We have given the Obamas shit for hiring Michael Smith, the "celebrity designer" who bought John Thain's $35,000 toilet, to redecorate their fancy White House. But they will pay for it themselves, so all is forgiven!

Smith is a spendy, spendy dude, so it was stupid of them to hire him in the first place and even stupider to then claim he'd be redecorating with Pottery Barn purchases in order to stave off the OUTRAGE, because why did you hire Mr. Domino's Favorite Hollywood Decorator if you are then going to ask him to sacrifice his expensive taste in the name of propriety?

So, presidents get $100,000 to redecorate, when they move into the White House, and that isn't really so much in the grand scheme of things, but the Obamas will not use any of that money on their fancy Hollywood decorator, they promise. Which is fine, because Obama has never lied about being a rich person. (It is part of his pitch, actually, for sacrifice and paying taxes and things: he and Jay Leno can certainly afford it!) There is one more benefit: now no one will have to know how much they're spending! As New York reports:

The White House declined to disclose the budget, saying that all expenses would remain private as a result of the Obamas' decision to absorb the cost.

Hah, they're gonna get more shit for this.