Posted on 05/20/2002 7:22:17 PM PDT by Pokey78
Oval Office replica for Little Rock Presidential Centre, if the $125m can be raised
He has a smart set of offices in an up-and-coming part of Harlem, a luxurious $1.5m mansion in the classy New York suburb of Westchester, a diary full of international speaking engagements and rumours of a television talk-show deal.
But something has clearly been missing from Bill Clinton's life since he gave up control of the Oval Office last year, because he plans to build himself an exact replica of it in his home town, Little Rock, Arkansas.
The "full-scale replica" will be the centrepiece of a permanent exhibition at the Clinton Presidential Centre, which will house the 42nd president's official library.
The room, made famous by what Mr Clinton may or may not have done there and in the corridor outside with Monica Lewinsky, will have "furnishings exactly as they were during President Clinton's years in office".
Newly released literature from the centre says visitors will be guided through a reconstruction of the cabinet room and biographical exhibits of the president and first lady, soaking up "meaningful links between history, the work of the Clinton administration, and the future", before being brought face to face with the most important location in the scandal that lead to Mr Clinton's impeachment.
But it may be some time before the new Oval Office opens its doors: the former first couple are still struggling to raise the $125m needed to build the centre.
The fundraising was controversial even while Mr Clinton was in office, but it became the object of rancour on Capitol Hill when it emerged that the former wife of Marc Rich, the fugitive financier Mr Clinton pardoned in his final hours of office, had donated $450,000.
The identity of other donors swiftly became the focus of the congressional examination of Mr Clinton's rash of pardons.
A further indication of the forces ranged against the enterprise came yesterday, when the library's website abruptly went offline in the middle of the morning, replaced by a message left by a hacker: "Crazydick was here."
After they finally do get to see the Clinton Oval Office, according to the library's plans, visitors will meander out past a display of emails sent to Mr Clinton after the death of his dog Buddy.
Meanwhile they will be soothed by a few well-chosen pieces of music, among them Fleetwood Mac's Don't Stop, Clinton's 1992 campaign song, and Duke Ellington's In a Sentimental Mood, perhaps summing up the ex-president's feelings at the moment.
Another is, perhaps, an attempt to influence future historians of the administration: Elvis Presley's Don't Be Cruel.
More likely they ARE some of the exact furnishings as when he was in office.
What a weasel.
This place is guaranteed to have the ambiance of both 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not' and a cheap French bordello.
Ohhhh.
Never mind!
PS: But I DO think it's a good idea. And I hope someone takes pictures.
I wonder if Clinton will recreate the stains on the rug?
Previous Presidential Libraries featured historical documents, significant speaches, etc. Now, Clintoon is creating an NC-17 porn house a la Hugh Hefner. Talk about CLASSY.
I'm not sure about Ford or Bush.
This is extremely weird. It's not his. He was a tenant. Can't the White House sue for violation of something....Gotta be a law against this somewhere.
Wonder if it'll come with peephole?
What a psycho.
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