People are pissed off that a private foundation has paid for a new set of dinnerware for the White House? Wow. Get a grip you pansies.

I wonder how much it costs to rent out a 9 million dollar beachfront home in Hawaii for 12 days. Actually would like to know.

Rentals in the Lanikai neighborhood range anywhere between $450-$1000 a night. Multiply that by 12 nights and it's still nowhere near what the china cost. I've stayed there with my family many times.

Lots of families prefer renting out homes because the Waikiki hotels tend to be twice the cost.

And your point in posting this is...:confused:

Certainly not as much as it cost to buy that china. :p

And if you think people should get over the china, then maybe you shouldn't be so concerned with how much it cost to rent that house.

You said, "American citizens can barely get near the White House, let alone even VISIT it." His point in posting it was to show that your statement was not accurate and that Americans can, in fact, visit the White House. Many do.

I've been there. I was three.

I tell you guys what...I am right around the corner from there...I will walk that way for lunch and let you know what happens...will that help ?

Nah. Being able to visit the White House =/= being able to walk right in unannounced and uninvited. Doesn't at my house either, nor, I bet, at yours. ;)

Yeah, I pretty much feel the same way. The recession won't impact everyone, anyway.

Agreed - again, maybe bad public relations move, but other than that, no issue with me.

For those who have a problem with it, ask yourself this: do you think that the Obamas should skimp on furnishing the White House when they move in? Or, should they be able to decorate as they please? As I said, I have no problem with it at all, I think that each President should be able to utilize the donations as they please, decorating the White House and buying whatever flatware they desire.

I'm thinking at least some of the criticism comes more out of a dislike for Bush than it does out of a problem with the spending choices.

heck...you may have a better outcome doing that at the White House I suppose....LOL


There, you may just only get beaten up....

Maybe even a combination of both.

Bush admin. is not popular (approval rating hovering somewhere near freezing) + bad economy + Bush Admin spending money on some china (regardless how it's paid for) = some harsh criticism considering the timing.

Agreed, exactly my point. It's not so black and white as being poorly-timed because of the economy, because I don't think some people would be bothered if the Obamas were making the purchase.

(And, to be fair, if things were reveresed you may have some conservatives criticizing the President-Elect if his White House made the purchases).

In fact I did NOT say that Americans CANNOT visit the White House. I said they BARELY can visit. So he did not show that my statement was not accurate. He showed that he did not properly read and comprehend the sentence. There is a difference. I stand by my original statement. I will add that it is extremely difficult to get an opp to visit the White House. You have to jump through major hoops. Too many hoops for the "china to belong to all of us."