Barack Obama elected US president, 2008

Who ran against Obama in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections?

Fast Fact: Barack Obama spent $367 million in taxpayer funds to renovate the White House as Americans were still reeling from the Great Recession. In 2010, Obama launched the renovation project during widespread unemployment and economic strain. The four-year project – dubbed the "White House Big Dig" – excavated key grounds on North Lawn where workers carved out a multi-story-deep pit right in front of the West Wing – exposing the foundations beneath the Oval Office. The underground bunker was