The Obama family’s $100 million trip to Africa is now arguably the most expensive presidential trip in history.
President Obama’s trip to Africa starting Wednesday is drawing criticism for its vast expense, estimated at up to $100 million, but presidential travel has become an easy target for critics over the years no matter who is in the White House.
President Bill Clinton was roundly criticized for making his own Africa trip in 1998. The cost of the visit, which was considered excessive at the time, was $42.7 million, according to the Government Accountability Office, and that tabulation didn’t include Secret Service expenses.
Clinton’s trip to Asia in 2000 was even more expensive, and Clinton was a lame duck then, only months away from leaving office. His Asia visit cost taxpayers $63.5 million. This included not only the expenses for operating Air Force One but for more than 60 other aircraft to transport U.S. personnel and equipment halfway around the world…
The dilemma for Obama is that today’s economically struggling Americans may not be as forgiving when their president incurs big costs for trips that include not only official business but also touristy junkets. Members of Congress and conservative commentators have already made these points, including Rep. George Holding (R-N.C.).
The main problem will be that if Obama looks self indulgent, he will lose credibility as a president who says he is in tune with Middle America.
Obama will be accompanied by his wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha. Their trip to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania runs from Wednesday to July 3.
“…if Obama looks self indulgent…” – hmmm, how might that happen? Oh yes, if the MSM can’t fog bomb its viewers with how important this trip is while showing photos of Presidential family joy.
With apologies to BuffytVS, Tammy Bruce is the Fog Bomb Slayer. TBtFBS
I see The Lyin’ King will avoid Kenya. Why would he diss the people who helped elect him? Guess he doesn’t want reporters talking to the locals about his miraculous nativity.
Agreed!
He must be thrilled that the US is fulfiling his every dream. The dream being to grind down America, break it’s Capitalistic economic back, destroy it’s Judeo-Christian heritage, get back at every rich white devil, destroy Republican power and any opposition, set up a big brother police state, dissolve average American’s assets, corrupt the military, higher education, government security agencies, election offices, ignore the Constitution, and open the borders. He is as pleased as the devil was after he crucified Jesus Christ.
Right on Dave.
So this is America?
It’s good to be king!
Funny how the same Libs who all looked like they were going to have strokes whenever W went back to his Texas ranch (“WHAT? Another vacation???”) now are all so strangely silent about this vacation-on-steroids.
Or, maybe it’s not so funny.
I recently watched a TV program called, “America’s Secrets”. Apparently the President cargos his limo and Marine 1 helicopter when ever he flies Air Force 1. That transport alone must cost millions. Surely the U.S. citizens can see how self indulgent Obama is. A true liberal he is, believing he is entitled to anything he desires. He is just as creepy as Putin.
Meanwhile, as Obama digs into Syria…
— Barack Obama, June 17, 2013, Charlie Rose Show.
For the record, this absolutely is a religious war, with professional radical Sunni militants now firmly in charge of the rebels and the moderates sidelined. Shia and Christians are with Assad by default, because the rebels are decimating them, and it will become a major bloodbath if they prevail. Hence the Shia Hezzbollah, backed by Iran, side with Assad. Saddam Hussein was Sunni but Iraq is now Shia-controlled, hence some of those weapons we armed Iraq with are now helping prop up Assad. Why does Obama want to drag us into this mess? It’s religious and the opposite of moderate. But if you have to pick the side that’s more moderate and tolerant, it’s Assad.
“The main problem will be that if Obama looks self indulgent, he will lose credibility as a president who says he is in tune with Middle America…”
‘IF’???…LMAOROTF…’IF’???
Here’s what I’d like to see published(so far I haven’t found it)…The entire list of all the people that are going with El Presidente’, meaning from the White House staff, Cabinet and Members of the useless Congress on down…
posted 6/24 605pm Texas[Toto]Time
Off-topic; the EU is up to no-good economically again. They are shifting the ‘burden of bailouts’ to the banks from the country. Here’s the money quote; “…Depositors with accounts under 100,000 euros ($132,000) would not be burdened….” Gee, how many retirement savings are under 132k? Retirement savings are going to have to be kept outside banks to a much larger extent. This is one of those laws/requirements that are sold as aimed at the rich, but will destroy the average person whose retirement just became very tenuous. No jobs and now no retirement – the EU has to die. And this can not spread here.
http://www.dw.de/eu-shifts-bailout-burden-to-banks/a-16910423