-to-today/gr/art-capitol1.jpg)) he walked, without bodyguards, to a popular tavern. It was full and he had to stand in line for a table. Really? Is that true? Funny. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/129 "2009-01-07T21:30:29Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Really? Is that true? Funny. He was apparently also deemed an elitist for serving the fancy foreign dish “macaroni with cheese” at one of his early White House dinners. Of course if any president ever _was_ an unqualified and unapologetic elitist when it came to his personal tastes and preferences Jefferson was (he spent more each year on wine alone than most Americans earned and sent several slaves to Europe to train in culinary and couture so as always to dine and dress as up-to-date as possible), so I doubt it bothered him to be called one. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/130 "2009-01-07T21:33:45Z")
I can see the Bushies’ not wanting to look out the West Wing windows and see Obama standing there, arms crossed, pointedly looking at his watch and tapping his foot. Better put him the other side of Lafayette Park, out of view, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/131 "2009-01-08T12:07:29Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I will say that whoever handles protocol for the PM from Oz should have offered for him and his staff to stay at the luxury WH adjacent hotel so the Obamas could have moved in. Not that it’s a negative reflection, just would have been a nice gesture and would insure that the U.S. doesn’t have to go “spread freedom” in New South Wales anytime soon. The rodent is the former PM, having not only lost but lost his seat in parliament in 2007. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962/132 "2009-01-08T14:29:41Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > Nigerian? :smack: Kenyan. Those African countries all look alike… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-white-house-to-obamas-maybe-you-can-find-a-park-bench-to-sleep-on/476962.md?page=6)