They really have sold the WH!! CNN report

[Skidmore]

http://www.1600formen.com/

They have sold the license to use the Presidential Seal for a line of men's toiletry products called 1600. There is a woman's Gose Garden line anticipated out soon. Proceeds go to charity apparently, however, there is something really wrong about this.

[flyingfysh]

1. self delete

self delete

[Avalux]

2. Who had ownership rights to sell the license in the first place?

Cause as far as I know "we the people" own the White House.

[Lex]

4. Excellent point.

nt

[SharonAnn]

14. Apparently the Secret Service has the rights to license the Presidential Seal, etc.

[Lex]

28. Which begs the question, who gave the Secret Service the right

to license the Presidential Seal?

[johnnie]

3. "toiletry products"?

Has it gotten that bad that they are going to put the seal on shitpaper?

[EvolveOrConvolve]

8. Yea, what's next?

Gold embossed toilet brushes? Plungers? Toilet tables?

Although I wouldn't mind some toilet paper with Bush's face on it so he could eat my shit on a daily basis.

[dchill]

21. I just want the Presidential Seal...

on the soles of my shoes. And maybe on the back of my shorts.

[madokie]

25. maybe the goose's picture

[elehhhhna]

5. This is licenced by the Secret Service? Got to be a joke.

[Robbien]

6. For this president, selling out the presidency seems appropriate

However it demeans all past and future Presidents.

It is our WH, we should have had a say in this.

[blm]

7. Get out of here - Skidmore, you have GOT TO BE KIDDING!

I suppose Bush will claim it as a writeoff on HIS taxes, too.

What gall.

[elehhhhna]

9. More:

The lotions and powders selling as "America's Legacy" will support the charitable benefit fund of the Secret Service, which has permission to use the presidential seal.

Glucroft's six-year licensing agreement calls for her to turn over 15 percent of each sale to the Secret Service fund.

A spokesman for the fund says Glucroft's products are the first of several lines that are planned.

The next will be called Homeland Preservation and feature a homeland security theme.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061201-114155-7339r

[Skidmore]

15. They list Glucroft as a Democrat too.

Why the hell would anyone accept an offer of this sort? No amount of money could persuade me to make money on such a powerful symbol of the nation.

[elehhhhna]

23. Remeber Bev Harris' Clinton Cigars?

[Javaman]

10. Who was it sold to and who is the parent group...

All I see is the use of the presidential seal being used for a benefit organization.

But some how, and strap on that tinfoil hat, if this is linked to a chinese company, I wouldn't be the least surprised.

Who is manufacturing the said items???? That is the golden question.

[grytpype]

11. "Smell like failure..."

[Chimichurri]

12. Is that from the onion?? Surreal. It is poignant tho - we are officially a

a Corporatocracy.

This is what happens when you lace the White House with marketing
professionals. Anything with a logo becomes a product development project.

[cassiepriam]

13. I thought we owned the White House.....

and I don't remember giving it away to anyone.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

16. Anyone else notice the sexism in the lines??

Men get the President's address 1600 while women are relegated to the Rose Garden. :eyes:

[n2doc]

17. already posted

Although I was less diplomatic...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2841282&mesg_id=2841282

[Skidmore]

19. Didn't see that post. Sorry.

[Penndems]

18. Please tell me this is a bad joke

Only the GOP would do something as crass and distasteful as turning the Office of the President into a gaudy merchandising scheme.

Anything for the love of a lousy buck. :mad:

[Skidmore]

20. That symbol is the symbol of the first officer of the nation, and it should

not be for sale or used without the peoples' permission for anything other than state occasions. I wonder if we could do something about this.

[teryang]

22. Who authorized the Secret Service to go into business?

Any funds obtained from US property should go into general revenues. This raises the issue of competing unfairly with the private sector. Did Congress authorize the Secret Service to create non-appropriated fund instrumentalities for government purposes to sell products in the private sector as opposed to a commisary?

I've noticed lately a local government practice where government property, vehicles, stadiums, communications etc., are used to promote "charitiable" causes. These incidents cause much more depreciation, damages to government property property, injury and death, than the funds they claim to raise for "charity." This occurred recently when an elected sheriff was killed in a charitable "school bus race." What government elective authority in the state authorized this use of government property which resulted in significant damages and death.?

Or is it if you are a law enforcement agency of some type you can just do whatever the f..k you want with the public's property?

[Penndems]

26. They've been providing items to benefit their charity for quite some time

When I worked at The White House, The Secret Service had a store in the basement of the Eisenhower Old Executive Office Building. Only people who worked in The White House complex (Immediate and Executive Offices of the President) could shop there. It no longer exists.

The items for sale there were the sort of things that the average tourist buying tee shirts from a street vendor couldn't get: A White House tee, a Socks the Cat stuffed animal, large-sized Presidental M&Ms plain candy (former President Clinton kept a jar of them on his desk) that featured an M&M holding the Presidential seal, and a pair of beautiful sterling silver Presidential cuff links for my father. All of these items were exclusively produced for White House personnel. With the exception of The White House tee and the M&Ms (unless they're unopened), these items are worth a lot of money now, because they could only be purchased by White House personnel.

The "1600" Eau de Toilette and "Rose Garden" fragrances might be a little over the top, LOL.

[NOLADEM]

24. Eh, old news. Bush has been wiping his ass with the ACTUAL Constitution for six years

A little symbolic asspaper? Still offensive but hardly even the worst they have done all day.

In fact, I want to buy some. I think it would give me special pleasure to wipe my ass with the presidential seal. Seems the perfect passive agressive way to cope with my next encounter with a Chimp press conference or a Condi/Snow job.

[BuyingThyme]

27. Does the CIA have a site?

I'm'a get me one of them pen sets.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

29. The proceeds go to "charities across the nation"

What charities? Ted Haggard's church? And who decides to which charities the proceeds should go?