Ex-French president top gift giver to Obama family

[Tx4obama]

Ex-French president top gift giver to Obama family

WASHINGTON — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his supermodel wife, Carla Bruni, were clearly taken with President Barack Obama and his family back in 2011.

The Sarkozys gave the Obamas more than $41,000 worth of presents that year, becoming the most prolific foreign gift-givers to the first family, documents released Friday show.

The gifts ranged from designer golf and travel bags and fine crystal to soaps and perfumes, according to the State Department's Office of Protocol, which catalogs gifts to U.S. officials from foreign leaders and publishes an annual accounting, often one or two years late due to processing.

Among the goodies presented to the Obamas by the Sarkozys were a large black Hermes golf accessory bag worth $7,750, two Baccarat crystal table lamps on silver pedestals worth $5,500, two Baccarat crystal statuettes depicting golfers, a monogrammed black leather Louis Vuitton business bag, his-and-hers Christian Dior bathrobes and a black leather Dior clutch.

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But don't expect the Obamas to furnish a post-White House residence with the items, because under law, most nonperishable gifts to the president and other U.S. officials must be transferred to the National Archives or General Services Administration unless the recipient reimburses the Treasury for their estimated value.

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Full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20130427/us-obama-gifts/?utm_hp_ref=homepage&ir=homepage

Also...

Here's a PDF link to the FULL LIST of gifts: http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2013-09945_PI.pdf
Note: The Obama's gifts are on the first 54 pages of the PDF - the remainder of the pages are the Bidens, Hillary, etc.

[treestar]

1. It always seemed to me like Sarkozy and Merkel

were so utterly happy not to have to deal with Dubya any longer. I think they would genuinely like the Obamas too, but the substitution of Obama for Dubya had to be the biggest relief any world leader ever had!

[Sunlei]

2. French know quality. always wondered who gave Gadafi the diamond covered gold guns.

Donald Trump allowed Gadafi a tent in his back yard, maybe it was gifts from him. Or Bush sent people to visit all the time, maybe he gifted the golden diamond guns.