January 21st, 2009
08:18 PM ET
8 years ago
A major Bush rule gets scrapped by Obama
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/01/21/art.ovaloffice.cnn.jpg caption="What’s missing in this picture?"] (CNN) - It's the same Oval Office. The same desk. Even the same curtains. But President Obama has already made one major change: Go through eight years of White House photos, and you won't find one of former President Bush in the Oval Office without his jacket on.
It wasn't just a personal preference. In the Bush administration, it was a rule: Jackets in the Oval Office - and now, it seems, one of the first Bush-era regulations to get scrapped in the Obama White House.
- CNN's John King contributed to this report
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The press needs to move on and cover other things of importance. We know Obama is going to work hard for us so can't you guys give him room. Stop with reporting on his daughters, what he is wearing, what his wife is wearing, and where they are going. I know this is history and you don't want to miss a thing but we need to treat the man as the President of the United States and not like some celebrity. The news has officially become the new paparazzi.
Does it really matter? Bush's preference was to wear a jacket and Obama doesn't share that preference. Nobody's right, nobody's wrong, it's just a matter of preference.
Wearing a coat and tie while working at one's desk is the silliest, craziest "business" tradition in this country. Why be uncomfortable and stuffy when you don't have to be. I am interested in what Obama does for this country, not what he wears while doing it.
now i could care less about him taking his jacket off, especially when this is the biggest news you have, but i can see how it is disrespectful, you need to portray yourself as a professional..
Enough psuedo work ethic, time for real, shirt sleeves hard work.
The ignorance of some of these comments is evidence to the fact we haven't come as far as some would like to believe.
Welcome back Darth! I was glad to see you back on the boards late last week! Your astute comments have been missed in there forums.
wow....with all the news in and around the world, wars, hunger and oppression, CNN's choice for reporting was this? Obama takes his jacket off in the oval office?
people are getting killed as we speak, through US waged wars, 1000s of palestiniams were slaughtered in the last 3 weeks, and we get the report that Pres. Obama chooses to not wear his jacket in the oval office.
bravo CNN for once again re-affirming the fact that you are not a news station but a tabloid centre of gossip and sensationalist bits.
People are seriously criticizing the President for this? I've worked for large, prestigious law firms in which everyone has to wear a suit. But I don't know a single person who wore a suit jacket while at work in their office. You can't get work done that way. It's uncomfortable.
Regardless, are people truly such poor losers that they want him to fail? It's only your economy, healthcare, education and safety that is in his hands. Root for him!
I THINK SEEING PRESIDENT OBAMA WORKING IN THE OVAL OFFICE IS ENOUGH FOR ME. IT MAKES HIM LOOK REAL TO ME AS I WORK IN MY OFFICE IN A BLOUSE OR SWEATER WITHOUT A JACKET. HE IS WORKING ON MY GRANDCHILDREN'S FUTURE AND I WANT HIM AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE.
Bush had rules???
I don't care if he wears sweats as long as he gets the job done!!
wait- john king contributed to this report? it took more than one of cnn's "finest" to "report" this piece of non-news?
Whats missing? A jacket. For now. Because it will be 4 years before we will know what this man is really capable of. Of course, that won't sway all the emotional liberals from already crowning Obama the 2nd coming of JC.
I remember when Bill Clinton was derided for disrespecting the office by wearing shorts ... of course, that was early in his presidency when he still had his pants pulled up.
Where's WALDO????
Dick C. – did you type that out between crying into your confedarate flag and doing your sister? Can you at least pretend to not be a racist???
Obviously wearing a suit didn't help Bush or his Bushies do a good job of running this Country or our Foreign Policy. I suppose its not the suit but the man in the suit that matters. Something Bush couldn't figure out. Even naked, Obama is 100 times a better man that George Bush will ever be.
No wonder it took so may years. So many racists still exist, as evidenced by some of the comments here. I mean really, "buckets of fried chicken?" Again, I plead with you Un-American folks – please leave the country and let the rest of us get on with the business of fixing this country. You give an idiot a computer – he's still an idiot, but now he advertises it!
Apparently the jacket was a little too tight and was restricting the blood flow to his brain. How else can you explain how he let our country just fall by the waist side.
I am angry that Obama hasn't given me anything to criticize him for yet. Don't worry, we are patient and we will get him, even if we have to make stuff up. We will be waiting, watching, and hoping that he will make some mistake that will allow us some feeling of triumph. How dare a Black man try to fix the mistakes made by a group of Old White Men as they rightfully tried to squeeze every dollar out of the UA taxpayers. I am hoping of four more years of financial crisis, unjustified war, political incompetence, and trampling of the Constitution. HA! ? Did you see Obama trying to take all of the empty beer bottles out of the Oval Office? That's why he had to take off his jacket.
Most business men take off their suit jackets to when they get to work. Only the one that don't plan on doing anything constructive stand around with their hands in their pockets with their suit jackets on.
How do you relax and lay into reading a book or long document or newspaper with a suit jacket on while sitting at your desk? OH that's right Bush didn't read.
This was not newsworthy. Try again.
I think they need to reinstate the rule. The Office of the President should command the respect of wearing a jacket when being presented to the public
Excellent !!
Obama always dresses cool.
Listen, he is the President and he is going to make CHANGES.
That was what his campaign was all about, CHANGE !!
Perhaps he won't replace the furniture so he can SAVE taxpaying money.
That's what I like about Obama, the man of change!
Yes he can !!
😀
' January 21st, 2009 5:27 pm ET
now i could care less about him taking his jacket off, especially when this is the biggest news you have, but i can see how it is disrespectful, you need to portray yourself as a professional..'
He's the Pres. I think him being a professional is a given. I would like to see him take off his jacket loosen his tie, roll up his sleeves and 'get down to it' more than i would like to see him look snappy in his 10k 'professional' jacket.