Saudi king showered Obamas with $1.3 million in gifts in 2014......

[LongTermGuy]

https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ZTZS9jemOPez8gEASyXfFQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9NTQwO2g9Mzc3O2lsPX BsYW5l/http://41.media.tumblr.com/82bd1a65525304a0f2c49e5e9840adcf/tumblr_inline_nyg2kyVnXr1sjejya_540.jpg


That’s because, throughout 2014, Saudi King Abdullah and top kingdom officials spent a fortune on gifts for Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters — roughly $1.35 million on the list.
The accounting was made public the day before Thanksgiving, with Americans poised to dive into the gift-buying season.....


*Obama is wealthy — book sales and investments, on top of a $400,000 annual salary, have made the onetime college professor financially quite comfortable.

But it’s hard to imagine him putting up the cash to keep the “gold and silver men’s wristwatch with leather band,” valued at $18,400, that he received from the Saudi king on Jan. 14, 2014. Or the $67,000 needed to own another timepiece, a “white gold men’s wristwatch with leather band,” that the monarch gave him on April 15, 2014 (no word on whether it was inscribed “happy tax day”). And then there was the “48-inch gold-plated brass replica of the Makkah Clock Tower (http://skyscrapercenter.com/building/makkah-royal-clock-tower-hotel/84) on marble base,” presented March 28, 2014, and coming in at a cool $57,000, roughly what a median American family earns in a year.

Impressive? Not when compared to the gifts the Saudi king, who died in 2015, gave Michelle Obama."

More...

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/saudi-king-showered-obamas-with-1308621692543030.html

[Gunny]

https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ZTZS9jemOPez8gEASyXfFQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9NTQwO2g9Mzc3O2lsPX BsYW5l/http://41.media.tumblr.com/82bd1a65525304a0f2c49e5e9840adcf/tumblr_inline_nyg2kyVnXr1sjejya_540.jpg


That’s because, throughout 2014, Saudi King Abdullah and top kingdom officials spent a fortune on gifts for Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters — roughly $1.35 million on the list.
The accounting was made public the day before Thanksgiving, with Americans poised to dive into the gift-buying season.....


*Obama is wealthy — book sales and investments, on top of a $400,000 annual salary, have made the onetime college professor financially quite comfortable.

But it’s hard to imagine him putting up the cash to keep the “gold and silver men’s wristwatch with leather band,” valued at $18,400, that he received from the Saudi king on Jan. 14, 2014. Or the $67,000 needed to own another timepiece, a “white gold men’s wristwatch with leather band,” that the monarch gave him on April 15, 2014 (no word on whether it was inscribed “happy tax day”). And then there was the “48-inch gold-plated brass replica of the Makkah Clock Tower (http://skyscrapercenter.com/building/makkah-royal-clock-tower-hotel/84) on marble base,” presented March 28, 2014, and coming in at a cool $57,000, roughly what a median American family earns in a year.

Impressive? Not when compared to the gifts the Saudi king, who died in 2015, gave Michelle Obama."

More...

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/saudi-king-showered-obamas-with-1308621692543030.html

Damn. And all I have is $30 Ironman.

[fj1200]

However, Qadhafi was outdone by the Saudis, who lavished more than $750,000 in gifts on Rice, President George W. Bush and other officials during trips last year. In January 2008, Saudi King Abdullah gave Rice a "gold, diamond and sapphire set with necklace, ring, bracelet and earrings." That, along with a robe and scarf, was worth $230,145, the State Department said.During the same January visit, the Saudis gave State Department Chief of Protocol Nancy Brinker $65,000 in gifts, including an emerald and diamond bracelet. Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East, David Welch, and the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ford Fraker, each got $45,000 worth of watches and other items. Top White House staffers, including Stephen Hadley, Josh Bolten, Ed Gillespie, Dana Perino, William McGurn and Elliott Abrams each got jewelry and robes pegged at about $15,000 a set.
During a March visit to Saudi Arabia, Vice President Cheney's daughter, Elizabeth, got diamond and ruby jewelry with an estimated value of $85,000, while her mom, Lynne Cheney, scored a $65,000 set.
http://www.politico.com/story/2009/06/bush-admin-got-generous-foreign-gifts-024165

:dunno:

[LongTermGuy]

Damn. And all I have is $30 Ironman.


*Cheer up....things will get better:thumb:

[Gunny]

*Cheer up....things will get better:thumb:

I like my Ironman. I wouldn't pay that amount of money for a watch if I had it.. Looks like a good down payment on a new truck.

[jimnyc]

Does the fact that a prior leader did something mean that it's ok for current leaders to do? Does that negate things from being brought up?

Anyway, yes, they always are the gift giving type, or should I say bribing type. On the other hand, it's not anything new to have leaders of foreign countries sharing gifts with one another. But usually it's reserved to A gift, not hundreds of thousands and into the millions.

From what I recall, they can only keep certain things, and things over a certain amount go elsewhere. Where elsewhere is I haven't a clue, nor how they check on such things.

[Gunny]

Does the fact that a prior leader did something mean that it's ok for current leaders to do? Does that negate things from being brought up?

Anyway, yes, they always are the gift giving type, or should I say bribing type. On the other hand, it's not anything new to have leaders of foreign countries sharing gifts with one another. But usually it's reserved to A gift, not hundreds of thousands and into the millions.

From what I recall, they can only keep certain things, and things over a certain amount go elsewhere. Where elsewhere is I haven't a clue, nor how they check on such things.

That's what I thought as well. Isn't that what the Dems hounded Gingrich out of office for?

[fj1200]

Does the fact that a prior leader did something mean that it's ok for current leaders to do? Does that negate things from being brought up?

Anyway, yes, they always are the gift giving type, or should I say bribing type. On the other hand, it's not anything new to have leaders of foreign countries sharing gifts with one another. But usually it's reserved to A gift, not hundreds of thousands and into the millions.

From what I recall, they can only keep certain things, and things over a certain amount go elsewhere. Where elsewhere is I haven't a clue, nor how they check on such things.

There's nothing inherently wrong with the practice. Following has a little primer on the subject.

http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/reference/gifts.html


That's what I thought as well. Isn't that what the Dems hounded Gingrich out of office for?

They hounded him for something else IIRC.

[gabosaurus]

By law, federal officials are required to turn such gifts over to the government, which either sells them or stores them at the National Archives. A few items are retained for display at government offices or purchased by the recipient.

Arab officials love bribing important Americans. They have always done so.

http://www.politico.com/story/2009/06/bush-admin-got-generous-foreign-gifts-024165

[Elessar]

That’s because, throughout 2014, Saudi King Abdullah and top kingdom officials spent a fortune on gifts for Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters — roughly $1.35 million on the list.
The accounting was made public the day before Thanksgiving, with Americans poised to dive into the gift-buying season.....


*Obama is wealthy — book sales and investments, on top of a $400,000 annual salary, have made the onetime college professor financially quite comfortable.

But it’s hard to imagine him putting up the cash to keep the “gold and silver men’s wristwatch with leather band,” valued at $18,400, that he received from the Saudi king on Jan. 14, 2014. Or the $67,000 needed to own another timepiece, a “white gold men’s wristwatch with leather band,” that the monarch gave him on April 15, 2014 (no word on whether it was inscribed “happy tax day”). And then there was the “48-inch gold-plated brass replica of the Makkah Clock Tower (http://skyscrapercenter.com/building/makkah-royal-clock-tower-hotel/84) on marble base,” presented March 28, 2014, and coming in at a cool $57,000, roughly what a median American family earns in a year.

Impressive? Not when compared to the gifts the Saudi king, who died in 2015, gave Michelle Obama."

More...

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/saudi-king-showered-obamas-with-1308621692543030.html

He is grossly overpaid to be as incompetent as he is.