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Rep. Aaron Schock's Downton Abbey Office & 8 Other Politicians If Their Rooms Were Inspired By Television Shows
Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock has a Downton Abbey-themed office, but he's not too keen on having it photographed. The bright red walls, gold wall sconces, and chandeliers are just a few of the highlights, according to The Washington Post, and the interior designer who showed it off to reporter Ben Terris was really excited to give the tour. But Schock's staff quickly shut things down. They asked Terris to delete the photos from his phone, and now the Downton Abbey office has landed Schock in a bit of a spot, as Lord Downton might say: Not long after the newspaper's remaining photo of the decked-out office and accompanying story went online, The Chicago Tribune reported a watchdog group asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to look into the redesign, questioning whether Schock accepted improper free services from an interior designer.
Schock has a pretty fabulous Instagram account, has appeared on the cover of Men's Health magazine (o hai there), and is described as being media-savvy. So having a swanky Downton Abbey-themed office seems to fit his brand.
Why don't more politicians choose fun TV themes for their offices? Good question! Don't worry, we have some decorating ideas for them.
Image: BBC
Game of Thrones: John Boehner
There’s really no one else who could sit on the Iron Throne and look more at home than Tyrion Lannister, except for the amazingly tanned, sorta mean-faced John Boehner. Might need to have a supply of Kleenex handy for Boehner’s frequent crying jags.
Image: HBO
House of Cards: Chris Christie
Claire Underwood’s beautiful office in House of Cards was the scene of a kinda harsh round of staff firings. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie found himself having to fire staff after the Bridgegate scandal in Fort Lee. He probably needs some Dallas Cowboys memorabilia on the walls to make him feel at home. Could also pull some pieces from the Game of Thrones furniture collection, really.
Image: Netflix
The Office: Bill Clinton
This one is more of a personality match: He’s the boss you want to like but sometimes makes you cringe. Could describe Michael Scott, or President Clinton, when you think about it. Hopefully Bill doesn’t have a “World’s Best Boss” mug like Michael Scott. That would be kinda sad.
Image: NBC
Friends: Joe Biden
Can’t you totally see Joe Biden settling in to Central Perk (who wouldn’t want to have a cup of joe with Joe?). He would definitely need a big space, in case he needed to randomly stare out a window. But Biden usually doesn’t have trouble making friends, much like the show’s Joey Tribbiani (how you doin?).
Image: NBC
Parks and Recreation #1: Hillary Clinton
Leslie Knope works so hard, and you can’t help but root for her. Whatever office she’s in, she always does a kick-ass job. Hillary Clinton has been a lawyer, a first lady, a senator, a Secretary of State, and shows no sign of slowing down. And Leslie already has a picture of Hillary in her office. It’s like it was meant to be.
Image: NBC
Parks and Recreation #2: Mitch McConnell
Ron Swanson designed his office to be uninviting to visitors. Sen. McConnell has led Republican efforts to make the U.S. borders uninviting to visitors by thwarting immigration reform legislation. No updates needed, he could move right in.
Image: NBC
30 Rock: Elizabeth Warren
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Liz Lemon have a lot in common, when you think about it. Much the same way Liz Lemon was always trying to get the staff of her show to do their jobs, Warren is trying to get the banking industry to get its act together. One big alteration Warren would need before she could take over Lemon’s space: She’d have to move it from NYC to the senator’s home state of Massachusetts.
Image: NBC
Mad Men: Ted Cruz
Stuck in the 70s. Actually, he may hearken back to an even earlier point in time, but Ted Cruz is definitely more Pete than Don. But chances are good he’d like the office from Mad Men’s early seasons just fine.
Image: AMC
