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White House News: No Such Thing As Free Lunch

August 3, 2009

By Kevin R. Meagher, staff writer

San Francisco CA (RPRN) 8/3/09-It seems that the White House is raising some eyebrows by beginning the practice of billing top CEO's for their meals with the president in his private dining room. According to Politico.com who first reported the story, it was in June that the first business leaders to be asked for their credit card numbers were Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox Corporation; Muhtar Kent, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company; AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson; and Honeywell International CEO Dave Cote.

More recently, the New York Daily News reported that the quiet lunch the President shared with Verizon CEO and Business Round-table chairman Ivan Seidenburg, Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke, Nucor CEO Dan DiMicco and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz was 'dutch-treat' as well.

These meals have been given little note by the press, haven't always made it onto the Presidents public schedule but have some etiquette guru's up in arms. With Obama's campaign promises of transparency and 'no pork' rhetoric, many wonder if his point proving methods are going a bit too far.

In charge of Jacqueline Kennedy’s White House staff in the early 1960s, Liticia Baldridge had this to say to Politico.com about the seemingly new White House policy: “We’ve got to relax about this. To have people to the White House and worry about the price of things is laughable.”

It is not widely known, but NYDN claims that Jimmy Carter was the first to employ this practice of pointed impartiality. He would often miff the members of congress when he would bill them for the coffee and danish they were served while there at the President's request.

White House spokes person Jen Pesaki explained to NYDN that this was the front line of the President's ethics reform policies, "From time to time, White House guests are asked to reimburse for their meals in order to ensure there is no conflict [of interest] or appearance of a conflict. That is consistent with our tough ethics rules, and we will continue the practice when appropriate."

Photo credit: Vegetarian Organic

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