Reporter: Bush administration lying about Blair House booking David Edwards and Muriel Kane

Published: Wednesday January 7, 2009





Print This Email This The Bush administration claimed on Tuesday that the reason Blair House was not available for the Obamas to live in when their daughters started school in Washington on January 5 was that former Australian Prime Minister John Howard had previously been booked to stay there overnight on January 12. However, political columnist Margaret Carlson believes this is a lie.



Carlson told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, "I reported -- but also the Washington Post reported -- on December 11 and 12 that there were no foreign dignitaries booked into Blair House during that period of time."



When the Post reported on the rejection of the Obamas' request in December, it noted that White House spokespersons had referred to "previously scheduled events and guests that couldn't be displaced" but that "administration officials said there are no foreign dignitaries scheduled to stay there during the first two weeks of January."



"I have the feeling they actually asked [Howard] to come and stay so that there might be some plausible reason for not letting the Obamas stay there," Carlson suggested.



Carlson went on to say, "Blair House might look small, but it's actually 119 rooms, with 35 bathrooms. Howard wouldn't even have to share a sink with the Obamas. ... But most importantly, it's secure. By having to stay at the Hay-Adams, not only do the Obamas have to move twice ... but the security cost to taxpayers is enormous."



"How could the Bush administration possibly think all this wouldn't get out?" asked Olbermann.



Carlson suggested in response that "saying 'No' to the Obamas is just a feather" when "we're being left with our retirement funds losing 50% of their value and we're mired in two wars."





This video is from MSNBC's Countdown, broadcast Jan. 6, 2009.









Download video via RawReplay.com







