Are We Supposed To Get Upset Every Time Obama Travels?
Drudge headlines that Obama’s trip to Chicago costs $236,000, linking to a Chicago Tribune story. The Tribune goes on to note that this leaves out associated costs such as Secret Service protection, motorcades and helicopter transport. Only after the big headline about how much the trip costs and a few other paragraphs did the story indicate that the Obamas have taken only one recreational trip to Chicago in five months in office, and that expensive as that trip was, it was half the distance that George W. Bush regularly traveled to his ranch in Crawford, TX, where he spent 447 days of his presidency.
His flights to Chicago also are cheap by comparison with those President Ronald Reagan made to his Western White House, in Santa Barbara County, Calif., a cross-country trip that was roughly 4,700 miles round trip.
But Obama could shatter that cost with a trip to Hawaii if he decides to go there for his family’s annual vacation between Christmas and New Year’s. The round-trip cost of a flight from Washington to Honolulu on Air Force One would be roughly $1 million, according to the GAO estimates.
On the heels of a New York trip that had the right wing in a lather, it looks as though the president had the gall to travel again, this time to Chicago (even though this was to give a speech on health care). And, in additon to focusing on the cost of the trip and burying the costs comparative to other presidencies, the table is being set to rev detractors up about a trip that hasn’t happened yet and, as far as we know, isn’t yet planned.
Will his ‘pay czar’ be looking at bennies in addition to standard pay?
If so, maybe Obama should avoid using such extravagant fringe benefits himself –or maybe he should just not get involved in such issues…
jasperjava Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
“Extravagant fringe benefits”, like using Air Force One, like all other presidents before him since Truman? “Extravagant fringe benefits”, like Secret Service protection in a climate where every gap-toothed moonshine-swilling redneck puts pictures of Obama up on his targets at the firing range?
It’s not an extravagant fringe benefit for the President to leave the White House once in a while to reconnect with the country. Every president has done it, and I don’t recall the bean counters assessing the cost of these trips for anyone else before. this is another right-wing talking point, flinging mud to see if it will stick.
Dubya spent over a year of his so-called “presidency’ on vacation. In so doing he drove the country into a financial, moral, and foreign policy ditch. The least he could do is pay us back the ill-gotten salary he took from us.
blissfulconservative Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Yeah, he’s reconnecting with the country on date night. Uhhuh.
jasperjava Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
He sure is. Thousands of people were there to greet him. He took in a show with hundreds of other folks. He’s doing something anyone can do. It’s not as if he had a Command Performance for himself and Michelle alone.
deeznuts Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
When the Obamas have 447 date nights, like Bush had to “clear brush” on the ol’ ranch, then maybe I’ll care about your opinion.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
The right-wing has lost its collective marbles. If they can go ballistic because Obama likes Dijon mustard on his burger, there’s very little anyone can do to bring them back to sanity.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Maybe he should have never opened his mouth about pay caps, tightening our belts, living within our means, irresponsible spending, etc etc etc. I hope his pay czar sets a travel budget for him that falls in line with what a typical american middle class family would spend on a vacation.
jasperjava Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Sure. (Eye roll)
Let’s pile the Obamas in a station wagon and they can hit the road! They have two weeks to drive to Illinois and back, catching the sights along the way, like that big ball of string in Ohio.
Let’s not send any secret service with them – too expensive. So what if right-wing lunatics line up the highways taking potshots at them, at least it’ll save taxpayers’ money.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
How dare Obama travel! Unheard of for a president to do! How dare he even eat food, wear nice clothes, have cable tv and what about all those secret service agents!??
How DARE he even EXIST!!!
blissfulconservative Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
How dare he tell other companies how much they should or should not pay their employees, that they shouldn’t fly in their private jets, etc etc while he lives high off the hog. Hog= US.
OldLefty Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
I guess when those ceos and board members dare run those companies into the ground and come on corporate jets,(paid for by their shareholders, who they ripped off), begging for welfare and bonus money, he can live as high on the hog as those who dismantled the rules, and caused the problems before him did.
RDM Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
But not for long!
I’ll tell you what Lefty, when Obama and his Congress cut back then I’ll think about it!
So far I haven’t seen much of an example, just flowery rehtoric on what the people must do.
I didn’t get the phone call on the automotive bailout, the bank bailout, or the $timul$ bill that nobody read! Now here we go in a rush, rush, for health care, and Obama’s doing his perpetual campaigning again.
But the number one question I have:
Liberals are happy to take credit for the budget being balanced during the Clinton years and are happy to constanly attack Bush for his profligate spending, right? Yet, despite the fact that Obama is running an unsustainable deficit so large that it threatens the future of the country, liberals are perfectly fine with it.
Why is that?
OldLefty Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Dick Cheney, who reportedly admitted in a recent interview on Fox News that the Bush administration floated the $17.4 billion auto industry bailout package in order to give the outgoing administration enough time to exit and for the next administration to settle in before the house of cards in Detroit came tumbling down. According to Cheney, President Bush “decided that he did not want to be the one who pulled the plug just before he left office.”
As For Clinton/ Bush….To me it seems more that according to conservatives, the first 96 weeks of Bush’s presidency was Clinton’s fault, and the last 4 month’s were Obama’s fault.
Why is that?
Obama’s main contribution to the deficit is his extension of several Bush policies, like the Iraq war and tax cuts for households making less than $250,000. Such policies — together with the Wall Street bailout, which was signed by Mr. Bush and supported by Mr. Obama — account for 20 percent of the swing.
About 7 percent comes from the stimulus bill that Mr. Obama signed in February. And only 3 percent comes from Mr. Obama’s agenda on health care, education, energy and other areas.
Rocky the Liberal Rottweiler Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Obama should line up the CEOs of the top 500 corporations and give them all a swift kick in the backhoe, just for starters–and then let’s talk about the insurance companies and the drug companies, and, yeah, I might agree that waterboarding could be put to some strong moral purpose there.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
“Extravagant fringe benefits”, like using Air Force One, like all other presidents before him since Truman?
Yes, it is a pretty nice fringe benefit, that all relatively modern presidents have enjoyed, and I don’t begrudge him the right to it.
However, I do not think he should be in the business of firing CEOs, or putting in ridiculous positions like ‘pay czar’ – THAT is why these things make the news.
Obama’s ‘company’ is far more broke than those whose leaders he is fiddling with, goose/gander/whatnot…
RDM Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
We’re up to 14, or maybe 15 Czars. They report directly to The Great One.
Are Czars even legal?
Um Cara Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Are Czars even legal?
Blame Nixon.
He started both the ridiculous (and tragic) ‘Drug War’ along with the Czar movement.
Supposedly Obama is taking the ‘Czar’ thing to a whole new level though -though he has stopped using war metaphors in the fight against (some) drugs.
OldLefty Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Experts say Obama’s reliance on czars can be helpful by focusing attention on a big issue and making someone responsible for it.
NOBODY was ever responsible for ANYTHING in the last administration.
“Czar was first bestowed on one of Andrew Jackson’s foes: Nicholas Biddle, president of the Bank of the United States. Jackson vehemently opposed the centralized power of the bank, which he called a “hydra of corruption,” and his clash with Biddle exploded into the “Bank War” of 1832-36.”
Um Cara Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Experts say Obama’s reliance on czars can be helpful by focusing attention on a big issue and making someone responsible for it.
What kind of experts?
NOBODY was ever responsible for ANYTHING in the last administration.
Then those experts must be wrong, since there were plenty of Czars in the last administration.
RDM Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Lefty,
Is ANYBODY ever responsible for ANYTHING in this administration?
Why did the President fire Inspector General Gerald Walpin last Thursday? He gave him 1 hour notice on the phone, no written letter and no notification to Congress. He offered no public reason?
OldLefty Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Does your side get a pass for 8 years of no responsibility?
We just want to catch up first.
Bush didn’t even have to testify to the 9/11 Commission under oath or without Cheney?
As for Inspector General Gerald Walpin, I can’t find anything about Gerald Walpin that is not from anti Obama sites, (which may or may not mean anything).
At best the firing was justified, at worst, it is as bad as that of Bunnatine Greenhouse.
RDM Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Lefty said; ‘Does your side get a pass for 8 years of no responsibility’?
No, of course not. But every question I ask you continue to say Bush/Cheney this, Bush/Cheney that!
Here’s the differance…it’s y o u r team now. The Obama/Biden team. Brilliant intellectuals who are so much smarter than the old administration. The Brand Obama team!
Didn’t THIS White House promise unprecedented transparency?
OldLefty Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 11:50 am
RDM said,
“But every question I ask you continue to say Bush/Cheney this, Bush/Cheney that! “
…………………………………………..
That’s because every question you ask, is about something that Bush/Cheney did to a much worse and greater degree……like a fifth of whiskey a day alcoholic complaining about someone drinking an ounce of red wine.
To me, it’s ‘How can you complain about that, when your side defended the same or worse……
It seems to me that they are more transparent, it’s just a matter of what you see as needing transparency. I find that one side cites an example, the other side researches it and either finds it goes nowhere or if you had hoped “your team” would be a 10, it turns out to be a 6, (whereas you felt the other team was a – 20) , and you are supposed to defend that, but never bring up the past?
As for the Gerald Walpin, I already said, it may be anywhere from bad to nothing, but why was it always OK for the old guys when they promised to “bring back ‘honesty and integrity’?”
RDM Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Lefty…
No one will ever be as bad in your eyes as Bush/Cheney and no one could ever be as wonderful as Obama/Biden.
Information leads me to draw differant conclusions. It’s apparent you and I will never see things the same way.
Meanwhile, there’s Obama/Biden and “hope” and “change”????
I wish you the best.
OldLefty Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
RDM,
I have felt that unlike ANY other administration from any party, Bush/Cheney came into power, not to govern, but to transfer the wealth of this country to their cronies.
I agree with Kevin Phillips who was a senior strategist for Richard Nixon’s 1968 campaign, which was the basis for a book, The Emerging Republican Majority, which predicted a conservative realignment in national politics, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential recent works in political science:
He writes in : American Dynasty –
‘an erudite manifesto on the dangers of cronyism, hereditary privilege, “paper entrepreneurialism,” and tax shelters — is devastating due to its analytical fair-mindedness. Essentially, he traces how four generations of Bushes corrupted U.S. foreign policy through international business ventures that benefited the family. ‘
The most recent two George Bushes aren’t evil people, Phillips argues, just greedy and ambitious Ivy League Texans. The Bush family has brought the American political system to a “perilous state,”
It is also why John J. DiIulio — Bush’s director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives — as deemed this dynastic synergy the rise of “Mayberry Machiavellianism.”
I think W Bush turned away from terrorism and invaded Iraq because he just wanted to one up his Daddy, strut around and say, “I’m the commander- in-chief,”
Meanwhile, Cheney and his cronies were all part of The Committee on the Present Danger from the 70s who were pushing WMDs back then; Rumsfeld and Cheney began a concerted effort – first secretly and then openly – to undermine Nixon’s treaty for peace and to rebuild the state of fear.
They did it by claiming that the Soviets had a new secret weapon of mass destruction that the president didn’t know about, that the CIA didn’t know about, that nobody knew about but them…..invisible submarines, that could reach and fire on NY.
As a lefty, Obama is not “wonderful” to me, he is to much of a centrist in my opinion…..but he is at least normal, and I think at least he has the nation’s interest at heart.
I thank you for your well wishes, and assure you they are mutual.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Directions on making Ramen Noodles Obama style:
1. Boil 2 cups of water
2. add package of noodles and flavor package
3. Spend $100Mil studying why your eating ramen
4. Let cool and serve with side of mustard.
Rocky the Liberal Rottweiler Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
“Spend $100Mil studying why you’re eating ramen.”
Listen, just take a look out your back door and let us know if it looks like we’re having any global warming this week.
RDM Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
FUNNY!
sky Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
“FUNNY”
no, wrong: SAD
June 15th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I guess I must have missed all the tabs kept on Bush every time he flew off to the ranch. Oh wait that’s right no one cared.
June 15th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
“Extravagant fringe benefits”, like using Air Force One, like all other presidents before him since Truman? “Extravagant fringe benefits”, like Secret Service protection in a climate where every gap-toothed moonshine-swilling redneck puts pictures of Obama up on his targets at the firing range?
Perhaps if we taxed Obama on his fringe benefits he would ease up on the whole travel thing. After all, he is going to tax our company issued cell phones now.
So, if The Blessed Leader wants a date night in NYC; by all means, go. Just get ready for the Tax Bill upon landing.
Secret Service while at play? Sure, go ahead. Render unto Caesar….
let us know if it looks like we’re having any global warming this week.
Coolest June on record in Chicago. Brrr it’s hot!
when those ceos and board members dare run those companies into the ground and come on corporate jets,(paid for by their shareholders, who they ripped off), begging for welfare and bonus money, he can live as high on the hog as those who dismantled the rules, and caused the problems before him did.
You mean the companies that are broke due to “barrel of the gun” Union negotiating tactics?
Or do you mean the industries that found themselves in a lurch after being forced to loan money to people who couldn’t afford it and then had the accounting rules changed?
June 15th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Pino, good points.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
“You mean the companies that are broke due to “barrel of the gun” Union negotiating tactics?”
……………………….
Or, engage in bad business practice, run your company into the ground,while making millions, then come to the government with your hand out.
*****************
“Or do you mean the industries that found themselves in a lurch after being forced to loan money to people who couldn’t afford it and then had the accounting rules changed?”
………………………..
Or do you mean the industries that spent millions to lobby the government to deregulate their industries back to the circumstances that brought on the Great Depression, so that they could make more and more toxic and liar loans, to make more and more money, before it all came crashing down…. then come crawling back to the government and cry, “we are too big to fail, you have to bail us out…..but don’t cut into our bonuses.”
Remember, Wall Street wanted more mortgages, and Bush said, in 02:
“Freddie Mac recently began 25 initiatives around the country to dismantle barriers and create greater opportunities for homeownership. One of the programs is designed to help deserving families who have ***bad credit histories*** to qualify for homeownership loans.”
June 15th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
engage in bad business practice
I agree. Building cars that nobody wants is bad business. Bad bad car companies! Why did you build those cars?
What? CAFE? Oh my.
Or do you mean the industries that spent millions to lobby the government to deregulate their industries
Lefty, we have gone back and forth on this one. I think that we are going to have to agree to disagree.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
About 7 percent comes from the stimulus bill that Mr. Obama signed in February. And only 3 percent comes from Mr. Obama’s agenda on health care, education, energy and other areas.
link here: nytimes.com/2009/06/10/business/economy/10leonhardt.html
First, the estimated deficit spending is not 1.2 trillion, its 1.85 trillion.
Second, why are we comparing this budget to one estimated at 8-9 years ago? THAT is silly.
In real life, the budget was running just over 400 billion last year. This year, THIS year it’s estimated at 1.85 trillion.
***NOTE: the deficit was declining each of the past 3 years. I am guessing, not sure, but the hit in ‘08 was due to Dubya’s poor choice in TARP and other stimulus spending.
Third, Federal Revenues went UP after the tax cuts. Not sayin’ they were 100% responsible, just sayin’ they didn’t drive revenues down.
About 7 percent comes from the stimulus bill that Mr. Obama signed in February. And only 3 percent comes from Mr. Obama’s agenda on health care, education, energy and other areas.
That doesn’t even pass the basic sniff test.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
The President should have wide berth as far as travel goes. Obama should be able to take however many trips he wants to Hawaii (if he chooses to).
Nancy Pelosi is another matter… :)
June 15th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Newsflash to everyone, the government is good at wasting money. Whether it’s local, state, or federal, the government wastes a lot of money everyday. This is not new, so it’s very inconsistent to be criticizing Obama now. As an Obama supporter, I thought date night went too far (it woulda sucked to have been cought up in that traffic), but overall this guy deserves a rec trip or vacation every once in awhile.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
overall this guy deserves a rec trip or vacation every once in awhile.
He does. Absolutely! No question he has a tough job. The irony of him flyin’ to NYC to catch a show after scolding all those execs for coming to DC on a private plane is pretty rich.
And I know I know…those CEOs are losing boatloads of cash and are looking for a bailout. Sounds a lot like America, except Obama is coming to us for a bailout [higher taxes].
crh3e Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Somehow I believe even if we weren’t involved in bailing out big banks, we’d wind up paying higher taxes someday to pay for the projected shortfalls of Medicare and Social Security. My guess is property taxes will increase first, after that who knows.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Somehow I believe even if we weren’t involved in bailing out big banks, we’d wind up paying higher taxes someday to pay for the projected shortfalls of Medicare and Social Security.
Again I agree.
I do NOT have issue with our President acting as the Leader of the Free World.
While I DO have issues with higher taxes, that is not my beef.
My issue is that Obama should not at the same time enjoy the benefits of his office while chastising those who are doing the same.
crh3e Reply:
June 15th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
I agree, you have to put your money where your mouth is.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
We shouldn’t get upset everytime Obama travels. But we should get upset when Obama tells CEO’s they can’t travel or when he tells them how much money they can make.
RDM Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 9:48 am
I don’t get up-set when Obama travels. I get up-set when he comes back.
TDro319 Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
You’re absolutely right Daddio. Those poor CEO’s making milions of dollar a year. They’re probably starving.
By the way, what are you getting paid by these CEO’s to whine for them? I bet it’s not much (if anything). You know Daddio, for all the cheerleading you do for these fatcats, I’m sure they’re unappreciative. I’m sure they’d sooner spit on you than look at you.
June 16th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Hey, even Sarah P. travels around and charges it to the AK tax payers.
“According to expense reports, Sarah Palin charged the state of Alaska over $21,000 for her children to travel with her on official business. In fairness to Gov. Palin, when she leaves them home alone they get pregnant.” –Seth Meyers (SNL).
GuidoVanHorn Reply:
June 17th, 2009 at 2:53 am
that was a great joke…
however Palin is also paying back a big portion of that money that was deemed improper.
June 16th, 2009 at 11:24 am
“So, if The Blessed Leader wants a date night in NYC; by all means, go. Just get ready for the Tax Bill upon landing.”
And since we kicked out the Son of Satan and most of his brethren in the demonic party of republikkkan extremists, you should get down on your knees and pray that our savior forgives you for speaking so impiously.
And in case he’s too busy cleaning up the neoConeheaded messes, I will personally extend my forgiveness to you, like a father to a son, because in your youth and ignorance you know not what you say or do.
June 16th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Perhaps if we taxed Obama on his fringe benefits he would ease up on the whole travel thing. After all, he is going to tax our company issued cell phones now.
I think taxing the presidential fringe benefits is a very good idea, Pino.
My fringe bennies are taxed, including my two home trips per year — and no, I don’t mind paying my taxes. I am sure the president would not mind either.
davish Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Uh, Obama had NEVER proposed this. It was the idea of some guy working at the IRS. Of course your boy’s Rush and Sean ran with it like the liars they are.
Um Cara Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
The enforcement of this tax would be the responsibility of the executive branch, of which Obama is the head cheese. The law has been on the books for twenty years, but up to now has not been enforced. So, Pino’s statement that Obama is going to tax our company issued cell phones was a fair one.
I again suggest, I have to pay tax on my fringe benefit of home trip travel (I’m an expat and get two free round trip tickets home per year, a benefit for which I am taxed), shouldn’t the President should have to pay tax on similar benefits he receives?
And Rush and Sean are not my ‘boys’ – they are clowns for whom I have very little respect.
June 16th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
a very good idea, Pino.
Hmmm, are we agreeing more and more?
Um Cara Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Well, we mostly agree. As do most Americans on quite a few issues.
Americans have allowed the two political parties to divide us up on wedge issues, to no one’s benefit other than their own. They are very happy with the two party system, and will do what they can to keep America fairly evenly divided.
June 16th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Do right wingers EVER stop HATING?
June 16th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Rush Limbaugh makes up a story and the righties believe it at face value. Alan’s pal Sean repeats the lie over and over in the Goebbels tradition.
June 16th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
We should make Obama pay out of his pocket for all this. That way when he finds himself broke he will stop spending our tax money like water.
Wonder how he feels about eating mac-n-cheese for dinner.
OldLefty Reply:
June 16th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
hhhhhah.
Do that when you send Bush the bill for all the trips he took.
June 16th, 2009 at 7:47 pm