If you thought you got weird gifts, see what government officials get

[Jenna]

In total, the president racked up 54 gifts with an estimated value of more than $160,000 during 2009, the most recent tally that the government furnishes.


The gifts range from the practical -- a small wooden CD holder from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev -- to the weirdly extravagant -- a $395.00 pencil from Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, the president of the European Commission.

By law, Obama doesn't keep gifts of significant value. Instead, most items are transferred to the National Archives or the General Services Administration.

While the exchange of gifts is par for the course in the world of high-pressure diplomacy, some are also downright strange.

Topping that category is a gift received by Alfred Almanza, a Food Safety and Inspection service administrator, who received a book entitled "The Gastronomic World of Don Quixote'' from a Spanish government official.

Once the government receives a gift, it is required to list a reason for accepting it. The standard response: "Non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government."

The report also notes that 12 bottles of wine and a bottle of olive oil given to Obama were "handled pursuant to Secret Service policy."

The fate of those gifts remains unclear

More here: Gifts to Obama: from flashy to bizarre - Jan. 19, 2011

[ms1600]

I'm guessing the 12 bottles of wine and olive oil went straight out to the dumpster. They don't know what's in them and can't risk it.