Can anyone explain Obama's latest vacation expenses?

[Nanuk]

So now Obama is taking another vacation to India.

He's taking 3,000 people with him--many of them mere family friends or acquaintances. He's flying his entourage over in 40 aircraft, has booked an entire luxury hotel, and now he's even demanding that 34 US Navy ships--including an aircraft carrier--follow him over there.

The expected cost: Over 200 million US Dollars A DAY for every day that he and his family are sightseeing. And it's a ten-day trip.

WTF? How much of our money is this guy going to be allowed to waste before we, the people, just tell him that he's done traveling for anything not necessary for the duties of his office, and then only with as few additional people as possible? There's no need for him to be in India and it doesn't make sense right now...but he and his wife apparently want to see it--and visit it's mosques--so screw the American taxpayer.

[KatherineA]

He is demanding? Or the Secret Service paranoid police are demanding the ships? As when Michelle went to Spain, aren't they footing the bill for at least some of this trip?

[Chutney Daftcraft]

:::yawn:::

[beckythemom]

Holy cow. I'd like just $200 extra for a day trip. $200 million per day? That's overkill.

[Nanuk]

Katherine,

The Secret Service cannot deploy Naval vessels. That comes from Obama himself, as has most of the security requirements around him and his family since he took office. Obama has always been the one demanding more security for himself and his family than the Bush families, the Clintons or the Reagan family ever did. Don't think for one minute that Secret Service gets carte blanche to decide these things and make them happen--they make recommendations but it's the President who agrees, disagrees or insists on exceeding the recommendations as this one has consistently done.

Oh, and the invited guests on this lark will undoubtedly pay some of their own costs, but we, the taxpayers will pay the lion's share. (Example: they reimburse the government for the cost of a commercial coach-class ticket but get flown over on deluxe military transports. They reimburse the government the per diem rate for a hotel room but get the luxury suite that the government paidf far more for. They reimburse the government the daily meal per diem but dine on first-class catered fare.) It's a scam where the guests make out like bandits, getting a world-class trip for the cost of an off-season week-end in Pittsburgh.

[LFE]

They are trying to outsource government vacations...
- This is just another example that some things are just less expensive to do right at home!

[twisted thread]

When the topic of the trip first came up on the news last week it was his delayed vacation to Indonesia, then it was a meeting with Indian officials, then it was the delayed vacation to Indonesia, then went totally quiet until last night after the election. Far as I know the India part is to cover the cost of his vacation to Indonesia to his childhood home. I didn't know Michelle and the girls were going. Shouldn't the girls be in school?

[KatherineA]

If I were president and the Secret Service recommended X - I'd probably go for X since they are the experts in keeping me safe. If the SS did not think the ships were necessary then why the recommendation?

India and Indonesia and China have something like 1/5 of the world' population. India is a huge source of trade with us as is Indonesia. Why immediately ASSume this trip is an ENTIRE waste of time and money? Personally, I'll wait and see based on the outcome before I prejudge. But, I know that's not your style.

Besides, the estimate touted by your right wing conservative sources are not necessarily accurate. Got any info on how the bottom line number was reached?

insert cricket chirp.

[Kensey]

Well, well.

The hard-to-swallow claim originated with a Nov. 2 Press Trust of India article quoting an unnamed "top official" in the government of Maharashtra (one of India’s states). The source was quoted as saying that Obama’s upcoming trip to Mumbai will cost $200 million per day for security and living arrangements, among other things. The story claimed that the president would be accompanied by about 3,000 people, including Secret Service agents, government officials and journalists, and will stay at the Taj Mahal Hotel — the scene of a 2008 terrorist attack.

So yeah. Bring some facts or go home.

[Chutney Daftcraft]

Well, this 'article' is bull-pucky.

I see you're still batting a perfect zero in the game of 'gotcha'...

However:

Obama has always been the one demanding more security for himself and his family than the Bush families, the Clintons or the Reagan family ever did.

Gee, I wonder why Obama would want more security...

My first guess is all the radical right-wingers who believe that Obama is pushing Hitler's agenda, wants to kill them, or is invalid to be president.

That's the problem when those on the right allow their crazies to demonstrate their craziness the way they're doing it... You can't allow all this irrational and insane hostility towards the President, and then attack him because he feels he needs more security detail...

Unless the name of the game is to attack hard, and attack often, even if the attacks are completely unsubstantiated. Much like this topic, huh? Good job, just keep repeating what the websites tell you to repeat, bret, err, I mean, Nanuk...

[KatherineA]

News article from USA today- pertinent excerpt:

"No, President Obama's trip is not going to cost $200 million a day.


That figure -- first thrown out by a single Indian media outlet and now viral on conservative talk radio -- is wildly, wildly off the mark.

The problem is that the costs for these trips is impossible to determine, for many of the president's expenses would be incurred whether he was visiting India or Atlanta, or simply hanging around the White House. Obama's India trip starts an Asian swing that includes South Korea, Indonesia, and Japan. . . . . "

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...y-have-heard/1

[KatherineA]

Another article from a Minnesota paper:
So just how far off is that $200 million cost Bachmann cited?

CNN says that the most expensive presidential trip on record — Bill Clinton’s Asia trip — cost $50 million dollars — not per day, but for the entire trip. http://minnesotaindependent.com/7380...e-top-spending

[Magzwv]

As long as he takes his Aunt Zeituni, and LEAVES her, I'm all for this trip!

http://technews.tmcnet.com/topics/as...er-citizen.htm
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmem...s_before_e.php

[Chutney Daftcraft]

Yeah, right, because I'm responsible for my aunt's behavior, too...

[Magzwv]

I did find this:

"President Obama, born (yes, BORN!) and raised in Hawaii, looks forward to his annual Christmas vacation there with his family and close friends. Given the current economic crisis, President Obama understands that a Hawaii vacation is out of reach for many Americans. And he feels sad about that. Which is why in a spirit of openness and transparency, President Obama is sharing his Hawaii vacation experience with the American People.’ White House website, WhiteHouse.Gov, 2010 Hawaii Vacation Plan

Great photos of POTUS and FLOTUS!!!
http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2010...rican-royalty/

I'm thinking the 200M is Rupees... Yet the way the Feds are printing money, it really could be US dollars!!!
http://www.moneylife.in/article/78/10988.html


I am glad that I live in a country where I can vote!!!
Semper Fi!

[AAT53]

The fact that anybody believes that a president (and his staff) would be that stupid makes me sad.

There is no way any president is going to take a trip that costs $200M us dollars a day. You can't keep something like that secret and once it came out (and was proven to be true) that presidents party would start seeing backlash that a party has never seen before.

A little common sense goes a long way.

[Chutney Daftcraft]

It's a shame that sense is no longer common. Nor is courtesy.

[derricksonb]

You can never underestimate the stupidity of the general public. Conversely one can never underestimate the arrogance of this President. I understand his desire to take the FLOTUS and the chitlins along for the exposure and publicity, but beyond the Secret Service Agents what role do the other invited guests have? In an era where government agencies are being forced to eliminate programs and cut budgets how does this not constitute fraud waste and abuse above and beyond the scope and mission of the Executive Office?

[Neal80]

Not much longer folks... just hang in there. Lets just make sure the next one has the brains to fix his mess.

[Chutney Daftcraft]

Right. Because the one who tried to fix the last one's mess has no brain. Or maybe this one will let the banks loot the treasury before he 'cuts and runs' like the last one did. Let's not forget that the housing bubble popped in 2006, and the financial crisis began in 2007. Both were brought on by years of deregulation and trusting financial institutions to conduct themselves ethically.

And you *do* know that Obama will be re-elected now, right? This is all just a pattern in politics, which coincidentally, repeats itself just like history.

The REAL topic of conversation is: when do you think the government shutdown will occur?