My 87 year-old mother made this point about the gilt ballroom proposed to be appended to the East Wing of the White House. Won't it be empty most of the time? I mean, how many state dinners does a president really have during a 4-year term? Won't it be like a big white elephant and a waste of money since it will be basically unused most of the time? And as for the gilt tchochkes in the Oval Office, she thinks they make it look like a "bordello". Mom knows best. #ballroom #whitehouse