PART OF A GROWING PERSONAL, POLITICAL TRAVEL TAB FOR TAXPAYERS
U.S. president Barack Obama‘s 2013 vacation to Hawaii – seventeen days full of sun and fun (and golf) – cost taxpayers more than $8 million, according to records obtained (belatedly) by Judicial Watch.
And those are just the expenses we know about …
Judicial Watch has been all over Obama’s personal and political travel for some time. Last month it released information related to a New York sightseeing trip, a west coast political swing and a Martha’s Vineyard vacation (this one) that cost taxpayers more than $3 million.
All told, Obama has spent more than $70 million on political and personal travel.
“(Obama) is enamored with the presidency’s trappings of power and taxpayers are left holding the tab,” Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton recently noted.
We agree … although it’s what he does when he’s in the office that’s far more worrisome (and more costly).
But don’t worry, “Republicans” were elected to Congress to block all that … right? Right?
77 comments
Awww!!!! Hey, can we include W’s $3 trillion Invasion?
Just trailer trash ghetto filth pretending to be George and Weezi Jefferson.
You post under alts to hide your name, but we’re all wise to your lack of shame!
Wonder what unemployment will be next Friday – 4.8% or 4.9%?
Real Unemployment Rate Formula Using Current Statistics
In November 2015, the real unemployment rate (U-6) was 9.9%, nearly double the widely-reported unemployment rate (U-3) of 5.0%. Here’s how to calculate both:
Step 1. Calculate the official unemployment rate:
U-3 = 7.937 million unemployed workers / 157.301 million in the labor force = 5.0%.
Step 2. Add in marginally attached workers: There were 1.717 million people who were marginally attached to the labor force.
Add this to both the number of unemployed and the labor force.
U-5 = 9.654 million / 159.018 million = 6.1%.
Step 3. Add in part-time workers: There were 6.086 million people who were working part-time because they couldn’t get full-time work, although they’d prefer it. Add them to the unemployed, they’re already in the labor force.
George Jefferson was a job creator.
I ran over a squirrel this morning,and immediately thought of you.It’s too bad all squirrels can’t fly.I’m sorry.
Not all squirrel’s are as smart as me. I don’t run in front of cars, change my mind, try and go back and —– splat!!!! Have a Happy New Year 9-Inch.
Maybe it was a Muslim squirrel.They’re ALL crazy.
HNY to you,too
Allah Aka Oak Nuts
Let me count the days: Ronald Reagan spent 335 days at his beloved California ranch in his 8 years in office. George W. Bush at this point in his tenure had made 68 visits to his Texas ranch spanning all or part of 441 days, and 10 visits to his family’s home in Kennebunkport, Maine, spanning all or part of 39 days. As of now, Obama has taken 177 days off, if there is such a thing for the Commander-in-Chief.
But Obama’s black so he doesn’t get to go on vacation! Booooo hooooooooooooooooo!
RWNJs don’t care about facts. Their narratives are impervious to facts.
“Since President Obama took office, the national debt has increased by
$7.4 trillion. On January 20, 2009, it stood at $10.6 trillion; on
Monday, it was at $18 trillion.”
Before he leaves office, it will be an estimated $20 trillion.
Read it and weep, from one of the standard-bearers for the left, The Washington Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/01/07/the-story-behind-obama-and-the-national-debt-in-7-charts/
Hey Rocky…It might serve you well to check things out before you make an ass of yourself.
Too bad the Republicans are making themselves unelectable for the White House, because I’d love to see one win just to watch you guys shut your mouths about deficits and debts.
The deficits and debts are bad for this country no matter who does it. Just trying to make it clear that one side did not generate all the debt nor did one side accumulate the deficit.
Just responding to the Squirrel’s post.
A million here a million there…It’s been going on for a long time.
“Hey Rocky. It might serve you well to check things out before you make an ass of yourself.” Oops too late. LOL
Who gives a shit? Every president goes on vacation. Is Obama the worst when it comes to that? This is just some nonsense bullshit both parties complain about, but oddly enough they only complain about it when it isn’t their guy in the oval office.
What the article linked says and fits fails to mention is that all these costs are Secret Service costs and costs involve running the government while away from the White House.
Where ever the President goes, the Secret service must go. When the President pays for a room for a personal vacation at a hotel, the Secret Service pays for the entire floor as well as those above and below. If he rents a house, they must rent the surrounding houses.
The President pays for a flight coach and the taxpayers pay for entire plane. This is standard procedure. This is nothing unusual. I’m sure it cost a lot when the presidential travels, but it also cast a lot when he stays at the White house.
The President pays the expenses he would normally have if he was a private citizen not requiring security.
After thought
It would have been nice if the Americans serving our country in Benghazi had the protection they needed.
They did. They were told not to go there.
Not by their superiors… Not by Clinton.
Actually not true. Amb. Stevens was warned against travel to Benghazi because of security concerns. The only people who should have been there were the CIA folks.
Not his superiors.
Damn you fucking NEVER tell the truth about anything.
You just don’t like the truth.
Technically, Stevens was an ambassador in name only. It was a cover for his part as manager of the weapons buyback program administered under the CIA as part of Operation Zero Footprint.
Bible,
You seem to be ok with most any government expenditure. Perhaps you ought to change your name to taxpayer thumper.
Speaking of the Secret Service, we have over done that effort. No other head of state even comes close to our over-the-top “protection” of our big spending leaders.
They aren’t made safer by the amount of money spent by the Service, they are made safer by proper use of speed, deception, intelligence and wit.
Just because they have arranged to have themselves treated like Cesar does not mean we have to foot the bill. Congress should act, an act soon, to curb the outrageous expenses.
The subtitle says “PERSONAL, POLITICAL TRAVEL TAB”.
All the costs are security and government related, not personal or political, and Congress is responsible for there allocation, not the President.
May be it is too expensive, but if so, blame Congress.
Secret Service works for the Pres.
http://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/13/us/nixon-dropping-protection-by-secret-service.html
Obama has a little over 313 days left in office
http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20161108T07&p0=611&msg=Countdown+until+Obama+is+OUT+OF+OFFICE
Seems like a logical course of action for the Republicans would be to see if he will take a one time buy out of office of $313,000,000
Given the fact he will take 10 day a month, $1,000,000 per day, vacations for every month he has left in office, the $313 million ain’t a bad deal
Buck Farack
Well in some ways that would make sense, except that $313,000 would end up costing tax payers $2 trillion damage to the economy that the Republicans would end up inflicting.
Hey dipshits! Look how many vacation days GWB took compared to Obama.
Now, go back to praising Trump, while reaching under the table to stroke off Cruz.
Say what you want. GWB or Reagan didn’t take vacations during Christmas. So their staffs could have time off with their families. This POS hasn’t missed a Christmas yet. Very telling.
GWB took WAY more vacation time. Then again, facts are meaningless to you goobs.
Both H.W. & W spent Christmas at Camp David. Someone was cooking, cleaning and protecting them till they departed on Dec 26th to their compounds/mansions. Reagan’s were old duffs with adult children and they reveled in the pomp and glamour of a WH Christmas. Reagan did spend his last Christmas as President in California at his new Belaire home. All other Presidents in recent history spent Christmas somewhere other than the WH. I seriously doubt the staff or agents accompanying the Obamas to Hawaii are really upset over being dragged off to the islands.
With these gas prices who can afford a vacation…,oh,sorry-wrong president,wrong decade
Bitching about Presidential vacations appears to be of our American DNA.
Criticism of presidential vacations go back all the way to John Adams, who frequently traveled from the capital to his Massachusetts home, said Brendan J. Doherty, a political science professor at the U.S. Naval Academy.
After spending 30 years with the federal government I can tell you to double or triple that number and you might be close to the dollar amount of the vacation.
But hey, when you are a god, why not? We elect these egomaniacs and we are surprised by there tricks?
GOP or DEM…they are cut from the same cloth.
Canvas?
I say screw them.
Let them fly coach with a couple of undercover agents. if they don’t want that they can pay for extra service.
Or do us all a favor and stay home and actually work!
I say no president can go on a taxpayer paid vacation until they read the major bills of the congress and initial each page–starting with the 2014 page Omnibus bill.
Only if Congress reads them first……(they don’t)
I will include them in the “no vacation rule” too!
Better than creating a $1.7 trillion war that was waged under false pretenses. A war that is projected to cost up to $6 trillion over the next few decades.
Damn Reggie.Loved the way you punted but always knew you was dumb as fuck.
Okay, how long will this Disqus account last?
You want me to post something that makes him cancel it? I can try.
New avatar, slightly longer name to insult the Germans, but same @rockieveranalspic account. Less than a day.
Happy New Year.Pork and Kraut or fetus baby part stew to ring in the new year at the local PP fund raiser?
Stop aborting innocent Disqus babies you serial killer!
Don’t let facts get into your view of my career.
Thanks for the compliment, though!
I thought you died in 2005?
This is such a lame ass nonstory by a lame ass nonjournalist hack. Presidential vacations at tax payer expense ic nothing new. Bush 41 – Kennebunkport, Bush 43 – Texas Ranch/Kennebunkport, Clinton – Itchy Kitty strip club, Little Rock, Arkansas.
I thought The Bush’s owned their vacation places?
Obama pays for his out of his pocket.
Or, did you really not know that?
After all, he’s not part of a political dynasty made rich off government connections like the Bushs.
Don’t waste your time, he’s too slow on the uptake to understand anything. He probably doesn’t even realize that though Bush went to places he owned, taxpayers still spent tons of money having to secure the area each time.
Doubtful it was $8million for security detail for Kennebunkport or the Bush Texas Ranch.
But, you’re not interested anyway, are you Mom, because when a Republican does it, it’s OK?
Obama is the first pResident we have had that doesn’t believe in American exceptionalism,have a love of country in his heart or seek to do what is best for this nation.
The vacations are merely just another example of how the Obama’s feel they are owed because of the past transgressions they believe America is responsible for.
When he was a candidate for president in 2008, Barack Obama said during an interview that as the occupant of the Oval Office his vacations, his leisure, even his need for sleep, would be gone in a dedication to the American people that such a position requires.
Then he had American taxpayers spend in excess of $70 million on his … vacations.
The comment he made came during an interview with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert. It was recorded in 2008 but apparently not published online until 2012.
In context, Obama said, “You have to understand that if you seek that office, you have to be prepared to give your life to it. Essentially the burden that any president, I think, strikes, with the American people is, um, you give me this office and in turn my, fears, doubts, insecurities, foibles, need for sleep, family life, vacations, leisure is gone. I am giving myself to you.”
LIE# 666
Tell us in inflation adjusted numbers how much was been spent on Reagan and Bush vacations.
But, you don’t want to do that do you?
Because it ONLY counts when it’s about a Democrat…right?
BTW, no link, no proof.
For their Christmas 2014 vacation, the Obama family rented the same plush oceanfront estate they’ve used for the past several years in the wealthy neighborhood of Kailua, located near Honolulu on the island of Oahu. According to the London Telegraph, the four-member Obama family spent its extended two-week vacation at a palatial mansion with: “13 bedrooms, a prime location on Kailua beach and all the mod cons that the First Family could ask for … Beyond the lawn lies the famous beach, up which the waves roll majestically, 24 hours a day.”
Obama paid for this? With what?
http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-obama-familys-2014-christmas-vacation-in-hawaii-cost-taxpayers-3672798-in-transportation-expenses/
“The Obamas’ travel is out of control. They are treating the Air Force One like an Uber ride. Our military deserves better. The Secret Service is stretched to the breaking point by President’s Obama’s abusive travel,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “And President Obama seems oblivious to the burden he is placing on Americans with his continuous vacations, getaways, and political junkets at taxpayer expense.”
http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-obama-familys-2014-christmas-vacation-in-hawaii-cost-taxpayers-3672798-in-transportation-expenses/
Sorry, you might take uber ideological, partisan Judicial Watch seriously, but not me until it’s been verified by a couple of other sources.
Just because it has a name that might make some fools think it’s a legitimate organization, don’t make it so.
You quoted that liberal rag the Washington Post.Hilarious!
You have to factor in the Secret Service security details for the President , First Lady and their daughters as well as the respective staffs for the President and First Lady.
In addition, the bullet proof presidential automobiles and autos for the security details, communication set up, etc., all adds up into millions.
And the conservatives will spend only 111 days next year working. Hypocrites.
Yeah, that’s it. Any more absurd caricatures you want to throw out there to show how delusional you are?
It sounds like he’s referring to how many days in a year Congress works. How is that an absurd caricature?
They’ve worked under 130 days a year since Cantor was majority leader and set the schedule.
But, hey, that’s OK when it’s a Republican doing it.
Really, this man has spent nowhere near the vacation time – and, therefore, money – as Bush or Reagan in their 2 terms.
Grow up.
If it’s not something that bothers you when a Republican does it, don’t obsess over it when a Democrat isn’t half as bad.
“(Obama) is enamored with the presidency’s trappings of power and taxpayers are left holding the tab,”
I’m always amazed how such writers can actually read the minds of presidents. “Enamored”, ha. From where does Mr. Fitton pull this stuff?
Anyway, if any of you don’t want your presidents to take vacations and would rather them be burned out all the time, just say so instead of playing such silly games as writing a story like this.
Caption for Picture Above
No, no, no – I am pissing here you can take a piss over there
How much did it cost American taxpayers to watch Reagan’s corpse fly all over the country in a week-long funeral extravaganza that followed a decade of dementia? And let us recall that the Reagans were frequent coast-to-coast flyers during his two terms as President. So much for “conservatism.”