Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- John Thain, the former Merrill Lynch & Co. chief executive officer ousted yesterday, spent $1.2 million redecorating his downtown Manhattan office last year as the company was firing employees, a person familiar with the project said.

Thain hired Los Angeles-based decorator Michael Smith, chosen by President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle to redecorate the White House, CNBC reported.

Obama today said the government should give more scrutiny to companies "that have received taxpayer assistance then going out and renovating bathrooms or offices or in other ways not managing those dollars appropriately." He didn't name any companies.

Smith's firm didn't return a phone call for comment. Merrill spokeswoman Selena Morris declined to comment. Margaret Tutwiler, who was Thain's spokeswoman at Merrill, said he wasn't available to comment.

Obama eats $100 a pound steak and turns up the heat in his office so high "you could grow orchids in there" while people freeze to death in Kentucky. Where was FEMA? Why didn't he show up in Kantucky like he did after Katrina for his campaign photo ops?

How long before the Mudcat Awakwning?