And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the chertic bust of Churchill just above my chamber door

Sadly, the contentious portrait of Churchill is not actually carved from chert, but is bronze. And as is the way with bronzes, there are multiple castings of it (four or five, says one source).

A POTUS press release* informs us that one of those copies has been in the possession of the White House

since the 1960’s. At the start of the Bush administration Prime Minister Blair lent President Bush a bust that matched the one in the White House, which was being worked on at the time and was later returned to the residence.**

The detailed nature of the misuse that left the White House's own cast in need of maintenance is a question that only G. W. Bush can answer.
We are better-placed, however, to explain why Romney wants to get his mitts on the British copy of Epstein's sculpture, rather than contenting himself with the copy currently in the White House residence. He believes that there are six versions, and intends to smash them all until he finds the one that contains the legendary Black Pearl of the Borgias.

"A streetlight! We must be in
Narnia now!" Sherlock deduced.
* A hat-tip and a rum Prost! to YAFB @ Rumproast.

** The rules for lending out artworks from the UK's Government Art Collection are strict -- they are supposed to remain within UK territory -- which is why Blair ignored them.



UPDATED with Bonus Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band track.