It isn't just Obama. Other Heads of State gave Bush some strange gifts,

[intheknow]

Not All Bush Gifts Are Presidential
January 15, 2009 03:18 PM ET | Paul Bedard |

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

When the National Archives conducts a show-and-tell tomorrow of gifts that the first family has received from heads of state and others, it will include most of the nice and expensive items the Bushes plan to put in their new presidential library at Dallas's Southern Methodist University. But there are loads of others that the Bushes don't want but couldn't return because nonacceptance would have caused a international incident. Well, now we can tell you what's on that list, thanks to the State Department's Office of the Chief of Protocol.

How about a $42 pair of opossum leather gloves from Helen Clark, New Zealand's prime minister? Or a white traditional Afghan pantsuit, worth a whopping $135, from President Hamid Karzai? Then there are the "elastic sided" boots complete with a $40 shoeshine kit from Australia. No wonder the State Department puts this note after each gift under the "Circumstances justifying acceptance" category: "Non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government." Some of the gifts are pricey, like the $6,000 Baccarat crystal bowl to the first lady from French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Many are edibles that the Secret Service seized. And some gifts come from people we wouldn't expect, like the $750 silver and gold Tibetan butter lamp from the Dalai Lama. And were the givers sending a signal to Bush by giving him these CDs: Jazz for Quiet Moments; Born to Survive: The Best of Troy Cassar-Daley; and Spirit of the Bush?

Finally, what was the president of Vietnam thinking, giving the president an electric harp and speakerphone, worth $4,500?

[intheknow]

Found this:

On his 81st birthday, the pontiff received a lead crystal cross sculpture and a collection of American classical and religious compact discs from the president.

Even though the date didn't mark a birthday, anniversary or any other landmark occasion for Bush, the pope gave him a framed mosaic of St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

[intheknow]

More:
Bush gifts: iPod from Bono, poker chips and bike

Posted on: Monday, 15 May 2006, 19:07 CDT

By Tabassum Zakaria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An iPod and book from Bono, a $5,474 bicycle and custom poker chips were among gifts given to President George W. Bush last year.

Bush, an avid mountain biker, received two pairs of cycling shoes valued at $515 from Trek Nike Cycling Division in addition to the bicycle from John Burke, president of Trek Bicycle Corp., according to financial disclosure reports released by the White House on Monday.

But the $17,316 total in gifts reported by Bush was eclipsed by the $39,722 in gifts given to Vice President **** Cheney.

Cheney's gifts included a $6,125 prewar single-action Colt 45 revolver, which was donated to the Cody Firearms Museum in Wyoming, and a $1,000 handmade, engraved Lewis & Clark reproduction rifle.

Cheney's hunting pastime made headlines this year after he accidentally shot a friend while bird hunting in Texas.

Bono, lead singer for U2, gave the president an iPod and the book "The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language" by Eugene H. Peterson valued at $440.

Bono, who has met with Bush at the White House, has campaigned for erasing the debts of poor countries to help fight poverty.

The former Texas governor received two custom poker chip sets and wood cases valued at $900 from The United States Playing Card Company, and a chainsaw and accessories worth $351 from Robert Nardelli, president and chief executive officer of Home Depot Inc.

Cheney gave Bush $400 binoculars, and Bush gave Cheney a $338 hammock on a steel frame as Christmas presents.

Former President Gerald Ford gave Cheney a $489 leather-bound commemorative edition of the Warren Commission Report signed by him. Ford was a member of the commission that investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Bush and Cheney are not allowed to accept personal gifts from foreign citizens or governments.

The forms do not provide precise values of the president and vice president's financial assets but instead give ranges.

Bush's ranch in Crawford was valued at more than $1 million to $5 million. The president has a qualified diversified trust valued in that same range.

He had 18 certificates of deposit each valued at $50,001 to $100,000 and three certificates of deposit each worth $15,001 to $50,000.

He had one U.S. Treasury note worth $500,001 to $1 million; 12 U.S. Treasury notes each valued at $250,001 to $500,000; 4 Treasury notes each valued at $100,001 to $250,000; and 1 Treasury note valued at $50,001 to $100,000.

Cheney holds 50,000 Halliburton, 7,000 Electronic Data Systems, 10,068 Proctor & Gamble, and 3,600 Lockheed-Martin stock options that are vested and unexercised, of which the after-tax proceeds have been assigned to charity.

He exercised 383,333 Halliburton Company stock options in 2005 and donated the proceeds to charity.

[Lesley]

He exercised 383,333 Halliburton Company stock options in 2005 and donated the proceeds to charity.

Wise move on Cheney's part.

[intheknow]

Obama and Biden give how much to charity???

Oh, that's right. They are too busy spending other people's money to think about being generous with their own.

Pikers.