Mr. and Mrs. Barack H. Obama have the wildly inappropriate habit of spending our money on themselves. In particular,
they seem to enjoy expensive vacations — at Martha's Vineyard in the summer and Hawaii in the
winter — as well as junkets to other parts of the world, aboard Air Force One. (And of course, when the
Obamas go on a family vacation, they don't have to get groped at
the airport before boarding a plane.) The rest of the country is suffering through a recession which will continue
until Obama leaves the White House. (Is that Barack Obama's fault?
Yes.) Mr. Obama also spends a lot of time on the golf course
when he should be working, and more recently has traveled aboard Air Force One to events that are obviously campaign
appearances leading up to the 2012 elections. The
Democrats pretend to "watch out for the little guy", constantly
wailing about the gap between the "haves" and "have-nots", and they want you to believe they fight for the poor and
downtrodden. In a recent speech, President Obama said he believes the greatest threat facing our country today is
income inequality.*
If he truly believes that, why does he flaunt his wealth and soak the taxpayers for his semi-annual vacations?
Note: In general, this page is in chronological order,
so the most recent material is at the bottom of this subsection, just above this line.
First Family Vacations. Judicial Watch has been at the forefront of exposing
the trips and the waste of taxpayer dollars through Freedom of Information Act requests and lawsuits, to obtain the details, when necessary.
Michelle
Obama Lavish Expenses Cost Taxpayers Big. We all know the rules are a little different for the political
class. But Michelle Obama's recent trips overseas hardly qualify as official business. They are lavish,
extravagant, and excessive by any reasonable metric. Moreover, these latest revelations are hardly isolated. They
are part of continuum reaching back across to the earliest days of the Obama administration. Recently, Judicial Watch
obtained flight expense records from the U.S. Department of the Air Force revealing that Michelle Obama's June 2015 trip to
the United Kingdom and Italy, accompanied by her daughters and mother, cost the taxpayers $240,495.67 in flight expenses alone.
The
Obamas Have Spent Over $44,351,777.12 In Taxpayer Cash On Travel. Our president
vacations a lot — we're talking $44,351,777.12 worth of "a lot," with most expenses
charged to the American taxpayer. As of March 2014, Obama has spent more time traveling
internationally than any other president, taking 31 trips since assuming office in 2009.
The 119 days spent overseas have cost taxpayers millions of dollars. At the same point in
their respective presidencies, George W. Bush had spent 116 days on 28 trips, Bill
Clinton had spent 113 days on 27 trips and Ronald Reagan had spent 73 days on just
14 trips. [...] The actual total cost may be higher, as the White House is not subject to the
Freedom of Information Act.
Obama campaign rolls out its
biggest prop: Air Force One. There are a lot of benefits of incumbency, and one of them, the Obama camp knows well,
is the plane. That big, blue, beautiful plane. Air Force One made for an awesome prop Thursday night [10/25/2012] at
a tarmac rally in Cleveland.
Obama's New York visits cost millions.
President Obama's frequent trips to New York City — for everything from official appearances to champagne-soaked
fund-raisers — have already cost New Yorkers well in excess of $2 million in additional security at Kennedy
Airport, The [New York] Post has learned. Michelle Obama's trips to the Big Apple have cost hundreds of thousands more.
Obama family 'costs
taxpayers $1.4 Billion per year'. Politicians looking for savings to deal with the national debt crisis should perhaps
start by abolishing the President. Barack Obama and his family cost the taxpayer $1.4 billion per year, according to a
recently published book. By contrast, the British Royal Family costs less than $60 million each year.
Alex Pappas on
the $1.4 billion Obama family budget. The Daily Caller's report about taxpayers spending $1.4 billion on the Obama
family last year has been burning up the Internet, and reporter Alex Pappas talked on Thursday [9/27/2012] about how the piece came about.
"It's kind of a big number and that's what interesting about it," said Pappas. The complete tally came from "Presidential Perks Gone
Royal," by Robert Keith Gray.
Taxpayers
spent $1.4 billion on Obama family last year, perks questioned in new book. Taxpayers spent $1.4 billion dollars on everything
from staffing, housing, flying and entertaining President Obama and his family last year, according to the author of a new book on taxpayer-funded
presidential perks. In comparison, British taxpayers spent just $57.8 million on the royal family.
Fact Check: First
Lady's False Fairy Tale of Struggle. As First Lady, Michelle Obama has lived high on the hog while the rest of the country
has suffered through an extraordinary recession. In 2010, she and her entourage decamped to Spain for a lavish vacation. That
summer, the Obamas encouraged Americans to visit the Gulf coast after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which threatened tourism in the
region. They promptly jetted off to Maine for their own summer holiday. This summer, the Obamas skipped their usual summer
trip to the wealthy playground of Martha's Vineyard — months after Michelle and her daughters had enjoyed an expensive winter skiing
trip in Aspen. And, of course, there are the frequent pilgrimages to Hawaii.
The Audacity of Cronyism.
[Valerie] Jarrett gets a security detail from the US Secret Service (USSS). That means 24/7 protection, at a cost of millions of dollars a year.
Of course, it also means an air of importance for Jarrett — her own taxpayer-funded entourage. The idea that someone such as Jarrett — who
officially plays no role in national security or counter-terrorism — would receive USSS protection would be laughable if it weren't, in fact, real.
It's like a tale out of the Versailles Court of the Sun King — the sort of anecdote that provokes the peasants, eventually, to revolution.
This is an excellent overview of the subject: President Looter. Obama has
been on a depraved personal spending spree throughout the presidency, but never a critical word is uttered by his big media propaganda
arm. The worse the economy has gotten, the more obscene Obama and Michelle's spending has gotten. Where is the outcry?
I, for one, as an overtaxed American, am sick of it. It kicked off as early as his inauguration. Obama spent an obscene
150 million dollars on his inauguration. The media rejoiced in his decadence. Bush, OTOH, was raked over the coals for
spending a fraction of what Obama spent on his inauguration.
Obama's pathetic
political optics: Tone-deaf and arrogant. The Obamas entertained Hollywood celebrities at lavish White House parties while millions
of Americans lost jobs, homes and hope during recovery-less Recovery Summers. While her husband urged Americans to vacation on the recovering
Gulf Coast, Michelle Obama flew off to a luxury resort in Spain with numerous friends. Like many in the 1%, Obama plays golf,
104 presidential rounds to be exact.
Who
is this guy pretending to be president? This 2012 Obama is strident and mean, even deceitful, divisive,
telling half-truths after half-truths. He's using Air Force One as his personal Brinks truck with wings to collect
cash all over the country, disguising the trips as official.
The President flies out to New Mexico for a poorly-staged photo op. Obama's Wasteful, Phony
Photo Ops Busted. [Scroll down] So let's do some cost calculations: in 2010, the Air force said it
cost about $180,000 per hour to operate Air Force 1. Considering the Obama Petro Premiums we're all now paying,
that's easily over $200,000 today. AF1, the military equivalent of a Boeing 747, cruises at 575 mph, making
the 1600 miles from Andrews AFB to Roswell, NM about a three hour trip. [...] Let's assume that second plane is a bit
less costly to fly, say $500,000 for that leg. We're now talking $1,100,000 each way for a campaign photo op, and a
laughably ineffective one at that.
Senator:
'Clearly, This Trip Is Campaign Related;' Obama's 'Spent Past Three Years Gutting Our Military'. Sen. Jim Inhofe
(R-Okla.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee says Pres. Obama's surprise trip to Afghanistan on the one-year
anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden must be campaign related, since Obama's spent the last three years gutting the
military: [...] "Clearly this trip is campaign related. We've seen recently that President Obama has visited college
campuses in an attempt to win back the support of that age group since he has lost it over the last three years. "Similarly,
this trip to Afghanistan is an attempt to shore up his national security credentials, because he has spent the past three
years gutting our military.
Is
the taxpayer funding Obama's re-election campaign? According to Mark Knoller of CBS News, unofficial keeper of presidential statistics, Obama
has held 124 fundraisers — about one every three days — since he launched his re-election bid last April compared to the
57 Bush held to raise cash for his re-election bid eight years ago. Obama's frenetic fundraising schedule had prompted the Republican National
Committee (RNC) to lodge a formal complaint with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) about misuse of taxpayer money.
Heartache: Obama's
Hawaiian Vacation Is Over. And thanks to Congress' delay in passing the payroll tax deal, he only
got to hit the links four times, but it was still enough for him to break a new one-year golfing record with
a total of 34 rounds.
Obama's
Top Boners of 2011. [#4] Vacations 1, 2 & 3: I don't begrudge the president
taking his family someplace, you know, once. But $4 million dollars for a Christmas vacation?
And despite what some progressives are claiming, yes that amount is the tab picked up by the US taxpayers for
Obama's 17-day Hawaiian vacation with Mary Todd Lincoln Jr.
Judicial
Watch sues for Michelle travel documents. Judicial Watch is filing a Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) against the United States Air Force to obtain records related to the June 21-27, 2011,
trip taken by First Lady Michelle Obama, her family, and her staff to South Africa and Botswana.
Earlier reports suggested that the cost for air travel cost taxpayers $430,000, but Judicial Watch
believes that additional Secret Service officers and White House staff security tallied further expenses.
U.S. sued over Michelle's
secretive 'family outing'. Judicial Watch has filed a lawsuit over the federal
government's refusal to disclose how much taxpayers spent to send Michelle Obama on a "family
outing" that included a safari in Africa.
Michelle
Obama Spent 42 Days on Vacation this Past Year. First Lady Michelle Obama over the
last year has spent a total of 42 days on vacation, or a little more than one out of every nine
days, according to a White House Dossier analysis of her travel. Her vacations, the cost of
which are mostly borne by taxpayers, include trips to Panama City, Fla., Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii,
South Africa, Latin America, Vail, Colo., and her visit this week to her brother in Corvallis, Ore.
The Most Expensive Date Night
in History. I lived in Washington, D.C. for 7 years and can tell you that there is lots to do in that
city; great restaurants, live theater at the Kennedy Center, great clubs, and more museums than you can shake a stick
at. Why then did our president and his wife feel it necessary to jet off to New York City at taxpayer expense,
forcing the NY city cops to throw the usual presidential security cordon around his motorcade, eat at a tony restaurant
in the Village, catch a Broadway play, and then jet back so that the Secret Service could tuck them in for the night
in their own beds?
White House declines to say what NY trip
cost. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs is declining to say what it cost for President Barack Obama and
his wife, Michelle, to eat dinner and take in a play in New York over the weekend.
Michelle
Obama's $1m date in New York. Barack Obama escorts First Lady Michelle across the White House lawn to his
private helicopter for a night at the theatre. During his victorious election campaign, the President had promised
to take his wife on a date as soon as he could get an evening off.
Taxpayers foot bill for Barack and
Michelle Obama's cosy date. The White House declined to say how much the trip cost but the Republican National
Committee fired off a press release faster than the Gulfstream 500 jet that flew the Obamas from Washington to Kennedy
International airport, New York. Entitled "Putting on a Show" it said that the outing was inappropriate given the
recession and General Motors' impending bankruptcy.
Republicans
Grumble as Obamas Jet to New York and Taxpayers Pick Up Tab. It seemed like a harmless moment in Barack
Obama's presidency — a night on the town for the first couple in New York. But the episode Saturday night is taking
on a life of its own in the media, and much of the reaction is turning critical.
White House Won't Reveal How Much Michelle
Obama's European Vacation Cost Taxpayers. America may be in the midst of a deep recession, and the nation
may be facing unprecedented deficit spending and debt, but the White House will not reveal the cost to taxpayers of the
European vacation that first lady Michelle Obama and the president's two daughters, Malia and Sasha, took last month.
Obama
Takes Michelle Out For a Date and Us For a Ride. The White House is trying to convince us that the recent
date night that took him and the missus to New York, along with his usual entourage, cost the taxpayers a mere $24,000.
That's supposed to be the total amount of the roundtrip flight, the two helicopter rides, the limo, dinner and the show.
Fat chance. My brother-in-law in Michigan had a heart attack last year. His heart must be working just fine now
because it didn't stop when he got the bill for the 50-mile helicopter ride to the hospital. It was $12,000, and that
was one-way, and without a squad of Secret Service agents riding shotgun.
Obama appears to be paying off voters with stimulus dollars. Billions in aid go to areas that
backed Obama in '08. Counties that supported Obama last year have reaped twice as much money per
person from the administration's $787 billion economic stimulus package as those that voted for his
Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, a USA TODAY analysis of government disclosure and accounting records
shows. That money includes aid to repair military bases, improve public housing and help students
pay for college. The reports show the 872 counties that supported Obama received about $69 per
person, on average. The 2,234 that supported McCain received about $34.
Obama Mixes
Business With Family Pleasure During Trip Out West. While President Obama is pressing hard to rally
support for his health care reform plan at different stops across the country, he hasn't allowed that to interfere
with a weekend family trip to the rustic West and its national parks. The Obama family — the
president, the first lady and daughters Malia and Sasha, and other relatives — had a busy sightseeing
weekend planned: visiting Yellowstone National Park on Saturday and touring Grand Canyon National Park in
Arizona on Sunday [8/16/2009].
The Obamas: Stopping Traffic in
Yellowstone. For a brief, clattering moment on Saturday morning, Bald Eagles nesting along Yellowstone
National Park's Firehole River Saturday [8/15/2009] had to share their sky with three Marine helicopters ferrying the
First Family down to Old Faithful.
What Went Wrong:
[Scroll down] Democratic populism turned out to be largely aristocratic elitism. Obama spends more money on
himself than did Bush. The liberal Congress has a strange fondness for pricy private jets. ... Offering left-wing
populist sermonizing for others while enjoying the high life oneself is never a winning combination.
Our imperial
presidency. [Do you recall] the minor criticism that surfaced when, shortly after he moved into the
White House, the president used public funds to take his wife to the Big Apple for dinner and a Broadway show?
It then appeared to me the man, who had filled a naïve, emotion-driven nation with hope, was off to a start that
suggested he was going to milk the highest office in the land for as much as much as it could produce. It seemed
that lavish lifestyles were going to be the order of the day, with growing personal use of burgeoning staffs, along
with frequent and unnecessary use of expensive assets, such as military aircraft and personnel.
The Cost of Obama's
Copenhagen Trip. A reader adds a few points to my back-of-the-envelope math on the cost of President Obama's
trip to Copenhagen to lobby the International Olympic Committee and (probably?) witness the announcement that Chicago will
host the 2016 games. "The cost of Obama's trip will not be close to $1 mil. It is well over $10 mil if
it is a dime. The figures you quoted (accurately) are for flying a VC-25 (Presidential 747). Presidential trips
require both 747s, as one is a backup."
Update: Watchdog
Sues Pentagon for Records on Obama Entourage's 2009 Copenhagen Trip. A conservative watchdog
group has filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon seeking travel details for the Obama administration officials
and U.S. lawmakers who flew to Copenhagen, Denmark, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in
December 2009. ... Roughly 16,500 delegates, activists and reporters gathered at Copenhagen for the 12-day
conference, which the U.N. estimated created 40,584 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, roughly the same
amount as the carbon emissions of Morocco in 2006.
The cost of the Obamalympic$
folly. A 2006 congressional study pegged the cost of flying Air Force One at $56,518 an hour. The
Pentagon recently said it cost $100,219 an hour to fly the huge, reconfigured Boeing 747 without Obama aboard.
The Pentagon estimate included more costs for support needs, such as maintenance. At those rates, the president's
14-hour trip to Copenhagen and back cost about $790,000 to $1.4 million.
Hi-Ho, the
Derry-O. Let's say you're preparing dinner and you realize with dismay that you don't have any
certified organic Tuscan kale. What to do? Here's how Michelle Obama handled this very
predicament Thursday afternoon [9/17/2009]: The Secret Service and the D.C. police brought in three
dozen vehicles and shut down H Street, Vermont Avenue, two lanes of I Street and an entrance to the
McPherson Square Metro station. ... Though the produce stand was only a block or so from the White House, the
first lady hopped into her armored limousine and pulled into the market amid the wail of sirens.
ABC
Details Obama's $4,000/day Christmas Vacation. Imagine the outrage if any Republican President
went on vacation during a recession and spent $4,000 a night on accommodations. On ABC's Good Morning
America Wednesday [12/23/2009], correspondent Yunji de Nies seemed to suggest that President Obama's family
will be spending such an amount renting expensive living space at an estate house in Hawaii for Christmas
vacation.
The Obamas go on vacation a lot. Poor Obama. Yesterday [12/29/2009],
the Associated Press reported that Barack Obama admitted he was tired during his trip to Oslo earlier this month
to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, but this isn't the first time we've heard about how tired the president is.
In February, barely two weeks following his inauguration, Obama was already tired of being cooped up in the
White House.
Health Care Reform
Vaporizes Obama Presidency. Obama's ego and self-absorption apparently required him to be on
stage all the time. According to CBS News, there were only 21 days in his first year where Obama
did not make at least one public appearance. The statistics from CBS were amazing: 411 speeches,
comments, and remarks — of which 52 were on VaporCare. Obama gave 158 interviews, visited
58 U.S. cities and 21 foreign nations, took 160 flights on Air Force One, 193 flights on Marine One,
etc., etc. In short, it was all Obama, all the time.
Obama Wastes Millions of Taxpayer Dollars on
Personal Entertainment. The same hypocrite who says our energy costs must "necessarily skyrocket"
to fund his political ambition, is giving Marie Antoinette a run for her money when it comes to spending national
treasure on personal luxuries. While much of the country is struggling to pay their bills, the President
and First Lady are partying like rock royalty.
Barack Obama: Let
Them Eat Tar Balls. Your bureaucrats have been saying "No we can't" to request after request for
assistance along the Gulf Coast, but for you it has been "Yes we can" as you spend taxpayer dollars on
entertainment at a greater rate than any U.S. president. Your parties have averaged one every three
days and your vacations seem endless as you've satisfied the vow of your former social secretary to bring
"the same kind of [party] environment" you had in Chicago to the White House.
Barack Obama, Frat-Boy-in-Chief?
Does Barack Obama realize he's the President of the United States? I know that seems a silly question to
ask, but he sure doesn't act like it. A more apt description of his actions so far: the
Frat-Boy-in-Chief. This White House has had a remarkably fun time in office. There always seems to
be a party, concert, vacation or round of golf to play. It seems that the Obamas are more concerned with
ending up in the society pages, with impressing Americans with his hipness and cool factor, than actually
running the country.
President
party boy. Last week's jobs report tanked the stock market; the president took weeks to assert
control of the oil spill that threatens doom on the Gulf Coast — but at the White House the
Gatsby-like parties roll on as if happy days were here again. Just yesterday, President Obama held
another fun-filled White House event, a picnic for Congress members, complete with hot dogs, cold beverages
and a fire pit. All told, during the last seven weeks of spewing oil and rampant unemployment, he has
frolicked and danced through three major White House music parties.
The Gulf coast is a wreck — let's go to Maine! Obamas to vacation in Maine next weekend.
The first family will spend next weekend vacationing on Mount Desert Island, according to U.S. Rep. Chellie
Pingree. President Barack Obama and his family are scheduled to arrive Friday, July 16, and stay
through Sunday, July 18.
Obama's Maine
'pre-vacation' vacation. The First Family plans to spend a weekend vacationing on Mount
Desert Island, Maine. This two-day vacation is likely a pre-vacation to the summer vacation, which
traditionally takes place in August. Last year the First Family visited Grand Canyon National Park in
Arizona. This year, instead of visiting for a pre-vacation-vacation, the administration decided to
sue the state.
President
Obama to summer like it's 2009. President Obama, his poll numbers tanking, will return to
Martha's Vineyard — the most Democratic spot in the bluest of blue states — for his
summer vacation next month, island sources said. Our spies on The Rock report that the first family
will return to Chilmark's Blue Heron Farm for about 10 days in August.
Obama's Maine event.
President Barack Obama and his family will travel to Maine on Friday, carving out two days of R & R and
exploring Mount Desert Island, the home of Acadia National Park. Why Maine? Press secretary Robert
Gibbs told reporters this week that the trip to the Pine Tree State builds upon the first family's sojourn out
West last summer, when they toured Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon.
The Editor says...
It must be nice to fly all over the country on multiple vacations every year, in somebody else's jet, and at their expense.
Obama's vacations.
Personally, I am inclined to give him a bit of a break on the vacation issue — if only family vacations
were at issue. However, the vacations are only part of the problem with Obama's laxity and aversion to
work. His obsession with gold, the musical soirees at the White House (that are a constant fact and
have been from the inception of his Presidency) should give taxpayers pause. But two aspects of this
particular trip stand out. First, the sheer hypocrisy of Michelle Obama flying down to the tar
stained beaches of the Gulf and promoting them as a vacation spot for Americans.
Blame it on Maine.
It's because of states like Maine full of hammered silver jewelry wearing, Greenpeace loving liberals that
this imposter is president at all. Now, after the entire nation is subjected daily to Obama disrupting
lives and making it impossible for Americans to scrape together two nickels to go on vacation themselves, Maine
is inconvenienced. Tough! ... Tourists couldn't cross the sand bar over on foot during low tide to Bar
Island. Why did they have to wait for hours? Michelle was doing backstrokes in the Bar Harbor
Club pool.
Reluctantly, no doubt... Obamas will vacation on Gulf
Coast. President Barack Obama is taking his own advice and taking his family to the Gulf
Coast on vacation next month, something he and first lady Michelle Obama have been urging others to do
to help the area's suffering economy.
Obamas
plan weekend vacation to Gulf Coast. President Obama, who, along with his wife, has
encouraged tourism in the Gulf Coast area since the massive oil spill, will take his family to the
region for a weekend vacation next month. The Obamas will travel to Florida on Aug. 14
for what is likely to be a hot, sticky visit.
The Editor says...
A token overnight trip to Florida won't atone for the Obamas' earlier hypocrisy.
Obama:
It's All About the Perks. As the rest of the country suffers through a real unemployment rate
of about 20 percent according to certain estimates, President Obama takes jaunts to Maine with his
family — and he makes sure to fly his dog, Bo, into town on a separate jet. ... According to
press reports, President Obama has played 41 rounds of golf since his accession to office. He's
played seven of those rounds since April 20, when the Gulf oil spill occurred. How many rounds
of golf have you played since the beginning of the recession in July 2008?
From the White House to the Big House.
The hardest to prosecute in court, but worst crime of all that Obama has perpetrated against the American people is
the economic tyranny that his socialist policies have wrecked [sic] upon our nation. While Obama has been
living the life of a king, including frequent 5 star vacations, dozens of concerts at the White House
and endless rounds of golf, all paid for by taxpayer money — the increased transportation and
security costs alone are in the millions of dollars — he has called for the rest of us to endure
economic sacrifice.
Michelle Obama's
luxury Spanish vacation. Pampered on the our tax dollars with a staff whose salaries exceed
$1.6 million annually, Michelle Obama has not been unwilling to take maximum advantage of the perks of
an unlimited expense account as first lady. ... Whether its $250,000 spent on a date night in New York,
ordering carry-out pizza for 120 people from 850 miles away, or flying the family dog on a
separate jet to join the Obamas on their 8th vacation since taking office, this time in Maine, it's clear that
Barack and Michelle are living very large at the taxpayer's expense without so much as a second thought.
Michelle's life is a holiday.
Not cognizant that the masses have already blacked her out of mind, Mrs. Barack Obama has put a media
blackout on her latest holiday including an about 30-room reservation for herself, daughter, friends and
bodyguards at a five-star hotel in Benahavis, Spain. Fellow Americans have had to black out any
thought of the imperious Michelle being too busy trying to hang on to their jobs and mortgages.
Another getaway for Mrs.
Obama. First lady Michelle Obama may catch some flak for vacationing at an expensive luxury
hotel on Spain's Mediterranean coast. By the end of the summer, Mrs. Obama will have taken eight
vacation trips — including her visit to Marbella, staying at the five-star Hotel Villa Padierna
with daughter Sasha and some pals.
Material
girl Michelle Obama is a modern-day Marie Antoinette on a glitzy Spanish vacation. While most of
the country is pinching pennies and downsizing summer sojourns — or forgoing them altogether —
the Obamas don't seem to be heeding their own advice. While many of us are struggling, the First Lady is
spending the next few days in a five-star hotel on the chic Costa del Sol in southern Spain with 40 of her
"closest friends." According to CNN, the group is expected to occupy 60 to 70 rooms, more
than a third of the lodgings at the 160-room resort. Not exactly what one would call cutting back
in troubled times.
Let them eat tapas.
The Obama family has been working hard to show their indifference to the plight of middle America. Whether
it's the president's golfing fetish, private air transportation for family dog Bo to a Maine vacation, or Michelle
Obama's taxpayer subsidized trip to the Spanish Riviera, the gulf between the White House leisure class and
the American middle class has grown to unprecedented proportions. Everyone is entitled to some R & R,
though Mrs. Obama's jaunt is her eighth holiday this summer.
Spanish
police close public beach for Michelle Obama's £250,000 Spanish holiday. Michelle Obama
today faced a fresh wave of attacks over her lavish break in Spain with 40 friends, which could easily
cost U.S. taxpayers a staggering £50,000 a day. The First Lady has been lambasted for her
extravagance at a time when the economy is still struggling. One blogger went so far as to brand her a
modern-day Marie Antoinette.
White
House calling: Please will you make a coat for Michelle Obama. A young London fashion
designer has been commissioned by US First Lady Michelle Obama. Bunmi Olaye, 27, who runs Bunmi Koko
with her partner Francis Udom, was given the honour after sending a prospectus of her designs to the White
House. Soon after a call came to the couple from Washington asking if a coat could be made
for Mrs Obama.
From Cordoba to
Marbella. Michelle Obama headed off for a $375,000 tax payer paid vacation in Marbella,
Spain with Sasha in tow, apparently in the misguided belief that this place has the kind of cachet suitable
to prance around in her unbecoming but expensive fashions. (This is her sixth vacation since March and
two more are scheduled before the kids return to school.)
Barack,
Michelle, Champagne Wishes And Caviar Dreams. What else can you say about a First Couple who
takes 8 vacations during their first 18 months in the White House? This, of course, is the
President who spent his first year in office repeatedly reminding us that the economic conditions he "inherited"
were the "worst since the Great Depression," all the while logging over 200 hours playing golf.
And last month the Obama's spent our scarce tax dollars providing a "separate flight" on a Gulfstream jet to
transport their dog "Bo" to the family vacation destination in Maine — apparently Air Force One could not
comfortably transport both Bo, AND the Obama family, all at the same time. And now, America and the
world have been treated to Michelle's "vacation" in Spain (this is not a "state visit," but indeed a
personal trip) with forty of her best friends along for the ride, and her husband left at home.
Obama Choppers Six Miles For Economy
Comments. President Obama Friday [8/6/2010] flew Marine One from the White House less than six
miles to Northwest D.C. He choppered to Gelberg Signs, the Washington, D.C.-based company where he'll
deliver remarks on the economy and July employment numbers. According to Google maps, the drive would have
taken about 20 minutes from the White House. By CBS News' Mark Knoller's count, this is the president's
300th flight on Marine One.
Obama takes chopper for 6-mile trip.
President Barack Obama left the White House this morning for a six-mile trip to a sign factory on the Maryland-D.C.
border. But instead of taking the presidential motorcade, he took Marine One — the presidential
helicopter. A quick map search shows the drive would have taken at least 20 minutes, but the helicopter
trip took just eight. And, according to one unofficial estimate, it was the 300th trip Obama has taken in
Marine One since taking office 20 months ago.
I've lost count. It's vacation number N+1. Obama
plans short vacation on Florida's Gulf Coast — too short? First lady Michelle Obama
took criticism for her recent five-day trip to Spain. Now she and President Obama might take heat for
only a two-day, one-night trip this weekend to Florida's Gulf Coast.
"Cake" in Spain, Hypocrisy at Home.
Mrs. Obama, who has earned a reputation as global stylista for her model height and youthfully appropriate
wardrobe sense, won no plaudits for restraint, touring the sites in Spain clad in Jean Paul Gautier and
other expensive designer fashions. She and her group stayed in a Ritz Carlton resort near Marbella
where junior rooms start at about $400 per day. Add in Secret Service, a government jet and an
entourage of assistants and press types, and voters are left to wonder why a jet-set trip was a good
idea — particularly now.
King and Queen
Obama: America's royal couple. During his tenure as president, the First Couple has
enjoyed lavish parties, state dinners, luxurious vacations, concerts, golfing trips and expensive Broadway
dates. It has been one non-stop party at our expense. Over the last 19 months, the First
Couple has been living as monarchs instead of public servants. This opulent lifestyle has not been
earned, but is being financed by suffering American taxpayers.
Obamas
Plan Fifth Vacation Since July. There they go again. For the fifth time since July, the first
family has set plans to board Air Force One for a frilly vacation, a 10-day return trip to exclusive Martha's
Vineyard where they are expected to stay at the 28-acre oceanfront Blue Heron Farm that rents for up to $50,000
a week.
First
Lady claims working class roots, but her lifestyle is luxury. When images of Jean Paul Gaultier-clad
First Lady Michelle Obama on a $75,000-a-day Spanish holiday hit the wires, controversy was bound to erupt
back home. Her carefully crafted image as "everywoman" was blown. In addition to the high cost,
the evolving justifications for the trip offered by the White House's flack were just as dizzying.
Obamas
announce fifth vacation since July. Here's a report from U.S. News, discussing the announcement
of a new 10 day trip to Martha's Vineyard starting August 19. For those of you keeping track, that's
the fifth vacation since the start of last month.
Barack
Obama and family are ready to Rock. President Obama, wife Michelle and the girls, Sasha and
Malia, will land on Martha's Vineyard this afternoon to kick off 10 days of fun in the sun, returning to
the posh Chilmark farm where they vacationed last year. Air Force One is set to touch down at the Coast
Guard Air Station on Cape Cod. The first family will then board a helicopter and fly over to the island.
Criticism likely to follow Obama
on upcoming vacation. President Obama and his family are spending time away from Washington but
their weeklong vacation on Martha's Vineyard is unlikely to be free of controversy. It's the president's
second time on the island off the coast of Massachusetts.
Obama doesn't travel light.
President Barack Obama had a simple task for his first morning on vacation: shoot over to a Martha's
Vineyard book store to fill out his daughters' summer reading list and grab himself a novel. Easier
said than done. His sports utility vehicle, part of a 20-vehicle motorcade, passed through a cordon of
Massachusetts State Police motorcycle officers, in a protective cocoon of Secret Service agents. Tagging
along for the quick trip on Friday were White House communications trucks, an ambulance and two vans full of
reporters and photographers.
At
NATO summit, Obama's ride is talk of the town. While the Portuguese prime minister and the Portuguese
president of the European Union's executive commission are tooling around the NATO summit here in no-emission electric
vehicles, Mr. Obama is fouling the Lisbon skies with his no-efficiency "Beast," the eight-ton, diesel-fueled behemoth
of a limousine the president carts around the world with him.
Obama's
'Beast' of a limo stands out at green NATO summit. The Portuguese hosts of Friday's NATO summit hoped to
use the event to promote clean-energy and electric cars, but all eyes were on US President Barack Obama's diesel-guzzling
"Beast" instead.
Military
Pegs Hourly Air Force One Cost at $181G, as Obama Sets Travel Record. The average American could buy
a house for the amount of money it takes to run Air Force One every hour. The U.S. military has provided an
updated estimate on that cost, first published by a taxpayer watchdog group and confirmed by FoxNews.com, and the
number is staggering — $181,757 per hour. That's the price tag for shuttling around President Obama,
who, as it turns out, has spent more days abroad in his first two years than any other president.
Obamas fly in chef 860 miles... just to make pizza. When you're the
president of the United States, only the best pizza will do — even if that means flying a chef 860 miles.
Chris Sommers, 33, jetted into Washington from St Louis, Missouri, on Thursday [4/9/2009] with a suitcase of dough,
cheese and pans to to prepare food for the Obamas and their staff. He had apparently been handpicked after the
President had tasted his pizzas on the campaign trail last autumn.
Obama Earth Day Flights Burned More Than 9,000 Gallons Of
Fuel. It happens every time a president leaves town to make an Earth Day speech.
Reporters scramble to point out how much fuel was expended so the President could talk about conserving
energy and using alternative fuels. In flying to and from Iowa today [4/22/2009], President Obama took two
flights on Air Force One and four on Marine One.
Obama's predictable
surprise troop visit to Afghanistan. The commander in chief wished everyone a happy new year and
worked the rope line several times shaking hands with waves of eager servicemen and women. Then, he jumped
back on one of his planes. And after a 205-minute visit to a war zone, Obama began the 15-hour voyage home
with a refueling stop planned in Germany. He'll land right after breakfast Saturday. On Monday, Obama
is off to North Carolina. At the official Air Force estimated operating costs of $181,000 an hour for Air Force
One, the trip cost $4.7 million just for flight time, or about $22,900 for each minute on the ground.
Hawaiian vacation number two: President
Obama To Stay in Town; Rest of Family Begins Vacation. The White House has announced that
President Obama will not be departing this weekend for Hawaii, as originally planned, and will be
staying in town through at least part of next week as lawmakers on Capitol Hill try to cram in votes before
Christmas. However, the president will be all alone at the White House, since the first lady and the
Obama daughters, Malia and Sasha, will depart this weekend for Hawaii."
Michelle
Obama, Sasha, Malia, Bo to Hawaii; Not Taking the Jumbo Jet. In a pre-emptive move —
remembering the stinging criticism of her lavish vacation to Spain last summer — the East Wing
volunteered that Mrs. Obama will be flying to Hawaii in a military version of a business airplane —
not the jumbo jet that flew her to the Mediterranean coast in August.
The Editor says...
Yes, but it's still another trip to Hawaii at our expense, and the President most likely will
join them later — in Air Force One.
Mrs. Obama's Separate Hawaii Travel
Likely Costs at Least $63,000. Mrs. Obama jetted out to Hawaii on an Air Force C-40B Special Mission
Aircraft. The Defense Department bills other agencies $6,330 per flight hour for use the plane. Assuming
a flight time from Washington DC to Hawaii of about ten hours, the cost to taxpayers for the flight alone would be
about $63,000. But Mrs. Obama's determination to get her full two weeks of Hawaiian rest and relaxation probably
cost a good deal more.
No matter where he goes,
Obama lives in 'the bubble'. When he steps off of Air Force One in sunny Hawaii to begin his annual
Christmas vacation, President Barack Obama will have managed to escape Washington, but not "the bubble." At home
or on the road, the president lives in an isolating world — White House world staffed by thousands of people
who protect, advise and serve him at an annual cost to taxpayers of about $1.5 billion.
Resurgent Obama in Hawaii after
Lame-Duck Wins. A politically rejuvenated President Barack Obama arrived here late Wednesday for an
11-day family vacation in his home state. Air Force One touched down shortly before midnight local time.
Impatient Michelle's
$63,000 Flight. At $6,330 per flight hour for a 10-hour flight, the first lady gave nary a thought
to $63,000 in additional expenses billed directly to taxpayers, such as the parents of the children Barack was
reminding to be cognizant of the less fortunate.
Obama extends Hawaii vacation.
After delaying the start of his Hawaiian vacation because of the lame duck session of Congress, President Obama has decided to
extend his trip by a day and will now head back to Washington on January 2, according to sources familiar with the schedule.
The
East Coast is under two feet of snow and the president is golfing. President Obama enjoyed
another round of golf in the Hawaiian sunshine on Tuesday [11/28/2010] as he remains on holiday, while the
East Coast stayed buried under two feet of snow. He also played last Thursday at the start of his
island vacation.
President
and family on multi-million dollar Christmas vacation in Hawaii. President Obama and his family
are enjoying a delightful Christmas vacation with friends and family in the chief executive's home state of
Hawaii. Nobody questions a president's right or need to take take away from the White House, but an
investigation by Hawaii Reporter has turned up some eye-opening information about the costs and other
aspects of the Obama get-away.
Obama's
20-man motorcade to visit childhood friend in Hawaii. President Obama provoked fresh outrage today after
taking a 20-man motorcade to visit a childhood friend during his lavish Christmas holiday in Hawaii. The 10-vehicle
convoy drove the president and wife Michelle from his rental property in Kailua, across highways cleared of traffic and
through a military community to reach Bobby Titcomb's beachfront house. Mr Obama, who spent eight years at Punahou
School in Hawaii before graduating in 1979, has splashed out $1.5m on his trip — a decision that will not
endear him to the millions of Americans facing economic hardship in the New Year.
President
spends $1.5m on his holiday in Hawaii. President Obama has splashed out more than $1.5 million on
a sunshine break in Hawaii while many Americans are still struggling in the aftermath of the economic meltdown.
With Washington in a deep freeze, Mr Obama yesterday extended his stay on Oahu until next Monday [1/3/2011].
Obama
and Air Force One: It's good to have a 747. At an Air Force-estimated cost of $181,757 per
flight hour (not to mention the additional travel costs of Marine One, Secret Service, logistics and local
police overtime), that's a lot of frequent flier dollars going into the president's carbon footprint.
We are privy to some of these numbers thanks to CBS' Mark Knoller, a bearded national treasure trove of
presidential stats. According to Knoller's copious notes, during the last year Obama made 65 domestic
trips over 104 days and six trips to eight countries over 22 days. Not counting six vacation trips
over 32 days. He took 196 helicopter trips, signed 203 pieces of legislation and squeezed in 29 rounds of
left-handed golf.
Obama's 2010: By the Numbers.
Domestic trips: 65 spanning 104 days
-Since taking office: 111 spanning 176 days
States visited for the first time: 9
-Since taking office: 38
Vacation trips: 6 (all or part of 32 days)
-Since taking office: 10 spanning 58 days
Foreign trips: 6 trips to 8 countries spanning 22 days.
-Since taking office: 16 trips to 25 countries spanning 70 days.
Flights on Air Force One: 172
-Since taking office: 328
Flights on Marine One: 196
Pelosi,
Obama Hawaiian Vacations Come to an End; Taxpayers Left with the Bill. Nancy Pelosi's final
days as Speaker of the House were spent at the exotic Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu
in Kona on the island of Hawaii. Escorted throughout her trip by a mini security motorcade that included
Secret Service and Hawaii County Police officers, Pelosi was seen at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Kailua-Kona,
where she received Communion. Parishioners greeted her warmly, Hawaii Reporter was told.
Two police SUVs were on guard outside the hotel during her week long stay.
Ice
cleared from outside Obama daughters' school, but not from public school across the street. Sidwell
Friends School, the education home to President Obama's daughters Sasha and Malia, made an exceptional effort to
salt the icy sidewalks on campus Tuesday morning [1/18/2011]. Exceptional, because some D.C. public schools
failed to receive the same treatment, leaving treacherous pathways glazed over with hazardous ice.
The juvenile president.
Obama said he wanted to "fundamentally transform America". That is exciting-for him. The one bit of
praise Obama had for Ronald Reagan regarded the transformational policies Reagan was able to put in place.
He is excited by adoring crowds (see any number of events, from the Denver stadium, to Europe). He is
excited playing basketball games with superstars. He is excited giving sports commentary on national TV.
He is excited by cool-looking boondoggles like the wasteful green energy projects he touts, or high speed rail,
electric cars, solar projects, and windmills. He is like a young boy with shiny new toys he wants to
show off. Why do taxpayers have to fund his need for excitement? He is like a kid with a
credit card who gets thrilled with the mere spending of money-especially other people's money.
Michelle
Obama, with Malia and Sasha, skiing in Colorado this weekend. First lady Michelle Obama and
her daughters, Malia and Sasha, left the White House on Friday evening [2/18/2011] for a weekend ski trip to
Vail, Colo., the White House said Saturday. President Obama, who spent Thursday and Friday meeting
with technology executives on the West Coast, is not on the trip, according to aides.
First
Lady and Daughters Go Skiing. Reports out of Colorado that First Lady Michelle Obama and the
First Tweens are skiing this weekend at the Vail Ski resort in Colorado. The White House tells ABC
News that the first lady and close friends are chaperoning their children on a ski trip.
Obamas
go skiing just days after telling Americans to sacrifice their own holidays. President Obama
has been accused of having double standards after appealing for Americans to sacrifice their holidays just
days before his wife and children went on a costly skiing trip. First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters
Malia and Sasha are on a 'private family trip' to Colorado for Presidents' Day Weekend.
Michelle Obama's
big 'sacrifices' on her Vail vacation. It has been almost a month and a half since the Obama
family returned from 10 days in Oahu. ... Relinquishing her role as tireless workaholic, Michelle decided
to revisit last year's mother/daughter ski trip to the Ski Liberty Resort in Carroll Valley, Pennsylvania.
Only this year, the Obama women have taken to the slopes in Vail, Colorado on a "private family trip" accompanied
by "several close friends." When unveiling his budget, Michelle's husband reminded Americans, "Everybody's
going to have to give a little bit." The President even suggested: "If you're a family trying to
cut back, you might skip going out to dinner, you might put off a vacation."
From
Obama To Khaddafi, A Tale Of Two Tyrants. While Americans are going hungry and cutting back, not
because Michelle Obama told them to, but because they can't afford it — the White House is throwing yet
another party. This time to celebrate the cultural accomplishments of Motown complete with performances
by trendy musicians. It's funny how the media breathlessly reports that Khaddafi spent 1 million
dollars to fly in one singer or another for a performance, and yet the White House has flown in far more
singers, at doubtlessly far greater expense to throw themselves a party. If Khaddafi was a wastrel
madmen for throwing himself parties like this, what of the Obamas who are doing far worse, under the
pretext that this is a celebration of the form.
Getting Down While the World Burns.
As the Associated Press reports, "The White House reverberated like a long-ago basement sound studio in Detroit
on Thursday [2/24/2011] as the likes of John Legend, Seal, Jamie Foxx, Nick Jonas and Sheryl Crow channeled
their inner Motown before Michelle and Barack Obama." Other performers at this grand affair included
Natasha Bedingfield, Smokey Robinson, Jordin Sparks, and Stevie Wonder. If you were not in attendance,
don't worry — you can watch the whole thing next Tuesday, on taxpayer-subsidized PBS. ... First Lady Michelle
Obama got back from her lavish President's Day ski retreat in Vail just in time to enjoy the concert.
Obama's
jetset fitness trainer. With a schedule as hectic as President Obama's it must be hard to stick
to a training regimen without help — but why does he insist on having his old trainer fly out from
Chicago to D.C. regularly when Obama and his wife exhort the rest of us to drive less? And in a recession?
Obama's Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Obama had a busy week — at least in terms of pop culture. Thursday evening [3/3/2011], Obama held
yet another party at the White House, this time in honor of Motown music. Celebrity attendees included
Stevie Wonder, Jamie Foxx, Smoky Robinson, John Legend, Seal, Sheryl Crow, Nick Jonas and Jordin Sparks.
Jamie Foxx summed up the Obamas' view of what it means to inhabit the "people's house" in his rendition of
Robinson's "Get Ready": "We won the election. White House, baby, so much fun!" Meanwhile,
Muammar Qadafi shot people at will in the streets of Tripoli, and Americans struggled to pay their rent.
Obama
hits golf course for first time this year. The president left the White House at 1 p.m. [3/5/2011] for
his first golf outing stateside this year. A 10-vehicle motocade took Obama to the Andrews Air Force Base golf course.
Shouldn't he be working? No, in his case, maybe not. Obama
heads out for his 60th game of golf since reaching the White House. The President —
who admits to more than a passing fondness for the game — has managed to rack up 60 games
since he was elected president in 2008. With spring in the air he was spotted back on the course this
weekend, at the same time it was revealed he has become the first president to produce White House beer.
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing.
One of the big problems I've always had with the American left is the fact that it values style over substance. ... Perhaps,
while Libyans are being slaughtered, oils price spikes are threatening our economy, public service unions are
running wild, and Democrat state legislators are abandoning their posts, having not one, but two Motown parties
at the White House in the same week is a bad idea.
Top 10 Obama Leisure Activities. Amid
America's economic doldrums and as world events careen out of control, President Obama will not let a crisis
deter him from unwinding. This same President, advising the American people how to deal with the financial
crisis, once said, "If you're a family trying to cut back, you might skip going out to dinner, you might put off
a vacation." ... The Obama clan likes to spend time on tony Martha's Vineyard in August and go to Hawaii for a
lengthy family visit around the Christmas holiday. They've taken a long weekend in Chicago. And a trip
out West to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. And time at a beach in Florida. Plus several jaunts to
New York for high-society events. In fact, he has taken nearly a dozen vacations since becoming President.
The
US President's $30,800 dinner menu. Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson hosted a dinner for
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama this week at his newest restaurant Red Rooster in
Harlem. The small dinner party of 50 shelled out $30,800 (€27,710) per plate for the party
fundraiser. Samuelsson is one of the president's favorite chefs and has been called upon to cook
a handful of state dinners for him in the past.
Obama's
decision to play golf on Memorial Day was disrespectful. Can you imagine David Cameron enjoying
a round of golf on Remembrance Sunday? It would be inconceivable for the British Prime Minister to do
so, and not just because of the usually dire weather at that time of the year. Above all, it would be
viewed as an act of extremely bad taste on a day when the nation remembers and mourns her war dead. I
can't imagine the PM even considering it, and I'm sure his advisers would be horrified at the idea. And
if the prime minister ever did play golf on such a sacrosanct day he would be given a massive drubbing by the
British press, and it would never be repeated.
Obama
closes out the holiday weekend with a round of golf. After announcing new leaders for the Joint
Chiefs of Staff and laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, President Obama played a round of golf at
Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Obama spent more than four hours on the course in the 90-plus-degree heat that
beat down on the Washington area this Memorial Day.
Barack Obama's private golf club.
House Speaker John Boehner has broken into one of the most exclusive groups in Washington — the small
circle of old friends and administration officials President Barack Obama has invited for a round of golf.
Boehner, who sports a fairway tan and an 8 handicap, will tee off with Obama June 18 — marking
one of the only times [Obama] will have played with a Republican or a fellow elected official and the first
time he will have played with a sitting member of Congress.
Air Force Campaign One.
Air Force One is quickly becoming President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign-bus. Next week, one of the
two presidential Boeing 747s is scheduled to carry the president down to North Carolina and then to Florida,
both of which are must-wins for his campaign. The Florida visit was announced today, and followed
yesterday's announcement by the White House that the President will fly to Durham, N.C., on June 13 to
meet with his Jobs and Competitiveness Council at Cree Inc., a company that is developing new-generation
lights. Today's announcement revealed the aircraft will next fly to Miami International Airport and
depart the next morning.
GOP: First lady
fundraising on taxpayers' dime. First lady Michelle Obama lands in the Bay Area today for
fundraising events related to President Obama's re-election campaign that include an East Bay breakfast
produced by star chef Alice Waters and a pricey San Francisco luncheon. But critics said Monday [6/13/2011]
that she is spending taxpayer money to foot much of the bill for her fundraiser-heavy trip to California
this week.
In plain English, it's a junket. Just
another taxpayer-funded summer vacation. Michelle
Obama Travels to Africa Next Week. The White House offered a preview Wednesday [6/15/2011]
of first lady Michelle Obama's trip to Africa from June 21-26. During her second official solo
trip, Obama will visit Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, South Africa, and Gaborone, Botswana. Her
mother, Marian Robinson, daughters Malia and Sasha, and her brother's two children will accompany her.
Michelle Obama arrives
in Africa on second solo trip. The first lady arrived at a military airport in South Africa's
capital Pretoria, shortly before 1930 GMT [6/20/2011]. She was welcomed by U.S. ambassador Donald Gips
and his family. She will make stops in Johannesburg and Cape Town and later in the week visit
Botswana.
Michelle
Obama embarks on solo trip to Africa. The first lady will first visit in South Africa, where she
will make stops in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Later in the week she will visit Botswana. In South
Africa she will meet Graca Machel, the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela. She will
also visit the island where Mr Mandela was imprisoned under apartheid.
Another fundraising trip on Air Force One. Obama's
Puerto Rico visit spurs anger, discontent. President Barack Obama may have been in Puerto Rico for
only four hours, but his brief fundraising visit has unleashed a growing political furor in this U.S. Caribbean
territory. Legislators of Puerto Rico's pro-statehood ruling party say they are resentful that he swooped
in to raise about $1 million and did not offer any help or solutions as the island battles a soaring crime
rate and higher unemployment compared with any U.S. state.
Obama
says everything — and nothing. Day after day, President Obama is AWOL, busy with
disconnected events that have almost no relation to what's going on in the nation, much less the world.
He has so little impact on what's going on anywhere that he's hardly missed when he heads to the golf course
(which he has done 75 times since taking office — and if you're keeping track, that's like
playing golf 24 hours a day for nearly two weeks).
Obama
Plays Second Round of Golf This Weekend. Obama's 75 times golfing since Inauguration Day includes
17 outings just this year. He made it thirteen weekends in a row Saturday [6/25/2011] with a trip
out to the Andrews Air Force Base course.
Michelle
Obama's 'goodwill tour' of Africa cost U.S. taxpayers up to $800,000. According to
Whitehousedossier.com the First Lady's trip to South Africa and Botswana last week will certainly cost well
over half a million dollars and could be as much as $800,000. The cost of local transportation, Secret
Service protection, food for her family and staff members, the cost of firing up 'Air Force 2' not
to mention the pre-trip preparations would all have contributed to the final amount.
The
First Lady's Trips Abroad. Michelle Obama is on an official trip to Africa this week, visiting
South Africa and Botswana in an effort to encourage youth leadership, education, and health and wellness —
particularly among girls and young women. The first lady has made official visits to Brazil, Chile, El Salvador,
India, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, where she's made headlines for her colorful fashion choices and, on
occasion, for busting a move.
Prez's
vacation makes little $ense right now. Obama, who's got us panicked over this debt-ceiling
stalemate, will soon be off — again — to Blue Heron Farm, Martha's Vineyard.
Check out the pictures of this "farm" online. You practically drool. It looks like the
centerfold of "Town & Country," the magazine for aspiring zillionaires.
President
Obama appears more focused on golf than on America's problems. While the rest of America is
pinching its pennies, Obama is poised to jet off to a lavish 50th-birthday celebration in Chicago that will
double as a fund-raiser for his reelection. This party will take place the day after Treasury Secretary
Timothy Geithner's arbitrary Aug. 2 debt ceiling deadline. The cost to attend the bash? As
much as $35,800 a couple.
Obama's
Vacation: An Unwise Break or a Healthy One? President Obama looks forward to a 10-day
summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard with his family beginning Aug. 18. Period. And why
is the White House so resolute on this topic? Because "there's no such thing as a presidential
vacation," Obama spokesman Jay Carney said Wednesday [8/10/2011].
Carney
Derided Bush's Vacation, Defends Obama's Vacation Plans. In a 2001 column for Time
magazine, journalist Jay Carney ridiculed President George W. Bush about his vacation plans during
his first summer in office. Fast forward 10 years and Jay Carney, now White House Press
Secretary, was this week strongly defending President Obama's upcoming vacation at Martha's Vineyard.
It's official, President to
vacation on Martha's Vineyard. The White House confirmed Wednesday [8/10/2011] what many
people on Martha's Vineyard have known for weeks. The Obama family will vacation on the Island for
the third summer in a row.
Canucklehead
Obama bus-ted! President Obama is barnstorming the heartland to boost US jobs in a taxpayer-financed
luxury bus the government had custom built — in Canada, The [New York] Post has learned. The
$1.1 million vehicle, one of two that Quebec-based Prevost sold the government, has been tricked out by
the Secret Service with state-of-the-art security features and creature comforts.
Obama's Bus Force One.
President Obama wants us to believe that his bus tour of three battleground states is an attempt to get to know
Americans better. No one is falling for it. ... Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus
fired back at what he called "Obama's Debt-End Tour." He told reporters at Mr. Obama's first stop in
Cannon Falls on Monday [8/15/2011] that, "We are not going to stand idly by while this president perpetrates this fraud
of a bus tour while using taxpayer dollars to spin his failure to put America back to work."
Obamas bring custom cellphone
tower to vacation. While cell service can be iffy across Martha's Vineyard, the most consistent
problems are in Chilmark and Aquinnah, the island's two outermost towns. Many residents and visitors
said they considered the few weeks of better connections a kind of gift from the White House. Some
described jumping when their phones went off in the library or post office, unaccustomed as they are to
hearing them ring at all.
Mark
Levin: Michelle and Barack Obama "power hungry," "arrogant". During the 2008 election cycle,
political talking heads kept a sharp eye on the alleged extravagance of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
And decades ago they had a lot to say about First Lady Nancy Reagan and her lifestyle in the White House.
Why are there no stories about First Lady Michelle Obama? London's Daily Mail newspaper claims Michelle
Obama has spent $10 million in taxpayer money on vacations.
Expensive
massages, top shelf vodka and five-star hotels. The Obamas' summer break on Martha's Vineyard
has already been branded a PR disaster after the couple arrived four hours apart on separate government jets.
But according to new reports, this is the least of their extravagances. White House sources today
claimed that the First Lady has spent $10 million of U.S. taxpayers' money on vacations alone in the past
year.
Why so glum, Michelle?
On Aug. 9, the first lady sneaked out of Washington and flew aboard a government plane to Corvallis, Ore.
On board, dozens of staffers, Secret Service agents, Mrs. Obama's mother and one of the Obamas' daughters (we
never did find out who). No husband. Her office never announced the trip; the news was broken by
Oregon's Register-Guard newspaper. ... No, there's something going on there. How else to explain all
those vacations away from President Obama — to Florida, California, South Africa, Latin America,
Colorado, Spain?
The Obama Bus Fraud.
Almost eclipsed by the PR disaster of his lavish vacation at Martha's Vineyard was the PR debacle
of President Obama's "listening tour," in which he blasted through small towns in a gigantic
motorcade dominated by two million-dollar Canadian buses, pausing to give political speeches before
hand-picked audiences. Although clearly a part of Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, this was
all funded by the U.S. taxpayer, and the expense was enormous. It turns out it might have
been even more enormous than we thought, because the whole "bus tour" was a gigantic fraud.
Barack
Obama, Man of the People. The portrait of Barack Obama's presidency is that of an
egocentric — not only incapable of leadership, but someone who views the office as a
vehicle for the satisfaction of his delusion that the world not only owes him a living, but a
sumptuous one. ... Regardless of the public image they may convey, Barack Obama and his wife
never fail to take full advantage of a lifestyle that would be the envy of any modern-day
monarch while the bulk of the American populace struggles to afford life's necessities.
Obama
non grata. The president of the United States is persona non grata at Marlboro Airport until he
ponies up $676,000 for the damage the airport's owners claim his armored limo-led convoy caused when his Marine
One helicopter touched down on April Fool's Day 2010. "As of right now, the commander-in-chief is not
welcome at this airport unless we have a written agreement before the fact," said airport manager and owner
Robert Stetson.
How much did THIS cost? Michelle Obama's Target trip.
Never has a Target dash caused such a ruckus. Jennifer Lopez could probably shop at Target without
creating a stir equal to that caused by the first lady after she made an unannounced, midafternoon trip
Thursday to the mega-retailer in Alexandria, Va.
Nearly
$500K to send Michelle, family to Africa. How much does it cost taxpayers to fly First Lady
Michelle Obama, her two daughters and her mother, a niece and a nephew, a hairstylist and makeup artists to
South Africa and Botswana to give a few speeches, meet Nelson Mandela, and enjoy a safari on a private game
preserve? Nearly half a million dollars, according to documents obtained by Judicial Watch via the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) concerning Obama's June 21-27 journey.
Michelle
Obama's Africa Vacation Cost More Than $432,142. First lady Michelle Obama's family trip to
South Africa and Botswana in June cost taxpayers well over $424,000, according to new accounting based on
Air Force manifests obtained by Judicial Watch, a taxpayer watchdog group. The use of Air Force
aircraft alone for the June 21-27 trip cost $424,142, said the group, and that doesn't include the food,
lodging, and ground transportation for the 21 family and staff members.
Michelle
Obama's taxpayer-funded spending is an embarrassment for the White House. Although ignored by
most of America's liberal-dominated media, several online US news sites are reporting that Michelle Obama's
grand tour of southern Africa earlier this year cost American taxpayers nearly half a million dollars —
and that's just for the flights. This follows in the wake of claims this August from sources inside the
White House itself that the First Lady may have spent "$10 million of taxpayers' money on vacations alone
in the past year."
Fight
Erupts Over First Lady's Travel Costs. A fight has broken out between the White House, its
defenders and a conservative public watchdog group over first lady Michelle Obama's travel costs and how
they are calculated. The dispute stems from a Judicial Watch release yesterday, reported by Whispers,
that said the first lady's June goodwill mission to Africa cost $424,142 just for her Air Force C32A.
Judicial Watch said it used Pentagon calculations to come up with the price to taxpayers, multiplying the
hourly cost of $12,188 by the number of flight hours, 34.8.
Obama:
Taxpayer-Funded Bus 'Decked Out Pretty Good'. Republicans, including Obama's 2008 opponent
Arizona Sen. John McCain, criticized the use of the campaign-style bus reportedly manufactured in Canada.
McCain told USA Today the president was "clearly campaigning" on the "taxpayer's dime." McCain further
said, "I've never seen an uglier bus than the Canadian one he's traveling around on, a Canadian bus touting
American jobs."
Obama's bus tour costing taxpayers
thousands. The White House declared that Mr. Obama's three-day trip through North Carolina and
Virginia are official events and not campaign appearances, even though the two states are known to be political
objectives of his re-election bid. So Mr. Obama's expenses are borne by taxpayers, including...
E-Day Minus One Year: Golf.
Exactly one year before Election Day, President Obama decided to go golfing. ... Today was the 28th golf outing
of the year for Obama and the 86th of his presidency.
6 Million Dollar
Man: Obama Family Plans to Spend Holidays in Hawaii. To fly the President in on Air Force One
from Washington D.C. to Hawaii is about $1 million, according to the Government Accountability Office.
The President also reportedly rented an entire tower of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki for a portion of
his four night stay here. His presidential suite in the Alii tower typically costs $4,000 a night.
Obama
jets from Bali to New Hampshire for stimulus speech. President Barack Obama is flying back from the
Pacific leg of his 2012 campaign, and will quickly jet out again for New Hampshire to tout his proposed stimulus
on Tuesday [11/22/2011]. The Granite State fly-in, presumably aboard the 225-ton Air Force One, will put
Obama in the small but important swing state two days after former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney holds a
Sunday rally at Nashua's city hall.
Tapper
To Carney: Looks Like Obama "Campaigning On Taxpayer Dime". ABC News' Jake Tapper confronts White
House press secretary Jay Carney over President Obama's schedule which has included a lot of traveling.
Citing a Wall Street Journal article about the number of times President Obama has traveled to swing-states,
Tapper bluntly asks Carney if Obama is "campaigning on taxpayer dime."
White
House Denies Targeting Swing States in Obama Travel Schedule. The White House on Monday [11/28/2011]
rejected charges that President Obama is traveling on the taxpayer dime to campaign in swing states more frequently
than any of his predecessors, saying a new study doesn't take into account that Obama "expanded the political map
dramatically" in 2008 so that states not previously considered battlegrounds now are.
Obama
Campaigns For Re-Election On Public Dime. President Obama jammed traffic in Manhattan on Wednesday
[11/30/2011]. State business? No, he was raising campaign funds. It's just the latest example
of his questionable strategy of running for re-election by taking from the public.
Obama
to jet off to Hawaii for 17-day Christmas vacation. While most Americans are lucky to get a
few weeks of holiday every year, it seems the country's leader gets a little more freedom in the matter.
President Barack Obama has announced his Christmas vacation to Hawaii — for a staggering 17-day
trip. Obama, who visited the island just two weeks ago for an economic summit, will head to Honolulu
on Saturday December 17 until Monday January 2.
Obama
abusing Air Force One privilege. Taxpayer-funded presidential flights would arguably be
legitimate for overseas diplomatic events where flying in the aircraft has a reasonable chance of achieving
a desirable outcome. But it is unlikely that the $9 million price tag of Mr. Obama's mid-November
trip to Hawaii, Australia and Indonesia is worth the cost in the age of telephones and the Internet.
Mr. Obama has indisputably abused the privilege.
As
Americans struggle, the Obamas make do with 37 Christmas trees. The economy may be weak,
unemployment strong and the first family soon to vacate the White House for another half-month of vacation in
Hawaii. But the Obamas have gone all out in decorating their house this year, including a nearly quarter-ton
gingerbread White House. They have also installed 37 different Christmas trees. Thirty of the
trees are live, or were, including one nearly 19-feet tall from Wisconsin.
Michelle
jets off to Hawaii with the kids for 17 day vacation. With thousands of families struggling to raise
funds for Christmas, you would think the Obamas might manage a little thriftiness. But today, Michelle
Obama and her two daughters fly to Hawaii for a 17-day holiday — days before the president joins
them. The separate flights will incur costs of more than $100,000 to the taxpayer.
Michelle
Antoinette's Hawaii hat trick. Obviously unwilling to submit to hubby Barack's executive order
for "federal agencies to curtail travel expenses and save," this year First Lady Michelle Obama decided to
leave early again for Christmas vacation, and commence with the holiday festivities in Oahu. Last year
Michelle went on ahead of her husband, who was delayed by Congress, which is the excuse that has become a
Christmas tradition every year since Obama took office.
Is
Michelle Obama a vacation junkie? In a story published late last week in The Daily Mail which
followed another by the National Enquirer, First Lady Michelle Obama's vacation habbits including expensive
massages, top shelf vodka and five-star hotels are under attack. Critics have discovered over $10 million
tax dollars has been spent on her personal recreation — in the last year.
Obama
Plays His 90th Golf Game as President in Hawaii. That the President of the United States feels
confident in taking so much highly visible relaxation time seems, in my eyes, almost ostentatiously haughty
and aloof — but perhaps that's the idea?
Obama Golfs for the
90th Time as President. With this one, Obama reaches a new milestone, having gone golfing
90 times in less than three years as president. That's about three months of golf, given that the
excursions generally take about five hours — much of the useful portion of the day.
The Cry-Baby in Chief. This
week, Matt Drudge turned The Obamas, by New York Times columnist Jodi Kantor, into an instant bestseller
by linking to a story that cited an anecdote from the book. It claimed that the Obamas held a spare-no-expense
Halloween party at the White House. ... The White House hid the party from public view. They didn't want the
rest of the nation to know how they were spending our hard-earned tax dollars on an episode of MTV's My Sweet
Sixteen.
Michelle Obama in Aspen for ski vacation.
First Lady Michelle Obama arrived in Aspen on Friday afternoon [2/17/2012] and is here with her daughters for a ski
vacation. Few details about her trip were available. Sources said she is staying at the home of Jim and
Paula Crown, owners of the Aspen Skiing Co. She is reportedly skiing at Buttermilk today, where the Crowns, of
Chicago, own a home on the Tiehack side.
Michelle
Obama, children on Aspen ski trip. First lady Michelle Obama and her two daughters are spending the
Presidents Day weekend on the ski slopes in Aspen, Colo., a newspaper reports.
Weeks
after 17-day Hawaii vacation, Michelle hits the slopes on Aspen ski trip. With the economy on its knees,
many American families have had to forgo their annual holiday just to make ends meet. But barely a month after
returning from a luxury Christmas break in Hawaii Michelle Obama is on holiday again — this time at the
exclusive Colorado ski resort of Aspen.
Michelle
Obama jets off to Aspen for ski weekend. Taking a break from her strenuous official duties, Michelle
Obama jetted to Aspen, Colorado for a President's Day Skiiing weekend with her daughters. ... Nancy Reagan was
pilloried in the press for buying new White House china during a recession — even though all the money
for the dishware was donated. Mrs. Obama can jet out to Aspen with the only word in the press coming from
a bare bones report in the local paper.
Michelle's
ski trip marks 16 Obama vacations. First lady Michelle Obama's weekend jaunt to Aspen, Colorado
for a President's Day ski holiday with her daughters Sasha and Malia makes the 16th time members of the
first family have gone on extended vacations during their three years in office.
Michelle
Obama and kids spend Presidents Day at Aspen. In the midst of a recession, Michelle Obama and
her two daughters are spending Presidents Day on the slopes at the star-studded resort of Aspen, a source
who is a longtime ski instructor at the mountain confirmed to the Daily Caller.
'This
Was The Moment When Gas Prices Began To Rise, And Michelle Would Begin Her 20+ Vacations'. The
Obama Vacation List:
• President's Day 2012, Michelle and the first daughters in Aspen, Colorado to ski.
• Christmas 2011, the first family in Hawaii for an extended vacation.
• Summer 2011, in Martha's Vineyard, Mass., for the annual beach break.
• June 2011, the first lady, her mother and daughters traveled to South Africa and Botswana.
• President's Day 2011, the first lady and first daughters travel to Vail to ski.
• Christmas 2010, in Hawaii.
• August 2010, the first family traveled to Panama City Beach, Fla., for some sun and fun at the beach.
• August 2010, Obama spent the weekend alone in Chicago for his 49th birthday bash.
• August 2010, the first lady and daughter Sasha traveled to Spain for a mother-daughter vacation.
• August 2010, summer vacation again at Martha's Vineyard.
... and that's just in the last six months! (Click the link for a longer list.)
The gasoline trap. Expensive gas begins changing
public expectations about the ability to travel, and the ability of average people to afford automobiles. For an
example of the former, look at the blossoming trend of stories about "staycations" as summer approaches. That's a
vacation where you don't actually go anyplace. ... Meanwhile, two months after her previous luxury vacation,
Michelle Obama whisks the kids off to go skiing in Aspen.
Obama's
'do as I say, not as I do' attitude. The President lives a lavish lifestyle and loves his expensive
luxury vacations, at a time while Americans are hurting. He is frequently seen eating burgers and fatty
foods while in public at a time that the First Lady is promoting healthy eating by others. ... The Obama family
just finished a luxury ski vacation in Aspen, Colorado. This comes on the heels of a Hawaiian Christmas
vacation for the family that lasted a few weeks.
President
Obama Kept Air Force One In The Air An Extra 30 Minutes To Watch A Knicks Game? Reporters were
perplexed, recently, when President Obama's airplane took an extra 30 minutes to fly from Washington DC
to Florida, where the President bashed Republicans over oil prices. What explained the delay? There's
apparently no official explanation, but that the plane finally landed just at half time in the Knicks game
is, I'm sure, just a coincidence.
Obama's
numbers: Vacations 16, golf 90, fundraisers 100. When President Obama completes his second of four New York fundraisers
today [3/1/2012], he will pass the total number of fundraisers former President George W. Bush conducted through his whole
18-month reelection campaign. To put the 100 milestone in perspective, he hasn't played golf that many times, hitting 90 while
he was in Hawaii last December for the first family's Christmas vacation, one of 16 the Obama's have taken while in office.
Group
sues for Michelle Obama vacation records. Judicial Watch filed suit Tuesday [3/6/2012] in the United States
District Court for the District of Columbia for access to all records pertaining to an August 2010 vacation taken by the
first lady and her daughters — including cost estimates and passenger manifests.
Obama's campaign gets
more USAF aircraft. The U.S. Air Force is pulling nine cargo aircraft from military operations
to support President Barack Obama's stepped-up visits to campaign events. The five medium-capacity C-130s
and four heavyweight C-17s will be used to ferry security vehicles, armored limousines and communications gear
into cities ahead of Obama's campaign appearances. In the months before November, the president is
expected to fly into multiple cities per week, and speak at multiple sites per day.
Barack
Obama — the Traveling Salesman. During the past year, Barack Obama has attended over
100 fundraisers. Even in a cynical, political town, such as Washington, DC Obama is racking up some
staggering numbers, with time spent out of the office leading the list.
Air
Force Sued for Michelle Obama's 2010 'Whirlwind' Vacation to Spain Records. During her time in
the White House, Michelle Obama has most definitely demonstrated a penchant for taking expensive vacations with
her family and friends — at taxpayers' expense. Judicial Watch previously obtained documents
regarding a June 21-27, 2011, trip taken by Mrs. Obama, her family and her staff to South Africa and
Botswana. Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) we obtained the mission expense records and
passenger manifests for the Africa trip, which yielded a cost of $424,142 for the flight and crew alone.
Other expenses, such as off-flight food, transportation, security, etc. were not included.
Lawsuit
Filed For Michelle Obama's Costs on Vacation to Spain. About the best you can say regarding the
Africa trip is that it at least had the pretense of official business. The First Lady scheduled a few
speeches on health and wellness in between tourist trips to historic landmarks, museums, shops and a non-working
visit with Nelson Mandela. Not so with the First Lady's jaunt to Spain the previous year. Judicial
Watch has been investigating this vacation as well...
Obama hits the
links, plays first round of golf in Election Year 2012. President Obama hit the links Sunday for the first time
in 2012. Obama was joined by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and White House staffers Eugene Kang and Marvin Nicholson,
according to pool reports. GOP presidential contenders have criticized Obama for playing golf during an economic crisis,
suggesting that the president is out of touch with the concerns of voters.
Obama heads to the golf course.
President Obama hit the links on Saturday [4/7/2012], visiting what has become his home course at Andrews Air Force Base. [...] It's the
second round of golf for Obama this Spring, and also the second time this week the White House has put golf on the agenda.
Add Another Round of Golf to Obama's
List ... Second Time This Spring. Add another round of golf to President Barack Obama's ever growing tally. It was the second round
of golf for Obama this Spring. Looks like Obama has been taking advantage of the above average temperatures. That was the 93rd round of
golf of his Presidency. Oh, but he is so busy handling the economy and jobs. Nothing says Good Friday or Easter Sunday like golf.
Who foots bill when Obama travels?
When President Obama traveled to Florida this week, he sandwiched a partisan speech at Florida Atlantic University between two multimillion-dollar
fundraisers for his 2012 campaign, allowing him to label at least part of the trip to a critical battleground state as official business.
While Mr. Obama can rely on Air Force One and other military aircraft at his disposal for official business, federal election laws require his
campaign to pay for these presidential perquisites at just a fraction of the cost — the equivalent of a commercial airline
ticket — whenever he or other administration officials are using federal government resources for political activity.
Obama
Hammered for 'Jetting Around,'Taking Vacations While Americans Suffer. President Obama, during an interview with St. Louis's
KMOV, was hammered for "jetting around, [taking] different vacations and so forth, sometimes ... under the color of state business." The
interviewer, Larry Conners, suggested even that folks "get frustrated, even angered" seeing the president take these trips, and told Obama that
these Americans think he's "out of touch, that [Obama doesn't] really know what they're experiencing right now."
Obama in
Colombia: 'Part of My Job Is to Scout Out Where I May Want to Bring Michelle Back Later for Vacation. Just two days after
President Barack Obama gave a sharply edged response to news anchor Larry Conners of KMOV in St. Louis after Conners had asked the
president about Americans who "get frustrated and even angered when they see the first family jetting around [to] different vacations
and so forth," Obama told a panel at the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia that part of his job there was to scout out
locations for a future vacation with First Lady Michelle Obama.
President Obama's Lavish Vacations Are Under
Scrutiny Again. When American families are cutting back on travel due to rising gas and food prices, President Obama should be considerate
of the sacrifices millions of citizens are forced to make and adjust his travel plans accordingly. Statistics published by The Blaze note the
Obama vacation to Hawaii last year cost approximately $4 million. Before the family trip to Hawaii, the Obama's had already spent $10 million
dollars of taxpayer money traveling to Vail, Colo.; Martha's Vineyard, Mass.; and Spain.
President Obama's Lavish
Vacations Are Under Scrutiny Again. President Barack Obama is very adept at side-stepping questions and diverting the
conversation from real issues to partisan rhetoric. Earlier this week Obama sat down with ABC News St. Louis anchorman
Larry Conners to discuss the "Buffett Rule" and again proved how out of touch he is with the American people. Once the interview
turned to the topic excessive and expensive vacations taken by the first family, Obama's entire demeanor changed as he evaded the
question, according to videos clips on The Blaze.
Lavish spending double standard.
The several hundred thousand dollars wasted by the GSA is a small fraction of the bill Michelle Obama has slapped on the American taxpayer
for her endless vacations and regal lifestyle. It seems as if every other week, Mrs. Obama is firing up Air Force One, Two or Three,
loading up the kids and heading off to Spain, Africa, New England, Hawaii or, yes, Las Vegas, for yet another party (er, sorry, I mean
"educational exchange," "fact-finding trip," "goodwill tour" or other lame cover story). Mrs. Obama's publicly funded personal travel
would appear to be running into the tens of millions of dollars...
Under sunny skies,
Obama hits the links. President Obama took advantage of gorgeous weather around Washington on Saturday morning
[4/21/2012] to hit the golf course, his third round this year.
Cost
of Michelle Obama's Nashville visit may never be fully known. Metro taxpayers spent more than $7,000 on
first lady Michelle Obama's campaign fundraising trip to Nashville this week. What federal taxpayers spent might
never be publicly known. A White House spokesman said President Barack Obama's re-election campaign and the
Democratic National Committee will pay their share of the cost of the first lady's visit Tuesday [4/17/2012] for a $500-a-head
fundraiser that was expected to raise at least $225,000. A full accounting of the trip isn't likely to be
made available, however, even though Obama himself pledged on his first full day in office to establish "an unprecedented
level of openness in government."
A more aggressive press corps might have motivated him to preserve his dignity. Obama the Unseemly.
There's been a lot of talk of late about how "cool" Barack Obama supposedly is. But people are starting to notice the man has
no class. "Blue collar Democratic voters, stuck taking depressing 'staycations' because they can't afford gas and hotels,
are resentful of the first family's 17 lavish vacations around the world and don't want their tax dollars paying for the
Obamas' holidays, according to a new analysis of swing voters," reports the Washington Examiner's Paul Bedard.
RNC:
Taxpayers Shouldn't Have to Fund Obama's Campaign. President Obama's trio of speeches — which just
happened to be given at colleges in battleground states — this week was the final straw for the Republican National
Committee, which filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Office today [4/25/2012].
RNC letter to GAO Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro.
Throughout his administration, but particularly in recent weeks, President Obama has been passing off campaign travel as "official
events," thereby allowing taxpayers, rather than his campaign, to pay for his reelection efforts. Given the recent
excesses, waste, and abuse uncovered in the General Services Administration, the GAO should be particularly sensitive to
misuse of taxpayer dollars.
RNC
Files Formal Complaint Over Obama Campaigning On Taxpayer-Funded Excursions. On Wednesday [4/25/2012], the Republican
National Committee filed a formal complaint with the Government Accountability Office over President Barack Obama's use of official
taxpayer-funded presidential resources for what appears to be campaign-related trips to swing states.
RNC
calls for investigation into Obama's travel costs for ambiguously political trips. Now comes complainant
Republican National Committee, snark firing on all cylinders, formally requesting that a government auditor look into
whether President Barack Obama has been bilking taxpayers by billing them for what amount to campaign trips to battleground
states. The White House immediately dismissed the suggestion of any impropriety.
White
House Responds to RNC Complaint that President Is Campaigning on Taxpayer Dime. In response to the
Republican National Committee earlier today filing a formal complaint with the Government Accountability Office
and the comptroller general alleging that the Obama campaign "has been cheating the American taxpayer by using
taxpayer dollars to fund their general election efforts," White House spokesman Eric Schultz asserted that the
president's travel "has been part of the president's official responsibility."
Liberal Media Mock Obama for Faux Campaign.
Members of the media are questioning the Obama administration's numerous "official business" trips to swing states, during which he has
been giving stump speeches and raising campaign funds. High-profile Washington reporters engaged in a line of questioning on
Twitter today that seems to indicate that even staunch supporters of the president think that the use of taxpayer funds for campaign
trips is getting out of hand.
Dumb and Dumber. The lack of complexity in
President Obama's recent speeches to college students suggests that they were stump speeches more suited for the
presidential campaign than official government business, experts say. Obama addressed the coeds at the
Universities of North Carolina, Colorado, and Iowa at a sixth grade reading level, according to Flesch-Kincaid
reading comprehension difficulty tests conducted by the Washington Free Beacon.
Live Not By Obama's Lies. [Scroll down]
The distinction is technical but important: If these speeches are designated campaign events, the Obama campaign
must reimburse the government for the massive expense of flying the President around the country and staging elaborate such
productions. If they are official government business, however, everything can be done on the taxpayer's dime.
That is why the White House website classifies these speeches as official business.
Obama
Losing Rock-star Status Among Young Voters. Last week, Barack Obama delivered speeches at universities in Chapel
Hill, N.C., Iowa City, Iowa, and Boulder, Colo. The trip was, press secretary Jay Carney assured us, official government
business, not political campaigning. It's part of a pattern. Neil Munro of the Daily Caller has counted
130 appearances by the president, vice president, their spouses, White House officials, and Cabinet secretaries
at colleges and universities since spring 2011.
Obama will begin to
campaign next week, aide says with straight face. You know that guy who so remarkably resembles Barack Obama, the
one who's been flying all over the country for months talking about what Congress needs to do about the problems he got stuck
with? The fellow who started raising campaign money more than one year, 100+ fundraisers and $127 million ago.
Had another one last night, $35K a pop. Well, apparently, the Chicago crowd expects Americans to believe that these Obama
trips have been "official" forays. And that the Windy City Democrat ever stopped campaigning after 2008.
Gov't Records: Michelle Obama's
Vacation in Spain Cost Taxpayers at Least $467,585. First Lady Michelle Obama's vacation in Spain with her daughter Sasha, several friends,
their children, and some White House staffers cost U.S. taxpayers at least $467,585, according to documents obtained by Judicial Watch, a conservative public
interest group that fights government corruption. Mrs. Obama took the trip from Aug. 4-8, 2010. That same month, Judicial Watch filed
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the Secret Service and the Air Force to obtain information on the cost of the trip. On March 5,
2012, Judicial Watch followed up on its FOIA request with a lawsuit seeking the relevant information.
Michelle Obama's
Spain vacation cost taxpayers nearly $470G, watchdog group claims. First lady Michelle Obama's 2010 trip to
Spain cost taxpayers nearly $470,000, according to a conservative watchdog group that obtained Secret Service records from
the overseas excursion. That trip, which the first lady took with her younger daughter Sasha, drew widespread criticism
at the time — as the visuals of the first lady in an elegant Mediterranean setting clashed with the
still-struggling U.S. economy. Judicial Watch, which filed a Freedom of Information Act request, claimed Thursday
[4/26/2012] that documents show the trip cost at least $467,585.
Sununu: Obama Should Return About 70 Percent of His
Salary. On the Obama campaign's "official" kickoff this weekend: "If you look at what [President Obama] has done since last September, he really ought to
return about 70 percent of his salary to the American taxpayers, since about 70 percent of his time has been spent campaigning. I assume with the official
start of his campaign, it will move to 100 percent. He clearly has a strategy of talking about everything but what people want to hear, which is how he's going
to create jobs and how he's going to get the economy moving. Instead he's on a mission to hype himself, and blame everybody else."
'Golfer-in-chief' Obama nears 100th round of his
presidency. For a century it's been the game of presidents, a sunny escape from the office for 15 of the 18 chief
executives since the first Roosevelt. It's also a game that appears elite to many people, enough so that golfing presidents play at their
political peril. Now comes Barack Obama. He tries to keep his golfing out of view, banning news cameras when he can. But his
love of the game has taken him to the course nearly 100 times already in his presidency, and election rival Mitt Romney says that's
simply too much in a time of economic anxiety.
Superfan Michelle Obama
jets to Atlantic City for Beyonce's sell-out concert. Michelle Obama jetted in to Atlantic City last night [5/25/2012] to join 5,500
fans at a Beyonce concert. The first lady was with daughters Sasha and Malia — but without her husband — at Revel
Resorts, where Beyonce performed two dozen songs Saturday night.
NYT
White House Correspondent: Obama 'Hates' Camp David Because There's No Golf. Camp David has been an historic
presidential retreat since World War II, but according to New York Times White House correspondent Helene Cooper, Barack Obama
"hates it" because there isn't any golf. [Actually, there is a four-hole golf course at Camp David.]
Obama Makes His Way to the Golf Course.
There was no question he was going golfing this weekend. The only unknown is whether he'll golf again tomorrow [5/27/2012]. [...] This
is the 98th time Obama has been golfing as president and the sixth time this year.
Obama To Spend Night at His
Chicago House. The comforts the White House not to be outdone, sometimes you just need a good night of sleep
in your own bed. President Obama will overnight in Chicago Friday night [6/1/2012], and the commander-in-chief is
staying at his primary residence.
The Editor says... Overnight is not a verb, but I'll let it go this time.
The Big-Spending Obamas.
[Scroll down] When Michelle Obama and their daughters travel abroad without the president, they reimburse the government the
cost of their first-class tickets to the destination. Of course, that reimbursement is a much smaller sum than the actual cost
of transporting the first lady; a much-derided trip to Spain by the first lady cost taxpayers $467,000 in transportation and security
expenses.
Judicial Watch
Files FOIA for FLOTUS Aspen Vacation Expense Records. As it has successfully done in the past, Judicial Watch is filing
a Freedom of Information Act request with the US Air Force and the Secret Service to find out what taxpayers had to pay to send First
Lady Michelle Obama and the first daughters to their ski vacation in Aspen back in February.
Watchdog group
sues for transparency on Michelle Obama vacation expenses. A government watchdog group has filed a Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Secret Service in an effort to obtain records detailing Michelle Obama and
the Obama daughters' February 2012 President's Day weekend ski vacation to Aspen, Colorado.
Obama
fund-raises $4.5 million from celebs in just 8 hours in NY ... but taxpayers pick up the check. President Barack
Obama brought Manhattan to a standstill last night as he held two star-studded fundraising events at exclusive addresses in the
city — raising a total of $4.5 million. However, the President's re-election campaign will not have to pay the full
cost of his jaunt to the Big Apple, because he combined the trip with an official event which will be charged to the taxpayer.
Obama's 100th golf round.
The next time President Obama hits the links, it will be his 100th round of golf since coming to the White House. That's
quite a milestone in just 3½ years. As it takes him about six hours to drive to the greens and complete
18 holes, Mr. Obama has spent the equivalent of four months' worth of work time golfing.
Obama Hits 100th Time on the
Links. President Barack Obama's love of golf hit a milestone today [6/17/2012] as he marked his 100th time on the links.
His Father's Day achievement was reached at the Beverly Country Club in his hometown, the windy city.
Obama is bowing out. The world is falling apart,
but one wouldn't know it by the president's leisure-filled life. Mr. Obama played his 100th golf game as president over the weekend, which
he somehow squeezed in between taxpayer-funded trips on Air Force One to raise campaign cash. All the while, millions of Americans are
persistently unemployed, with the looming financial collapse of Europe threatening to throw the U.S. economy into a wild and dangerous tailspin.
Neuter Obama. [Scroll
down] Maybe that's why his wife refuses to even share a plane with him, always choosing to travel solo
on Air Force 2, while he takes Air Force 1 to the same destination, only hours later, as they did
on their summer sojourn to Martha's Vineyard. With respect to their annual winter vacation to Hawaii,
Michelle's already there. He stayed behind to lecture America on the need to give him more money.
No matter, each has their own plane, and no expense is ever spared to ensure they are never inconvenienced by
the needs of the nation.
The
$4 Million vacation: Separate flights, luxury accommodation and plenty of golf. President's Obama
annual vacation in Hawaii this year is likely to be his most expensive ever — or rather the taxpayer's
most expensive. Mr Obama and his family travelled separately this time because he wanted resolve the payroll
tax cut issue before leaving Washington — and first lady Michelle didn't not want to hang around waiting.
First
Lady 'insisted on $4m trip to Hawaii. Michelle Obama insisted on a pricey holiday to Hawaii when her husband
would have rather gone to a presidential retreat, according to reports. She allegedly wanted the taxpayer-funded
$4 million trip when Barack Obama sought instead to make the short trip to Camp David in Maryland.
Obama's Hawaii Christmas
dilemma. The toughest call for the president this holiday season could be whether to join his family for
Christmas in Hawaii or stay in lonely Washington. The White House won't say whether the president is heading west
for the holidays — or even if he's making an abbreviated appearance.
First Family Arrives in Kailua.
First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters, Sasha and Malia, spent the night in Kailua, Oahu, on Saturday
[12/17/2011]. President Barack Obama has not yet arrived for the family's 17-day holiday vacation in a
beachfront home.
Obama
Family's Hawaii Vacation Estimated to Cost More Than $4 Million. The cost of the Obama family's
annual Hawaiian getaway swells as First Lady Michelle Obama's separate trip stands to cost taxpayers tens of
thousands of dollars more. While President Obama remained in Washington wrapping up this year's contentious
congressional session, Michelle and her two daughters, Malia and Sasha, jetted off on the 17-day vacation a little
early, days before the President will join them.
Obama
Spends Christmas Eve Golfing in Hawaii. It may have been a week later than he had hoped, but US
President Barack Obama finally hit the links in Hawaii Saturday [12/24/2011] on his first full day of vacation.
Michelle
Obama's lavish Hawaii wardrobe revealed. Michelle Obama successfully managed to rile U.S. taxpayers
with her lavish $4m family jaunt to Hawaii this Christmas. But it seems her expensive taste has not stopped
there, as her vacation wardrobe has proved to be equally lavish.
Top 5 'let
them eat cake' moments of the Obama White House. Incident: The first lady and daughter Sasha
took a five-day trip to southern Spain, shopping, visiting coastal towns and lunching with the nation's king and
queen. Criticism: Mrs. Obama and her daughter stayed at a five-star coastal resort where rooms run
from $400 to almost $7,000 per night and the first lady was photographed wearing an off-the-shoulder top from
pricey designer Jean Paul Gaultier, causing critics to blast the seeming show of extravagance during a period
of 9.5 percent unemployment.
"The trip was the 16th vacation taken by the Obamas." Michelle's Aspen ski trip cost
$83,182. The spring break Aspen, Colorado ski trip first lady Michelle Obama and her daughters took over President's
Day February weekend cost $83,182.99, more than half of which was for Secret Service protection, according to documents from Judicial
Watch. The public interest group told Secrets that they just received documents obtained in a Freedom of Information suit
that details the costs and others included on the trip such as the first lady's assistant and scheduler.
Michelle
Obama's Family Ski Trip to Aspen Cost Taxpayers at Least $83,000. Judicial Watch obtained the records pursuant to a
May 31, 2012, lawsuit against both government agencies. Among the highlights from the records are:
• The total cost for the Aspen ski vacation was at least $83,182.99.
• The bill for the U.S. Secret Service, including accommodations at the Fasching Haus deluxe
condominium and the Inn at Aspen, was $48,950.38.
• The cost for the flight, per official DOD published hourly rates, was $22,583.70. Food and
miscellaneous on-flight items cost $235.44. The cost for rental cars totaled $6,442.23.
Michelle
Obama's 'luxury' weekend ski trip cost taxpayers at least $83,000. A February 2012 ski trip enjoyed by first lady
Michelle Obama and her two daughters cost taxpayers at least $83,000, according to records obtained by Judicial Watch. The
total cost of the President's Day weekend getaway was at least $83,182.99. The largest expense was $48,950.38 for Secret
Service protection, which included accommodations at the Fasching Haus deluxe condominium and the Inn at Aspen. The cost of
transportation was also hefty.
Obama
Spends More Time Golfing Than In Economic Meetings. In July 2010 President Barack Obama promised suffering
Americans: "I will not rest until everyone American who is able, and ready and willing to work can find a job.
And a job that pays a decent wage and has decent benefits to support a family." It was just words. In fact,
despite serving as president during the "Greatest Recession since the Great Depression" Barack Obama has spent more time on the
golf course than in economic meetings.
[Emphasis in original.]
$450G in OT for
President Obama Boston jaunts. President Obama's frequent jaunts to the Hub — including several solely for campaigning
and fundraising — have cost the city [of Boston] nearly a half-million dollars in police overtime since Obama took office, a Herald
review found.
Michelle Obama
Sports $6,800 Jacket to London Soiree. The jacket cost more than the average American family makes in a month ($4,284).
And, she does this as Americans continue to suffer through a deep recession and record unemployment.
Michelle
Obama sparks fury after splashing out on $6,800 designer jacket. Political commentators have expressed their fury over the fact that
Michelle Obama wore a jacket worth $6,800 to the pre-Olympics Opening Ceremony reception at Buckingham Palace on Friday [7/27/2012]. Though the
dazzling J Mendel jacket and skirt won critical acclaim from the style set, some pundits are furious that she elected to spend so much money on a
garment while so many in the U.S. are suffering financially.
Obama brings
Manhattan to a standstill AGAIN for $40,000-a-head fundraiser. Barack Obama last night returned to New York City for
a $40,000-a-head fundraising dinner which was expected to bring rush hour traffic to a standstill. The trip came just six weeks after a
star-studded event at Sarah Jessica Parker's house in Manhattan which raised $4.5 million for the President's re-election campaign.
It is unclear how the trip, which saw Mr Obama fly to New York on Air Force One and official helicopter Marine One, is being paid for.
Secret Service won't pay Newport Beach for police
at Obama event. A Secret Service official said Newport Beach city administrators are asking the wrong people to pay for police
protection at presidential campaign events. It's the service that is responsible for the candidates' security, not the campaigns, said
Max Milien, an agency spokesman. Any cost concerns should be directed to the agency.
Happy
Birthday King Putt! It's the weekend, so of course that means another vacation to Camp David, and more golf. Marxist Obama also turned
51 years old today. So he decided to celebrate with yet another round of golf. This adds to his record of 104 rounds of golf since his
reign of terror began. This is also Obama's 12[th] round of golf since last meeting with his jobs council.
Taxpayer-funded
youth outreach: 435 visits by Obama admin to campuses since 2011. President Obama and his administration
officials have made 435 taxpayer-funded visits to college campuses or other events targeting students since March 2011,
including 166 trips to battleground states, a new study shows. "The travel is not tied to trying to pass a specific
piece of legislation," Paul Conway, president of the influential youth group, Generation Opportunity, told The Washington
Examiner. "It's all travel specifically targeted to a demographic. And when you think about how important a role
young voters play in [Obama's] coalition, then it's not just by happenstance."
How much did Obama's visit cost
Mansfield? Mayor Tim Theaker says he'll try to seek at least partial reimbursement for costs the city incurred while providing beefed-up security
for a presidential visit. But so far, no entity — White House, Secret Service or the Obama for America campaign — has stepped up to
accept an invoice.
The Editor says...
Here's a simple solution to that problem: Don't provide any fire or police services to the Presidential entourage when they come to town, and
pass the word to other cities. Better yet: Publicly accuse the President of being a known freeloader and a burden on the municipal budget,
and tell him he's no longer welcome.
Obama Iowa State
Fair Visit Costs Businessman $25k. It's an honor to be visited by a sitting president, but these days security concerns are so
overwhelming that it is often very uncomfortable for those residents and businessmen that live nearby. And with Obama's visit to the
Iowa state Fair one small businessman ended up losing $25,000 in income due to the President's visit.
The Editor says...
It is an honor to be visited by a sitting president only if he is an honorable man.
The Differences between Michelle Obama's
Husband and America's President. Despite Michelle's strong and eloquent delivery on how she and President Obama empathize and desire to work
harder for the American people, it is hard to see where they have found the time betwixt their extravagant vacations and frequent tee times. It is
difficult to picture them reading letters from struggling Americans who are having trouble paying their bills in one hand and confirming a reservation for
the Obamas to take two separate planes to Hawaii for vacation (where they will arrive within hours of each other) in the other. But Michelle insists
that America has a president who says to her, "You won't believe what these folks are going through... it's not right. We've got to keep working to
fix this. We've got so much more to do." Many of us would certainly argue that President Obama has done enough already. Moreover,
he is the cause and catalyst to the misery in the letters he is reading.
How it costs taxpayers $1.4 billion a
year to fund the White House. A book about presidential perks recently revealed that taxpayers spend about $1.4 billion paying for the
staffing, housing, transportation and entertaining of President Barack Obama's White House. Now another author, John F. Groom, explains in
"The 1.4 Billion Dollar Man: Costs of the Obama White House" exactly how researchers came up with that $1.4 billion estimate. "One of the
most important things to note about the $1.4 billion figure is that it specifically does NOT include the cost of running the White House's policy
operations — the $1.4 billion is money that is directly related to the president and his family," Groom writes in the book.
US Weekly Ignores Michelle Obama's Expensive
Tastes. In a piece published Wednesday [10/17/2012], Us Weekly ran the headline "Ann Romney Wears $1,690 Oscar
de la Renta Dress to Presidential Debate." Fox News points out the magazine chose this headline despite the fact that
First Lady Michelle Obama's outfit cost double that price.
Us
Mag Headlines Cost of Ann Romney's Dress, Buries Higher Cost of Michelle's. Us Magazine had a little tidbit of gossip when it
discovered who made Ann Romney's and Michelle Obama's hot pink dresses worn to the recent presidential debate. In its headline Us blares
that Ann Romney's dress cost "$1,690." But Michelle Obama's ensemble was priced at $3,290 despite the silence of the headline.
Spending on White
House dinners soars under Obama. President Obama has spent far more lavishly on White House state dinners than
previous chief executives, including nearly $1 million on a 2010 dinner for Mexico's president, according to documents
obtained by The Washington Examiner. Presidents have long used formal dinners to court foreign heads of state and to
dish out fine food and wine to reward political, financial and show business celebrities and supporters.
Will Charlotte Taxpayers Be on the Hook For Democrats' Party?
It's embarrassing enough that Democrats held their 2012 convention in North Carolina, a state that Mitt Romney will probably carry. Adding to the "uh oh"
factor: the Charlotte host committee raising money for the Democrats' convention has come up $12.5 million short of its original fundraising goal,
according to election filings from the FEC made public Oct. 15.
Obama Plays Golf. President Barack Obama is spending
his first Saturday after winning reelection on the golf course. Today's [11/10/2012] outing is to the course on Andrews Air Force Base. [...] Toward
the end of the campaign, Obama seemed to have eased off his golf game. He did, however, play on August 4, his 51 [sic] birthday, which
was his 104 [sic] round of golf as president of the United States.
New Yorkers Still in the Dark as Obama Hits the
Links. A good chunk of Long Island is still in the dark after 12 days now and nobody seems to care. It's not like the
president needs to show up for a photo op since these poor [people] overwhelmingly vote for him anyway. He'll come visit eventually, so hold
tight to your candles. [...] Imagine the howls if Bush played golf during the post-Katrina cleanup.
Michelle
Obama: Living in a Tax Loophole? [Scroll down] In the real world, business leaders who use their company's jets are
obliged to pay for them. Otherwise, the IRS can disallow the deductions the company takes for their crews, maintenance,
repair, etc. Not only that, but the executive who doesn't reimburse must declare the value of those flights as compensation,
and pay tax on them. What makes any First Lady exempt from the law? Now, remember: Even if she's campaigning (and
she's always campaigning), the taxpayers aren't in any way obligated to pay for her trips.
It's Good to be King: The Extravagance of
the Obama Family. On Thanksgiving, the Obamas had a feast that would have made Marie Antoinette green with envy. President Obama
spends outrageous sums of money for lavish dinners and his family gets multiple vacations per year.
White House Thanksgiving: Six Types of
Pie. As food pantries across the United States are overwhelmed by the newly poor and food stamp use is the highest it's ever been, the
Obama first family is enjoying a Thanksgiving meal with six different types of pie.
The captain of the Food Police has a 300-pound gingerbread house in her home. 54 Christmas trees a
part of the White House's "Joy to All" holiday theme. First lady Michelle Obama debuted the White House Christmas decorations, which
this year honor members of the military. The "Joy to All" holiday theme also includes 54 Christmas trees and an elaborate, 300-pound
gingerbread house resembling the White House.
First Lady Michelle Obama
Unveils White House Christmas Decorations. The Christmas season arrived at the White House in the form of 54 Christmas trees,
some 300 pounds of ginger bread and a life-size replica of Bo, the First Dog. [...] Other highlights include the annual White House gingerbread
house, which weighs in at an impressive 300 pounds.
Michelle Obama unveils
White House holiday decorations. It now has 54 Christmas trees, more than 80 seasonal volunteers representing all 50 states,
and a gingerbread house that weighs nearly 300 pounds. It's the White House during the holiday season. [...] A series of decorations
throughout the house pay tribute to the family dog, Bo. The first lady also highlighted the pride of the White House pastry kitchen, the
gingerbread house that includes more than 175 pounds of gingerbread (and modified gingerbread) and more than 50 pounds of chocolate.
The Editor says...
If any other family in America boasted about putting up 54 Christmas trees in their sprawling mansion, they would be called out of touch, wasteful,
extravagant, or just plain nuts.
White House Decorated
for Christmas. The presidential mansion was decorated with 54 Christmas trees dressed in elegant ornaments and a gingerbread White
House with an "out-of-scale" figure of Bo, the first dog.
Zippers and "Bo-flakes" deck the White House.
[Scroll down] The massive decorating job — there are 54 live Christmas trees in the White House —
comes together in just five days, with the help of 85 volunteers from around the country.
As
Americans face a fiscal cliff, the Obamas make do with 54 Christmas trees. Amazing how a reelection can reshape an incumbent's thinking
about many things. Now safely ensconced in the White House for 49 more months, the Obamas have decorated the place with 54 Christmas
trees this year. Even allowing for the usual Washington excesses with taxpayer money, that's a whole grove of Christmas trees.
It takes 54 trees to make a Merry Marxist Christmas.
In this, the 'Year of the Big Gloat' it's a $4-million Hawaiian taxpayer-paid, 20-day vacation and 54 'Christmas' trees, one-upmanship
on George W's last 27 Christmas trees in 2008. [...] The 54 trees decked out for this year's celebration can't be Christmas
trees. The Obamas, who claim they do not give their daughters gifts, do not believe in Christmas.
Another Hawaiian vacation: All expenses paid — by you!
Report: Obama in Hawaii as Nation Goes Over the Cliff.
According to the Hawaii Reporter, residents who live in the area of Oahu where Obama and his family vacation have been told that the usual
restrictions on their movements during an Obama stay will be in place for 21 days, from December 17 through January 6. [...] Obama's
vacations are more expensive than those of previous presidents because of the huge costs to fly Air Foce One and an accompanying cargo plane for nine
hours or so to Hawaii.
Obama's $4M Taxpayer-Funded Hawaii
Vacation. The Hawaii Reporter estimates that the total cost of the vacation to Hawaii and federal taxpayers, including funding for
travel, staff and protection, is at least $4 million.
Report:
Obamas to spend holidays in Hawaii at $4 million cost to taxpayers. The first family will be vacationing in Hawaii for
the Christmas holidays at a cost of at least $4 million to taxpayers, according to a report from the Hawaii Reporter. The
Hawaiian paper reports that residents living near the beachfront homes at Kailuana Place, where the President Obama and first family
have visited annually since 2008, were notified Monday that there will be restrictions on their movements in place for 20 days,
from Dec. 17 through Jan. 6.
Residents Alerted to Obamas'
Hawaiian Holiday Plans. [Scroll down] Adding to the controversy surrounding the President's visit is the cost of the trip.
With the staff, special forces, local police presence and equipment, the President's visit adds up annually to at least a $4 million
vacation courtesy of the Hawaii and federal taxpayers. While the President and his friends pay for their own rental homes,
taxpayers pick up the cost of security and waterfront housing for the Secret Service, Navy Seals and Coast Guard as well as staff
accommodations at a plush beachfront Waikiki hotel.
Despite
'cliff,' preparations on for Obama Hawaii vacation. The prospect of pitching over the federal "fiscal cliff" isn't stopping
the White House from moving forward with President Obama's year-end Hawaii vacation plans. Even as Republicans and Democrats report
minimal progress so far in talks to meet a deadline to avoid sharp tax hikes and spending cuts, the White House was moving forward with
the first family's and friends' $4 million vacation to Mr. Obama's native state.
Obama Goes Powergolfing with Bill Clinton.
This is the 107th time Obama has been golfing as president and the 15th time this year. After avoiding the fairways during a reelection campaign
that portrayed him as a warrior for the middle class, Obama has returned to golf with a vengeance, heading out to play three times since being
reelected last month.
Obama Travels to Pennsylvania to Speak for
18 Minutes. President Obama flew Air Force One to Philadelphia and then hopped aboard Marine One for another 15-minute flight north to
Hatfield, Pa., just to spend 18 minutes haranguing Republicans about the fiscal cliff.
Talking
Like Mme Defarge, Living like Marie Antoinette. [Scroll down] The extravagance would be noteworthy in any event.
In a struggling economy where many are suffering, it is unbecoming. But as part of an administration dedicated to class warfare and
demonizing the rich, it is entirely inappropriate. The Obamas show a decided taste for living like those they regularly denounce —
without ever themselves having earned the money that enables the rich to enjoy a lifestyle of which most of us can only dream.
First
Lady accused of spending $10m in public money on her vacations. The Obamas' summer
break on Martha's Vineyard has already been branded a PR disaster after the couple arrived four
hours apart on separate government jets. But according to new reports, this is the least of their
extravagances. White House sources today [8/24/2011] claimed that the First Lady has spent
$10 million of U.S. taxpayers' money on vacations alone in the past year [ending August 2011].
White House invoices
show excessive state dinner costs. President Obama spent more than $1.45 million on his first two official state dinners,
according to White House financial documents obtained by The Washington Examiner. The White House Executive Residence sent two
invoices to the State Department's Office of Protocol, seeking reimbursement for the White House dinners honoring visiting Indian and
Mexican heads of state. [...] The October 2009 Indian dinner cost $487,168.86 or $1,485 per person, according to the invoices.
The May 2010 Mexican dinner price tag was $969,793.92 and was attended by 200 people at a cost of $4,770 each.
Public
'Inauguration' Just for Show, Likely to Cost Taxpayers Over $100 Million. Stephen Dinan reports that "Because next year's
inauguration falls on a Sunday, President Obama will hold only a small, private swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20, and will hold a big
public redo the next day. The Inaugural Committee announced Thursday [12/6/2012] that activities will last three days: a day
of service on Saturday, the small private ceremony on Sunday, and the public swearing-in, parade and balls on Monday." That means,
the public "inauguration" is just a show, while the actual inauguration will again be behind closed doors (just as it was last go around).
What kind of Christmas? [Scroll down] They've taken more than
16 vacations since taking office! Don't know about you but I'm lucky if I take one vacation a year, and I haven't been able to get to my
favorite Hawaii in 10 years! But then, I can't charge the taxpayers for the cost. Remember Michelle's African safari — six
days — 21 family and staff, not counting security, crews and others to a minimum cost of more than $500,000 and that doesn't include
ground expenses and the costs for security and housing.
Obama relaxes with dinner and golf on first day of
vacation. President Barack Obama began the holiday weekend as far removed as one could be from the stalled fiscal cliff talks in
Washington: on a golf course in his native Hawaii, followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
Michelle to Remain in Hawaii, Costing
Taxpayers Over $100K. President Obama will return to Washington from Hawaii Thursday while First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters
plan to continue their vacation, adding at least $100,000 and probably more than $200,000 to taxpayer costs for the excursion. Instead of
accompanying her husband home on Air Force One, Mrs. Obama will fly on her own Air Force jet at a later date and require security and staff to
remain in place in Hawaii for the length of her stay, which reportedly could extend until January 6.
How Obama Vacationed: So what did Obama do during
his vacation? Mainly, he golfed. Obama spent about 17 and a half hours golfing this Christmas vacation.
Obama's Family Vacation for Dudes. Obama played
golf three out of the five days he was on Oahu, engaging in marathon sessions of up to six hours for a total of about 17 hours on the links.
He spent another three or four hours toning up in the gym.
Round-trip cost of president's return trip: $3.6 million. Back to Vacation: Obama Takes Midnight
Flight to Hawaii. But the American tax payer paid a price for Obama's return. The cost of flying Air Force One from Andrews Air
Force Base to Hawaii, MSNBC reports this morning is, $1.8 million. That means the total round-trip cost of President Obama's return trip
to Washington from his Hawaii vacation was at least $3.6 million.
Obama Returns to Hawaii at an Added Cost of
Over $3 Million. In a move that is rich in irony, President Obama agreed Tuesday night [1/1/2013] to sign an emergency deficit reduction
bill that does almost nothing to rein in spending and then jetted out to Hawaii to resume his vacation at an extra cost of more than $3 million
to taxpayers. The price tag is in addition to more than $4 million that is already being spent on the Obamas' Hawaii idyll, bringing the
total cost of the excursion to well over $7 million.
Barack
Obama's $7 million Hawaii vacation is an insult to America's struggling middle class. The president is elected to
serve his country, rather than lord over it, a message which appears to be completely lost on the present White House. [...] Barack
Obama's Hawaii vacation is merely a symbol of his wider presidency — a culture of impunity and extraordinary arrogance,
reckless spending, a striking lack of accountability, and a shameless let them eat cake mentality.
Obamas dine at Buzz's.
Obama and his family wrapped up their winter getaway Saturday night by dining with unidentified family friends at the local steakhouse
Buzz's near Kailua Beach Park.
The Editor says...
Buzz's sounds like a really nice place. It's more expensive than any
place I've ever eaten. But then again, when I go out to eat, I have to spend my own money.
The New Liberal Aristocracy.
[Scroll down] Class warrior Barack Obama spent his winter break in a ritzy rental on a Hawaiian beach. It cost the taxpayers $7 (or
is it $20?) million to jet him and his entourage 6,000 miles for their tropical vacation. But whether the first family escapes to
Hawaii or Martha's Vineyard or Costa del Sol, the image of a 1 percent lifestyle seems a bit at odds with the president's professed disdain
for "millionaires and billionaires," "fat cats," and "corporate-jet owners" who supposedly can afford such tony retreats only because they have
done something suspect.
Valerie
Jarrett: 'You're Going to See the President Traveling Around the Country More'. CBS News White House correspondent
Mark Knoller, who frequently travels with the president, has compiled the following numbers from Obama's first four years in office:
He says Obama took 245 domestic trips spanning 417 days to 44 states, not including local trips in the D.C. area.
As CNSNews.com has reported, many of Obama's campaign trips were taken under the guise of official business, which means that taxpayers
picked up the travel tab.
How Did You Enjoy Your
African Vacation, America?Ohhhh, you didn't get to go to Africa! Well, you most certainly paid well over
half a million dollars for an exquisite African vacation for an entire family as well as a whole slew of other people! My dear
America, you have provided air fare, luxury lodging accommodations, travel expenses within the country, the most lavish of meals and
other miscellaneous expenses not only for the first lady, but also for her two daughters, the first mother-in-law (Michelle Obama's
mother), and two of the first cousins (the children of Michelle Obama's brother Craig Robinson). Then you must also figure in
provisions for Secret Service protection and the miscellaneous staffers (we know there are at least 24 on staff, which is more than
any of our previous First Ladies. How many of these assistants went on your vacation we do not know).
Obama to Fly Over
9 Hours Just for Speech on Immigration. President Barack Obama will fly over 9 hours tomorrow [1/29/2013],
round-trip from Washington, D.C. to Las Vegas, Nevada, just to deliver a speech on immigration, according to the president's
White House schedule. With Air Force One estimated to cost $182,000 per hour in flight, Obama's trip —
that is, only his travel to and from Vegas — will cost taxpayers over $1.6 million.
Obama Defiles Reagan Stagecraft.
Despite the potential for a public relations disaster, Barack Obama even golfed during an oil disaster and vacationed with the "family at
exactly the same time that Japan was suffering through a nuclear disaster, Libya had been bombed, and there was a threat of a government
shutdown." Also seared into America's mind's eye are images of Barack Obama body surfing in Hawaii as the nation teetered dangerously
close to the edge of the fiscal cliff. Then, after very public, very heated negotiations concerning the ominous economic future of the
country, Obama brazenly spent $7 million just flying back and forth to Hawaii for vacation.
The poor guy hasn't had a vacation in almost six weeks! Obama heading to West
Palm Beach for weekend vacation. President Obama will leave Friday [2/15/2013] to vacation in West Palm Beach, Fla., squeezing in some
rest and relaxation a few days after giving his State of the Union address. The White House announced the trip Wednesday and said
that no public events were scheduled during the Presidents' Day holiday weekend.
Michelle Obama, daughters going
skiing. First lady Michelle Obama and her daughters are headed out West this weekend for their annual ski trip with family
friends, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Friday. The White House wasn't specific on their skiing destination. Last
year, they went to Aspen, Colorado. In 2011 and 2010, the first lady and her daughters, Malia and Sasha, stayed in Vail.
The Editor says...
Shouldn't those kids be in school? Would your local truant officer look the other way if you did the same thing?
Exhausted, Overworked Obama Heading on
Vacation. Our Dear Leader has not had a vacation in over a month and presiding over the destruction of our economy and
flying around on his endless campaign has apparently left him in dire need of some time on the golf course.
Sunning and
skiing for the Obamas on separate vacations. Mr. Obama arrived in Florida Friday night [2/15/2013] for a four-day,
President's Day weekend of golf lessons and relaxation with a wealthy campaign donor who was once the target of anti-minority
bias complaints, while first lady Michelle Obama is vacationing separately in the ski mecca of Aspen, Colo., with their daughters.
Obama Heads to Florida for Weekend
With the Boys. Faced with a long weekend in an empty White House, President Barack Obama figured he needed a
getaway, too, so he put together a golf outing with some buddies.
Urgent,
impassioned campaign against gun violence interrupted for vacation and some golf lessons. If he took a break
from insinuating that gun-rights supporters don't care about children getting shot for nothing more than a few lessons with
the local club pro, that would be callous. But he's not. He's taking a break from those insinuations for lessons with
thousand-bucks-an-hour top pro instructor Butch Harmon.
$1000/Hr: Obama Books World's
Top Golf Pro for Vacation. Economic growth is in the negative, unemployment is on the rise, Walmart's forecasting a
disastrous February for retail sales, poverty's up, gas prices are up, the cost of health care premiums are up, middle class incomes
are falling, consumer confidence is at a two year low, our deficit is unsustainable, and Barack Obama has just signed up for private
golf lessons with two of the top teachers in the country.
Michelle Vacationing
Separately From President Obama. First Lady Michelle Obama plans to vacation in Aspen, Colorado this Presidents' Day
weekend, separately from her husband, who will land this evening in West Palm Beach for his own down time with the boys.
According to Aspen newspapers, both Michelle and Vice President Biden are expected on the slopes. The White House has not
yet announced the trip, and it's not clear when she will be leaving, though she will presumably go today [2/15/2013].
Playing golf with Tiger Woods doesn't look good with 12 million Americans
out of work and a $16 trillion debt. Why President Obama keeps the press away. President Obama's latest mini-vacation follows
in the wake of his lavish Christmas/ New Year holiday on Kailua Beach in Oahu, Hawaii, which cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $7 million. [...]
It is not hard to see why Barack Obama is rather camera shy over his latest golfing outing, this time with sports superstar Tiger Woods.
The optics certainly don't look good for a president who has in the past called on Americans to make sacrifices, while blatantly refusing
to do so himself.
President Obama's latest uphill
battle: Playing golf in Florida with Tiger Woods. President Obama played golf Sunday with Tiger Woods during the president's
long holiday weekend in Florida, amid concerns from the media about a lack of access before, during and after the newsworthy outing.
The foursome at the Floridian National Golf Club, in Palm City, Fla., included U.S. trade representative Ron Kirk and Jim Crane, a
Democratic donor who owns the club and the Houston Astros baseball team.
When life imitates Golf Digest. Now that every American
who wants a job has one, it's time for some rest. The White House confirmed that today President Obama played a round of golf with Tiger
Woods — presumably after a spirited session of skeet shooting.
The Editor asks...
Why would Mr. Obama keep an extravagant weekend "under wraps" unless he was doing something shameful?
Michelle
Obama and the girls spend Presidents Day weekend at a top ski resort. Michelle Obama and her daughters spent Presidents
Day weekend enjoying private lessons with numerous instructors at a top skiing resort in Aspen, Colorado, it has emerged. The
Obama girls, shadowed by security, enjoyed the hospitality of wealthy Democratic donors Jim and Paula Crown — and angered
other visitors by shutting airspace so they could land their plane. Their trip came as President Obama golfed with Tiger Woods
in Florida — a day out that was kept under wraps from the public and the media despite the taxpayer footing much of the
massive bill.
Obama's super-secret golf trip. President Obama
has a very carefully crafted public image, and he's willing to shut out his friends in the press to maintain it. Over a long Presidents Day weekend, Mr.
Obama hit the links for the 114th, 115th and 116th time in a little more than four years. He bunked at the Floridian National Golf Club in Palm Beach, an
exclusive gated golf community, and the traveling White House reporters were not allowed to get any closer than a seat in a bus parked just inside the gate,
with an unobstructed view of a humble maintenance shed. [...] The president often hides get-togethers that he thinks wouldn't please the public.
Obama and his 1 percent.
In the State of the Union, Mr. Obama once more went after "the few," and "the wealthiest and the most powerful," whom he blasted
as the "well-off and the well-connected" and the "billionaires with high-powered accountants." Like clockwork, the president
then jetted to West Palm Beach, Fla., for yet another golfing vacation at one of the nation's priciest courses, replete with
lessons from a $1,000-per-hour golf pro to improve the presidential putting.
Explaining the Inexplicable.
The president, as is his wont, blasted the "one percent," the "millionaires and billionaires," and the "well-connected" in his
recent State of the Union speech — and then he flew off to golf and hang out with the one percent of the one percent in
South Florida while his wife and kids jetted to Aspen to ski.
With
cuts looming, what has Obama done to reduce cost of presidential travel? Few people know the precise cost of presidential
travel — many of the details are secret — but there's no doubt it's very expensive. Of course there is the
cost of operating Air Force One, estimated at about $180,000 an hour, but that is just the beginning. The president travels with
lots of staff, guests, and security. He has to have extensive, and complex, communications capabilities. Military transports
have to fly his heavily armored car, and a backup, to his destination. There are costs to local police, fire, and other public
safety departments. All in all, it's a very expensive undertaking.
Senator:
Obama's Golf Weekend With Tiger Cost As Much As 341 Federal Workers Furloughed. In a sharply written statement,
Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama blasts President Obama for campaigning and not governing. He calls Obama's response to
the sequestration "the most cynical behavior I have seen during my time in Washington." [...] ["]This has been the strategy
now for years: block any attempt to reform the government and then relentlessly attack the reformers. Does any
lawmaker, reporter, or citizen believe that the only way to save taxpayer dollars is to hurt children, that every government
program is effective and helpful and not one penny is wasted?"
Where Does the Money Go?
We are saddling our children with $17 trillion in debt to do what, exactly? Well, we are keeping Barack Obama in the
style to which he has become accustomed, for one thing. Like golfing with Tiger Woods, at a cost sufficient to preserve
341 federal employees from being furloughed, if we think that is a desirable goal.
Living
Large in the Obama White House. The current annual cost of the White House — just in household
expenses, not the policy operations for which it exists — is $1.4 billion: Annually, presidential
vacations cost $20 million (the low estimate for one presidential vacation to Hawaii is $4 million, but the
true cost is probably five times that); the first family's yearly health-care costs are $7 million; more than $6 million
is spent on the White House grounds each year. Transporting the president cost $346 million last year.
Krauthammer:
Obama's Golf With Tiger Travel Expenses Would Pay for a Year of White House Tours. President Obama actually had the nerve
this week to close down the White House to tours as part of budget sequestration. Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer on Fox
News's Special Report Thursday [3/7/2013] observed, "The President's travel expenses alone for the golfing outing with Tiger Woods would
pay for a year of White House visits."
Obama's GOP Dinner
Companions Defend Sit-Down with President. Republicans who enjoyed a three-hour private dinner with President Obama at
the Jefferson Hotel last night — with POTUS picking up the tab — defended the meeting, even with the optics
of leaving their colleague Sen. Ran Paul (R-Ky.) to filibuster while acquiescing to the president.
Source:
Preparations underway for Obama vacation on Martha's Vineyard. A source tells POLITICO that the Secret Service has
started booking accommodations on the toney island off the Massachusetts coast. So far, the White House isn't saying anything,
but the Vineyard is abuzz with the news. The first family is expected toward the end of August, said the source, who spoke on
condition of anonymity.
Obama
Should Cut His Million-Dollar Golf Games, Not White House Tours. Taking a separate vacation and pretending to be on the
PGA tour to train with Tiger Woods' coach and then play a round with Tiger himself cost U.S. taxpayers over $1 million.
As Sen. Jeff Sessions estimated, that was "enough money to save 341 federal workers from furlough." Incidentally, it
happens to be enough to finance the White House tours of the "People's House" for half of the remaining fiscal year.
Carney Rejects Questions on
Cost of Presidential Travel, Golf Outings. The White House would not answer a question about the cost of security for
President Barack Obama's golf outings or the president's trip to Illinois this week when compared to the cost of the recently cancelled
White House tours.
Biden's $459,388.65 Hotel Bill.
Vice President Biden and his entourage spent a little time in London in early February during his first foreign trip of the second term of
the Obama administration. A document released today [3/22/2013] revealed that the cost of lodging in London alone was close to half a
million dollars.
More than a Vacation a Month for Obamas in
2013. In the first three months of the year, members of the first family have been on three vacations, averaging a vacation a
month. And now it's being reported that the first daughters are on a spring break vacation in the Bahamas.
Obama
Pursues Royal Prerogative as MSM Remains Silent. Throughout the 2008 and 2012 campaigns, President Obama promised to
transform America into something better, a land filled with hope and change. It appears, however, that the man who vacations in
Martha's Vineyard, golfs with Tiger Woods, and sends the Secret Service to accompany his wife and daughters on international vacations
to Spain, Mexico, and now the Bahamas has another agenda in mind. He seeks to transform constitutional presidential authority
into royal prerogative.
Exclusive:
Sasha, Malia Obama Vacation at Bahamas' 'Atlantis' Resort. Sasha and Malia Obama are quietly vacationing at the Atlantis
resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, Breitbart News has learned. A source tipped Breitbart News off to the First Daughters'
spring vacation, which was not publicly announced or reported. Breitbart subsequently confirmed President Barack Obama's daughters'
trip with other sources.
Obama
Prioritizes Family Spring Break Over White House Tours. A few weeks ago, the Obama Administration announced it was
suspending public, self-guided tours of the White House as a result of the automatic sequester cuts that the administration proposed in
2011. While America's students stand outside the White House fence, the First Daughters, Sasha and Malia, are enjoying spring
break with friends at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
Joe
Biden's trip abroad gets even costlier with $322K limo bill ON TOP of $1million hotel stays. Vice President Joe Biden's
costly trip to London and Paris last month just got more expensive. A newly uncovered receipt from the February trip shows the vice
president's office spent $321,665 to a limousine company in Paris, in addition to the previously reported hotel tabs of $585,000 for one
night's stay in the city and and $459,338 for a night in London. State department officials say Biden's staff members, who are not
allowed to drive themselves, used the limo company to get around the city.
Biden's $321,665 Limo Bill.
After two items last week on the cost of lodging for Vice President Joe Biden's early February trip to Europe, other news organizations
began to investigate further. Wolf Blitzer's show The Situation Room on CNN uncovered a contract apparently also related
to the same visit to Paris: ["]Also on the receipt was $321,665 for a limousine company.["]
The Perfect Photo that Tells the Real Obama Story.
Barack "I-am-not-a-dictator" Obama is living out the life of Marxism's top enemy: the capitalist, and he's doing it in the most
flagrant of fashions. With more holidays to boast than any other elected official in world history, the hedonistic lavish
vacations that are his trademark became generational this week with his two teenaged daughters in the Bahamas.
Judicial
Watch Investigating Cost of Sasha, Malia Bahamas Trip. Watchdog group Judicial Watch has filed a Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) request of President Barack Obama's administration for expense details on first daughters Sasha's and Malia's spring break
vacation, the organization's president Tom Fitton told Breitbart News.
Having tired of the Bahamas... Report: Obama Daughters
Skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho. A local news affiliate in Idaho reports that the Obama daughters are spending Spring Break
skiing at Sun Valley: "Sun Valley is known to be a getaway for celebrities and the First Family is no different," reports KMVT.
First Daughters' Spring
Break Part II: Sun Valley. Nothing anyone does or says is going to change who these people are. It is now
crystal clear that no amount of public disapproval or disparagement will deter them from spending our money to wantonly indulge
themselves as often as they please. After all, in their minds, they're worth it. What is also clearly obvious is
that if by chance there's an uptick in criticism of the first family's endless excesses, their response will be an even more
defiant display of conspicuous consumption while the liberal media does their part by accusing critics of racism.
White House Scrubs First Daughters Ski Trip
Report. A local news affiliate in Idaho reported that the First Daughters, Sasha and Malia Obama, are on a Spring Break ski
trip in Sun Valley, Idaho. The story quickly spread across the Internet when picked up by the highly trafficked Drudge Report
website. But hours later, the story disappeared from the KMVT website without an update or correction. Breitbart News
confirmed that the White House requested that the post be removed.
Media compliant with White
House censorship. While spring break students visiting Washington DC are locked out of the sequestered White House,
the resident students of the White House, Malia and Sasha Obama, are enjoying their spring break. First they jetted off to
the Bahamas for sun and fun and then, for a change in weather, jetted off to Sun Valley, Idaho for some skiing. [...] But, unless
you got an early glimpse of the Drudge Report or a local Idaho television news report, the Obama sisters' double spring break
vacation disappeared from the news.
The Obamas live the 1 percent
life. The Obamas ended 2012 and kicked off 2013 in an $8 million, 6,000-square-foot house in Hawaii (they left well
before Dec. 25, by the way). There, the president played five rounds of golf (breaking the 100-rounds-as-president threshold).
Scarcely a month into Term 2, Mrs. Obama headed off for Aspen, taking along the couple's daughters. [...] Then, last week, reports
emerged that the Obama girls were kicking it in the Bahamas for spring break. Days later, a Colorado news station, KMTV, reported that
the girls were now skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho. The White House flacks didn't like that one bit.
Left
Media Selectively Edit Steve King on Sasha, Malia Bahamas Vacation. Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King questioned President
Barack Obama's decision to allow his daughters Sasha and Malia to vacation in the Bahamas for spring break this week during a Wednesday
radio appearance. King said that the president allowing Sasha and Malia to vacation in a luxurious Bahamian resort, Atlantis, is "the
wrong image to be coming out of the White House," especially when the administration is trying to make sequestration painful for ordinary
Americans.
Obama Golfs For
First Time Since Sequester Cuts. With the sun shining at the nation's capital, President Obama went golfing
Saturday afternoon [3/30/2013] — his first golf outing since the sequester cuts went into effect on March 1.
The president hit the links with friend and Chicago businessman Marty Nesbitt and White House staffers Michael Brush and
Marvin Nicholson, the White House said.
Media Ignores Lavish Obama
Vacations, Slammed Bush for Mountain Biking. Eight months into President George W. Bush's second term, the Washington
Post wrote that Bush's frequent trips to his Texas ranch symbolized "a lackadaisical approach to the world's most important day job"
and gleefully noted that Bush was intent on setting the record for being on "vacation" — or away from Washington,
D.C. — for the most number of days of any president.
Sasha and Malia Obama 'Learn What
They Live'. If it's really true that "children learn what they live," then the First Daughters are learning how to be highbrow
aristocrats whose extravagances are enjoyed without embarrassment, in full view and at the expense of the suffering. That's right,
"the suffering," because notwithstanding the onslaught of Obamaganda, most people in America today, thanks to Sasha and Malia's Dad, are
suffering in one way or another. Meanwhile, when it comes to showering themselves with the perks of the good life, the Obamas exercise
zero restraint.
With White House Closed,
Biden Takes 3rd Vacation of 2013. On Thursday [3/28/2013], VP Joe Biden jetted off to the luxurious Kawaih Island in South
Carolina for a relaxing weekend of sun and golf. It's his third vacation of the year. Biden began the year relaxing in the U.S.
Virgin Islands. Over Presidents' Day, he took to the slopes in Colorado. His day job isn't too shabby either. In the past
couple of weeks, he has spent time in London, Paris and Rome.
The
Obamas' Unending Summer Vacation. A record-breaking 47.8 million Americans are on
food stamps, an increase of about 1.3 million from a year earlier. The official unemployment
rate is 7.7 percent, a number that obscures the reality that millions of Americans who have given up
looking for work aren't counted, and that the labor force participation rate of 63.6 percent measured
in December 2012, is the lowest in 32 years. The national debt is $16.7 trillion and growing.
White House tours have been cancelled due to sequestration. And amidst it all, Barack Obama and his family
have taken four lavish vacations in three months.
Barack
Obama believes all Americans should make sacrifices — except himself . The use of Air Force One costs around
$180,000 an hour. The First Family has already taken three vacations this year, including the president's February golfing getaway
with Tiger Woods in Florida, and Michelle Obama's ski trip to Aspen, Colorado. Vice President Joe Biden is also currently enjoying
his third holiday of 2013, a five day stay at the luxurious Kiawah Island resort in South Carolina, famed for its golfing facilities,
where a round alone can set you back $353. Just a few months ago, the Obamas' Christmas/New Year trip to Hawaii cost US taxpayers
an estimated $7 million.
First Couple hosts
celeb-filled concert amid sequestration. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle will host a star-studded
roster of music legends April 9 for another glitzy installment in the "In Performance at the White House" concert series,
according to a White House press released issued Tuesday. [...] Though the White House notably canceled all visitor tours in March,
ostensibly due to sequestration, the First Couple's series of White House concerts — billed as "the nation's highest honor
for popular song" — manages to survive.
The Editor says...
This event will be televised on PBS, largely at the taxpayers' expense.
Versailles on the Potomac.
The American people are enduring 0.4 percent GDP growth and 7.7 percent unemployment. A record 48 million citizens
are on food stamps. Meanwhile, those in America's royal palace are enduring tropical beaches, country clubs, and ski resorts.
As Joseph Curl recalled in Sunday's Washington Times, the Obamas rang in 2013 in a 6,000-square-foot, $8 million estate in Oahu's
Paradise Point. That's when Obama played his 100th presidential golf round, one of five during the first family's 17-day Hawaiian
getaway.
Barack XVI and Michelle Antoinette.
From lavish White House dinners to the non-stop celebrity bashes that run the gamut from the secret 2009 Halloween Bash to the 2013
"private" victory Conga Line bash, Versailles on the Potomac rocks year around. Vacations? How about June 21-27, 2011,
trip taken by First Lady Michelle Obama, her family and her staff to South Africa and Botswana. or Michelle Obama's August 2010
vacation in Spain that cost American Taxpayers $467,585.
First Family Vacations. Judicial Watch has been at the
forefront of exposing the trips and the waste of taxpayer dollars through Freedom of Information Act requests and lawsuits, to obtain
the details, when necessary.
2010 Marred By Debt, Waste,
Costly Hawaiian Vacation. As if taxpayers haven't been exploited enough, the commander-in-chief racks up a hefty tab at a
luxury beachfront retreat in Kailua Bay. A local newspaper published some of the daunting numbers, which include $63,000 for the
First Lady to take an early flight to the island, $1 million for the president's round-trip flight and hundreds of thousands for
beachfront homes for secret service and military personnel as well as a White House entourage. That doesn't even include a quarter
of a million dollars for local police overtime and $10,000 for an ambulance.
Obama flying in Newtown human
props for anti-gun speech. Barack Obama knows full well that when it comes to using facts to argue for gun-grabbing laws, he
doesn't have a leg to stand on. Cue the human props! After delivering an anti-gun speech in Hartford, Conn., later today [4/8/2013], Obama
will fly 11 families of slain Sandy Hook children to D.C.
Obama
flying 11 relatives of Sandy Hook victims to D.C. on Air Force One. President Barack Obama is bringing 11 relatives of those killed
in the shooting at Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School to Washington on Air Force One on Monday so they can personally encourage senators to
back gun legislation that faces tough opposition.
Back from fundraisers, President Obama hits the
links. To demonstrate that he feels the nation's economic pain over sequestration cuts, President Obama earlier this week announced that
he would return 5 percent of his salary in a stand with federal workers. With that announcement, some hoops at the Easter egg roll and two
grueling California fundraisers out of the way, the president today took to the golf course to stand with his caddy.
Obama's 1 percent lifestyle hits a nerve.
But what seems stuck in the craw of a lot of you readers out there was last week's column on the Obamas' 1 percent lifestyle — the
endless ski and beach vacations for the couple and their daughters, Vice President Joseph R. Biden's nights in London and Paris that cost you
more than $1 million, even the president's 118th round of golf while in office.
Obama's life is one big party. Obama enjoys 'sequester soul concert' at
White House amid massive budget cuts. President Obama showed off his grooviest 'dad dancing' on Tuesday night as he got down to the
best of Memphis Soul at a White House show. The President enjoyed a star-studded concert celebrating the sound of Soulsville as he and wife
Michelle belted out the classics performed by artists including Queen Latifah, Booker T. Jones, Cyndi Lauper and Justin Timberlake. He
was also joined on the front row by daughters Malia and Sasha who giggled and shook their heads at their dad's dance moves.
Let's Stay Sequestered: Obama Hosts Soul Show.
This evening, just hours after Obama's chef Sam Kass told reporters he would be furloughed because of sequestration cuts, the White House rolled
out the red carpet for a celebration of Memphis soul. The White House that's still closed to public tours because of sequestration cuts.
Obama piggybacks Texas fundraiser onto Bush library
dedication. President Obama has tacked a fundraising event onto his trip to Texas later this month to help dedicate the George W. Bush Presidential
Library and Museum, significantly cutting the cost of the trip for the Democratic Party as it hunts for campaign cash. [...] If Mr. Obama were heading to Texas solely
to raise funds for his party, it would be deemed a "political" trip and the DNC would be forced to pick up the tab for his Air Force One travel.
Apparently the same loophole is in use here: Obama Schedules Whirlwind Fundraising
Week for DNC, Planned Parenthood. On Wednesday [4/24/2013], President Obama is slated to head to Dallas, Texas, to attend the
opening of the Bush Presidential Library, along with Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush.
But he's using the opportunity to fundraise for 2014. Obama will be headlining a $10,000-per-plate fundraiser for the Democratic National
Committee at Naomi Aberly's home on the night before the library opens. That fundraiser will mark Obama's third for the DNC this year.
Obama Golfs Ahead of WH Correspondents'
Dinner. President Obama spent Saturday afternoon at the golf course, just a few hours before he is set to attend the White House
Correspondents' Dinner later this evening [4/27/2013].
The Editor says...
A day on the golf course, followed by a night of partying with the press, should count as a do-nothing vacation day. And it would, if the
news media were honest, or if the president were a Republican.
Report:
Obama Spent Twice as Much Time on Vacation/Golf as Economy. According to a new report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability
Institute (GAI), President Barack Obama has spent over twice as many hours on vacation and golf (976 hours) as he has in economic meetings
of any kind (474.4 hours).
President Obama: Working
Hard or Hardly Working? President Obama spends a lot of time golfing; he even famously went golfing with Tiger Woods
in Florida, while his family took a ski vacation (thus doubling the financial costs to taxpayers of their vacation).
Misplaced Priorities. President Barack Obama has spent
more time on vacations and golf outings during his presidency than he has spent in meetings on the economy, according to a report
released Sunday [4/28/2013]. The Government Accountability Institute (GAI) combed official records to produce a report on how
the president has allocated his time. It found Obama has spent only six hours in meetings on the economy so far this year.
Economy
Less Important To Obama Than Vacations, Golf. The Government Accountability Institute, which has mined the records
of the White House calendar, says President Obama "has spent a total of 474.4 hours (or 47.4 10-hour workdays) in economic
meetings or briefings of any kind throughout his presidency" while he "has played 115 total rounds of golf and spent 86 days
on vacation, for an estimated combined total of 976 hours." Don't forget that this is the president who has refocused
his attention on, or pivoted toward, jobs and the economy on multiple occasions.
Barack
Obama doesn't look like a serious, well-informed president. In 2013, President Obama has spent 6 total hours in
economic meetings of any kind [...] Throughout his time in office, President Obama has played 115 total rounds of golf and
spent 86 days on vacation, for an estimated combined total of 976 hours.
Barack Obama's America.
Barack Obama's America is a place where the president's daughters can vacation on the taxpayers' dime in the Caribbean and twice at
ski resorts, all within three months, plus attend ritzy private schools, while poor black children at horribly failing schools in
the District of Columbia have their "opportunity scholarships" taken away.
First Family Vacations. The Obamas' opulent vacation lifestyle
is particularly objectionable during a time when government debt is out of control. President Obama is not king and his administration
should stop ignoring the FOIA open records law and account to the American people for the spending on his luxury vacations.
Taxpayer Bill for Obama's
Hawaii Vacations: $20 Million. The total cost to taxpayers of Obama's vacations to Hawaii since becoming president is likely
in excess of $20 million, and possibly much, much more. During a time of budget deficits that threaten the nation's security
and its future, the Obamas have chosen to maintain a "family tradition" and vacation halfway around the world instead of finding far
cheaper alternatives closer to home.
Judicial
Watch Sues U.S. Secret Service for Obama's Hawaiian Vacation Document. On January 2, 2013, Judicial Watch filed a FOIA
request about taxpayer funds used to pay for President Obama and his entourage to travel to Hawaii. The Judicial Watch FOIA
lawsuit seeks access to: ["]All records concerning use of U.S. Government funds to provide security and/or other services
to President Obama and any companions on their January 1 and 2, 2013 trip to Honolulu, Hawaii.["] By a letter dated January 31,
2013, the Secret Service acknowledged that they received the request. By law the agency was required to determine whether to comply
with the FOIA request within 20 days and provide Judicial Watch with the requisite notifications by February 11, 2013 at the
latest. But as of May 6, the Secret Service had yet to produce any record.
Another African junket, to be follwed closely by another vacation: Obama to Travel to Africa. The White
House press office announces that President Obama and his wife, Michelle, will travel to Africa next month.
Secret
Service Sued for Obama's Hawaiian Vacation Documents. With approximately one-third of congressional committees preoccupied
with investigating Obama corruption — from Benghazi-gate, to the IRS scandal, to Obamacare propaganda — the First
Family might be tempted to escape to some far away location for vacation. As Judicial Watch knows all too well, this is something
the Obamas have done with some frequency since taking office in 2009, and largely on the taxpayers' dime.
'Let Me Be Clear'. While Obama hit the
links for his 123rd round of golf since entering office (Sunday's foursome included Kathleen Sebelius, HHS Secretary and the
subject of one of the week's non-scandal scandals), White House senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer hit the Sunday talk-show circuit.
Obamas
looking at Farm Neck vacation? There's been no official word from the White House, but we're hearing the Obamas have
their eyes on a house in Farm Neck on Martha's Vineyard.
Michelle Obama may take
extended summer getaway with daughters: report. In between all the political brush fires that have engulfed the White
House in recent days, President Obama and wife Michelle Obama have still managed time for vacation planning. The nation's first
family is looking to cool their jets this summer at a house in Farm Neck on Martha's Vineyard, according to the Boston Globe.
Obama and his family are no stranger to Martha's Vineyard, having made three previous summer visits to Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark.
The audacity of his audacity.
[Scroll down] In the meantime, unemployment remains excessively high and due to ObamaCare, excessive regulations, and high taxes
thanks to this president and economically ignorant members of Congress who voted for his policies, the jobless "recovery" continues
and there is no sign of any significant economic growth on the horizon. The administration continues to stonewall investigations
of Benghazi, Fast and Furious, and a number of other scandals. And the president continues to act like he's on vacation just about
all the time, and plays more golf that the three presidents before him did in five terms in office. President Obama doesn't
fiddle while Rome burns, President Obama parties while Rome burns.
Obama's
travel gets more scrutiny as sequester affects summer plans. As federal workers brace for unpaid furlough days because of the sequester,
U.S. President Obama's travel and its costs has drawn more scrutiny, observers said. [...] "The president is asking the people to sacrifice but
never himself," U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, said this month when he introduced a resolution asking Obama to skip vacations so White House
tours could resume.
Travels of the President Under a Microscope
in an Era of Belt Tightening. On Wednesday [5/29/2013], President Obama left the White House for two Chicago fund-raisers in the hope of
helping Democrats retake the House in next year's elections. The cost of flying aboard Air Force One to his hometown: $180,000 per hour.
The same day, Michelle Obama traveled to Massachusetts to lunch with rich donors who had paid up to $37,600 per ticket at the Taj Boston Hotel.
The meal included roasted Chilean sea bass with a fricassee of asparagus.
New York Times questions Obama's expensive travel. The New York Times on Thursday
[5/30/2013] reports on President Obama's frequent travel aboard Air Force One at a time when government employees are suffering furloughs and budget cuts.
The Obama Family Trip to
Africa to Cost $60 to $100 Million. President Obama and his family will be going to Africa later this month. But the
trip won't be cheap; it's expected to cost American taxpayers $60 to $100 million, according to the Washington Post.
Document:
Major resources needed for Obama Africa trip. Hundreds of U.S. Secret Service agents will be dispatched to secure
facilities in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. A Navy aircraft carrier or amphibious ship, with a fully staffed medical trauma
center, will be stationed offshore in case of an emergency. Military cargo planes will airlift in 56 support vehicles,
including 14 limousines and three trucks loaded with sheets of bulletproof glass to cover the windows of the hotels where the
first family will stay. Fighter jets will fly in shifts, giving 24-hour coverage over the president's airspace, so they can
intervene quickly if an errant plane gets too close.
Report:
Obama family's Africa trip will cost $60 to $100 million . President Barack Obama will hold bilateral meetings with leaders
in Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania between June 26 and July 3, and the wife and kids are going along for the ride.
The Obama family vacation will include air transportation for 56 vehicles, among them 14 parade limousines, trucks carrying
bulletproof glass to install at hotels, and two ambulances: one for dealing with biological and chemical contaminants, one with
x-ray equipment. Adding to the costs are 100 Secret Service Agents for the first three cities on the itinerary, 65 agents at
the fourth, and 80 to 100 more to guard the Obama family 24/7.
White House defends high bills
for Africa trip. The Obamas' trip, at a time of "sequestration" budget cuts, will take them to Senegal, Tanzania and South
Africa from June 26 to July 3. Citing a confidential planning document, the Washington Post reported that the trip will
cost between $60 million to $100 million.
White
House: Obama's $100 Million Africa Trip 'Great Bang for Our Buck'. After questions over the $100 million price tag of the
President's trip to Africa arose, the White House defended the costs claiming that the expenditure offers the nation "great bang for our
buck." After saying that the White House doesn't determine the costs of travel and security, deputy national security adviser Ben
Rhodes said that the visits to these little-noticed parts of the world would be good exposure for the United States.
The Editor says...
Good exposure for the United States? Isn't that what television is for?
Obamas to flout their wealth in the poorest regions of Africa.
Not since the heydays of Russia's dachas has the world seen a regime as flagrantly lavish as the Barack one: "A Navy aircraft
carrier or amphibious ship, with a fully staffed medical trauma center, will be stationed offshore in case of emergency." (CBS News)
Look at us, folks, we're America's first family and there's no end to the money we spend or the mainstream media-delivered braggadocio of
the Obamas!
Michelle Obama's
Irish/German/African Pre-Summer Vacation. Here is how it's done: The president announces his plan to attend the
G8 summit at the Lough Erne resort in Northern Ireland. Michelle convinces Barack to schedule some sort of secondary sideshow
so the family can use it as an excuse to travel in the highest possible style, cost-free, compliments of the American taxpayer.
On this trip, the ancillary appearance will be in Belfast where President Obama will subject Irish students to a sizeable dose of his
customary blarney.
Why not Zimbabwe? When I heard about President Barack Obama's plans for a
$100 million trip to Africa with his family and entourage, I was surprised that Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) is not on the itinerary. I would think that
Zimbabwe would be a place that President Obama would especially like to visit, because Zimbabwe is a country where almost all of Obama's redistributionist dreams
have come true.
Costly Obama family trip to
Africa under fire amid sequester cuts. President Obama's trip this month to Africa, with the first family tagging along, is projected to cost
taxpayers as much as $100 million, sparking criticism as the federal government scrimps along during sequester-related budget cuts.
Obama
under fire as he turns the G8 Summit in Ireland into a family trip. President Obama may be earning the favor of his Irish
ancestors by attending the G8 conference with his family but it is stirring the ire of American taxpayers outraged by the cost of the trip.
The two-day trip around the Republic is expected to cost U.S. taxpayers more than $5.2 million. The President, his wife and
daughters touched down in Belfast amid the biggest security operation ever mounted in Northern Ireland.
Barack Bamboozles Berlin. [Scroll down]
Speaking of contradictions, Mr. Obama shared that [John F.] Kennedy's words are "timeless because they call upon us to care more
about things than just our own self-comfort." This from a president who's about to embark on a $100 million African vacation,
toting along a wife whose "self-comfort" demands recently included bunking in a $4,000-a-night Princess Grace suite in Ireland.
Costs overshadowing agenda as Obama heads for Africa.
As President Obama prepares for a week-long stay in Africa, the goals of his trip — boosting economic partnerships and engagement with the U.S.
and promoting democratic development in African nations — are in danger of being overshadowed. In the days before his Wednesday departure,
attention in Washington has focused instead on the costs of the three-nation trip, estimated to be as high as $100 million.
Puttin' On the Ritz. Things are heating up in D.C. with scandals being
exposed so rapidly it's hard to keep track of them. [...] Naturally, the way for someone like Obama who evades all responsibility to handle this is to travel abroad
in grand style, hoping once again to attain that level of celebrity that has carried him this far above his abilities to govern. On a trip estimated to cost
at least $100 million, he got off on the wrong foot immediately [...]
Keyword: junket What are the Obamas Doing in Africa?
President Barack Obama's trip to Africa has largely been ignored by the U.S. media, and for good reason: it seems to have no real
purpose. [...] Much of his trip to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania consists of sightseeing with his family — and an entourage
of 1,000, at a cost to taxpayers of $60 to $100 million.
High
Cost of VIP Travel: Biden's $665,545 Hotel Bill in Moscow, Obama's $450,000 Warsaw Tab. The Washington Times reports that
the cost of Obama's Africa trip, estimated as high as $100 million, is overshadowing President Obama's agenda. If past VIP
trips are any indication, lodging and local transportation would represent only a fraction of the $100 million, yet those costs would
likely still dwarf those of the average citizen traveling abroad.
Americans reward
the Obamas' endless African safari with a new poll plummet. American presidents have often traveled abroad to change the topic
of conversation in troubled times and boost their support at home. This week-long African safari with his family costing American
taxpayers an estimated $100 million was designed to do just that for Barack Obama.
Obama's 2013 Air Force One bill
$24 million — $6.5 million for Africa alone. President Obama, already the most traveled chief executive in the modern era
after internationalist former President George H.W. Bush, is expected to run up an Air Force One tab of at least $24 million this year alone,
according to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. Already Obama, just back from a trip with his family and a huge entourage of staff to
several African nations, has run up a $15.2 million bill just for Air Force One in the first six months of 2013.
Time to Sequester Air Force One Vacation
Flights. Air Force One costs taxpayers $179,750 per hour. It's time to sequester President Obama's use of Air Force One and limit it to
official business rather than vacations and sight seeing tours.
Egypt Crisis Finds Washington Largely
Ambivalent and Aloof. In polo shirt, shorts and sandals, President Obama headed to the golf course Friday morning with a couple of old friends,
then flew to Camp David for a long weekend. Secretary of State John Kerry was relaxing at his vacation home in Nantucket.
Obama on Track to Break His Annual
Golf Record. According to White House Dossier, with 18 rounds of golf played by June 30, President Obama is on track to surpass
his 2011 record of 34 rounds completed.
Obama
returning to Martha's Vineyard for August vacation. President Obama is returning to Martha's Vineyard next month, making his
fourth trip to the Massachusetts island since he became president. Obama will arrive on the Vineyard on Aug. 10, and plans to remain
on the island until Aug. 18, according to the White House. [...] The Obama family also vacationed on the Vineyard in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Obama Golfing with Sports Journalists.
President Obama today [7/13/2013] is playing golf with two longtime Washington-area sports journalists, Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser. [...] It's
Obama's 20th time playing in what is shaping up to be a record year for presidential golf, and the 131st time he has played since becoming president.
President Obama and family expected to vacation
in Chilmark. Though not confirmed by the White House, the Obamas are expected to stay in a four-bedroom house valued at $7.6 million
with an attached two-bedroom guesthouse on Snail Road, off South Road and surrounded by woodlands.
GOP lawmaker: The Obamas use Air Force One
as 'personal toy'. Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) said Thursday morning that President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are using Air Force
One and other official aircraft as their "personal toys." "I'm not suggesting ... that we compromise safety or security," Coble said on the House
floor. "But the first family, it seems to me, treats Air Force One and related aircraft as their personal toys — a very expensive toy,
I might add."
First family returns to
Martha's Vineyard for summer vacation, while furloughs kick in. The first family is returning this summer to Martha's Vineyard,
the third time the Obamas have vacationed on the exclusive Massachusetts island in the past four years. [...] The vacation is drawing some
criticism about the president relaxing among the rich and famous while drastic cuts to the federal budget known as sequester kick in with
full force, including the start this month of furloughs for 85 percent of the Defense Department's civilian workforce.
Obamas
to stay at $7.6 million Martha's Vineyard mansion with 75 rooms booked for staff. Amid a slow-growth recession rebound and mounting
unemployment concerns, President Obama and his family are tightening their belts, just like the rest of America. With their usual $21 million
vacation home on Martha's VIneyard unavailable for the first family's August 10-18 holiday, they have rented a nearby $7.6 million palace
instead.
Obama
Vineyard vacation at $7.6m private resort. The Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard, the exclusive playground for presidents
and their families, is about to get its annual summer infusion of cash and attention as President Obama and his family prepare to arrive August 10
for an eight-day vacation.
Obama
Vineyard vacation at $7.6m private resort; more than 75 rooms booked for staff. The Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard, the
exclusive playground for presidents and their families, is about to get its annual summer infusion of cash and attention as President Obama and
his family prepare to arrive August 10 for an eight-day vacation. Local reports indicate that the first family will likely be staying
at a $7.6 million resort home on southern edge of the island in the town of Chilmark where homes feature water access to Chilmark Pond,
tennis courts and swimming pools.
Does the Obama
family really need to take this expensive vacation? Does anyone at the Obama White House understand how bad this looks?
I guess not because Valerie Jarrett is going for the ride! Does anyone in the White House Press Corps dare ask that simple question:
Why such an extravagant vacation when so many middle class Americans are downsizing their own vacation plans? At some point, we have to
conclude that the Obama team is "out of touch," "tone deaf," not very "savvy" or just plain arrogant. Maybe all four!
Obama Tees Off into
Birthday Weekend with Golf. The president left the White House unusually early on Saturday [8/3/2013] for the trip to Andrews
Air Force Base in Maryland to squeeze in some golfing time before heading to Camp David in the afternoon.
Obama: Do as I say, not as I do.
While his premise — work hard, succeed; loaf, fail — is spot on, he moves on in his Harvard mind to conclude, nonsensically,
that succeeding while others fail is inherently unjust. "This growing inequality is ... morally wrong," he said in Galesburg. [...] Said
by the man who runs Washington — the biggest insider in the nation's capital. And said by the man who flies in his barber from
Chicago for a new fade, who has suits hand made by a private tailor, whose daughters vacation in Cancun, whose wife suns it up in Florida one day,
then hits the slopes in Aspen the next — all on the taxpayers' dime.
Obama
vacation: Martha's Vineyard the playground for black elites. In a few days, President Obama and his family will arrive on Martha's
Vineyard for a family vacation. For centuries, Martha's Vineyard and the town of Oak Bluffs in particular has been the epicenter of black
elitism. It has been said, "it does not matter where America's wealthy black families winter ... they summer in Martha's Vineyard."
Obamas dine at posh DC restaurant
for president's birthday. President Obama and Michelle Obama had a date night Thursday in honor of the president's birthday. The
couple dined at Rasika West End on New Hampshire Avenue, according to a White House pool report. [...] On Saturday, the Obama family heads to Martha's
Vineyard, Mass., for an eight-day vacation.
Critics bash Obama's plans for vacay.
Obama is scheduled to arrive on Saturday after he and first lady Michelle Obama travel to Orlando, where he will address the Disabled American Veterans National Convention.
While on the Vineyard this year, the Obamas will be staying at the $7.6 million vacation home of David Schulte, a Democratic campaign donor and corporate finance manager.
America's Nero. This week, as his country is in the midst of a poor
economy and his citizens are not allowed to visit the White House because of budget cuts, the President and his family will be taking another
extravagant vacation at Martha's Vineyard, the playground of the rich. The Obama family enjoys the lifestyles of the rich and famous and
has vacationed in exotic locales like Mexico, Bahamas, Aspen, Palm Beach, New York, Hawaii, Spain, and Africa to name only a few. President
Obama has just returned from a $100 million trip to Africa. While there was "official business" to conduct on this visit, there was also
plenty of time for sightseeing. No need to worry about any "official business" at Martha's Vineyard. The First Family will be enjoying
the sights, while the President will be enjoying the golf course. They will be staying in an $8 million mansion, owned by a Democratic
activist and donor.
Another week, another holiday.
President Obama leaves for Martha's Vineyard on Saturday [8/10/2013] for still another vacation. The Government Accountability Institute
calculates that Mr. Obama spends twice as much time at leisure than on policy briefings. That's not necessarily a bad thing, considering
the policies. Nevertheless, we're paying a lot for a debt to pleasure. Nobody begrudges a president a little time off, but we're
paying $2 million for a comfortable holiday on Cape Cod, the Massachusetts summer retreat of the wealthy elites. [...] Mr. Obama, who
constantly warns of the widening gap between rich and poor, is staying in the $7 million mansion of a rich Chicago campaign contributor.
Inside the Obamas' $7.6 million Martha's Vineyard vacation home. The Obamas are in vacation-mode
today, starting their annual eight-day vacation on Martha's Vineyard, where they are staying at a $7.6 million vacation home with views of the
Atlantic. The First Family have been vacationing on the Vineyard for years, but this is the first time they will stay at the luxury four-bedroom
Chilmark House designed by architect Rick Sundberg. With wall-to-ceiling windows, the 5,000 sq ft home has stunning views over the
ocean, as well as an infinity pool, tennis courts and a half basketball court.
Cheers, sighs over Obamas' visit.
The Obamas — who skipped their annual tradition of coming to the Vineyard during last year's re-election campaign — are staying for nine
days in a six-bedroom estate owned by David Schulte, a Chicago-based corporate restructuring specialist and friend of the president.
Obama Arrives on Martha's Vineyard.
FWIW, the Obama daughters are not yet with their parents, and this pool[ report]er is told they are not here yet. But we have no
further information.
Obama Arrives in Martha's Vineyard For Eight-Day Vacation.
Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived in the Massachusetts vacation destination after first making a stop in Florida to speak to a veterans group.
Their dog, Bo, also traveled on Air Force One. The couple's children were not on the plane but would be joining their parents on the island.
The Editor says...
The report immediately above states that the dog was aboard Air Force One. Later reports revealed that the dog was flown in on a V-22 Osprey. So the
President and his wife arrived on Air Force One, the dog came later on a V-22, and the kids will be flown in on a third aircraft when they get good and ready.
Marine Corps deploys Ospreys for first time in
support of presidential flight. The Marine Corps on Saturday said MV-22 Ospreys were deployed for the first time in support of a presidential flight
aboard Marine One. Marine Helicopter Squadron One, the military unit responsible for transporting President Obama and top administration officials, said in a
statement that the premiere combat aircraft carried White House staff members, reporters and Secret Service agents during a flight to Martha's Vineyard.
Day 2 of Obama vacation brings 2nd golf game.
Obama spent nearly five hours at Vineyard Golf Club in Edgartown with Washington power broker Vernon Jordan, former U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk
and Allison Davis, an Obama friend from Chicago.
Dog Days of Summer: Bo Obama flies on Osprey to Martha's
Vineyard vacation. The first family's dog, Bo, reportedly joined the Obamas in style over the weekend for their weeklong vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.
Bo, a Portuguese water dog, hitched a ride on one of two Osprey MV-22 helicopters that landed with various personnel ahead of President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama,
The Telegraph newspaper in Britain reported. It was the first time the Ospreys — which take off like helicopters but fly like planes — were
used in support of a presidential flight aboard Marine One.
First dog Bo is airlifted to Obama holiday
home. When President Barack Obama goes on holiday to the seaside things can get complicated. Rooms have to be found for dozens of Secret Service agents,
someone has to carry a selection of presidential basketballs, and of course the family dog needs his own state-of-the-art aircraft.
Barack
Obama decamps to Martha's Vineyard and thumbs his nose again at America's middle class. Yet again it is the British press doing the job the American mainstream
media chooses not to. The Telegraph has a story (prominently headlined on the highly influential Drudge Report) about the US president's dog Bo, being
specially airlifted to the exclusive Massachusetts resort of Martha's Vineyard to join the First Family for their summer vacation.
How nice! A vacation on taxpayer dime.
The Vineyard trip for $2 million is cheap compared to the Africa visit for $100 million. Other recent holidays include the golf weekend in West Palm Beach, the
daughters' trip to Atlantis, and Michelle taking the daughters to Aspen less than two months after the Hawaiian Christmas break.
The Editor says...
The Obamas have been putting themselves first for the last 4½ years.
Obamas Attend Cocktail Party at NPR Host's Home.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended a cocktail party this evening at the Martha's Vineyard home of National Public Radio host and special correspondent
Michele Norris, according to the White House pool report. Norris's husband, Broderick Johnson, is a lobbyist who worked on Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.
The Obamas Taste The Sweet Life. President Obama proved Sunday night that
even as he fights for "the middle class" he prefers to hang out with "the upper class," indulging in an expensive repast at the overpriced "The Sweet Life Cafe" on
Martha's Vineyard. Dinner can easily run above $200 for two, even if the Obamas stick to the Let's Move diet plan and share dessert.
O's family (de)values.
How's the vacation going Mr. President? You seem to have everything you could possibly need — an island full of
trust-funded moonbats, a $7.6-million rented mansion, 70-or-so coatholders, plenty of billionaire Wall Street hedge fund
managers to play golf with, a cocktail party in West Tisbury the other night hosted by an ex-NPR host — oh,
how simply precious, NPR!
President Obama enjoys 'date night'
with Michelle as first couple holiday without daughters in Martha's Vineyard. President Obama has been splitting his time between rounds of golf and date night
dinners with Michelle as they spend their annual summer vacation in Martha's Vineyard while their daughters are away at summer camp. This is the fourth time the Obamas
have spent a week on the Massachusetts island during his presidency, but instead of making trips to the bookstore with the girls, he has been taking Michelle out to an array
of the island's nicest restaurants.
The Editor says...
No word on how much the girls' summer camp cost the taxpayers. We're not supposed to ask.
Imagine the reaction from the press if George W. Bush had done this. Obama finds time for Egyptian condemnation — and
then right back to golf. On Thursday, Mr. Obama delivered a six-minute statement to reporters about the violence that has left hundreds dead in Cairo this
week, then immediately headed off for another round of golf in Martha's Vineyard, his usual summer vacation spot where he and his family are spending the week.
Obama golfs, Kerry lectures, Egyptians die
in droves. Put it this way: President Obama's Egypt policy is about as effective as his Syria policy. And for the first time Wednesday, with the number
of dead and injured mounting, one could almost envision Egypt's descent into out-and-out civil war. Obama was briefed, said nothing and went back to golf.
Sasha and Malia join the Obamas on Martha's Vineyard.
This afternoon, The White House issued a short statement saying President and Michelle Obama's two children, Sasha and Malia, arrived on Martha's Vineyard today to
spend the rest of the week with their parents vacationing on the Island. The White House closely guards the privacy of the two children, and did not release
any information about where they spent the first part of the week.
Why Barack
Obama Chooses To Vacation In Martha's Vineyard — Its Name Is Valerie Jarrett. Given all of the work investigating the murky life and influence
that is de-facto President Valerie Jarrett, I must admit to a bit of surprise at mention that Jarrett is a longtime summer resident of Martha's Vineyard, and it was
that very location that some believe was the true birthplace of Barack Obama's bid to become President of the United States. Lends more than a bit of troubled
waters to that otherwise beautiful playground of the rich and famous.
It's good to be king. Barack Obama is off on yet another vacation — his
third this year and fifteenth since taking office. And while Obama vacations, the American people are forced to cut back as he, his family, and his cronies are
living like royalty on the taxpayers' tab. With unemployment at 7.4 percent and the economy failing to create enough jobs to keep up with population growth,
most Americans cannot even afford a night out — let alone a luxurious Obama-type vacation in what Politico calls "the playgrounds of the rich and famous."
President Obama Spends Night Out on Town as
Vineyard Vacation Winds Down. As their Vineyard vacation draws to a close, the Obamas finally hit the beach Saturday before heading out to dinner in
Edgartown. The president also squeezed in another round of golf. The president, first lady and daughters Malia and Sasha arrived at a private beach off
Pohogonot Road at around 10 a.m. Saturday morning. [...] After spending a few hours on the beach, President Obama went back to the golf course for the fifth time
this trip.
Obama played over 27 hours of golf during his vacation. President Obama played six rounds
of golf with twelve different partners, spending twenty-seven and a half hours on three different courses. He made five outings to local restaurants,
including two dinners with friends, one intimate night out with the first lady, one family dinner and one run for fried-food pick up.
Obama hits the links for sixth round of golf
during vacation. President Obama spent his last day of vacation on the golf course, the sixth round of his eight-day Martha's Vineyard trip.
For the 139th round of his presidency, he returned to the Vineyard Club in Edgartown for the third time during his vacation.
Obama's Vacation by the Numbers. Obama played six rounds of golf
with 12 different partners, spending 27.5 hours on three different courses.
Presidential Pets Get The Air Support Benghazi Didn't.
If Sunny does follow in Bo's footsteps, he'll soon be privately airlifted, as was Bo, to Martha's Vineyard aboard a Marine MV-22 Osprey, a helicopter that operates at
a cost of $11,000 per hour. Bo was given a ride on one of two MV-22s that took various personnel on the trip with the Obamas and arrived ahead of them.
When the administration guts the defense budget to the point where training and military readiness are suffering, why are scarce military aircraft being used at all
on a presidential vacation and why is the presidential dog being ferried on one?
Obama's New Dog Cost $2,300.
Adoption or rescue? The Obamas don't even consider that for unborn children, let alone a dog.
The Editor says...
According to two reports
[1]
[2]
the Obamas (or somebody) paid $2,300 for their new dog.
Obama Goes Golfing.
After delivering a statement on Syria this afternoon, Barack Obama jumped in the presidential limo and hit the links.
Obama, one of the most-traveled
presidents in history, to hit the road again. Already one of the most-traveled presidents in history, President Obama will travel next
month to Indonesia, where he grew up as a boy. The White House announced Friday [9/13/2013] that Mr. Obama will visit the Philippines,
Malaysia and Brunei in addition to Indonesia from Oct. 6 to Oct. 12 "as part of his ongoing commitment to increase U.S. political,
economic and security engagement with the Asia Pacific." Mr. Obama lived for several years in Indonesia with his mother and stepfather
after moving there from Hawaii as a child.
The Editor says...
While in Indonesia, he attended a government school, which was a privilege extended only to those with Indonesian citizenship. His legal
name at that time was (and may still be) Barry Soetoro. Either of those two things would disqualify him for the office he now holds.
Obama golfing
with ESPN sportscasters. The president is golfing [9/15/2013] at Maryland's Andrews Air Force Base, just outside Washington, with
Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon, co-hosts of ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption" program.
Yes, people were dying in a gunfight
across town, but Obama had a speech to give. Barack Obama has never been accused of possessing the most refined sense of appropriate, especially
when it comes to what normal people regard as tragedies. [...] When a 133-foot-tall wall of tsunami water rolled 10 miles inland to kill 16,000 in Japan
two years ago, Obama expressed his sorrow, then went golfing. When bad weather canceled his trip to the funeral of Poland's president, Obama paid his
respects by golfing. As the Gulf coast economy struggled back from the nation's worst environmental disaster ever, Obama urged all Americans to vacation
there. Then, he took his family to the New England coast.
The Two Million Dollar Man.
President Barack Obama's two day trip to South Africa in June cost taxpayers more than $2.2 million on hotel room and rental car costs alone, according to
documents released by the State Department on Sunday. [...] The president's "VIP visit" to Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Cape Town on June 29 and 30
cost $2,210,840.46 in hotel and transportation expenses alone, according to four contracts released by the State Department.
Obama Leaving the Country on Friday.
With a government shutdown just hours away on Monday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Obama still plans to go to Asia this weekend.
"We don't have any changes to announce. We plan to make this trip," Carney told reporters at the White House Monday. "The president, as president,
looks forward to and believes it is important to travel to Asia in order to promote our economic interests in Asia and our strategic interests in Asia."
US shutdown halts Barack Obama's Malaysia trip. President Barack Obama has
postponed two stops on his four-nation Asian tour because of the government shutdown. The White House said it was "logistically... not possible" to go
ahead with the trips to Malaysia and the Philippines at the end of his tour. But he would still be attending regional summits in Indonesia and Brunei,
the White House added.
Update: Obama cancels Asia trip to stay in
D.C. and not negotiate on shutdown. The good news is President Obama finally canceled his entire extraneous trip to Asia, which was set
to start tomorrow. Not because he's going to conscientiously immerse himself in solving the ongoing partial government shutdown like a real
president. But, naturally, because of how it would look otherwise.
Evict Obama's Mother-in-Law from White House.
The news is full of stories of private residences on public land being shut down because of the government shutdown. [There is], for example, is a story
regarding an elderly couple temporarily evicted from a cabin they own on federal land. And it is also turning people away from privately-run inns on
federal land. And yet, at the height of hypocrisy, Marian Robinson, President Obama's mother-in-law, apparently continues to reside in the White House, a
federally-owned business on federal land.
Shutdown over, Obama hits the links. President Obama
returned to the golf course on Sunday [10/20/2013] for his first round since before the government shutdown began. The golf outing at Virginia's Fort Belvoir is the
first since a Sept. 28 outing on the same course. That round was his 35th of the year — a new annual record according to White House Dossier.
Obama family attends church service.
After church [10/27/2013], in the afternoon, Obama took a motorcade to Fort Belvoir, Va., for a round of golf.
The Editor says...
This excursion resulted in no benefit to the public; therefore, Barack H. Obama owes us for the cose of the motorcade to Virginia.
Obama
makes room for fundraisers, golf in his schedule despite Obamacare troubles. Since the launch of the HealthCare.gov on
October 1, Obama has gone golfing five times and attended ten fundraisers — with five more scheduled for the beginning
of this week — while Obamacare's favorability has hit all time lows. And while President Obama's schedule has been open
for golf and fundraisers, he was unable to attend the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address Tuesday due to — as White House
advisor Dan Pfeiffer put it — "this whole website thing that someone suggested might destroy the Dem Party."
Black president
admits profiling immigrants by their appearance. On this latest West Coast fundraising jaunt, the Democrat also paid back one of his biggest
campaign bundlers and party donors, Jeffrey Katzenberg. In LA,, Obama helicoptered to the' Glendale facility of DreamWorks Animation to "discuss" the
economy with real Americans. This way, you see, Obama got an official presidential function on the trip schedule, which reduces his political
party's share of the tab for flying him cross-country twice in Air Force One at $182,000 an hour in taxpayer funds.
Obama
expected to arrive in Hawaii for holidays in two weeks. President Barack Obama and his family will spend Christmas in
Hawaii again this year, and are expected to stay in the same beachfront Kailua neighborhood where they've spent the past five year-end
holidays. Hawaii News Now reports the Obamas are expected to arrive around Dec. 20 and stay until Jan. 5. While
Obama typically spends a lot of time at the nearby Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, working out in the gym and playing golf, he
does tend to venture out to the same local businesses each trip.
Obama Hardly Meeting
With Sebelius Explains A Lot. This president campaigns and fund-raises — and plays golf — endlessly. The
Washington Times reported last month that he's played more than 150 rounds of golf while in office, often at havens of the 1% from Grande
Oaks in Fort Lauderdale to Martha's Vineyard. He even played 27 holes in one day in September. Sebelius joined Obama for one
of his rounds in May. We hope they're both improving their games, but it's time to put the clubs down and do some work together.
Thrifty Obamas make
do with 24 Christmas trees. Every president decorates the White House for these holidays. But many presidents tend to stay put
during this month to allow Secret Service and other staff to spend time with their families. The Obamas choose instead to make the nine-hour
flights to Hawaii with family and staff. And the nine-hour return trip. Air Force One costs about $182,000 to operate for every
flight hour, or just under $1.64 million each way, a bargain after the family's $100 million trip around Africa this past summer.
Our American royalty travels in
style, and without being groped. President Obama lives an extravagant life of which the kings of old could only dream —
and all at the taxpayers' expense. According to the Congressional Research Service, it costs $180,000 an hour to operate Air Force One.
This means that President Obama's recent trip to South Africa to attend Nelson Mandela's funeral cost the American taxpayer $5 million in airfare alone.
Beach bum: Obama to holiday in Hawaii.
The White House announced Friday [12/13/2013] that the Obamas will depart next week after what is expected to be a light work schedule for the president in
Washington. The president and his family traditionally spend their Christmas break in a rented home on Oahu with spectacular ocean views.
President Obama
to jet off this week for 17-day vacation in Hawaii over Christmas and New Year. President Obama and his family are expected to leave Washington
later this week for a 17-day vacation in Hawaii. This will be the First Family's sixth Christmas in Hawaii since he was elected president, and in
keeping with tradition they are expected to spend it on the island of Kailua. The White House announced on Friday that the Obamas will depart next
week after what is expected to be a light work schedule for the president in Washington.
Obama and the Redneck Tenors. President
Obama is packing his bags for a 17-day, taxpayer-funded Christmas vacation to Hawaii, The Washington Times reported. The vacation begins on Friday,
December 20. The first family will reportedly be shacking up at a palatial ocean-front home that rents for $24,500 a week. When you toss
in the shaved ice, greens fees, and gas for Air Force One, the American taxpayers could be on the hook for one mighty expensive Hawaiian holiday. The
Hawaii Reporter ran the numbers on last year's trip and found that it cost taxpayers more than $4 million.
Obama's 17-day trip to Hawaii costs
taxpayers $4M. After a rough fall spent trying to recover from the botched rollout of healthcare.gov, President Obama is no doubt looking
forward to his annual year-end holiday escape to Hawaii. [...] The vacation will cost taxpayers an estimated $4 million and fill the sleepy town of
Kailua and its miles of beautiful beaches with street barricades and security personnel protecting the Obamas' rented vacation home.
The
world's most expensive selfie. The State Department set aside a staggering $11,519,617 on hotels and ground transportation costs for President
Obama and his entourage to attend Nelson Mandela's memorial service last week, it was revealed today. One contract letter budgeted more than $8.2 million
for 'passenger vehicles, SUVs, vans, and buses, as well as supplies and goods vehicles such as pickup trucks, box trucks, and larger capacity vehicles,'
according to documents first posted online by the Weekly Standard. Two more authorized State to spend in excess of $3.2 million on hotels from
December 6 to January 20, including costs for a whopping 5,730 'hotel room nights' overall — a number that works out to represent more
than 127 separate rooms.
VIP Hotel and Vehicles for Mandela Funeral
Trip More Than $11M. State Department contract awards were posted this week for "Transportation services in support of Mandela Funeral" and
"Accommodation in support of the Nelson Mandela funeral in South Africa." The accompanying Justification and Approval documents estimated the cost of
transportation at a maximum of $8,286,194.74. The transportation contract covers only ground transportation in South Africa. Costs for Air Force One
and other air travel are not included.
Obama's $4 Million Hawaiian Vacation. The Obama's
are planning on visiting Hawaii again this year for Christmas and New Years. As usual they will block off beaches and roads for two weeks all while billing
the taxpayers.
First Family and Dog Bo
to Leave Cold DC for $4 Million Hawaiian Vacation. [Scroll down] The President and his friends pay for the private home accommodations that
rent for $25,000 per week, however taxpayers — both federal and county — pick up the majority of the bill for the rest of the trip.
Michael Tasselmyer of the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, estimates the 18-hour roundtrip aboard Air Force One, which he said costs $179,750 per hour for
flight and operation, will total $3,235,500 for the roundtrip. A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2012 matches that figure.
There are reports the President might also stop on the island of Maui, a 30-minute flight from Oahu, which would add additional expense.
Obama's Annual Hawaii Boondoggle. Another year, another waste
of taxpayer money so that the Obamas can spend Christmas in paradise. I've reported in the past that the annual trip to Hawaii costs taxpayers at least
$4 million. It's probably much more. Air Force One alone burns up about $180,000 of taxpayer money per hour, putting the roundtrip flight alone
at $3.24 million for an estimated 18 hours roundtrip flying time.
12 questions
the White House press corps could have asked Obama about Obamacare. [#12] You are about to embark on a two-week Hawaiian vacation.
While no one begrudges the president Christmas with his family, are you aware that two state-level Obamacare exchange directors have
resigned over taking ill-timed tropical vacations within the last two weeks? Are you sending the wrong message by leaving for so long
while your legacy law is in pretty great peril, while Americans are still reeling from cancellations and the prospect of being uninsured?
Obama Took More Vacation
on Average Than Private-Sector Workers 20 Yrs on Job. President Barack Obama, who is departing Friday for a vacation in Hawaii that will
reportedly last until Jan. 5, took more annual vacation days on average in his first term than the average private-sector worker gets after 20 years
on the job. Obama took an average of 21.5 vacations days per year in his first four years as president. By comparison, private-industry
workers in the United States who have at least 20 years on the job get an average of 19 days of paid vacation per year.
Obamas hit Hawaii for year-end vacation. Barack Obama
and family landed in Honolulu late Friday [12/20/2013] to kick off a two-week Hawaiian vacation, what the U.S. president earlier described as a chance for "sleep and
sun" after a bruising year in Washington.
Obamas Go Out on the Town in Hawaii.
[Scroll down] Later in the day, the First Family headed out again, this time to dinner at Morimoto Waikiki, an upscale restaurant from Masaharu
Morimoto, the star of "Iron Chef" and "Iron Chef America." No word on what the Obamas ordered, though the restaurant boasts a $140-per-person
"omakase" chef's choice tasting menu.
Reagan
and Obama: The difference between a hero and a zero. Reagan spent his Christmas holidays in Washington so his staff could have Christmas
with their families. [...] Contrast that with Obama, who punctuates his vacations with occasional days in the office. Every year since he was
elected, he has spent his Christmas vacation in Hawaii. Granted, he was raised in Hawaii, but when was the last time he lived there? He
was 18 when he moved away. But every year, he has to go back.
Israel to S. Africa: Obama's year
in travel.
March 20-23: Israel, Palestine and Jordan
May 2-4: Mexico, Costa Rica
June 17-19: Ireland, The United Kingdom and Germany
June 26 - July 2: Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania
September 4 - 6: Sweden, Russia
October 6-12: Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines (canceled)
December 9-11: South Africa
The Editor says...
Omitted from the article above: Hawaii: December 20 - present.
President Obama's Hawaii
Vacation: Day 6. Obama signed several bills in private, without reporters present, including a bipartisan budget
deal easing spending cuts and a defense bill cracking down on sexual assault in the military.
President Obama Didn't
Go To Church For Christmas. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their two daughters did not go to
church on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, according to press pool reports. The Obamas are in Kailua, Hawaii for a
17-day Christmas vacation. Although the Obamas did not go to church for Christmas, President Obama did play golf during
the afternoon of Dec. 24 [...]
The Editor asks...
Mr. Obama has spent his adult lifetime manufacturing and spreading outrage about "income inequality." Of all the people you
know, how many have ever taken a 17-day trip to Hawaii? Mr. Obama goes to Hawaii every year.
Obama parties hearty in Hawaii.
Saturday was a financial ordeal for Skydive Hawaii owner Frank Hinshaw. President Obama and his family attended a barbecue at the oceanfront
house of his Punahou School pal Bobby Titcomb on the North Shore of Oahu. That meant that Skydive Hawaii, based at Dillingham Airfield
just across Farrington Highway from the shoreline villa, had to close down for the entire day.
Obama's Hawaiian vacation tells a story in reverse. [Scroll down] Within
days of their Monday return from Hawaii, the White House will be planning the big bash for Michelle's 50th birthday on January 17.
Obama
tees off for seventh round of golf on vacation. The Leader of the Free World skipped the gym on Wednesday [1/1/2014] to hit
the links at Mid Pacific Country Club golf course in Kailua's Lanikai neighborhood with scenic views of the water and lush green mountains.
[...] On Sunday [12/29/2013], after playing nearly five hours of golf Sunday at Marine Corps Base, veteran White House reporter Keith Koffler
from White House Dossier said his latest game was the 156th game since the inauguration and the 45th outing this year.
Obama plays 160th round of golf.
His latest round means that Obama has played golf an average of once every 11 days in office. [...] The president doesn't
just "play" golf. He agonizes over it, taking up to six hours per round of 18 holes, more than three times as long as former President
George H.W. Bush would take on his vacations to Kennebunkport, Maine. Saturday's [1/4/2014] round, however lasted three hours.
According to the press pool following him, "at just over three hours, clocks in as the fastest round of golf of the vacation (by far)."
The Editor says...
The hours he spends on the golf course are hours when any previous president would have been expected to work. But the standards for
Affirmative Action employees are notoriously low, and the standards for sacred cows are even lower.
Obama
golfs in Hawaii with New Zealand prime minister. President Obama was joined on the golf course in Hawaii
on Thursday [1/2/2014] by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. The golf outing with the premier at Kaneohe Bay on
Oahu marked a bit of departure for Obama who has spent plenty of time during his annual winter vacation playing golf with
a tight circle of old pals and aides.
Obama
plays eight rounds of golf but spares only four minutes to visit grandfather's grave on Hawaii vacation. President Obama
took a break from the golf course during his Hawaii vacation yesterday to make a brief visit to his grandfather's grave. The president,
who has played eight rounds of golf since arriving on December 20, spent just four minutes at the grave of Stanley Dunham. His
motorcade then left the National Memorial Cemetery and took Mr Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha to the zoo for a private tour.
Regal R&R: Obamas live like royalty on lavish Hawaiian
holiday. History will record that on the 12th day of his latest Hawaiian vacation, President Obama tweeted about Obamacare.
That was one of the president's few visible acts of official business during his 16-day holiday retreat before he and his family return to
Washington on Sunday [1/5/2014]. The president's winter recess has rivaled just about anyone's dream getaway, filled with endless
golf, dinners at high-end restaurants, snorkeling at a closed nature preserve and a private, after-hours visit to a spectacular zoo.
For
a Pressured President, a Real and Rare Vacation in Hawaii. Mr. Obama's vacation schedule was nothing if not routine. He
went to the gym at Marine Corps Base Hawaii for a sunrise workout. He played golf nine out of 15 days. And he and the first
lady, Michelle Obama, stepped out for dinner at a few of their favorite restaurants: Alan Wong's, Morimoto Waikiki (twice!) and Nobu Waikiki.
Bias alert!
There is nothing rare about Obama's annual Hawaiian vacations, or his annual summer vacation at Martha's Vineyard. In fact, every
cross-country flight on Air Force One and every international junket would be considered a remarkable vacation by most people. (I like
to fly as much as anybody, but I haven't been on an airliner since the early 1990's.) The writer of the New York Times article above
goes to great lengths to portray Mr. Obama as overworked and under-rewarded, when exactly the opposite is true.
Obama's birthday gift to his wife?
Time off, alone. The White House said on Saturday first lady Michelle Obama would stay in Hawaii, where the family
has been on vacation for the last two weeks, rather than return home with her husband and their two girls.
Michelle Obama spending extended vacation
at Oprah's Maui home. Michelle Obama is spending her extended Hawaiian vacation at Oprah's "exquisite" Maui getaway, The Daily Caller has learned.
While White House pool reports indicate the first lady stayed behind this week in Hawaii to chill out with friends before her 50th birthday, there weren't many specifics.
The Editor says...
Mrs. Obama can crash at Oprah's house, presumably at Oprah's expense, but she is incurring unnecessary expense by taking a separate airplane back to Washington
when she's ready to go home.
Obama Flies Back to Washington, But Michelle
Stays in Hawaii. President Obama flew back from his holiday Hawaii break yesterday with daughters Sasha and Malia in tow, but without the first
lady. [...] According to the White House pool reports filed over the holiday break, President Obama would meet up with his wife for dinner but spent much of
the vacation alone at the gym or with friends for many, many marathon hours of golf.
Your Birthday Gift to Michelle. First Lady Michelle Obama failed
to accompany President Obama and their daughters home from Hawaii today [1/5/2014], a decision that will likely incur taxpayers at least a couple of hundred thousand
dollars in costs.
Taxpayers foot the
bill for First Lady's extended Hawaiian vacation. The White House conceded on Monday that the federal treasury will foot the bill to fly First Lady Michelle
Obama back to Washington, D.C. on a separate government aircraft after she finishes her extended vacation at the palatial 12-bedroom Hawaii home of talk show legend Oprah
Winfrey. Dedicated vehicles, Secret Service costs, and security sweeps of the Winfrey estate on Maui will add considerably to the total tab.
Oprah's
neighbors inconvenienced by Michelle Obama's visit, report says. Michelle Obama may be enjoying a relaxing vacation in Hawaii
at Oprah Winfrey's Maui mansion, but the talk show host's neighbors are reportedly much less Zen ever since the first lady came to town.
TMZ reports that the increased security around Oprah's home has become a nuisance for her neighbors, as road closures and security checkpoints
have been created to protect the first lady.
Michelle Obama's extended
Hawaii stay annoys locals: report. Michelle Obama's birthday visit at Oprah Winfrey's Maui estate has neighbors a little miffed
at the additional security and its impact on business. The owner of nearby Goble's Flower Farm told TMZ that security checkpoints have
been dissuading customers from shopping there. Other business owners complained of dwindling inventories due to road closures blocking
their deliveries.
White House
imposes secrecy rules on First Lady's lavish, celebrity-filled birthday party. There was a party in the East Room of the White House Saturday night
[1/18/2014], an affair attended by a reported 500 people, a lavish celebration with celebrities galore, appearances by some of the world's most popular performers,
lots of dancing and powerful government officials, including, of course, the most powerful official of all, the President of the United States. And the White
House wants to make sure you know as little as possible about it. [...] [M]aybe, since the president has announced he is devoting the rest of his time in office to
an "inequality agenda," the White House felt photos of a champagne-soaked, star-studded party would be somewhat off-message.
Report: Obamas,
Bidens spent $295,437 on just one vacation weekend. According to new records obtained by the taxpayer watchdog group Judicial
Watch, three separate jaunts taken by President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden during last year's Presidents Day
weekend cost at least $295,437. And that's mostly just for security, not Air Force One or other official costs. The records were
obtained from the U.S. Secret Service and details some of the "security and/or other services" of Obama's mid-February 2013 golf trip to West
Palm Beach, Fla., the annual Aspen, Colo. ski trip taken by the first lady and her daughters, and the Biden family trip, also to Aspen.
Here's what
Michael Tusk served Michelle Obama at Cotogna. But in middle of the day, Ms. Michelle Obama and a number of her guests dined at
Cotogna. It looks like the Obamas are fans of Lindsay and Michael Tusk's Pacific Avenue restaurants; back in 2012, Michael Tusk cooked
for President Obama (in a private home), serving him dishes like cheese-filled tortelloni and poularde in various preparations. On
Thursday [1/30/2014], this was the menu presented to the First Lady and company: [...]
U.S. Delegation
to Mandela Funeral: Five Hotels, Transportation Cost $19M. Documents recently released by the government show that the value of hotels
and local transportation contracts for the U.S. delegation to Nelson Mandela's funeral in December were considerably higher than previous estimates.
[...] The transportation contracts include passenger vehicles, SUVs, vans, buses, pickup trucks, box trucks, and "larger capacity vehicles," but
do not include the cost of travelling from the U.S. to South Africa and back. The combined total estimated cost of the two contracts
is $12,521,851.
The Editor says...
Note that the dollar amounts are "considerably higher than previous estimates." It is to the administration's advantage to lowball the dollar
amounts initially and then quietly revised them upward some number of weeks later — in a manner similar to the way they
handle unemployment numbers.
Obama's Opulent
State Dinners Cost The Taxpayer About Half A Million Dollars Each. Obama is having a grand old time with his socialist buddy
President Francois Hollande of France on his visit, and for the first time ever, Americans will get a view of just how much a State dinner
costs them. It took thirteen months for the State Department to respond to the request for the costs of such dinners, but here they are!
Michelle's dogs apparently dine on china and
crystal. Poverty and unemployment are at near-record levels, the economy is stalled, and a record 47 million Americans are on food
stamps, yet aides for first lady Michelle Obama's tweeted out a picture of her two dogs apparently dining at a table laid with crystal and china.
Obama's Valentine's Day
bachelor golf holiday marks 23rd vacation. America, you know how to treat a president and his family. With another Presidents'
Day bachelor holiday planned by President Obama, this time golfing in California, and Aspen, Colo., resort reporters on the lookout for the annual
first lady ski trip this weekend, the taxpayer's tab for the first family's vacations has topped $2.4 million. But that's just the start.
That total is just from the skimpy documents detailing travel and security expenses obtained by the public watchdog group Judicial Watch from a
handful of first family vacations.
Fore! Another golf
holiday brings Obama vacations to 22, $18 million. With another Presidents' Day bachelor holiday planned by President Obama, this time
golfing in California, and Aspen, Colo., resort reporters on the lookout for the annual first lady ski trip this weekend, the taxpayer's tab for the
first family's vacations has topped $2.4 million. But that's just the start. That total is just from the skimpy documents detailing
travel and security expenses obtained by the public watchdog group Judicial Watch from a handful of first family vacations.
Is Barack Obama Our First
American King? President Obama will be spending Valentine's Day with the one he loves the most. Michelle and the kids will be vacationing
separately. Sound familiar? The president and first lady spent Presidents Day weekend in separate vacations last year as well.
Obama plans bachelor Valentine's
Day golfing weekend in California. President Obama is traveling to California on Friday to discuss the severe drought that is threatening farmers'
livelihood and meet with the king of Jordan. [...] The president will spend the evening of Valentine's Day dining with King Abdullah II of Jordan followed by
two days of golf, according to a senior administration official to the New York Times.
Obama Tees Off on Billionaire's Private Golf
Course. Obama was spending the weekend in California after meeting Friday [2/14/2014] at a resort with Jordan's king. His wife and
daughters are skiing in Colorado.
The Editor says...
They just got back from a two-week vacation in Hawaii, and now they are on separate vacations. And again I ask: Vacation from what?
A peek into Obama's weekend at
Sunnylands. President Obama is kicking back this weekend at Sunnylands, the Camp David of the West. It's a place for high-minded
problem-solving — then golf and TV.
Michelle Obama in Aspen for ski vacation. First lady Michelle Obama and her
daughters, Sasha and Malia, arrived in Aspen on Friday for a holiday weekend ski vacation. "It's her third time here," said Pitkin County Sheriff Joe
DiSalvo of the first lady's third consecutive trip to Aspen over the President's Weekend holiday. "She likes it here."
Obama vacations have cost you $18 million — so
far. Lately, President Obama has been talking about "austerity" and cutting spending. What a crock. According to a
report by Paul Bedard in the Washington Examiner, when you total all the reported expenses of the first family's 22 vacations so far to
Hawaii, Martha's Vineyard, Spain, Colorado, Florida, Africa, etc are combined, the estimate of Obama vacations reaches over $18 million
when hotel and resort rent, security hotel and car rentals and airfare are included. Austerity? As you may be aware, Mr. and Mrs. had
separate Valentine's Day vacations — y'all can do your own analysis on that.
Under Obama, Air Force
One cost per hour jumps 27% to $228,288. The president spent over $7.3 million on just three trips in 2013, including
$2.1 million to appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in August, according to new flight documents provided by the Air Force to
a public watchdog group. Judicial Watch told Secrets that the sky-high jet travel costs for the first family's 2012-2013 Christmas
vacation in Hawaii, their beach vacation on Martha's Vineyard last summer and President Obama's brief trip to California in August totalled
$7,396,531.20. The Air Force said it costs $228,288 an hour to fly Air Force One, a massive $48,535 jump from the last estimate of
$179,750, or 27 percent.
Michelle Obama plans pricey trip to China. Michelle Obama, her daughters
and her mother plan a week-long solo visit to China this month that includes meetings with China's first lady and high school and
university students — and that will likely cost U.S. taxpayers millions of dollars.
Obama: the Pen, Phone, and Failure.
By the end of his second term, [President Obama] will have added more to the national debt than every president before him, combined.
Now, Barack Obama, with the release of his new budget, has proclaimed an end to this era of austerity. Let me explain Barry's
understanding of austerity. During his entire first term, the White House has maintained an official dog walker, making in excess of
$100K a year. In all fairness, the position required 24-hour coverage. Bo needed to be walked. [...] Barry, who moves through
life in much the same way a Roman emperor did ages ago, is making do with only 1 dog walker for his 2 dogs — and
it is all paid for by the same taxpayers who couldn't keep their healthcare or there [sic] 29+ hours a week employment.
It's winter in Ukraine, but it's spring break for Obama. While more Russian
forces were pouring into Crimea this past weekend, and Russian legislators announced their readiness to annex the Ukrainian province,
where was our commander in chief? Monitoring events in the Situation Room? Meeting with the Joint Chiefs at the Pentagon?
Holding an emergency meeting of NATO leaders? Nope. He was enjoying the Florida sunshine with his family at an oceanfront
resort in Key Largo.
Obama, Biden
stick to vacation schedules despite Ukraine crisis. The White House brushed off concerns Friday that, with the crisis in
Crimea intensifying, now might not be the best time for President Obama — and his vice president — to go on vacation.
The travel schedules of both the president and Vice President Biden have come under scrutiny, given the rapidly changing situation in
Ukraine. Obama, already in Florida to talk about education, was planning to spend some family time this weekend in Key Largo, Fla.,
where he arrived late in the day. Biden, meanwhile, will be in the Virgin Islands.
Obama links up
with celebrities for golf game. The commander-in-chief skipped out of Washington this weekend to vacation with his family in
Key Largo, Fla. [...] Obama and the sports figures were joined by Cyrus Walker, who is the cousin of White House adviser Valerie Jarrett.
WH defends
Obama's Key Largo vacation. White House spokesman Josh Earnest defended President Obama's weekend vacation in Key
Largo, despite the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, arguing Obama would be able to monitor events from Florida. "What the president
will be doing this weekend in Florida is essentially what the president would be doing back at the White House.
It's just that the weather will be a little warmer," Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One. "The president is
looking forward to spending some time with his wife and daughters, who are traveling down to Florida as well," he continued.
The Editor says...
The press never believed that story when it was told by GW Bush's staff in Crawford.
Obama
may have to cut third vacation this year short because of Ukraine. President Barack Obama, his wife and the first daughters
may have to cut their latest vacation short because of Russia's meddling in Ukraine. The Obama family's current plan for the
weekend is to escape the cold, snowy doldrums of Washington, D.C. for some rest and relaxation in sunny Key Largo, Fla., reports the
Daily Mail. However, despite Obama's earnest invocations of international law, pro-Russian forces and the Russian government are
making swift military and political moves in Ukraine's Crimea region. Consequently, the Key Largo holiday could be in peril.
Obama plays final round before Fla. vacation
ends. The White House says Obama squeezed in another round of golf Sunday [3/9/2014] on one of the courses at the exclusive
Ocean Reef Club on Key Largo, where the family was staying.
President and Michelle return from their weekend getaway at $2,500-a-night Florida
resort. Appearing relaxed after his third vacation of the year, the president has been heavily criticized for his
taxpayer-funded trip as the crisis in Ukraine rumbles on. [...] The Obama family vacation comes just a few weeks after the president's
long weekend at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, California.
King of Blah, Blah, Blah Blabbing Away in Margaritaville.
Don't know whether Malia and Sasha Obama are learning at their private school, but through their parents, are they learning that life is
one never-ending holiday with the bill footed by the public purse? [...] But when it comes to outright hedonism, where else in modern
world history has any 'First Family' displayed such self-centered behaviour while surrounded by the human misery of so many others?
Satellite pictures sent world wide show the Obamas gobbling up shaved ice and hamburgers as greedily as they gobble up taxpayer money for
their lavish, never-ending, globe-trotting holidays.
WH:
'Real Treat' for Michelle Obama to Take Her Mom and Daughters to China. First lady Michelle Obama "has been looking
for an opportunity to go to China," a White House official said on Monday. And she considers it a "real treat" to take her
daughters and her mother with her — a trip she's making at considerable expense to taxpayers, although the White House
refused to give a dollar figure. [...] Asked how much the trip will cost, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes replied, "As a
general matter, we don't disclose the details associated with the security of either the president or the first lady. This
question comes up on many trips. [...]"
The Editor says...
When questions arose about the cost of the trip, the White House immediately changed the subject
to security, about which nobody asked.
Michelle
Obama and family take another taxpayer-funded trip. The first lady, her mother, her two kids, plus numerous
White House aides and security personnel are going to tour China this month, but White House officials are refusing to say
how much the taxpayers will pay for the trip.
Keywords: Junket, shopping trip, splurge,
squander, carbon footprint, luxury, tone deaf First lady Michelle Obama faces scrutiny
for China trip with daughters, mom. First lady Michelle Obama is getting ready for her third overseas trip without
her husband since arriving in the White House, but her journey to China may be watched more closely. Mrs. Obama will be
traveling with three generations. She'll be joined by Sasha, Malia and her mother, Marian Shields Robinson, a subtle
gesture to traditional Chinese values. White House officials are calling this visit a "people to people" trip.
Planning begins for another Obama
vacation. Like the annual return of pinkletinks and crocuses, inns and hotels around the Island are getting familiar
calls this week from White House officials planning a vacation on Martha's Vineyard for President Obama and his family. Three
reliable sources, who asked not to be named because they are not authorized to release information, told The Times that Mr. Obama
will return to the Island in August. Two sources said the vacation is scheduled on or about August 9, a week earlier
than the first family visited in previous years.
No Reporters on Michelle
Obama's Trip to China. First Lady Michelle Obama will be accompanied by her children and her mother on her trip
to China, which begins today. But she won't be accompanied by the press. "Michelle Obama's trip to China starting
on Wednesday will be nonpolitical, the White House says, a 'people-to-people exchange' emphasizing the importance that both
nations place on education. As if to underscore the point, no reporters are traveling with the first lady, and she
does not plan to give interviews while there," reports the New York Times.
Obama
ladies touch down in China amid taxpayer uproar. First lady Michelle Obama, her two daughters, Malia and
Sasha, and her mother touched down Thursday in China for what's being touted as a weeklong feel-good tourist event,
amid increasing murmurs back home about U.S. taxpayers having to foot the bill. [...] No reporters accompanied the family
on the trip.
Michelle lands in
China for week-long trip with her daughters and mother. Michelle Obama arrived in China on Thursday for a
weeklong visit that will steer clear of politics and instead focusing on education and community. The First Lady
arrived in Beijing today, accompanied by daughters Sasha and Malia as well as her mother Marian Robinson.
Michelle
Obama: It's very rare that I have the chance to travel outside of the United States. During
her visit to China, first lady Michelle Obama pointed out that the ability to travel outside of the United
States was "rare" but that she chose China for a reason. "It's very rare that I have the opportunity
to travel outside of the United States, and it's even more rare to have the opportunity to travel with three
generations — with my daughters, and with my mother," she said. "And it is no accident that
one of our first trips as a family is here to China."
The Editor says...
Does Mrs. Obama expect anyone to believe that this is one of her first trips, or that a junket that excludes
her husband is undertaken "as a family?"
Obama family schedules
another Vineyard retreat. President Barack Obama will return for another Martha's Vineyard vacation,
sources said Wednesday [3/20/2014]. The first family is expected to vacation Aug. 9-23, according to a
source who asked to be anonymous because he doesn't want to anger the White House security staff, which does not
like to release vacation information for the president. President Obama; his wife, Michelle; and daughters
Sasha and Malia spent nine days last summer on the Vineyard, his fourth presidential holiday there since he was
elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. The Obamas skipped the Vineyard in 2012 because of the election.
Beijing hotel workers already 'fed up' with Obama entourage in 3400-square-foot,
$8,350-per-night suite. Michelle Obama and three of her family members are staying in a $8,350-per-night
Beijing presidential suite, but despite a 24-hour butler and other perks that come with the lodging, her entourage has
inconvenienced 'pretty much everyone' and made the hotel staff 'fed up,' a well-placed hotel staffer has told
MailOnline. The sumptuous pad at the Westin Beijing Chaoyang hotel — its website calls the room 'an
oasis of comfort — is a 3,400-square-foot masterpiece including a private steam room, 'corner sofas with
silk pillows,' and in-room dining for six. But the Obamas' stay has already affected staff and guests at the
hotel, with the Westin front-desk veteran alleging that Mrs. Obama's mother Marian Robinson has been 'barking at
the staff since she arrived.'
Cost
of First Lady's Beijing Hotel Was Deemed 'Prohibitive' for Biden. The White House has been tight-lipped about
the cost of First Lady Michelle Obama's trip to China, but based on the choice for lodging, it could be considerable.
Mrs. Obama and her entourage, which numbers seventy according to the Washington Times (including her two daughters and
her mother), booked the Westin Chaoyang Hotel close to the U.S. embassy in Beijing for their first stop. According to
USA Today, the presidential suite at the hotel is listed as $8,400 per night.
Inside Michelle Obama's hotel's luxurious $8,400-a-night presidential
suite in China. It's billed as an 'oasis of comfort', with a Jacuzzi, rainforest shower, and silk
pillows — step inside the $8,400-a-night (£5,000) suite Michelle Obama currently calls home.
The first lady is staying at the five-star Westin Hotel in Chaoyang, just outside Beijing, during her week-long trip
to China with her two daughters Malia and Sasha, and her mother Marian Robinson. During her trip, described as
a 'person-to-person' soft diplomatic tour, the family will be staying in the Jinmao Presidential Suite at the hotel,
near the US Embassy.
Documents:
Obama's Honolulu, Africa Flights Cost Taxpayers Nearly $16 Million. The documents obtained by
activist group Judicial Watch show the Africa trip required 35.5 flight hours. At a cost of $228,288
per flight hour, the total cost was a staggering $8,104,224. For the Obamas' Christmas vacation in Honolulu,
starting in December 2013 and ending in January 2014, the documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act,
show the first family accumulated 36.9 total flight hours. At a cost of $210,877 per flight hour, the
flight costs alone for that trip totaled $7,781,361.30, according to the Air Force documents.
Obama
trips to Hawaii, Africa reportedly cost taxpayers nearly $16 million. U.S. taxpayers
spent nearly $16 million to fly the Obamas to, from and around Hawaii and Africa, Air Force records
obtained by Judicial Watch show. "The Obama family 2013-2014 vacation to Honolulu cost $210,877 per
hour for travel alone; at 36.9 total hours, the cost to taxpayers for the vacation's flight expense
was $7,781,361.30," Judicial Watch said in a statement, noting an increase of $3,695,006.10 from
flight expenses for the Obamas' 2012-13 Hawaii Christmas vacation. Michelle Obama extended her
Hawaiian vacation, traveling separately back to Washington after spending time with family friend
Oprah Winfrey on Maui. President Obama said the trip to Maui was a gift for his wife in advance
of her 50th birthday.
The Editor says...
Awwwww... the trip was a gift to his wife. How very touching, except that it
wasn't Mr. Obama's to give. We paid for it.
$1.5M
Hotel Bill for President Obama's One-Day Visit to Brussels. In late March, President Obama took
a week-long trip through Europe which included a stop of less than 24 hours in Brussels, Belgium for
meetings with the European Union and NATO. The president stayed at The Hotel, a twenty-seven story
hotel in the center of the city. The estimated cost for the president's stay, including about two weeks
for an advance team, was $1,522,646.36.
The Obamas' three-day trip to Ireland in 2013 cost taxpayers $7.9 million,
and Michelle's gigantic suite cost $3,300 per night. The Obamas' three day trip to Ireland last June cost
the taxpayer more than $7.6 million, it was revealed today [4/9/2014]. Michelle Obama spent more than $251,000
of taxpayers' money on a sightseeing jaunt to Dublin, Ireland while the first family was the official trip to Belfast,
Northern Ireland. She stayed in the $3,300-per-night 'Princess Grace' presidential suite at Dublin's tony Shelbourne
Hotel, a sumptuous two-bedroom, two-bathroom lodging that measures 1,530 square feet and includes butler service and
its own dining room.
Lavish
travel expenses revealed as the Obamas hit the road again. President Obama and wife Michelle are back on the
road again, this time in Texas to harvest more Democrat dollars for the looming November midterm election. The
previously-scheduled fundraising foray was tacked onto Obama's memorial speech Wednesday at Fort Hood in Killeen,
Texas. Why let a nationally-televised shooting memorial go to waste when you can use such an official activity
to cut the Democratic Party's cost of political transportation on Air Force One for two fundraisers in Houston and
another one today in Austin?
Vice-President Biden does it, too. Biden:
Taking Grandkids on Trips 'One of the Great Advantages of Being Vice President'. The
Obama daughters aren't the only ones with travel privileges. Vice President Joe Biden told a
gathering on Monday that he likes to bring his grandchildren with him when he travels. "I
literally — at Christmastime, Mr. Ambassador, I always sit with the kids the last
five or — and say, well, where do you want to go this year? Because one of
the great advantages of being vice president, I'm able to take, if I'm not going into a war zone,
one of my grandchildren with me. And I do take them all. They're good kids. They
don't get in the way. And it's a great experience."
Michelle Obama Riverdances Through Dublin to the Tune of $7,921,638.
When it comes to tracking the cost of Obama family vacations, there are two primary challenges. First, the
Obamas are prolific jet-setters, so there are many details to track. Second, the Obama administration, clearly
embarrassed by these lavish and frequent family vacations, stonewalls the release of records at every turn. But
we have been relentless in pursuit of this information. [...] And the information we've uncovered —
information that would otherwise remain under lock and key — shows that the Obamas have a disturbing
lack of regard for taxpayer resources.
Illinois
Dems to offer $100 million in taxpayer money to lure Obama library site. The last two presidents — Bill
Clinton and George W. Bush — built their legacy edifices totally with private money. As seems appropriate,
since taxpayers already chip in to fund retirement office space, staffing and Secret Service protection for ex-presidents for
life. Last year that cost $75 million. It may not surprise you, however, that Obama's supporters have a different
take on this library money business. They think taxpayers should put up $100 million in public money for Obama's
library. With more likely needed later. So far, this idea is confined to Illinois.
Illinois
GOP leaders say state can't afford $100M for Obama library. The top Republicans in the Illinois
Legislature are pushing back against Democrats' plan to offer $100 million in taxpayer money to lure President
Obama's presidential library to Chicago, arguing the cash-strapped state can't afford the investment. Minority
Leader Jim Durkin said in a prepared statement released Monday that the state cannot afford the proposal when Illinois
owes $7 billion in overdue bills and has a $100 billion deficit in its employee pension programs.
Update: Illinois
Dems back off $100 million push for Obama library following outrage. Illinois Democrats are backing off
an effort to give $100 million in a push to land President Obama's presidential library and museum — following
accusations of voting "shenanigans" and nasty Chicago-style politics, not to mention the state's dire financial
situation. A Democrat-led House committee approved the money last week at an out-of-town hearing in Chicago
with no Republicans in attendance. They instead relied on a procedural move that allowed them to use votes
from a previous meeting. "What they did last week was under-handed and sneaky and offers further proof that
they no longer can be trusted with taxpayer money," said House Republican Leader Jim Durkin.
Obama
Library: 67 Percent of Illinois Voters Oppose State-Financing Plan. A new poll from Capitol Fax's Rich Miller
reveals that a whopping 67 percent of prospective voters here in Illinois oppose the Michael Madigan-sponsored plan
to earmark $100 million for Barack Obama's presidential library and museum.
Amid
Politics, Obama Drifted Away From Kin. After Zeituni Onyango, the woman President Obama once called
Auntie, died in a South Boston nursing home this month, her closest relatives gathered her belongings at her nearby
apartment. There, framed photographs of her with the president covered the wall. Weeping before a polished
wood coffin at her wake this past Saturday [4/18/2014], they described Ms. Onyango, the half sister of the president's
father, as "the spirit of the Obama family" and talked about raising money to send her body back to Kenya.
Mr. Obama helped pay funeral expenses and sent a condolence note, Ms. Onyango's family members said, but the
president did not attend, as he was golfing.
[Emphasis added.]
President
Obama chipped in money for his aunt's burial costs but skipped funeral to go golfing. After
[Zeituni] Onyango, 61, died at a Boston, Massachusetts nursing home after battling breast cancer and respiratory
issues earlier this month, President Barack Obama returned the favor by helping to pay for her funeral expenses.
But the President did not attend the funeral. [...] The Weekly Standard first drew attention to the fact Obama was golfing
at the time of his aunt's funeral. On that day, Obama was at his regular golf course at Joint Base Andrews with
frequent golfing buddies Marvin and Walter Nicholson and Joe Paulson.
Obama
only ate HALF of the pricey dinner at the 'world's best sushi restaurant'. President Obama reportedly
only ate half of the expensive sushi dinner he was treated to last night in Tokyo. Instead of savoring every
morsel of the made-to-order 20-course meal at Sukiyabashi Jiro — dubbed the world's best sushi restaurant and the
subject of the 2011 documentary 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' — the President reportedly put his chopsticks down after
only 10 pieces.
A total waste of the taxpayers' money. Lots
of pomp but no trade deal in Obama's visit to Japan. "The United States is and always will be a Pacific
nation," said Obama, who was born in Hawaii and spent part of his childhood in Indonesia.
Michelle Obama spotted at the Salamander Resort in
Middleburg. First lady Michelle Obama spending a quiet weekend in Middleburg with
daughters Malia and Sasha in tow at the tony Salamander Resort. While the president was being
trailed by flashing cameras and notebook-wielding reporters on a four-country tour through Asia,
Michelle Obama's itinerary was a tad bit more low-key. On Friday she was spotted in the lobby of the
luxury resort owned by multimillionaire Sheila Johnson.
Michelle
Obama 2-Day Hotel Stay in China Costs $222K. Michelle Obama wrapped up her March visit
to China with a stop in Chengdu, arriving on March 25 and departing for the United States on the
following day. But that one leg of the trip alone required about 900 room nights, ranging from
21 rooms beginning on March 13 for the advance team to a peak of 144 rooms when
the first lady herself was at the hotel.
If
You Criticize the President's Vacation Spending You're Probably Racist or Something. To put these
figures in perspective, the administration spends every 5 hours what the average American family spends each
summer on vacations. [...] Is there any conceivable way to justify a monthly average travel and vacation budget
of $625,000? For a President that constantly harps on about income inequality and shared sacrifice, his
lavish presidential lifestyle is the epitome of hypocrisy.
Obama-Biden
vacation tab reaches $40 million — $2.9 million alone for two Obama 2014 golf outings. The travel costs
for vacations taken by the first family and the Bidens have reached over $40 million with the Air Force's revelation
that two golf outings by President Obama this year cost $2.9 million, according to the taxpayer watchdog group
Judicial Watch. The group said that the Air Force provided documents and records that put the price of the first
family's trip to Key Largo, Fla., in March at $885,683 just for flying Air Force One. The travel costs to golf in
Palm Springs, Calif., in February, where the president also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan, was $2,066,594, said
the Air Force documents, according to Judicial Watch.
If
You Criticize the President's Vacation Spending You're Probably Racist or Something. To put these
figures in perspective, the administration spends every 5 hours what the average American family spends each
summer on vacations. And that only counts those that actually are financially able to vacation. To put it
another way, it takes the annual income taxes of 926 typical households to cover these costs. Or another way,
that's 70 times what the president is allotted in compensation on a yearly basis. Is there any conceivable
way to justify a monthly average travel and vacation budget of $625,000? For a President that constantly harps
on about income inequality and shared sacrifice, his lavish presidential lifestyle is the epitome of hypocrisy.
President
Obama spent close to $3 million in flight costs this year [...] playing golf. The White House spent
$2,952,278 in flight expenses this year for two trips President Barack Obama took on which he spent a large chunk
of his time playing golf. Obama billed both trips as official business, but he spent more time golfing than
he did participating in government meetings, government oversight organization Judicial Watch reports.
Michelle's
Motto: 'Sometimes the best time is to do nothing at all'. Much to my astonishment, after chronicling
all the travels and the affluent way of life enjoyed by the spoilt first lady, it turns out that while her husband
was in Asia screwing up and eating $300 endangered blue fin tuna sushi, Michelle actually indulged in a secret spa
weekend in Middleburg, Virginia. If the second leg of her Hawaii vacation is counted as a separate trip, there
would be Hawaii I and Hawaii II, Aspen, Key Largo, and China, with the Middleburg spa weekend being Michelle's
sixth getaway since the first of the year.
First Lady's China
Trip Latest Proof Michelle Lives Like Millionaire, Except at Taxpayers' Expense. A one-night stay for
Michelle Obama and her absurdly gigantic entourage support staff in Chengdu, China cost $222,000 according to
just-released documents. Although she spent only the night of March 25th at the Shangri-La hotel, some
rooms were booked for 12 days earlier. Starting with 21 rooms on the 13th, the stay ballooned
to 144 rooms (the top two floors) on the night of her visit, representing a total of 900 room nights
over the period.
Obama
Throws Obamacare Party at White House for Athletes, Celebs. On Thursday [5/1/2014], President Barack Obama
and First Lady Michelle Obama threw an Obamacare party at the White House for athletes and celebrities who helped
the administration push the law. According to Time, the "Obamas cracked open the champagne" for about
300 people and some of the attendees included: ["]labor leaders, Democratic operatives and health care
activists, as well as celebrities who helped the Administration promote the law, [..."]
Obama administration to spend $20 billion on helicopter
program to replace his private fleet. The Department of Defense awarded a contract on
Wednesday to a Connecticut company that will build a fleet of helicopters to replace the Marine One
fleet that ferries U.S. presidents short distances. The contract, given to Sikorsky Aircraft
Corporation, will cost an initial $1,244,677,064 'for the engineering and manufacturing development
phase of the Presidential Helicopter Replacement program.' For that price the U.S. Navy will get
six test aircraft and all the necessary research & development. The Pentagon made a similar attempt
to replace the aging fleet of Sikorsky choppers, spending $3.2 billion on a landing pad to nowhere.
Adding in the likely $17 billion price tag for the new project — a number estimated by the
Congressional Budget Office — the $20 billion total makes the fleet the most expensive
helicopters ever built.
Obama
takes 1,000th flight aboard Air Force One. Another day, another milestone: President
Obama's 1,000th trip aboard Air Force One. The president hit the millennial mark with Wednesday's
trip to New York, according to Mark Knoller of CBS News, who keeps meticulous White House records.
Obama's airplane pace is behind that of predecessor George W. Bush, who took 1,675 flights on Air
Force One during his eight years in office, Knoller reports.
Every time a football stadium is built, the proponents say the same thing. U
of C study says Obama library would be boon to city economy. A study released Monday by the University
of Chicago shows that an Obama presidential library located on the South Side of Chicago would pour
$220 million into the city's economy each year. According to the study, commissioned by the
university, the library would create 1,900 permanent new jobs. In addition, the report said,
construction of the library would have a $600 million economic impact on the city and create 3,280
local jobs over the course of the construction period.
The Editor says...
Will the Obama Library really generate 1,900 permanent jobs? Will they be full-time jobs, or part-time broom-pushing, hedge-trimming
jobs? The people at the LBJ Library are quite friendly, so I
placed a quick phone call [5/19/2014] to ask, "How many people permanent jobs are there at the LBJ library?" The answer is roughly
sixty, including about 25 federal jobs. Knowing this, the estimate of 1,900 jobs at the Obama library is especially hard to believe.
President
Obama golfs with Bain Capital lobbyist. One of President Barack Obama's golf partners
this weekend was a lobbyist for the financial firm Bain Capital. According to a White House pool
report, Obama hit the links on Saturday at the exclusive Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in
Gainesville, Va., with Joe O'Neill, president and CEO of the lobbying and public affairs firm
Public Strategies Washington. Rounding out the foursome was U.S. Trade Rep. Ron Kirk and Milton
Carroll of CenterPoint Energy.
Sen.
Durbin Wants Illinois Taxpayers to Help Fund Obama's Presidential Library. Sen. Dick Durbin (D- Ill.) is
urging the State of Illinois to put in seed money for the creation of a Obama Presidential library in Chicago.
"It's going to have a long-term positive economic impact and this is where it ought to be," Durbin told reporters last
week. "I believe an investment in this library by the State of Illinois will pay back in terms of visitors to our
state, more business, more jobs and people paying taxes." Durbin did not go as far a endorsing a bill in the Illinois
legislature that calls for up to $100 million in state seed money to create the Obama Presidential library.
Freeloader-in-Chief: 'I Don't Take Free
Food'. In this case he can start paying America back for living the lavish lifestyle on our dime. Really, who
does this clown think he's kidding?
The Editor says...
Mr. Obama does not pay for meals in the White House, aboard Air Force One, or presumably at the high-dollar fundraisers he so
frequently attends. His claim that he doesn't "take free food" is one of his most transparent lies to date.
6
Times Obama Used the Troops for Photo Ops. On Sunday [5/25/2014], President Obama
made a surprise appearance in Afghanistan after sneaking out of the White House on Saturday night.
There, he spoke with Afghan president Hamid Karzai via phone, because Karzai refused to speak with
Obama in person. [...] He was in the country for under four hours. The conspicuous timing of
Obama's visit, directly during the fallout over his administration's mishandling of the Veterans
Administration, has raised some hackles. But this is not the first time that President Obama has
utilized the troops as a photo op.
Obama's
Africa Vacation Hit Taxpayers For $2 Million On Lodging, Entertainment, Security Alone. The
Obamas' 2013 trip to Africa cost taxpayers over $2,000,000 in lodging, entertainment, and security expenses
alone, government watchdog Judicial Watch announced Thursday — a part of the total cost of
approximately $100,000,000 taxpayers spent on the president's vacation, as estimated by The Washington
Post. Records obtained in response to a FOIA request filed last summer detail that nearly one million
dollars were spent on hotel accommodations for the Secret Service — for one week. Preparations
for a canceled Tanzania safari — yes, a safari they didn't even go on — cost over
ten thousand dollars.
Taxpayers
picked up $2.1 million tab for Secret Service protection during Obamas' 2013 Africa vacation.
When President Barack Obama and his family took a six-day African vacation in 2013, the United States Secret
Service spent more than $2.1 million to protect them, according to documents from inside the Department
of Homeland Security. The costs included $953,788 for the security details' hotel accommodations, with
the rest chalked up to actual security costs — and 'entertainment.' The total of
$2,189,727 — separate from the whopping $8,104,224 in flight expenses — also
included $11,525 spent on preparations for a safari side-trip in Tanzania that the White House later canceled.
Q-and-A
on Michelle Obama's visit to Rhode Island. First lady Michelle Obama is traveling to
Rhode Island on Monday to participate in a keel-laying ceremony for a new submarine, the future USS
Illinois.
The Editor says...
One obvious Q without an A in this article was, "How much will this trip cost the taxpayers?"
Illinois
puts hold on $100 million public funding of Obama Library. You would think a state
with such dire financial problems couldn't even consider spending such a large sum of tax dollars
on something that's usually built with private money. Luckily, the Illinois House has backed off
the idea for the moment.
Obama Golfs with
Money Buddy. President Obama today is playing golf with Wall Street banker Robert
Wolf, a megadonor to Obama and other Democrats who is also reportedly a personal friend of the
president's. [...] It's Obama 17th time playing this year and the 174th trip to the greens since
his presidency began.
The Obama Paradox.
In a departure from a long practice of keeping his personal circle strikingly tight and rarely
lingering at official events, Obama has been hosting star-studded dinners that sometimes go on well
past midnight and inviting a few newcomers such as former NBA star Alonzo Mourning into his social
sphere. He's playing golf more than any other year, replacing basketball as his go-to sport, partly
because of concerns about getting injured.
Obama
in Winter: Scaled-down ambitions and ramped-up partying. Barack Obama's presidency
seems to be drifting in its sixth year, as he is all too aware. [...] He spent 46 days playing golf
last year, compared to 19 in 2012, having largely given up basketball for fear of injury. All well
and good — presidents have to relax — but imagine a more critical approach:
Obama has basically checked out. He knows he can't get much more done. Instead he's hanging out
with the glitterati and hitting the links.
4
Days, 3 Countries: 5 Things to Watch for on Obama's Europe Trip. President Obama
embarks Monday night on his second whirlwind trip to Europe this year, visiting three countries in
four days. The president will land in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday morning [6/4/2014] where he will help
celebrate the 25th anniversary of the solidarity movement. He then heads to Brussels for a G7
summit on Wednesday [6/4/2014].
The Editor says...
I don't know how hastily this junket was planned, but it was Obama's chance to escape some of the fallout
from two very recent and very embarrassingscandals.
Palm
Springs: President to arrive Friday evening. President Barack Obama and first lady
Michelle Obama should land at Palm Springs International Airport at about 6 p.m. Friday [6/13/2014],
straight from a visit to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. [...] What is Obama's plan
here in the Coachella Valley? Presumably a short vacation, and likely a round of golf or
two — though the details remain fuzzy.
The Editor says...
Obama's entire life is "fuzzy."
While
Iraq Falls To Al Queda, Obama Is Off To Fundraise & Play Golf In Palm Springs. While
the al-Queda-linked ISIS is closing in on Baghdad and the Middle East falls into chaos and flames,
it appears this crisis won't stop Richard Milhous Obama from two of his favorite pastimes... fundraising
for the Party of Treason (Democrats) and a few rounds of golf in Palm Springs, CA.
None dare call it vacation. Obamas kick off
long weekend in California. Obama plans to take a short flight to Orange County on Saturday
[6/14/2014] to raise money for the Democratic National Committee at a closed-door event at a private home.
President
Obama on vacation in California. Despite temperatures above 100 degrees, Obama was able to golf
at two nearby courses — Saturday at the Sunnylands estate and Sunday at the Porcupine Creek Estate
owned by software billionaire Larry Ellison.
Obama
goes golfing during Palm Springs vacation as Iraq descends into chaos. President
Barack Obama spent last weekend on the golf course and on vacation in Palm Springs, California
while his National Security team took charge of monitoring the increasing unrest in Iraq, it was
revealed on Monday [6/16/2014]. According to reports filed by journalists on the trip of the president's
comings and goings, President Barack Obama spent Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday at exclusive
resorts playing golf with White House aides.
Obama
golfs at Sunnylands, returns to Rancho Mirage. President Obama spent three hours and 40 minutes at Sunnylands to play
golf. The president is now headed back to his house at Thunderbird Heights, according to the White House press pool report.
Obama
Vacations Despite Iraq, Ukraine, Immigration Crisis. As the Los Angeles local CBS affiliate noted, Obama's staff has helpfully "scoped
out some golf courses and gave a list to Obama just in case he wants to spend Father's Day on the links." If the president breaks out the clubs
once again, it will be the sixth time he's golfed in Rancho Mirage since entering the White House. As of May 24th, 2014, President Obama
has hit the links 173 times since becoming president.
Obama
tightens his travel belt with one-night stay in Brussels costing 'only' $2.5 Million. Recors [sic] revealed on
Monday [6/16/2014] show that President Obama racked up another $2.5 million in hotel and rental car costs when he visited
Brussels, Belgium for this month's G7 summit — and spent just one night in Belgium's capital. Two
government contract award documents show that the money was allocated to cover 141 rental vehicles and a total of 399
lodging, meeting and conference rooms.
Obama
now in all-out free fall. [Scroll down] The Washington Post lambasted Mr. Obama
for his weekly rounds of golf, 177 so far. (To put that into perspective, Tiger Woods plays
about 18 tournaments, 72 rounds, a year.) Of course, The Post harangued President
George W. Bush for playing golf, but he quit playing after America went to war with Iraq.
("I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal," he said.)
Obama
tees off with ESPN commentator. President Obama is golfing Saturday with ESPN sports
commentator Tony Kornheiser, for the third time in less than a year.
The
Golf That Divides Americans. President Barack Obama is fond of describing the deep
inequality afflicting American society. And then he goes off to play golf. He's getting near the
200-round mark for his entire presidency, a sporting feat perhaps worthy of Teddy Roosevelt for its sheer
audacity. Golf is the most unequal sport in America, demanding expensive fees or country club memberships.
Liberal
Spin: 'Waste' of Taxpayers' Money for Obama to Visit Texas Border. "How much does it
cost for the president to actually go to the border?" asked Stephanie Cutter, co-host of CNN's
"Crossfire" on Tuesday night [7/8/2014]. "And you're willing to waste that taxpayer money? It's taking
Border Patrol agents off the job, so they're not projecting the border. Hundreds of local policemen... to
protect him — and negotiation with the Mexican government to secure the other side of the border."
She spoke on the same day that President Obama asked Congress for $3.7 billion in taxpayer money to mitigate
the crisis that many Republicans have blamed on Obama's lax enforcement of immigration law.
Report:
Obamas will return to Martha's Vineyard to vacation in $12 million home. While an
estimated 400 illegal immigrant children stream across America's southwest border every day in
August, President Barack Obama will take a 15-day vacation in a $12 million home nearly as far away
as it's possible to travel in the continental United States. The pricey real estate belongs to a
wealthy Connecticut widow whose late husband, then a General Electric executive, made $6,900 in
donations to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2007 and 2008 — then the maximum
allowed by law.
Obama to Take
15-Day Vacation in August. President Obama will embark on a 15-day vacation next
month, even as the nation and the world are engulfed in crises from the border with Mexico to the
Middle East. The Obamas will depart Washington on Saturday, August 9th and head for Martha's
Vineyard, staying in a $12 million vacation home until Sunday, August 24th, reports the Martha's
Vineyard Times.
Check
Out Obama's Multimillion-Dollar Martha's Vineyard Vacation Pad. President Obama and the first lady are
planning a two-week vacation at a seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom home in Chilmark, the Martha's Vineyard Times reports.
The first family will travel to the island from Aug. 9 to Aug. 24, making the 15-day getaway
the longest summer vacation of Obama's presidency. While the location of their vacation home was
supposed to be under wraps, neighbors confirmed to the local newspaper that the Obamas will be staying at a
luxurious home owned by Joanne Hubschman, whose late husband, Henry, was a former executive at General Electric.
The
hypocrisy of Obama's 15-day Vineyard vacation. One-third of people aged 18-29 have
moved back in with their parents. Millions of Americans this summer will enjoy yet another
"staycation": They just can't afford to go to the beach or the mountains, even for a
week — again. Swipe cut to President Obama: He's eating shave ice in Honolulu; playing
golf (some 180 rounds so far); jetting off to Martha's Vineyard for a 15-day vacation in a $12 million
house on the beach. He's playing pool in Colorado (he turned down an offer from a young
heckler to smoke some weed); eating barbecue with a college student in Minnesota; hitting fundraiser
after fundraiser across the country (at $228,000 an hour for his swank 747 super-jumbo jet).
Obama
plans 16-day Martha's Vineyard vacation on $12m estate. It's going to be hot tubs,
basketball, tennis and golf for the first family this summer, having set plans for a 16-day vacation
in Martha's Vineyard, Mass., on a $12 million, 10-acre forested estate on the southwestern corner of
the island. Reports from the Bay State indicate that President Obama and his family will vacation
August 9-24 at the 8,100-square foot, beachfront home of a Democratic donor that includes a pool,
hot tub, basketball and tennis court.
If I spent the weekend at Camp David, I would consider it a vacation. Obamas
to spend rare weekend at Camp David retreat. The family was leaving Friday
[7/18/2014] for the isolated and heavily guarded hideaway in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains.
Obama
golfing with staffers in Virginia. President Obama is golfing on Sunday at Fort
Belvoir, Va., according to a White House pool report. The president flew to the base on Sunday
afternoon [7/20/2014] from Camp David, where he spent Friday evening and Saturday.
5
months off: Martha's Vineyard break will put Obama over 140 days on vacation. When
President Obama wraps up his 16-day summer break next month on Martha's Vineyard, Mass., he will
have taken all or part of 141 days of vacation, time split between summers on the island, winters in
his native Hawaii and birthday weekends at his Chicago home. Obama has been criticized for taking
costly and lengthy vacations, especially compared to the short trips most Americans take.
How
Obama cuts down on the campaign costs of his fundraising trips. During President
Obama's West Coast fundraising swing this week, he'll squeeze in an official speech about job
training at a community college between multimillion-dollar fundraisers in Seattle, San Francisco
and Los Angeles to benefit House and Senate Democrats' re-elections this fall. But that's not just
because he's a multi-tasker. It will also cut down the cost of the trip. Over the last few weeks
Obama has made a practice of sprinkling in a few public-policy speeches on trips devoted mostly to
fundraising, even as he's faced new foreign policy crises in Ukraine and Gaza.
Another
16-day vacation in Martha's Vineyard, rumors of lavish house shopping. From the Middle
East to Ukraine, the world appears to be on fire, but Obama will watch it burn from a $12 million,
10-acre forested estate on Martha's Vineyard, according to Forbes, who noted that the first family
has summered at the tony island every year Obama has been in office, except for 2012 when he was
running for reelection. And rumors that the Obama family is purchasing a home in a gated
California community where some of Hollywood's top stars have maintained estates might suggest
that they've grown fond of the affluent lifestyle.
Obama
played 81 rounds of golf and attended 75 fundraisers since re-election. While domestic
crises simmer and international conflicts flare, President Obama can be counted on to pitch and
putt. The duffer in chief has played 81 rounds of golf and had attended 75 political fund-raisers
in the 628 days since his 2012 re-election, a [New York] Post analysis of his schedule found.
The president is on pace to double the 104 days he spent on the links during his first term.
Obama
kicks off birthday weekend golfing with pals. Obama turns 53 on Monday. In what's become an
annual birthday tradition, he's joining friends on the green for an early morning round at Andrews Air
Force Base in suburban Maryland. He'll board Marine One later Saturday [8/2/2014] for the short
helicopter flight to Camp David, the presidential retreat in the Catoctin Mountains.
The Editor says...
Those Marine One helicopter flights are relatively short but very expensive, and they are nearly
impossible to justify if the flights are made just to shuttle the President to the golf course and back.
President
Obama Arrives For Martha's Vineyard Vacation And Heads Out To Golf. Beautiful weather
greeted the First Family on Martha's Vineyard on day one of their vacation. The First Family's
motorcade pulled into their secluded island getaway with the First Couple and daughter Malia.
Younger daughter Sasha will join later.
The Editor says...
I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason to leave the 13-year-old behind (Where? With whom?) and a good reason to incur the
additional cost of flying the little princess to Martha's Vineyard by herself.
Obama
interrupting summer vacation with trip to DC. President Barack Obama is doing something unusual with his summer
vacation on Martha's Vineyard: He'll come back to Washington midway through the getaway to attend White House meetings.
The Editor says...
Isn't that what the telephone is for?
Obama
to jet off on two-week Martha's Vineyard vacation despite launching airstrikes in Iraq and fresh battles in Gaza.
President Barack Obama will embark on a previously planned two-week vacation to Martha's Vineyard tomorrow regardless of the
violence in Iraq and Gaza. Even as the first military airstrikes he authorized in northern Iraq were carried out Friday
[8/8/2014], Obama did not cancel the trip. The White House said Thursday Obama would come back to Washington midway
through the getaway to attend meetings but he will rejoin his family at the vacation spot later that week.
Inside
Obama's Vineyard vacation rental. The Obamas will unwind at a nearly $12 million
property that features a seven-bedroom house along Vineyard Sound. The home, on Gosnold's Way, is in
a more secluded spot than the South Road house the first family rented last year, a location that
caused traffic headaches. This summer's 8,100-square-foot rental home has sweeping views of the
Elizabeth Islands, a combination basketball and tennis court and an infinity pool, but is not
located on a swimming beach.
If you take multiple vacations every year, work will occasionally interrupt one of them. Foreign
policy crises intrude on Obama vacations. Obama's last three summer sojourns to this
Massachusetts island have coincided with tumult primarily in the Middle East and North Africa, as
well as elsewhere around the world.
Flashback: What
Obama Said About Taking Vacations in 2008 Video is a Real Howler. Taped interviews
have a way of coming back to haunt politicians. And the timing couldn't be better for this gem,
brought to us by Weasel Zippers, who dug up this pre-election interview with then-Senator Barack
Obama in 2008. The senator had high expectations for himself, if he were to receive Americans'
vote for President. [...] Either the President lied in this interview, or he has vastly different
ideas of what free time and leisure means to the average American.
Obama
is escorted by SWAT team and two snipers as he enjoys second day on the golf course.
As conflict continued in Iraq, President Barack Obama waged a different kind of war during his
vacation at Martha's Vineyard — on the golf course. Obama was escorted to the Farm Neck Golf
Club, in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, by a huge motorcade, which included a SWAT team and two snipers who peered
out of an open trunk.
Flashback:
Obama Promises No Vacations For Himself As President. Weasel Zippers has revived an
old video of Barack Obama promising not to take vacations if he were elected president. [...] The
future president was talking about how those running for president need to be prepared to "give
their life to it." "The bargain that any president strikes with is, you give me this office and in
turn my, fears, doubts, insecurities, foibles, need for sleep, family life, vacations, leisure is
gone," Obama said. "I am giving myself to you."
How
much do the Obama's cost taxpayers? [Scroll down] If you need further evidence,
look at his barber: Zariff, a Hyde Park haircut specialist, goes to Washington every 10 to
14 days to clean up the President's ever graying hair. Dailymail.co.uk reports that a commercial
flight between Washington, D.C., and Chicago runs about $300 for a round trip flight, totaling over $7,000
per year. The actual cost of the haircut or the transport is not important at all; it would cost
the average taxpayer almost nothing when divided over millions of people, but it is the principle of
the matter.
How
Much has Obama's Vacations Cost Taxpayers? Hint: It's a Lot. The Obamas are the modern-day
aristocrats against which our Founders rebelled. Though despising the rich, President Obama jetsets
with his family around the globe and lavishes his family with expensive, extravagant vacations — courtesy
of the American taxpayer. [...] Last year, the Obamas toured Africa at a cost of over $100 million for
taxpayers, while defending the vacation as official business. On this "official" business trip,
President Obama was joined by his wife, children, his mother-in-law and his niece.
Why
is Obama returning to Washington? President Obama won't make any major announcements on immigration
reform during his secretive mid-vacation trip back to Washington next week, the White House said Wednesday [8/13/21014].
The president is expected to return to the White House on Sunday, but officials won't say why Obama is taking the unusual,
and costly, trip back to Washington. He's expected to return to Martha's Vineyard, where he's been vacationing, on
Tuesday. Speculation has circled around whether Obama might make an announcement of executive actions he's taking on
immigration reform, or a surprise visit from a foreign leader.
The Editor says...
How many of you have ever interrupted a vacation, flown back to your office for a few days, and then flown back to your
vacation spot to rejoin the family? The president's actions make no sense, unless he is going to meet with someone
in the White House with whom he doesn't want to be seen.
Barack
Obama's Incredible Vacation Wars. Obama has a way of starting wars while on vacation.
During the Libyan War, Obama declared from Martha's Vineyard that, "Tonight, the momentum against
the Gaddafi regime has reached a tipping point." Then he went to play golf and accompanied Valerie
Jarrett on a visit to the home of the CEO of Comcast. [...] The Egyptian military seemed to have
picked up on Obama's priorities when it decided crack down on his Muslim Brotherhood allies while
the great man was vacationing in August at Martha's Vineyard. Obama had headed off on his
vacation even though Egypt was burning.
Malia
leaves Obama vacation early. Where's Sasha? President Barack Obama started his vacation on the Massachusetts
island of Martha's Vineyard with just one of his daughters, and he may leave with just one of his daughters when the two-week
getaway ends next weekend. In a first for Obama family summer vacations, neither teenager is spending the entire holiday
with her father. Obama left Washington Aug. 9 with his wife, Michelle, daughter Malia, and the family's two Portuguese
water dogs. The White House said 13-year-old Sasha would join her parents at a later date for "part of their stay" on this
quaint island of shingled homes. But Malia will not be around when her younger sister arrives. The daughters
essentially are trading places, and the vacation is boiling down to Obama getting about a week with each one.
The Editor says...
If Mr. Obama's vacation is interrupted by two or three days of work, isn't it more accurate to count it as two vacations?
President
Obama returns to Vineyard vacation. President Obama has returned to the island for
part two of his retreat after taking a rare break from vacation to tend to business in the nation's
capital over the last few days[.]
As
Obama returns, advocates look for executive action. Expectations are high that
President Obama can move ahead with controversial executive actions now that he has returned from
his vacation. [...] Obama will be in Washington for just one full week before departing on a trip to
Estonia and Wales in early September to reassure NATO allies amid conflict with Russia.
The Editor says...
That sounds like another junket to me.
Amid
crises, Obama's busy social schedule means double duty for Air Force One. In the past
two weeks, President Obama has twice interrupted vacation and fundraising trips to take presidential
planes to Washington for a brief period, only to turn around and fly back to his earlier
location — once after just a few hours in the White House. Why the peripatetic travel
schedule? Well, there was a wedding and a bachelor party involved — and an expensive mix
of socializing, work, and vacation.
President Obama Rejected From
Top NY Golf Courses Over Labor Day Weekend: Sources. President Obama was turned down at several top golf courses in Westchester while he was
visiting the area over Labor Day weekend, sources tell NBC 4 New York. The Trump National Golf Club, the Winged Foot and Willow Ridge were among
some of the elite courses that rebuffed the president's request to tee off there, according to several sources who were told about the president's advance
team's calls to the club managers.
After
Golf Snub, President Canceled Plans, Went Home. A new report from NBC claims that
President Obama couldn't get a tee time during a recent visit to New York. So he packed up and went
home (before returning to New York the next night for a private wedding). [...] But the change of
plans likely came with a considerable price tag. "Changes to the schedule resulted in the
cancellation of some hotel rooms and a re-routing of police security details. The President returned
to Westchester Saturday afternoon with a round-trip flight on Air Force One from Washington to New
York, the second in as many days."
Isn't that what the telephone is for? Obama
travels for briefings on Ebola, Islamic State. White House press secretary Josh Earnest Friday
[9/12/2014] said Obama would travel to Atlanta Tuesday for a briefing from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention on both Ebola and a respiratory virus in the Midwest. The president on Wednesday will conduct
a meeting with U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla., to review the administration's efforts to eliminate the Islamic State.
A
single trip for Obama to play pool, drink beer and raise money cost taxpayers about $700,000. Taxpayers had to
cough up $1,159,823 in just one month to fly President Obama to New York and Denver to raise money for Democrats and
attend an LGBT event, according to documents obtained by a taxpayer watchdog group. Judicial Watch told [The Washington
Examiner] that the Air Force just provided expense reports detailing the flight costs of Air Force One to the cities in July.
The documents show that president's July 8-9 fundraising trip to Denver cost the taxpayers $695,894.10. His
July 17-18 fundraising trip to New York City cost taxpayers $463,929.40.
Stage
Production for 18-Minute Obama Speech Cost $94,360. The stage, drapes, and sound
system for an 18-minute speech by President Barack Obama cost taxpayers nearly $100,000. "Elite
Productions," the go-to company for prominent Democratic politicians such as Bill and Hillary
Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, put on the set for Obama's speech to troops at MacDill Air Force Base in
Tampa, Fla., on Sept. 17. The company provided "stage, drapery, and audio/visual equipment,"
according to a contract document made public by the Air Force last week. The government paid the
company $94,360 for a speech that lasted from 12:04 p.m. to 12:22 p.m., at a cost of approximately
$5,242.22 per minute.
What's
Michelle Obama really campaigning for? There's much more to come in the 31 remaining
days. The cover story is both Obamas are dutifully trying to help Democrats. Because of his own
unpopularity and that of his programs and scandals, the president's not being invited to do the
hands-in-the-air joint campaign appearances that Mrs. Obama has. He's bent on fundraisers,
usually high-priced events ($32,400 on up to $100,000 per person) tacked on to to some official
presidential appearance to help split the travel costs of Air Force One.
Obama
Heads Home — Without Family — for Night. President Obama has
arrived in Chicago, where he'll spend the night before two public events in his hometown. The
president did not travel with his family. He's now dining out with top adviser Valerie Jarrett
and various friends, according to the White House pool report. They're at the steak house RPM Steak,
where a nice cut can cost up tp $155, according to the restaurant's website.
Obama
praises celebrity chef at $10,000-per-plate fundraiser. The fundraiser Monday night
[10/6/2014], which will benefit the Democratic National Committee, begins a busy week of fundraising
for the president. On Tuesday, Obama will attend at least two DNC events in New York City, and then
head to Connecticut for a fundraiser benefiting Senate Democrats. On Thursday, the president will
head to Los Angeles for another DNC event. The next day, he'll head to San Francisco for two more
days of fundraisers benefitting the DNC.
The Editor says...
If I did that much coast-to-coast traveling in a week, I'd call it a vacation.
How
much do Obama's fundraising trips cost? Mum's the word. From the way the White House
vehemently refuses to disclose information on the costs of presidential political travel and
calculations on reimbursing the government, you might think they were state secrets. As President
Obama embarks Thursday [10/9/2014] on a three-day Democratic fundraising trip to California, the
White House again refuses an umpteenth request from CBS News for the political travel information.
White
House Won't Say How Much Taxpayers Pay For Obama Fundraising. When President Barack Obama takes Air Force One on
a fundraising swing, he is required under the law to reimburse taxpayers for certain travel expenses. But as Mark Knoller
of CBS News reports, the White House has made it a practice of not publicly releasing specific reimbursement figures, making it
impossible for the public to see exactly how much they pay every time the president goes on a political trip. Knoller
says it's not about national security reasons, but rather about saving face.
Somewhat related: Joe
Biden enjoys free four-day family vacation at luxury federally-owned log cabin.
Officials are investigating how Vice-President Joe Biden took a free family vacation at a luxury
government-owned log cabin despite a ban on federal employees using the property for anything other
than official purposes. Biden, his wife and 11 other family members spent four nights at the
four-bedroom Brinkerhoff Lodge, situated next to a lake close to Mount Moran in the Grand Teton
National Park, in August.
Who is Going
to Investigate Biden's Boondoggle? Vice President Biden, Jill Biden, and 11 family
members had a grand vacation this summer at a lodge in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
They spent four nights there in August, presumably doing what you do at national parks —
hiking, fishing, canoeing, bothering wildlife, and taking in the marvelous views. And until a
reporter inquired about the trip, they hadn't paid for it.
Biden's
Hotel Bill for Turkey Visit: $625K. Vice President Joe Biden just returned Sunday [11/23/2014] from
a three-nation trip that concluded with a 48 hour visit to Turkey. The vice president, his wife, and
his entourage arrived in Turkey via Ukraine Friday evening around 7:30 local time for meetings with
President Erdogan and other government officials. Biden departed for Washington, D.C. Sunday after
meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The stay in Turkey alone racked
up a hotel bill of approximately $624,734.
For
reporters covering Obama abroad a long haul home awaits. President Barack Obama headed
home Sunday [11/16/2014] after a weeklong tour through Asia and Australia. Air Force One departed
from a military base on Australia's east coast, bound not for Washington, but for a refueling stop
in Hawaii, 4,731 miles en route. The White House says Air Force One, a modified Boeing 747,
has unlimited range because it can be refueled in midair. But the president often makes fuel stops when
traveling abroad.
Obama's
Labor Day Trips Cost Taxpayers $1,539,402 in Flight Costs Alone. President Obama's
Labor Day weekend trips for fundraising and personal business cost taxpayers $1,539,402.10 in
transportation expenses alone, according to records from the United States Air Force obtained by
Judicial Watch. According to Judicial Watch, the $1,539,402.10 total included: flights for
fundraising trips to Westchester, N.Y., and Providence, R.I., which cost $527,192.50; transportation
for a round trip flight from D.C. to Westchester to attend a wedding, which cost $358,490.90; and
another flight to Milwaukee, Wis., to speak at "Laborfest 2014," which cost $653,718.70.
Somewhat related: Obama and his wife encourage other people to spend your money. Michelle
Obama: 'Don't Leave Money on the Table, Almost Everyone is Eligible for Financial Aid'. First Lady
Michelle Obama said Thursday [12/4/2014] that college "has to be for everyone," and that students who enter college
are often the ones who can afford to go and have been "shepherded through every step of the process." In
various venues, Mrs. Obama has urged both government and school officials to change what she refers to as the
"two worlds" of college students, and her goal is in keeping with those of both supporters of the Common Core
standards and the College Board.
Obama's
One Night Brisbane, Australia Hotel Bill: $1.7M. President Obama stayed only one night
in Australia for the G-20 summit, but the entire presidential delegation required over 4,000 rooms
costing in excess of $1.7 million for the entire stay. Rooms at three different hotels were reserved
for the U.S. delegation, and due to the large number of countries involved in the summit, the Australian
government parceled out available hotels to each nation's delegation. The majority of the U.S. delegation
stayed at the Brisbane Marriott, with the remainder staying at two other Brisbane hotels, the Urban and the Adina.
Obama
'eagerly looking forward to' 17-day Hawaii vacation. The first family is returning to
Hawaii for their seventh straight Christmas vacation, a 17-day break President Obama is "eagerly
looking forward to." The White House has announced that the president and his family with depart
Washington on Friday and is expected to return Jan. 4. "On Friday, the first family will depart
the White House en route to Honolulu, Hawaii — a flight that I know the president himself
is eagerly looking forward to," said spokesman Josh Earnest.
Taxpayers
charged $1.1 million for Obama to visit Gwyneth Paltrow. Judicial Watch, one of those
domestic terrorist watchdog groups that keeps an eye on things any administration would rather not
have eyes cast on, filed a Freedom of Information request with the Air Force. Here's what it
learned about that one October fundraising trip to Los Angeles for a fundraising party at Gwyneth
Paltrow's house and another high-priced, closed roundtable discussion at the home of known
restaurateur Michael Chow: Taxpayer costs for Air Force One — $1,176,120.90.
Oh, and as long as he was on the West Coast, Obama jumped up to the other Democrat ATM, San Francisco.
That money-stop set us all back only another $165,069.60. Not counting wasted fuel in thousands of
cars idled in long traffic jams on freeways for the safety of Obama's passing motorcades.
Obamas
welcome 2015 with $295-a-head dinner at Hawaii's most acclaimed restaurant. The
president and first lady treated themselves to a five star dinner on New Year's Day at renowned
Honolulu, Hawaii, restaurant Vintage Cave, where a 15 course, prix fixe meal costs a cool $295 a
person, wine pairings add another $130 a head and the total tab often nears $1,000 after taxes and
tip. Formally an Asian cuisine restaurant, Vintage Cave recently began serving contemporary
French-American food after Jonathan Mizukami, of Napa Valley's The French Laundry fame, replaced the
restaurant's founding executive chef, the Pacific Business News reports. An example menu posted to
YELP lists courses that include caviar, cabbage from Hirabara Farm, Jidori egg yolk, foie gras, King
Crab, caramelized white chocolate and Candy Cap Cheesecake.
Another
night, another top restaurant: Obamas head to luxury Japanese eatery Nobu. Just 24 hours
after President Obama sat down for five-star dinner with the first lady, he was back in another renowned
Hawaii restaurant for a luxury meal. He took his family to Nobu, a Japanese restaurant inside the hip
Waikiki Parc Hotel where meals cost around $180 per person.
Obamas
drop $1K for meal at Hawaii restaurant that charges $500K for membership. President
Obama and first lady Michelle Obama spent a leisurely couple hours at Vintage Cave Honolulu,
dropping an estimated $1,000 on a meal with wine at an upscale restaurant that actually charges
$500,000 for those who want to buy a membership. Mr. Obama passed on the membership at the Vintage
Cave Honolulu, but he did order the price-fix menu at $295 per plate, Mediate reported. And,
according to Honolulu Magazine, "the total bill for two, with wine, will approach $1,000."
Another unnecessary campaign trip: Obama
Plans 3-Day Tour to Preview State of the Union. President Obama plans to spend the
weeks leading up to his State of the Union speech traveling across the country to promote different
themes from it, a new approach by the commander in chief to the annual address to Congress. In
previous years, the administration waited until the day before the speech to disclose what the
president planned to talk about, hoping that the element of surprise increased its news value and
reach. Typically, Mr. Obama went on the road the day after the address, like the two previous
presidents, to push his agenda.
Pearl Jam and lots of
golf: Obama ends Hawaiian vacation. It was Obama's sixth visit to Hawaii as President,
and his routines on the island have become familiar to residents and his traveling entourage. He
prefers the beach at Bellows Air Force Station — which can easily be cordoned off to prevent
any photographs of a body surfing President. He's made annual visits to the collection of four-star
kitchens near Waikiki: Alan Wong's Morimoto and Nobu. This year he added another restaurant
to his repertoire: Vintage Cave, a wine-and-dine club that charges $500,000 for a charter membership
(one doesn't need to be a member to eat there).
Obama's Hawaii vacation is
over, now it's time for taxpayers to pay massive tab. While the Obamas and friends who
accompany them pay for their own private vacation home rentals on or near Kailua Beach, taxpayers
foot a multimillion dollar tab for everything from a stand-by ambulance to the fuel for Air Force
One. Local taxpayers pick up the bill for Honolulu Police Department escorts who guard Obama,
first lady Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha around the clock. Figures just released by HPD
spokeswoman Michelle Yu show HPD spent $277,000 on overtime costs this year during the president's
16-day vacation. That's $16,000 less than in 2013, but $60,000 more than in 2012. [...] The
administration also rents cars for staff and security, and pays additional travel costs for Secret
Service and White House staff traveling ahead of the president. None of those costs have ever
been released to the public.
Flower
budget for Barack Obama Republic day appearance exceeds PMO's quarterly expense on flowers. When US President
Barack Obama arrives on the VVIP stage as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day parade on January 26, the exotic
fragrance of thousands of Holland variety Tulips, Dutch roses, Anthuriums, Oriental Lilies and Golden Orchids will
greet him. The government will be spending nearly Rs 15 lakh on flower arrangements for the VVIP stage on Republic
Day to decorate the saluting dais and rostrum with over 35000 exotic cut flowers and another 20 quintals of
loose chrysanthemums.
Obama only travels to states where he stands to benefit. Obama
Has Visited All But Four U.S. States — Guess What They Have In Common. With
his scheduled trip to Idaho on Wednesday [1/21/2015], President Obama will have visited 47 U.S.
states. Along with the Gem State, the remaining three — South Dakota, Utah and South
Carolina — have something in common: they voted for Republicans by significant margins in
2008 and 2012.
In
the face of irrelevance, Obama buys attention with other people's money. Obama's two
most recent policy proposals — federally funded community college and paid sick and
maternity leave — fit this populist model well. Each offers something that appears to be
free, while attempting to hide the very real costs from the public. Obama's college plan is not
as promising politically — it is too hard to hide its $60 billion price tag. But
his plan for maternity leave should have Republicans losing sleep at night. Unlike the Democrats'
previous pitch to women, which mostly aimed to mobilize single women by obsessing over contraception
and abortion, this plan is is designed to appeal to married women, a Republican voting bloc.
In
Saudi Arabia for 4-Hour Stop, Obama Admin Books Rooms at Ritz, Marriott, Radisson.
President Barack Obama's visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is costing taxpayers $267,787 in hotel and
SUV rentals, according to contracts issued by the State Department. The president is traveling to
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday [1/27/2015] to meet their newly crowned monarch King Salman and to pay respects
to King Abdullah, who died on Friday. President Obama and the First Lady will arrive in Riyadh on
Tuesday afternoon to attend delegation introductions, a bilateral meeting, and dinner at Erga Palace,
before flying back to Washington overnight.
Obama uses Air Force One to buy political favors: Air
Force One charm offensive takes off. One of the least back-slapping presidents in
recent memory may have finally found a way to bond with lawmakers — by treating them to
the most exclusive upgrade in air travel. Since his party took brutal losses in the November
elections, President Barack Obama has invited nearly 20 members of Congress to fly with him on Air
Force One to state visits in India and Saudi Arabia, to Tennessee for the announcement of his free
community college initiative, and to Nevada to promote his latest sweeping moves on immigration.
Obama
spends Valentines Day playing golf with friends. Obama arrived in the desert resort
area of Palm Springs on Saturday morning [2/14/2015] after a short flight from San Francisco and
went straight to the golf course on the grounds of the Sunnylands retreat in nearby Rancho Mirage.
He played several rounds on the nine-hole course with Bobby Titcomb and Greg Orme, childhood friends
from Hawaii who flew in to meet the president.
Obama comes to Palm Springs.
Love and Air Force One were in the air in Palm Springs on Saturday, Feb. 14, as President Barack
Obama made his fourth visit to the Coachella Valley in less than two years and his second straight
visit to the area on Valentine's Day — once again without the first lady.
The Editor says...
As it turned out, there was no reason to feel sorry for the "first lady." She and the kids went to Aspen to ski.
Michelle
Obama dodges accident to hit Aspen's ski slopes. "They had to go around the accident
this morning," Police Chief Brian Olson told the Aspen Daily News. He said that the procession
carrying the first lady and her daughters in Aspen for their fourth consecutive winter break was
allowed to "sneak through while they waited on tow trucks." The day before, Saturday, the Obamas
skied at Buttermilk, host of the Winter X Games. The family, minus dad who is golfing in
California, arrived Friday [2/13/2015].
Michelle
Obama Plans Spring Break in Japan With Sasha and Malia. According to the Asahi
Shimbun, the First Lady and her daughters Sasha and Malia will be traveling to Japan for a visit in
March. The trio will visit Tokyo and Kyoto, according to her schedule.
Michelle's
Secret Ski Trip Revealed by a Smashup. Now, three days after the fact, we find out
that after sending Dad packing for the weekend, Michelle and the girls quietly boarded an expensive
Air Force jet and headed to the Tiehack home of the owners of the Aspen Skiing Co., Jim and Paula
Crown. As 21 Coptic Christians were being beheaded and 17 Kurds were being paraded around in
cages with threats of being burned alive, and while radical Islamic terrorists shot up cafes and
supermarkets, crucified children, and vowed to conquer Rome, an undeterred Mrs. Obama focused like a
laser beam on Buttermilk Mountain.
Obama
Goes Golfing AGAIN as World Mourns Christian Martyrs. As the international community mourned
the deaths of 21 Egyptian Christians who were beheaded in an Islamic State (ISIS) video released on Sunday [2/15/2015],
President Barack Obama spent the day golfing in Palm Springs, California. Obama also played golf on
Sunday when the videotaped slaughter of Coptic Christians went viral globally.
The Editor says...
This leads to an obvious question: How many other secret trips have there been?
Obama
dodges DC cold in California. As Washington prepared Monday [2/16/2015] for what might
be its biggest snowfall of the winter, President Obama played a round of gold in the much warmer
Rancho Mirage, Calif.
The
First Family's Valentine's Day apart cost the taxpayer at least $2.5 million. The
Obamas have spent an estimated $2.5 million after Barack and the rest of his family took separate
weekend breaks. President Obama spent Valentine's weekend in California, where he managed to
squeeze in three rounds of golf at a California course owned by Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison.
Meanwhile, his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia flew to Aspen in Colorado for a skiing trip on
board a separate presidential aircraft.
Michelle
Obama plans trip with daughters to Cambodia and Japan for Spring Break. Michelle Obama
is taking daughters Malia and Sasha on a Spring Break trip to Japan and Cambodia in mid-March.
Mrs Obama will visit Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan, from March 18-20 and end the trip with a March 21-22
stop in Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia, the White House said on Tuesday [3/3/2015].
Vacationer
in chief: Tens of millions spent on 38 Obama holidays. As the first lady readies for a
trip to Japan and Cambodia this month, [the Washington Examiner] calculated that the first family
has racked up 38 holidays, working vacations, and fun trips like a date night in New York.
They are on par to take at least 45 holidays before leaving office.
The Editor says...
The word "holiday," in the case of the Obama family, can mean up to two weeks of vacationing. For the rest of us,
it usually refers to a single day. Where I work, "holiday" means one of six specific days of the year on which I get extra
pay, but I still have to go to work. The vocabulary represents a big difference between the royalty and the everyday worker.
Judicial
Watch: Obama Family's 2014 Christmas Vacation in Hawaii Cost Taxpayers $3,672,798 in Transportation
Expenses. Judicial Watch announced today [3/10/2015] it obtained records from the U.S.
Department of the Air Force revealing that the Obama family's 2014 Christmas vacation to Honolulu,
Hawaii, cost taxpayers $3,672,798 in flight expenses alone. Christmas in Hawaii is an annual
tradition for the family and their most recent visit, from December 19, 2014, to January 4, 2015,
marked their seventh Hawaiian vacation. The documents came from the Department of the Air Force in
response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed on January 5, 2015. Costs for the
trip to Hawaii, to the West Coast, and to Martha's Vineyard last year, cost nearly $3 million alone
in transportation. According to the documents, the Obama's spent 17.8 hours in the air
round-trip at $206,337.00 per hour, bringing the total cost to taxpayers to $3,672,798.60.
Obama's
LA trip for TV show will cost you $2 million. In fact, get out your checkbook right
now because the Democrat's about to drop some $2 million of other peoples' money for a few
minutes on a late-night TV show. This president is good with spending a lot on travel.
He took the entire family, including grandma, to Alabama last weekend. And according to latest
figures, the Obamas' last three Christmas vacations in Hawaii have cost taxpayers more than
$15.5 million just in transportation expenses. The first family annually rents the same
beachfront house in Kailua near Honolulu. It only has 13 bedrooms, but somehow they make do.
Michelle
And Barack Go To California — On Separate Planes. President Obama and First
Lady Michelle Obama were both in California at the same time yesterday [3/12/2015], but the pair
took separate flights for two different television appearances. Yesterday, President Obama
traveled aboard Air Force One to California for a TV appearance with comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
The First Lady, however, flew on a separate plane to California for a TV appearance with Ellen.
Obama,
first lady fly separately to L.A. on same day. First lady Michelle Obama and President
Obama took Hollywood by storm Thursday when both flew into the Los Angeles-area for major TV
appearances. Obama talked about Ferguson, Mo., and read mean tweets on "Jimmy Kimmel Live,"
while the first lady taped an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to celebrate the fifth
anniversary of the first lady's "Let's Move" campaign to raise awareness about active, healthy
living and combat obesity in the country.
Obama,
first lady flew on separate planes to L.A. on same day. Mr. Obama flew on Air Force
One, which costs about $228,000 per hour of flight time, to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday
night [3/12/2015] in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Mrs. Obama flew on a different plane Thursday across country to
Burbank, California, to tape an appearance on Ellen Degeneres' show. That show will be broadcast on
Monday. White House deputy press secretary Eric Schultz told reporters Friday that the president
and first lady's "schedules were not in sync in order to travel together."
Four
helicopters, out riders, marksmen... All so Barack Obama can joke around on Jimmy Kimmel's
show. A team of black-clad marksmen march across the airport tarmac, while a sea of
police outriders rumble through downtown Los Angeles. Is America mobilising for a major
emergency? No, Barack Obama's due on a chat show. The President mustered a massive
security operation for a few minutes' joking around with host Jimmy Kimmel.
Separate
Obama flights is just plane wasteful. Millions of dollars of taxpayer money spent in a
handful of hours in one day so that the first couple could travel, separately, in opulence across
the country. And all to get their Hollywood cool on to impress people in circles where fist-bumps
matter. Millions of your dollars. Take heart, though, the president didn't borrow your plane
exclusively for a tacky Tinseltown glamour shot. He also took time to hobnob at a swanky Hollywood
fundraiser — his 32nd in 21 visits to the area since he took office, according to the Los
Angeles ABC affiliate.
White
House defends Obamas' two flights to 'different airports' in L.A.. The White House
said Monday [3/16/2015] that taxpayers paid for first lady Michelle Obama and President Obama to fly
on separate planes to Los Angeles on the same day last week because they were traveling to
"different airports" on slightly different schedules. "They flew into different airports," said
White House press secretary Josh Earnest. "It's also my understanding that the first lady actually
left to get back to Washington, D.C., before the president even arrived in California." Mr. Obama
flew to Los Angeles International airport last Thursday on Air Force One, arriving around 4 p.m.
local time for an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
Obama,
first lady fly to Los Angeles on same day but take separate flights. President Obama
and first lady Michelle Obama flew to Los Angeles on Thursday for TV appearances but took separate
flights, collectively costing taxpayers at least $1 million. The president went to appear live on
comedian Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show on ABC, while the first lady went to Warner Bros.' studios
in nearby Burbank to tape an appearance on Ellen Degeneres' popular daytime show that is scheduled
to air on Monday.
YouTube
star Michelle Phan Joining Michelle Obama's Japan Trip. According to the White House, Mrs.
Obama will travel to Japan and Cambodia. During her trip, she plans to visit the Kiyomizu-Dera Buddhist
Temple and the Fushimi Inari Shinto Shrinand and will meet with the Emperor and Empress of Japan.
Rental
Cars for Michelle O's Kyoto Visit Cost $78,741. According to the White House press
office, "The First Lady will travel to Kyoto on March 20 and visit the Kiyomizu-Dera Buddhist Temple
and the Fushimi Inari Shinto Shrine. She will also greet staff from the U.S. Consulate in Osaka."
Fushimi Inari Shinto is a shrine dedicated to a god of rice. Visitors of the temple can pay to go
into a pitch-black basement that symbolizes the womb of Buddah's mother. The temple also features
the Otowa Waterfall, which has streams to cause "longevity, success at school, and a fortunate love
life." The cost for "Rental Vehicles for Flotus in Kyoto" is $78,741, according to a contract
signed last week.
Michelle
Obama travel expense update: Your tax dollars at work. Barack and Michelle Obama have traveled more than any
other first couple — doing Spain, Africa, China, South America, among other distant spots. Often they're
accompanied by friends and Michelle Obama's Mom, Marian Robinson, who's been living in the White House at taxpayer expense
since her son-in-law's inauguration. And in some cases, Mrs. Robinson's friends tag along. By one accounting,
as of last July the Obamas had spent more than $44.4 million in taxpayer money on travel for 31 international trips
lasting 119 days. For comparison, at the same point in his presidency Ronald Reagan had made 14 trips
lasting 73 days.
Here
comes Florida: The president takes another golf weekend. Time to fire up Air Force [One], because
President Obama is off to the Treasure Coast of Florida this weekend, specifically Palm City. The local press
is attentive, reporting that Mr. Obama will play a few rounds at the Floridian National Golf Club. Yeah,
well. Rather than prattle on about the cost of operating Air Force One ($206,000 an hour), here's the
description of the course [...]
Isn't this what Camp David is for? Obama
in Florida for golf getaway. President Obama kicked off the spring season on Saturday
with a weekend golf getaway in Florida at the resort where he once caused a stir by playing with
Tiger Woods. During his stay at the Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City, less than 50 miles
up the coast from Palm Beach, Obama planned to be out of public view, with no official events scheduled.
First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha were not on the trip.
The Editor says...
Would you fly to Florida for the weekend without taking your family?
President
Obama off on another golf weekend, in Florida this time. If you are spending your
weekend struggling with your taxes, take comfort in the fact that President Obama is using your
taxes, this year and probably all the income taxes you will pay in your lifetime, to fly Air Force
One ($228,288 per hour to operate) down to sunny Florida for some quality time on the links.
Obama
heading for Florida golf vacation. President Obama is fleeing the chilly, damp nation's capital this
weekend for the warmer climes of South Florida. Obama will travel to Palm City, Fla., on Saturday [3/28/2015]
and return to Washington on Sunday. The White House has not revealed details of his trip, but local news reports
say the president is expected to stay at the Floridian National Golf Club where he will hit the links. [...] The
club's owner is Jim Crane, a Democratic donor and owner of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros.
Reporters
refuse Obama's dismissal from golf course, are sent to the 'shed'. After a two hour
flight, Obama motorcaded to the posh Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City to play a round and
also stay. At that point, the pool reporter, Byron Tau of the Wall Street Journal, wrote in his
report to other correspondents, "The White House has called a lid. Pool does not anticipate news or
POTUS sightings until tomorrow's departure of Air Force One." [...] The trip will cost taxpayers
$843,508 in airfare alone.
Obama
trip: 39th holiday, 222nd golf outing, $843,508 airfare, 3 beers. The Golfer In Chief
is in Florida this weekend for his 222nd round as president. President Obama left Andrews about
9:30 a.m. Saturday for the two hour flight from Joint Base Andrews to St. Lucie County International
Airport and will stay in Palm City, Fla. Staying just one night, he is expected to leave Sunday afternoon
[3/29/2015].
Obama to visit Kenya.
Barack Obama will make a long-awaited trip to Kenya later this year, visiting his father's homeland
for the first time since becoming US president six years ago, the White House said on Monday
[3/30/2015]. During the long-promised visit this July, Obama will attend a Global
Entrepreneurship Summit in the east African nation, a statement said. Obama has visited Africa
four times since becoming president, but has not visited the country where he still has relatives.
The Editor says...
Once again, Barack H. Obama will be flying around the world at our expense, without any compelling reason.
Hotel
cost for Michelle Obama's 2-day Cambodia visit included 85 rooms, 5 suites for 14 nights! Mrs.
Obama traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia on March 21 to promote a girls education initiative. A
contract was awarded on March 3, citing the "unusual and compelling urgency" of the First Lady's trip.
Mrs. Obama and a delegation of senior high-level U.S. government officials stayed at the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra
Golf and Spa Resort, according to a justification and approval document for the visit. The trip required
85 single rooms, five office suites, five sleeping suites, and one conference room for 14 nights. Mrs.
Obama herself only stayed in Cambodia for two days, leaving on March 22. The Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra
is listed as a luxury five-star hotel.
Obama's
Chicago Presidency. The full Obama cares nothing about appearances. Indeed, he feels
that such disdain magnifies his godhead, as someone absolutely immune to tradition, protocol, and
criticism. Say that he golfs too much, and he will golf even more. You object that he sermonizes on
global warming while setting records for use of Air Force One, often on a parallel track with his wife's jumbo
jet, or lectures farmers on the California drought for a few minutes on his way to hit the Palm Springs
irrigated golf courses? All that is not the disconnect, but the point.
Michelle
Obama takes mom and 'grandma-in-chief' out to five-course New York lunch. Mother's Day
is still three weeks away, but Michelle Obama didn't need an excuse to treat her mom on Saturday
[4/18/2015]. Enjoying a perfect spring day in New York City, the First Lady and 'Grandmother-in-chief',
Marian Robinson, had a mother-daughter bonding lunch in Greenwich Village. The two sat down for
a meal at Lupa, a small Italian eatery on Thompson Street and were looked after by owner and restaurant
mogul Mario Batali.
Why
Does Michelle Obama's Mother Live at the White House? Here's a question I'll bet
nobody ever asked Jay Carney at a White House press briefing: Why does Michelle Obama's mother
live at the White House at taxpayer expense? Now that Michelle Obama's mother has caused a
disruption on the latest exotic vacation for the first lady, perhaps it is time for some answers
about why Marian Robinson is even on the trip to China. Worse, why is she appearing in
official photographs with Chinese officials?
The Editor says...
I would almost be willing to wager that the china will be packed into a moving van when the Obamas vacate the White House.
Taxpayers
Foot $49K Bill for Air Conditioning, 'Staging' for Obama's Town Hall in Jamaica. When
President Obama visited Jamaica in early April, he held a town hall meeting with "Young Leaders of
the Americas" at University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. The president made remarks and
took questions for only about 75 minutes in the Assembly Hall building on the Mona campus of the
university, but the State Department issued four contracts totaling almost $50,000 for "staging" and
the installation of generators and air conditioners.
Air
Force One: 10 Perks of Flying Like the President. [#5] Extra Legroom: The president
and accompanying passengers enjoy 4,000 square feet of internal space onboard the plane across three
decks. The spacious presidential quarters include a living area complete with beds, a private
bathroom and shower, a Situation Room, and presidential office. The office is so spacious the
president can use a mobile treadmill, kept in the cargo hold but brought up for exercise sessions
during long-haul flights. There is also an onboard medical facility and two kitchen galleys.
Michelle
Obama's Weekend Ski Trip in February Cost More than $57,000 in Transportation Expenses Alone.
Judicial Watch announced today that it has obtained records from the U.S. Department of the Air Force
revealing that Michelle Obama's weekend trip to Aspen, Colorado, in February cost American taxpayers
$57,068.80 in travel expenses alone for the 7.4-hour round-trip flight. While President Obama
flew to California to play golf, speak at a cyber-security summit, and headline a fundraiser for the
Democratic National Committee, the First Lady and her daughters spent Valentine's Day weekend skiing
in Aspen, returning to the White House on February 16.
Please
pray for Michelle Obama, who must endure 618 more days as our first lady. While hubby
played golf this Mother's Day weekend, Mrs. Obama went to Alabama's Tuskegee University's
[commencement]. Her 3,700 words began in standard form, but quickly became a detailed
recounting of American racism including the famed Tuskegee airmen who overcame it seven decades
ago. Then, her address took a turn we've become accustomed to expect more from her husband:
The celebration of 500 hard-won graduations became instead a speech more about her. To hear the
first lady tell it, this has been a pretty rough time for her, living in the White House rent-free with
her mother. Many sleepless nights. Taking numerous globe-girdling trips to five-star
suites costing taxpayers in excess of $44 million.
Obama
+ Clinton + Florida = fundraisers. The phrase gets old after a while, but it's time to
rev up Air Force One once again: President Obama has a pair of fundraisers to attend in Florida.
On Wednesday [5/27/2015] he's off to Miami to raise money for the Democratic National Committee at a private
dinner in the home of a local real estate kingpin, priced up to $33,400 a plate. Then it's on to one
of those private "roundtable discussions," this at the home of a mortgage broker, fetching $33,400 a person
for donors eager to parse the issues.
Obamas,
Minus Barack, Get Ready for European Vacation. The Obama family, minus the president
of the United States, will head to Europe later this month, according to the White House. They'll be
visiting the United Kingdom and Italy. It won't be all fun and games, however. There will be a
couple official stops in the week-long trip. "First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to London, Milan,
and Vicenza from June 15-21, 2015. Accompanying Mrs. Obama on this trip will be her mother, Mrs.
Marian Robinson, and daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama," the White House announced today [6/4/2015].
Air
Force One Rewards Program: President Obama Thanks Trade Supporters With Ride on Flying White
House. Although House Republicans are expected to do most of the heavy lifting in
providing votes to pass Trade Promotion Authority, President Obama has worked his personal touch to
ensure his trade agenda does not fall by the wayside — lobbying congressional Democrats
to support what may turn out to be one of his lasting legacies during his second term in office.
One key presidential perk at Obama's disposal: Air Force One.
Obama
Cracks Down on Airplane Emissions, Buys Massive New Air Force One. So the Obama administration wants to
crack down on emissions from airplanes. Except, of course, if President Obama is aboard. Then, it's a different
story. The Air Force has now chosen a $367 million Boeing 747-8 (before upgrades) that runs 4,786 square
feet; Business Insider calls the plane a "palace in the sky." It's the longest airliner ever and flies 8,000 nautical
miles at a clip. The interiors are glossy and gorgeous, including leather couches, big screen TVs, top-of-the-line
side tables, a state room that would make the MGM Grand envious, a huge office, and a conference room.
White
House balks at cost, mother's agenda for Michelle's Italy, London trip. The White House Friday [6/12/2015]
rebuffed questions about the cost of Michelle Obama's trip with her mother and daughters to Italy and England next week
and also wouldn't provide the agenda for Sasha and Malia or Obama's mother, Marian Robinson. "I don't have anything
I can give you on that," said the first lady's chief of staff, Tina Tchen. According to the White House, the four
are taking their summer vacation to England and Italy to address issues including kid health and education.
The Editor says...
"Addressing issues" is usually done by elected officials, and even then, it can be done by satellite.
So this trip is obviously a taxpayer-funded junket. An excursion. A joyride on an Air Force jet.
Michelle
Obama lands in Britain with Sasha and Malia for meeting with Prince Harry and tea party at No.10. US First
Lady Michelle Obama landed in Britain last night [5/15/2015] for a two-day trip to promote education for girls.
Mrs Obama was greeted by US military families as she stepped off the plane at London Stansted Airport, followed by her
mother and two daughters. The 51-year-old president's wife is visiting Britain to discuss her campaigns for girls'
education and better support for military families.
Michelle
Obama in Another Lavish Vacation. This makes at least 39 lavish, multi-million dollar
vacations paid for by you and me for Obama, his wife and their pampered kiddies. This time
Michelle, her daughters and grandma Robinson are headed to London and Italy on your dime, America.
Taxpayers
Billed $128,781 for Michelle Obama to See Cultural Sites in Venice. Hotel costs for
First Lady Michelle Obama to see cultural sites in Venice during the last leg of her trip overseas
is costing taxpayers $128,781. The First Lady left for London and Italy on Monday for her "Let
Girls Learn" initiative and anti-obesity campaign Let's Move. During the trip she will cook with
children, visit U.S. service members stationed in Italy, and visit Prince Harry. "From London,
the First Lady will travel to Milan," according to the White House press office. "As part of her
Let's Move! initiative, the First Lady will lead a Presidential Delegation to the Milan Expo 2015,
representing our steadfast commitment to a healthier nation."
Michelle,
Sasha and Malia touch down in Milan for the next step of their European tour. Michelle
Obama and her daughters left the UK after a whistle-stop tour and have now arrived in Italy. The
First Lady and her children, Sasha and Malia, spent two days in London to highlight her campaign to
bring girls in the world's most impoverished communities into education.
Michelle,
Sasha, Malia summer vacay likely to top $600,000. The bill for the summer-work vacation of first lady
Michelle Obama, accompanied to England and Italy by her daughters, mom, and staff, should easily top her entourage's
2010 trip to Spain that cost an eye-popping $467,000. While the White House didn't provide cost estimates for
the week-long visit to London, Milan, Venice, and Vincenza, Italy, the State Department put lodging costs for just a
couple nights in Venice at $128,781, according to Free Beacon, and Air Force charges based on a 2012
document for flying her group on past overseas trips indicate that this one will hit $243,000.
The Editor says...
Summer doesn't start until June 21, so this is a spring vacation. Their annual trip to
Martha's Vineyard is yet to come.
Obama
Planning Weekend Golf Extravaganza. President Obama continues to cast a pall of unseriousness
over his presidency, which was already of questionable seriousness, planning a weekend of golf out in California
following two days of fundraising on the Left Coast. This just a week after throwing a White House bash for
500 of his closest friends. Meanwhile, his wife is on a taxpayer-funded excursion to Europe where she is
promoting health and education overseas while taking in some sights with her daughters and her mother.
According to the Washington Examiner, Obama will golf in Palm Springs even amidst drought, a prospect that
should deeply annoy enviros and Californians forced to restrict their water use. Golf courses are
notorious guzzlers of water.
$100,000
a day for Michelle O's Italy, England trip. The bill for the summer-work vacation of first lady Michelle Obama,
accompanied to England and Italy by her daughters, mom, and staff, should easily top her entourage's 2010 trip to Spain that
cost an eye-popping $467,000. While the White House didn't provide cost estimates for the week-long visit to London,
Milan, Venice, and Vincenza, Italy, the State Department put lodging costs for just a couple nights in Venice at $128,781,
according to Free Beacon, and Air Force charges based on a 2012 document for flying her group on past overseas trips indicate
that this one will hit $243,000.
How
taxpayers will end up paying for Obama's West Coast fundraising jaunt. When the
president travels strictly for fundraising purposes, the Democratic National Committee and the
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are forced to pay the equivalent of a commercial airline
ticket for himself and each of his aides traveling with him. Yet, like most of his recent
predecessors, Obama has tended to sandwich at least one official event into a fundraising trip, like
he did this week, and figuring out the formula for what the party committees must pay under this
scenario is opaque, confounding even the most seasoned federal election law experts.
Obama
To Visit Ethiopia As First Sitting US President. The White House announced Friday
[6/19/2015] that President Barack Obama would visit Ethiopia in July. Obama would be the first
sitting American president to visit the African nation. White House press secretary Josh
Earnest said in a statement that Obama would have bilateral meetings with the Ethiopian government
as well as leaders of the African Union.
Par
for the course! Obama swoops into drought-ravaged Calif. for golf weekend. In the midst
of California's severe drought and state-imposed water restrictions, President Obama plans to spend
the weekend golfing at exclusive, water-guzzling resorts in Palm Springs. Mr. Obama arrived in
California Thursday [6/18/2015] to raise money for Democrats, and plans to stay in the state through
Sunday for some recreation. While the White House is being tight-lipped about his schedule, Mr.
Obama has been known to favor golf courses in the Palm Springs area, having visited the region four
times in the past two years. White House deputy press secretary Eric Schultz said the president
"may" play golf while there.
Obama spends
Father's Day on the golf course. President Barack Obama is spending Father's Day
without his family, instead hitting the links in Palm Springs, California, with longtime friends.
First lady Michelle Obama and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, have been abroad in London and Italy,
leaving the President home alone for a week.
The Editor says...
CNN makes it sound like we're supposed to feel sorry for Mr. Obama, because he's all alone on a
taxpayer-funded golfing excursion to California while his family is on a taxpayer-funded trip to England.
President
Obama departs from Palm Springs. Obama's most recent desert getaway ended Sunday [6/21/2015].
The president flew out of Palm Springs International Airport at 3:12 p.m. aboard Air Force One bound for
Washington. Golf in Rancho Mirage dominated Obama's two-day stay. Unlike past visits, there were
no known sessions with world leaders and no word of presidential actions taken while here. And at
28 hours from start to finish, it was Obama's quickest visit to the Coachella Valley.
Taxpayers
slapped with $866,615 jet fuel bill for Obama's Earth Day speech. President Obama's decision to take his Earth Day speech
attacking climate change "deniers" to Florida, home of two GOP presidential candidates, cost taxpayers $866,615.40 just for the flight
of Air Force One. Taxpayer watchdog Judicial Watch revealed Wednesday that the Air Force provided documents showing the flight
expenses of flying the jumbo jet 4.2 hours to Miami. He was then helicoptered 20 minutes to the Florida Everglades for
his speech.
Globe-trotting
Michelle Obama announces MORE foreign trips to promote education abroad. Michelle
Obama says she'll do more foreign travel to promote education for girls in developing countries.
The first lady announced a new program earlier this year to help adolescent girls improve their lives
by attending and staying in school called, 'Let Girls Learn.' She since has traveled to Japan,
Cambodia and London to promote the initiative and even stopped to have tea with Prince Harry.
The Editor says...
How very generous she is, to give of her time travelling all over the world and promote the heretofore
unknown idea of sending girls to school.
Vineyard
preps for President Obama vacation. Barry, Michelle and the girls, Sasha and Malia,
are scheduled to arrive for their annual summer holiday on Martha's Vineyard on Aug. 8 and will
depart Aug. 23, say our island spies. The first family reportedly will stay in the same swanky
8,100-square-foot, seven-bedroom, nine-bath cottage in Chilmark that they vacationed in last year.
Say this for the Obamas, they like their routines. The prez and his posse have spent 10 to 14 days
on The Rock every summer of his presidency save 2012, when he was running for re-election.
Inside
the Obamas' $12million summer vacation spot: Seven bedrooms, a tennis court, an infinity pool and a
manicurist on call. As the weather heats up in Washington, DC, the Obamas as planning
their summer vacation. The Boston Herald reports that President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle
and daughters Sasha and Malia will be staying on Martha's Vineyard from August 8-23. The Obamas
have spent almost every single summer on the tony island off the coast of Massachusetts' Cape Cod
except for 2012 — when the president was running for re-election.
Hamptons
plans of the rich and famous in chaos as Obama weekend visit to New York grounds all private
helicopter flights. The Hamptons set have had their plans for a relaxing weekend away
by helicopter put on ice by the President, who has banned all private air travel in New York City so
he can visit. Barack Obama, who is visiting Manhattan on Friday evening [7/17/2015] for a fundraiser
and to see a Broadway show, has closed airspace over the city to a huge slice of wealthy clients as part
of his security arrangements. The Federal Aviation Authority issued a flight restriction order from
Friday afternoon until Saturday to coincide with the visit, which puts ice on all private travel in a
16-mile bubble round New York.
Records
Reveal Michelle Obama's 2014 Trip to China Cost Taxpayers More Than $360,000 in Air Transportation Expenses
Alone. Judicial Watch announced today that it obtained records from the U.S. Department of the
Air Force revealing that Michelle Obama's 2014 trip to China cost American taxpayers $362,523.53 in air travel
expenses alone. The First Lady, her daughters, and her mother spent March 19-26 in China, in a trip
highlighted by extended visits to some of the country's most popular tourist sites.
The Editor says...
The Associated press, in the article immediately above, went on to say that Mrs. Obama "decided to hang back at the White
House this time." What could she have been doing at the White House that was more important to her than a trip to New
York with her family? Or was she on a trip of her own somewhere?
Obama
treats the girls to theater, trendy restaurants and late nights on New York father-daughter trip. Malia, 17, and
Sasha, 14, are enjoying a rare trip alone with their father, having taken a number of vacations to China and Europe with First
Lady Michelle. And it seems the president was keen to show them a good time. The trio lingered in an Italian restaurant
in Greenwich Village past 11pm on Friday before driving the motorcade around the city's streets then taking a private after-hours
tour of the new Whitney Museum on the Hudson River.
President
Obama visits New York City for DNC fundraiser and Broadway matinee. The normal weekend
getaway traffic in New York City will also include some presidential gridlock. President Obama
is set to arrive at Kennedy Airport a little after 6 p.m. Friday [7/17/2015]. He is in town
for a private Democratic National Committee fundraising dinner.
How
President Obama and His Daughters Spent Their NYC Trip. [N]o one was out of the hotel
door too early on a rainy Saturday morning [7/18/2015] after zigzagging around Manhattan in dad's
motorcade into the wee hours on Friday night.
Kenya believe it? Obama's
Visit to Kenya Costing Taxpayers $7 Million. Staging and production for a global summit in Kenya where
President Barack Obama will speak are costing taxpayers $7 million. Obama is making his first presidential
visit to the African country to attend the sixth Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which is being held at the United
Nations office near the U.S. embassy in Nairobi on Saturday [7/25/2015] and Sunday. According to government
contracts, staging, teleprompters, break out rooms, prayer rooms, and other logistics for the two-day event will
cost $7 million.
The Editor asks...
The government is paying for prayer rooms?
Rides on Air Force One are dispensed as rewards for good behavior — like doggy treats to obedient puppies. The
20 members of Congress going to Africa with Obama. According to the White House, half of the
lawmakers will fly on Air Force One to Kenya, and the other half will return on the presidential plane on
the way back from Ethiopia. The group includes three senators; the rest are House members, all members
of the Congressional Black Caucus. Flake is one of a small number of Republicans who have expressed
openness to the White House's nuclear agreement with Iran.
Obama's
flight to Africa tops $5 million: study. President Obama's five-day trip to Africa
cost taxpayers more than $5 million in flight time alone for Air Force One, according to a study
released Tuesday [7/28/2015]. The National Taxpayers Union said Mr. Obama is spending about 29 hours
of flight time on the trip that began Thursday, taking him to Kenya and Ethiopia. Operating Air Force One
costs $206,337 per flight hour, for a total of $5,983,773.
Obama
pushes up start of family's 40th vacation — leaves Friday for Martha's Vineyard. Already planning to
spend 15 days vacationing at a sprawling oceanside resort home in Martha's Vineyard, President Obama has told the town
that he is coming a day early, arriving Friday evening. [...] Helicopters and even a U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey were seen
flying into the Martha's Vineyard airport.
Obama's
Martha's Vineyard Sojourn Four Times Longer Than Average American Vacation. The Associated Press reported that the
Obama family moved up the date of departure, extending their summer vacation to 17 days, more than four times the length of
the average American vacation. In fact, Obama's summer break is one day longer than the total amount of vacation time the
average American worker is allotted for an entire year. The first family will reside in the same $12 million mansion in
Chilmark that they rented last year. Positioned on 10 acres of land, the 8,100-square-foot home houses seven bedrooms and
nine bathrooms. The estate is enhanced by a dual basketball/tennis court and an infinity pool.
Obama
Leaving For Vacation But Troubles May Follow. [Scroll down] Reportedly staying at the same
location they rented last year, the secluded 8,100 square foot estate boasts seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a
pool, a hot tub and dual tennis/basketball court. Zillow estimates the property at more than $13 million.
Obama Going to Alaska to Save the Earth. In August, President Obama is
heading to Alaska for his latest fossil fuel-burning stop to combat the effects of man-made climate change. There, he will initiate the first strike against
the coming apocalypse: he will hold a discussion with local residents. And if you are lucky enough to have signed up for the updates, the White House
will send you pictures and videos from his trip! The president calls Alaska "the frontlines of our fight against climate change." In the video, Obama
states that climate change used to be a problem for future generations, but it's happening now and the effects are being felt by people everywhere.
The Editor says...
In other words, after his 17-day vacation at Martha's Vineyard in August, he will embark upon another vacation, this time to Alaska.
Obama's
ever-shrinking, nearly invisible Martha's Vineyard vacation. The reality, though, is that the president's
vacation has — with each passing year — grown smaller and smaller. So small, in fact, that it can
barely be seen. Early in his presidency, Obama made regular visits with his wife and daughters to the Bunch of Grapes
bookstore in Vineyard Haven to load up on reading. But those jaunts fell off the schedule years ago. [...] Mostly
though, he has played a LOT of golf. Obama has hit the links four times with professional basketball player Ray Allen,
best known for his quiet demeanor and lethal three-point shot. And he has played once with former president Bill Clinton,
who is best known around the Vineyard for causing traffic jams with his slow and sociable style of play on the course.
Obama
rubs elbows with Harry Reid's corporate welfare lobbyists. The crowd cheered the President's toast to their
taxpayer-provided profits, and soon Obama headed off to a $33,000-a-head fundraiser at the mansion of the billionaire owner
of the local newspaper. You, the taxpayer, paid for Obama's flight to Vegas. This is what Hope and Change looks like
seven years after Obama accepted the Democratic nomination. Obama was the keynote speaker at the National Clean Energy
Summit, an annual confab organized by outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid — which tells you a lot about the
nature of the event.
Climate
Change Stars In Obama's Alaska Theater Of The Absurd. [Scroll down] Included in the theatrics was a lot of
fiction. Obama pointed out melting glaciers and rattled off the points written for him by someone else as if he were the
author of the profound string of words. The message: Humans are burning so much carbon-dioxide-emitting fossil fuel that
the planet is warming from the greenhouse effect — and they have to stop. What a colossal waste of time, effort and
resources. If Obama wanted to visit Alaska as part of his official duties, fine. But a trip merely to yammer about
man-made global warming is a trip that shouldn't have been made.
White
House: Obama's Trip To Oregon Will 'Not be About Politics'. President Obama promises to politicize mass
shootings as a way to demand more gun control. But the White House says that's not what he'll be doing as he visits the
victims of the college shooting in Oregon on Friday [10/9/2015]. According to the White House, Obama will be traveling to
meet and console the victims and no public remarks are expected.
The Editor says...
You can believe that if you like, but I don't. Of course he will make "public remarks." Especially
if the White House announces in advance that he won't. Nothing Barack H. Obama does is motivated by anything other
than [#1] politics or [#2] narcissism.
Obama
Combining Visit to Oregon Shooting Victims with Fundraising Swing. President Obama is visiting Roseburg, Ore.,
on Friday [10/9/2015] to meet with the families of the Umpqua Community College shooting victims. That news was leaked
to White House reporters at the beginning of the week. Today [10/7/2015], the administration revealed that this visit
will be combined with Democratic Party fundraisers in the Pacific Northwest. Obama is scheduled to appear at both a
closed-press DNC event and a Seattle event with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), a luncheon at the Westin Hotel with the
Washington State Democratic Party. That same day, Obama flies to San Francisco for another DNC event.
Obama's
February, March 2015 Golf Vacations and Fundraisers Cost Taxpayers $4,436,245.50 in Travel Expenses Alone.
Judicial Watch announced today that it has obtained records from the U.S. Department of the Air Force revealing that Barack
Obama's February and March 2015 travel for golf vacations and fundraisers totaled $4,436,245.50 in taxpayer-funded
transportation expenses. The documents regarding the Obama travel expenses came in response to two Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) requests filed by Judicial Watch. To date, the Secret Service has not provided requested information, as
required by FOIA, regarding security costs.
FOIA:
2 Obama golf outings cost taxpayers $1.8M, $20,000 a hole. Just two golf outings by President Obama cost taxpayers
$1,836,555 in travel expenses alone during a costly series of work and fun travel in March and April, according to new documents
released by Judicial Watch. Documents provided under the Freedom of Information Act to Judicial Watch showed that the cost
per hole was $20,406. During two trips to California and Florida, the president played five rounds of golf. In February,
he traveled to Palm Springs, California, for an all-men President's Day break. The flight alone cost $1,031,685. Judicial
watch is still awaiting a report on security costs.
Obama's
golf outings cost you $20,000 per hole. Just two of Barack Obama's golf outings last spring cost taxpayers more than $1.8 million,
according to government expense documents released by the watchdog agency Judicial Watch. While additional political fundraising junkets in the
same period boosted costs to taxpayers above $4.4 million. And that's just for transportation. It does not include expenses for security,
which the Secret Service refuses to divulge.
Benghazi
Committee Investigation Costs The Same As Two Months' Worth Of Obama Golf, Fundraiser Junkets. The cost of
funding the House Select Committee on Benghazi's 17-month investigation into the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks in Libya is just
slightly more than the amount taxpayers were billed for a couple of golf outings and a political fundraiser President Obama
attended in February and March. The watchdog group Judicial Watch obtained records which show that trips Obama made earlier
this year to Chicago, Los Angeles and other parts of California cost taxpayers $4,436,245.50 in transportation expenses alone.
Another solo vacation overseas: Michelle
Obama calls for an 'honest conversation' about how women are treated across the world. Michelle Obama called
for an end to 'outdated laws and traditions' preventing millions of girls around the world from completing their education,
in an impassioned speech in Qatar today [11/4/2015]. The US first lady, on a seven-day tour of the Middle East, told an
education conference in Doha that an 'honest conversation' was needed around the globe about how women are treated and how
this prevents millions of girls from finishing school.
Obama's
2015 Golf And Family Vacations Cost Taxpayers $3,115,688 — On Airfare Alone. A Tuesday [11/17/2015]
report from Judicial Watch claims that Obama took three "unnecessary" golf and family vacations this past year, and American
taxpayers footed the bill. According to the new information, the travels to just Palm Springs in June, New York City in
July and Martha's Vineyard in August cost a cool $3,115,688.70.
Obama's
Trips Bust The Budget. The most expensive Obama outing was almost $2.2 million spent in June on 10.6 hours of
flight time for Air Force One, a 747 that costs $206,337 per flight hour to operate. Obama took the jumbo jet to Palm Springs,
Calif., to play golf with his Hawaii pals on the private course of Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison. Of course, there was also
the annual August Obama family safari to Martha's Vineyard. That trip involved three hours of flight time, or $619,000 in
taxpayer funds. The Massachusetts island isn't big enough to handle Obama's 747, so it flies to Cape Cod and parks.
There, the Obamas and their dogs, staffs and luggage are transferred to Marine helicopters for the journey over the Atlantic Ocean
to the tony island and their 8,100-square-foot rented home.
Obama's
Motorcade for Climate Change Talks Costing $784,825. Car service, hotels, and accommodations for the president
and other administration officials to attend climate change talks in Paris are costing taxpayers nearly $2 million, according
to government contracts. The COP21 meeting of global leaders, which President Obama said is a "powerful rebuke" to terrorists,
began on Monday. Representatives from 195 countries traveled to Paris, burning 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide for the United
Nations conference that is seeking to reduce global emissions. The tab for Obama's motorcade alone totals $784,825. The
State Department issued a $407,868 contract to Biribin Limousines, an international chauffeur service, for vehicles for the president's
security detail.
The
Obamas Rise To The Christmas Tree Occasion. The Obamas make do this year with only 62 Christmas trees. Once
again, the Obamas won't be in the White House for Christmas this year. They'll soon be making the nine-hour flight west with
staff, family and friends to another rented island house for two weeks. But that doesn't stop the first family from having a
wintry storm of holiday decorations put up around their temporary public housing. As usual, an estimated 65,000 visitors
with special tickets will see the indoor holiday sights. This year the people's house will have 62 Christmas trees, 54 fake
snowmen and — to be PC — snowwomen.
President
Barack Obama and his family to spend Christmas in Hawaii for eighth consecutive year. President Barack Obama
and the first family will return to Hawaii for their Christmas vacation next week for the eighth year running. The White
House confirmed Friday [12/11/2015] that the Obamas are due to leave Washington for the island on December 18, the Huffington
Post reports. It is not yet known where they will stay this year, though they have traditionally rented out a property in
the upscale Kailua area on Oahu island.
Chief
of spending watchdog president's Christmas Hawaii trip is too expensive to justify. Barack Obama has been
savaged by a top spending campaigner for taking the First Family on an eighth consecutive Christmas vacation to Hawaii, at
huge expense to the American taxpayer. The President was accused of treating Air Force One, which costs $206,000/hour to
run, 'like an Uber ride' ahead of his next jaunt to his home state. Fly-time alone will set taxpayers back somewhere in
the region of $3.5 million as Obama, the First Lady, Sasha and Malia and their two dogs jet off for around two weeks.
Obama
to Americans: Stay gullible, my friends. Obama is on a terrorism talking tear right now because he's about to disappear into the Hawaii
sunshine for another half-month of vacation. Yes, Obama's get-away trips are very expensive by the standards of normal Americans.
His weekend golf trips alone this year cost taxpayers almost $2 million, or $20,000 per hole.
The
Obamas touch down for their final Christmas vacation as the First Family. Obama's eighth consecutive Christmas vacation to
Hawaii begins just as a new report published Thursday [12/17/2015] showed the total cost of Obama's vacations since taking office in January
2009 has now hit $70.5 million. The costs are being savaged by a critical conservative group, which said Obama is treating Air
Force One, which costs $206,000/hour to run, 'like an Uber ride' ahead of his next jaunt to his home state,' Tom Fitton, president of the
Judicial Watch pressure group said.
Report:
Price of Obama getaways $70 million so far, and counting. There was the weekend trip for President Barack Obama
and his daughters to New York, including a Broadway show and a private museum tour. The ski trip to Aspen, Colorado, for
first lady Michelle Obama in February. And lots and lots of golf in Florida, Southern California and Martha's Vineyard,
Mass. Now as the Obama family departs Friday [12/18/2015] on its annual holiday vacation to Hawaii, new estimates put the
price tag of the Obamas' 2015 trips that are all or largely personal at $11.6 million for travel costs alone, according to
the conservative group Judicial Watch, based on federal government records. That brings the overall cost of personal or
largely personal travel to at least $70.5 million since Obama took office in 2009, according to the group's analysis.
Flashback:
Obama Promises No Vacations For Himself As President. Weasel Zippers has revived an old video of Barack Obama
promising not to take vacations if he were elected president. The video features then-Sen. Obama discussing his book
"The Audacity Of Hope" with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert in 2008.
Obama's
ominous final year vow: I'll 'squeeze every ounce of change I can'. Even as he golfs his way through another half-month vacation from their
rented mansion in Hawaii, both Barack and Michelle Obama are asking supporters for more money. True, he can't run for the White House again.
But if the murder of four Americans in Benghazi didn't keep the Big O from doing political fundraisers, why should another year of deadly ISIS
rampages, including some now homegrown? Or delay another of their expensive vacations at taxpayer expense. Or Michelle Obama's costly
separate trips.
Obama's 2016 world tour.
President Barack Obama will be making good use of Air Force One while he still can. Obama has asked aides to set a busy international
travel schedule for him in his final year, with "half a dozen" trips already in the works and more potentially coming together. The
travel will be aimed at cementing a foreign policy legacy he hopes will include the Trans-Pacific Partnership, increased attention to Asia,
an opening of Latin America, progress against the Islamic State and significant global movement on climate change.
The Editor says...
Most of this could be done by telephone.
Obama
to fly abroad at least six times to 'secure' his legacy. Politico is reporting that the only continents the president has
ruled out are Antarctica and Australia, and while Africa won't be a solo destination, there's a chance Obama could swing through his
father's home continent as part of another trip. He's making the trips to secure his foreign policy legacy — working on
issues like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and ridding the world of the Islamic State — while the presidential election will be
sucking up most of the political oxygen back home.
Taxpayers
Paid Over $8 Million for Obama's 17-Day Hawaii Christmas Vacation in 2013. Judicial Watch announced today that
it recently received expense records from the Department of Homeland Security revealing that Secret Service expenses for the
Obama family vacation to Honolulu during December 2013-January 2014 cost taxpayers at least $316,698.03. These new expenses
bring the total for the Hawaii Christmas vacation trip to $8,098,060.33. The Secret Service waited nearly two years to
produce the requested numbers to Judicial Watch. The heavily redacted records were obtained on December 28 in response
to a January 6, 2014, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
New
Obama vacation costs uncovered; They now exceed $70 million. As Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama,
family, friends, pets and staff enjoy their half-month-long Hawaiian vacation, the Secret Service finally complied with a
court order to release some Obama vacation expenses from two years ago. That's how eager the Obama administration is about
being transparent when it comes to spending large sums of taxpayers' money on itself. As with the slow-motion releases of
Hillary Clinton's emails, the idea of bureaucratic stalling, of course, is that the details become "old" news more likely to
be ignored by media. Fortunately, we're not on vacation this week, so we can help the president out.
President Obama's Bizarro-World
victory tour. Having done a world tour on his way into the White House, President Obama's now planning an even bigger global
victory lap in his final year in office. [...] The president has reportedly ordered his staff to set a heavy international schedule for 2016.
What, to celebrate the arrival of world peace? The White House, Politico reports, means the trips to cement a legacy of "Trans-Pacific
Partnership, increased attention to Asia, an opening of Latin America, progress against the Islamic State and significant global movement on
climate change."
The Editor says...
Mr. Obama is "cementing his legacy" with very expensive cement!
A
Presidential Trip, Or An Ego Trip, To Cuba? In search of a legacy and Latino votes for Democrats, the White
House says President Obama will likely visit Cuba this year. So far from this being about U.S. interests or even Cuban
liberty, it's just another ego trip.
Who
pays when Obama uses travel to rip Republicans? The costs of Obama's travel include operating the presidential
plane — Air Force One — as well as helicopters, cargo planes, armored cars, Secret Service protection
and advance, communications and medical staff. The White House itself decides whether a trip constitutes official
business or political travel. It makes the determination in secret.
Obama
Family's October Weekend Fundraising Getaway to San Diego Cost Taxpayers $2,001,468.90 in Travel Expenses Alone. Judicial Watch
announced today [1/21/2016] that it has obtained records from the U.S. Department of the Air Force revealing that the October 2015 Columbus Day
getaway enjoyed by President Barack Obama and his family cost taxpayers $969,783.90 in flight expenses alone. The documents regarding the
Obama travel expenses came in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request first filed on October 13, 2015.
Secret
Service Hotel Bills For Obama Family's 2014 August Vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Christmas Vacation in Honolulu Cost
Taxpayers $1,243,057. Judicial Watch announced today [2/3/2016] that on January 15, 2016, it obtained records from the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealing that the August 2014 Martha's Vineyard and Christmas 2014 Honolulu vacations
for President Barack Obama and his family cost taxpayers $1,243,057.80 for Secret Service accommodations alone. According
to the newly obtained records, accommodations provided by Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Reservations for the Secret Service detail
accompanying the Obama family on their two-week Martha's Vineyard vacation in August 2014 cost taxpayers a total of $946,435.
Obama hits golf course in
California. While Washington was facing a deep freeze Friday [2/12/2016], President Obama was eager to hit the links on the West Coast.
Fresh off a Thursday fundraising swing through San Jose and Los Angeles, Obama flew to Palm Springs, Calif., for a weekend golf getaway. Obama's
motorcade arrived at Porcupine Creek golf course, owned by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, in nearby Rancho Mirage just over 20 minutes after
Air Force One landed on Friday [2/12/2016].
First lady skied Aspen over the holiday
weekend. First lady Michelle Obama is spending her Presidents Day weekend in Aspen, in what has become a
regular late winter holiday vacation here on the local slopes. Mrs. Obama was spotted at Tiehack on Saturday and at Snowmass
on Sunday [2/21/2016], according to eyewitness reports.
Biden's
One-Night Visit to Mexico City Cost $538,528 for Hotels Alone. [Vice President Joe] Biden, who attended an
annual economic summit with Mexican leaders, stayed at the luxury Intercontinental Presidente Hotel. Biden led a delegation
attending the summit that included Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, and Interior Secretary
Sally Jewell. The trip called for 260 hotel rooms and meeting spaces, according to a State Department contract. The total
hotel tab was $538,528.65. The government said the trip costs were justified due to security concerns and last-minute planning.
Nancy
Reagan Criticized Obama's Vacations. It's easy to tell the difference between class and no class, between
American leaders and leaders who hate America and can't wait to get away from it.
Obamas
are all smiles as they continue tour in Argentina despite growing criticism. It appears to be business as usual
for the Obamas as they were pictured landing in Argentina early Wednesday — less than 24 hours after the terror attacks in
Brussels, that killed at least 34 people and injured 200, nine of whom were Americans. The family were seen waving and
smiling as they made their way off the private plane that had just touched down at the international Buenos Aires airport. Obama —
accompanied by wife Michelle, daughters Sasha and Malia — is on a two day official visit to Argentina having just left Cuba.
Obama
brings two fuel-guzzling planes to serve as Air Force One in Argentina. President Obama brought along a second, smaller
Air Force One for his family to enjoy a day of sightseeing in Argentina on Thursday [3/24/2016]. After dancing the tango at a
state dinner in Buenos Aires Wednesday night, the president and first lady Michelle Obama took their daughters aboard the government
plane colloquially known as "baby" Air Force One Thursday to fly to the scenic town of Bariloche in southern Argentina. It's a
Boeing 757 used when traveling to places where the runway is too short for the primary Air Force One.
Two
Air Force Ones for Obama to go hiking. President Barack Obama and his family are now on a hiking trip at the
foothills of the Andes Mountains in Argentina. The Obamas landed just after 2:20 local time in a Boeing 757, technically
known as a C-32 as Air Force One is a military plane, in Bariloche. That's a separate plane from the larger 747, or VC-25,
they came to the country in. The Obamas took the smaller plane that holds 45 passengers as opposed to 76 on their personal
day-trip. It means that the trip to Latin American involved two presidential jets.
The Editor says...
Note also that Mr. Obama brought his kids and his mother-in-law along, proving that it was just another vacation.
The leftist Obama-friendly press didn't call it a vacation, but that's what it was.
Last
night was SO fun, we must do it again some time. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle put on an
animated display as they bade their Argentinian counterparts goodbye. [...] It marked the end of an activity — and
controversy-packed week for Obama — a night after he danced a racy tango with a scantily-clad dancer in Buenos Aires as
American allies rushed to lend aid to terror-struck Brussels. After saying their fond farewells, Mr and Mrs Obama
reunited with their daughters and Michelle's mother to catch a plane back to the capital, where they would transfer to a
US-bound flight.
The Editor says...
If this was anything other than a vacation trip, why was Obama's mother-in-law along for the ride?
Michelle
Teaches Argentinian Girls about Catcalls and Chauvinism. Although no one has stopped American girls from learning, the U.S. government
banner Michelle Obama travels the world carrying reads: "Let Girls Learn." In fact, observant American girls like myself have studied how the
FLOTUS cleverly exploits gender-specific initiatives to bilk the American public into covering exorbitant travel expenses. If a girl uses her brain,
it's easy to figure out that every year, after her ski weekend in Aspen, while Sasha and Malia are on Easter break the FLOTUS feigns false concern for
educating girls as an excuse to impose her entourage on world leaders. Annually, in the name of education, Michelle loads up a couple of
Air Force Ones, jets all over the globe, dresses up in expensive clothes, sight sees and mooches a free meal off of whoever is dumb enough to
buy into the ruse. The FLOTUS spends $222K for two nights in China, and in between dancing the tango and eating fried fat cakes in Botswana,
Michelle manages to wangle passing those expenses along to the American taxpayer and does it by preaching to girls, worldwide, on the subject of
racism, victimization, and sexism.
Obama
Family 2015 Honolulu Christmas Vacation Cost Taxpayers $3,590,313 in Flight Expenses Alone. Judicial Watch
announced today that it has obtained records from the Department of the Air Force revealing the Obama family 2015 Christmas
vacation to Honolulu, Hawaii, cost the taxpayers $3,590,313.60 in flight expenses alone. According to the Air Force
records, the Obamas used both Air Force One and a Boeing C-32A, the military equivalent of a Boeing 757, which was
apparently use[d] to transport the First Lady.
Obama
Family 2015 Honolulu Christmas Vacation Cost Taxpayers $3,590,313 in Flights Alone. Judicial Watch announced
today [3/30/2016] that it has obtained records from the Department of the Air Force revealing the Obama family 2015 Christmas
vacation to Honolulu, Hawaii, cost the taxpayers $3,590,313.60 in flight expenses alone. According to the Air Force
records, the Obamas used both Air Force One and a Boeing C-32A, the military equivalent of a Boeing 757, which was apparently
use to transport the First Lady. Judicial Watch also has obtained records from the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security revealing that President Obama's four trips to New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Palm City, Florida in 2014
and 2015 cost taxpayers at least $286,416.64 for Secret Service travel and accommodations. The Obama trips to New York
and Los Angeles were solely for fundraising events. In Chicago, the president campaigned for Rahm Emanuel. The
Palm City trip was a golf outing with no official activities.
Taxpayers
Billed $1.4 Million for Obama's Argentina Trip. The president traveled to Argentina last week after his two-day
stop in Cuba. The visit racked up substantial costs for hotels, transportation, and advance bathroom maintenance,
according to government contracts signed by the State Department and Department of Homeland Security. Lodging for the
president and White House staff totaled $115,588, while conference rooms cost $35,584. Another contract for hotel rooms cost
$31,585. U.S. Secret Service costs associated with the trip included $120,782 for hotel rooms at the Hyatt Park in
Buenos Aires and $707,801 for transportation. [...] In all, taxpayers were billed $1,394,294 for the Argentina trip and press
credentials in Cuba.
Air Force One flies again, at your expense. Obama
heads back to Hollywood to collect cash. President Obama will head back to the Democratic donor-rich state of
California Thursday [4/7/2016] and Friday to huddle with Hollywood luminaries and rake in millions to help Democrats win back the
majority in Congress and retain the White House. It's the second time Obama has traveled to Los Angeles to collect cash this year,
and this round will include fundraisers in quick succession at the homes of Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn and his wife[,]
environmental activist Cindy Horn, and Tobey Maguire and his wife Jennifer.
Obama
combines fundraising, golf in whirlwind trip to SF. After a wet and foggy round of golf at the Olympic Club on
Saturday morning [4/9/2016], President Obama departed San Francisco en route to the White House after a quick, two-day
fundraising sweep through California. At San Francisco International Airport, the president jogged up the stairs to Air
Force One and was airborne and heading home by 2:40 p.m. The president, who was joined by his 17-year-old daughter,
Malia, on the trip, spent less than 48 hours in the state, where he was the featured guest at Democratic fundraisers.
Another taxpayer-funded vacation, another pointless speech: Obama
to give foreign-policy speech in Germany this month. President Obama will deliver a major foreign-policy speech
in Germany later this month that's shaping up to be one of his last big moments in the global spotlight. The
president's speech in Hannover, Germany, on April 25 will be an opportunity to "review what we've done over the course of the
last seven-and-a-half years of his presidency, and look ahead to what we should be doing going forward," said White House
deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes.
Obama's
First Legacy Tour. President Barack Obama, who can now count the remainder of his Presidency in months (nine
months to be exact) is going overseas to, if not mend fences, then to attempt to fix large holes in his legacy. He will
be traveling to Saudi Arabia, England, and Germany, allies all.
White
House: Obama Dinner With Will And Kate 'Important Part Of Public Diplomacy'. President Obama and First
Lady Michelle Obama are looking forward to having an April 22 birthday lunch with Queen Elizabeth and a dinner with Prince
William and Duchess Kate. During the White House press briefing, Press Secretary Josh Earnest defended the trip after
reporters questioned whether the pair of events next week are just a "just a celebrity get together."
The White House can spin this any way they want, but it's obviously
just another overseas vacation.
Flying on separate jets again? First
Lady Absent in Riyadh, But Will Enjoy a Royal Welcome in London. President Obama stayed overnight in Riyadh
Wednesday but without First Lady Michelle Obama, who made waves on a previous visit to the Wahhabist-ruled kingdom when she
did not cover her hair — and was ignored by some of the host dignitaries in a receiving line. Mrs.
Obama will be mingling with royals in another capital this week, however. On Friday she will join her husband for a
private lunch hosted by Queen Elizabeth — who turns 90 on Thursday — and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince
Philip, at Windsor Castle west of London.
Yes, Obama has a fleet of helicopters. And how did they get to England, if not at your expense? Queen
banned Obama's fleet of helicopters landing on Windsor Castle lawn. The Queen banned Barack Obama's fleet of
helicopters from landing on the lawn at Windsor Castle after scorching the grass five years ago. Her majesty called the
US president's bevy of choppers "over the top", meaning the Secret Service had to rethink their plans to land about six
aircraft in the 300-year-old gardens of her main residence during his tour of the UK this week. The Queen put her foot
down and said there was no chance his extensive security backup would be accompanying him to Windsor Castle.
Hotel and Motorcade Costs
for Obama's Two-Day Riyadh Visit Total $3.16 Million. President Barack Obama's two-day trip to Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia, last month cost taxpayers over $3.1 million in hotel and motorcade costs alone, according to contracts released by
the State Department. In what some described as a "futile" trip, the president met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz
Al Saud, and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries on April 20 and 21. The president required three hotels,
including a $2 million stay at the Ritz-Carlton. Rooms for security and the "VIP delegation" were also booked at
the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Tower totaling $200,000, and the Courtyard Marriott totaling $240,000. Three
limousine companies were also booked, including contracts worth $240,000 to AlSalem Transportation and Tourism Company and
$240,000 to SMSA ExpressTransportation company. A third contract to Dala International also totaled $240,000.
Why
Obama is making a historic visit to Hiroshima. In the end, President Barack Obama's decision to become the
first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, Japan, may not have been a difficult one. A trip to the site of the
world's first atomic bombing fits both with his push for a world free of nuclear weapons and his desire to fill his final
year in office with a series of historic trips, including Cuba, as he looks to add final chapters to his legacy.
The Editor says...
Mr. Obama isn't doing the Japanese people any favors, he's doing this to fluff up his legacy. And he gets a free vacation trip to Japan in the process.
Vacation number N+1 Obama
to Visit the Land of State-Owned Enterprises. President Barack Obama next week will visit Vietnam, which his
own State Department last month certified is still controlled — four decades after the fall of Saigon —
by the Communist Party. "The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is an authoritarian state ruled by a single party, the
Communist Party of Vietnam," says the Country Report on Human Rights in Vietnam that Secretary of State John Kerry released
in April. Obama's agenda in this communist nation, according to the White House, will feature efforts to promote the
deal his administration has negotiated to join the United States, Vietnam and 10 other nations in an economic "partnership."
Obama will stress — while in Vietnam — that he wants this "partnership" officially sealed while he still
holds office in the United States.
Obama
jets off on 16,000-mile tour of Asia. President Barack Obama has set off on a weeklong 16,000-mile trip to Asia
in a bid to boost economic and security cooperation with the region.
Coast
Guard official confirms Obamas' Vineyard vacation. President Barack Obama will make another visit to Martha's
Vineyard this year, this time possibly for three weeks, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Timothy Tobiasz said Monday night
[5/23/2016]. Tobiasz confirmed the president's return visit for his final summer as president while giving his portion
of a briefing by all the commanders at Joint Base Cape Cod to the Board of Selectmen.
Obama
family will spend their last summer vacation in the White House on Martha's Vineyard. Creatures of habit, President
Obama and his family will spend their summer vacation like they have almost every year since he was elected president eight years
ago — on Martha's Vineyard. U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Timothy Tobiasz revealed Monday night [5/23/2015] that the
Obama family would be returning to the tony island off the coast of Massachusetts' Cape Cod for their summer vacation.
This time, the president is expected to stay up to three weeks on the Vineyard, Capt. Tobiasz said.
Over
48 days of golf as Obama logs 291st round. President Obama has had a chance to yell "FORE" at least 5,238 times
as president after playing his 291st round of golf Saturday [5/28/2016]. His latest outing, to the course at Fort Belvoir
Golf Course in Northern Virginia, means he has played over 48 full, 24-hour days of golf, and probably more since he can average
over four hours per round.
President
Obama takes Michelle to their favorite Mexican restaurant after returning from Vietnam and Japan trip. He's
spent the last week eating the finest Asian cuisine on offer. But clearly President Obama was not missing American
cooking as he instead took Michelle out for Mexican after returning from a six-day trip to Vietnam and Japan. The
couple were seen arriving at Oyamel, the Obamas' favorite Mexican restaurant in Washington, DC, on Saturday night [5/28/2016].
Michelle
Obama: "I Wake Up Each Day in a House Built by Slaves". At a commencement address at City College of New
York on Friday, First Lady Michelle Obama once again brought race to the forefront, proclaiming that she wakes up every day
in a house built by slaves. Interesting that she's lived there for what, eight years now? And it hasn't really
seemed to bother her much. Then again, how ironic a comment coming from someone who has earned the nickname "Mooch" as
we the American people are now the slaves paying for her rent, utilities, and lavish quarter-of-a-million-dollar vacations.
Michelle
Obama, daughters visit Liberia, Morocco and Spain: White House. Michelle Obama will travel to Liberia,
Morocco and Spain with her teen daughters Malia and Sasha at the end of June to promote education for girls, one of her
signature issues as the first lady of the United States, the White House said on Wednesday [6/15/2016].
First
Lady and daughters will be joined by Meryl Streep on Spain and Africa tour costing nearly $300,000 in flights alone. Michelle Obama
plans to promote her year-old global girls' education initiative during upcoming stops in Liberia, Morocco and Spain on what could be her final
solo overseas excursion as first lady. The White House announced Wednesday [6/15/2016] that the three-country trip is booked for
June 27-July 1. Her traveling companions are daughters Malia and Sasha, and her mother, Marian Robinson. Actresses
Freida Pinto and Meryl Streep are lending their star-power to the first lady's Africa appearances.
Obama
Touts His Three-Day Vacation as Good for National Parks. President Obama is trying to promote his exorbitant
three-day vacation with his family OUT WEST to the Carlsbad Caverns and Yosemite with as some kind of benign effort to
promote our nation's National Parks. [...] Millions of dollars in flight costs, including Air Force One and whatever other
support jets they have to send out there. And that's just flights lone, not to mention all the other logistical
costs. For a family vacation masquerading as a public service. The Obamas depart today [6/17/2016].
Please. Just enjoy your vacation and send us the bill, and put a lid on the hypocrisy.
All
four of the Obamas take off from the White House to head west for weekend getaway to visit two national parks.
After an emotionally trying week, President Barack Obama and his family are heading west this weekend for a Father's Day
getaway. The Obama family left the White House earlier Friday to head to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico
and Yosemite National Park in California. The family vacation comes a week after the oldest daughter, Malia, graduated
from the private Sidwell Friends School at an outdoor ceremony that the family attended. President Obama and his family
were photographed gaping at the beauty of Carlsbad Caverns, not long after arriving in Roswell on Friday — but Sasha
and Malia did not look as impressed as their parents.
The Editor says...
Maybe that's because smiling for a photograph is considered acting white. Or maybe
it's because these two uppity little ingrates have better things to do.
Obama's
Father's Day Trip Disrupts Yosemite Travel. Thousands of Americans had long planned trips to Yosemite National
Park for Father's Day weekend — but the White House is encouraging them to arrive before 8 a.m. to avoid
conflicting with President Barack Obama's weekend visit to the park. The First Family is scheduled to visit Carlsbad
Caverns in New Mexico and Yosemite on a lightning tour through the West. According to the Fresno Bee, Obama will
be the first sitting president to visit Yosemite since John F. Kennedy in 1962.
Michelle
Obama departs Sunday for a six-day overseas trip. Michelle Obama departs on Sunday [6/26/2016] for a six-day trip to Africa
and Europe to advocate for the "Let Girls Learn" initiative, White House officials said. The stops in Liberia and Morocco will be
recorded for a documentary by CNN Films, which is picking up the costs for two trip participants: actresses Meryl Streep and Freida
Pinto, an Obama aide said Friday [6/24/2016]. [...] Also on tap for the first lady is an iftar dinner with the Moroccan king's wife,
Princess Lallan Salmi.
The Editor says...
Note that we are not only paying for pointless and unnecessary junkets for the Obama family's amusement, we're also paying
the international air fare for Grandma Robinson.
Michelle
Obama, daughters, mother land in Africa for visit. First lady Michelle Obama visited a leadership camp for
girls in Liberia to launch her latest Africa visit Monday [6/27/2016] in a country still recovering from the recent Ebola
epidemic that left thousands dead.
Here's
where Obama's jetting off to next. As the campaign to replace him gets increasingly aggressive and nasty back
home, President Barack Obama is getting out of town — embarking on a sort of farewell tour to the world. Few
criticize Obama for the trips, as some do when he goes on vacations or campaign-style trips that cost millions for the
expense of operating the presidential plane — Air Force One — as well as helicopters, armored cars,
Secret Service protection and staff. After all, it's not unusual for presidents to engage in a flurry of global travel
on their way out the door.
The Editor says...
Few may criticize this waste of money, but I'm proud to be one of the few. Mr. Obama
has "engage(d) in a flurry of global travel" for the past 7½ years.
Michelle
Obama and the girls are joined by Meryl Streep for lavish dinner with Moroccan princess at palace in Marrakesh.
Michelle Obama and her daughters indulged in a traditional Moroccan iftar with Princess Lalla Salma, the wife of King Mohammed VI,
on Tuesday evening [6/28/2016]. The Obamas were joined by actress Meryl Streep and other members of the Moroccan Royal family
at the sumptuous dinner to break the fast during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan at King's Palace in Marrakesh. The first lady
travels to Spain on Wednesday.
Vacation
Glutton Michelle's June Jaunt. Over the last 8 years, Michelle Obama has evolved into an exemplary world traveler.
Compliments of the struggling U.S. taxpayer, the FLOTUS consistently indulges in at least five or six multi-million dollar vacations per
year. In March, if things get boring, Michelle, mother Marian, and daughters Sasha and Malia, either fly solo or use Dad (if he's
not golfing) as an excuse to pamper their weary bones with an all expense paid "working vacation." Like clockwork, the girl gang
jets off to destinations such as Cuba, China, Japan, Qatar, Argentina or Cambodia. Predictably, there's always a June pre-Martha's
Vineyard vacation where Michelle tours Paris, Spain, South Africa, London, and Italy. In August, the Obamas take a Martha's Vineyard
breather for a few weeks. On the Vineyard, the Obama family and their large tagalong entourage, at a paltry cost of give-or-take
$5-million or so, enjoy a well-deserved getaway. That summer retreat is a crucial piece of the annual Obama vacation puzzle because
two weeks of ice cream cones and body surfing help the first family prepare to spend $8-million vacationing in Hawaii at Christmas for
17 days.
Michelle
Obama: 3 hotels, 2 nights in Morocco, $483,183. First lady Michelle Obama's family trip to Africa, Spain and
Morocco to promote her "Let Girls Learn" initiative, and cut a CNN documentary on the effort, has already crossed the $1 million
mark with many more expenses still to be tabulated. According to the bills that have already come in, Obama, accompanied by an
entourage that includes her mom and daughters, has spent about $1.06 million: $512,737 for hotels and $252,471 for limos
and transportation. Airfare alone is expected to be about $302,500, according to the hourly flight rate recently provided to
Judicial Watch.
Trump
protests Clinton riding Air Force One with Obama. Hillary Clinton will be President Obama's guest aboard Air
Force One en route to their joint campaign appearance Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C., and Donald Trump is not happy about it.
[...] The Air Force, responding to a public records request, reported two years ago that it costs $206,337 an hour to operate
Air Force One. The Obama-Clinton trip will take about an hour.
Obama's
response to Dallas? Gun control and a 21st Century Gestapo. Following last week's tragic murder of five
Dallas Texas police officers and the wounding of seven more, Barack Obama took a few moments from his European vacation,
disguised as a goodwill trip to the post-Brexit European Union, to fill us in on how he planned to leverage this tragedy to
advance his fundamental transformation of America.
Obama
Travel Cost Taxpayers over $79.5 million. Judicial Watch announced today [7/13/2016] that it has obtained records from the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security revealing the Obama family's August 2015 vacation on Martha's Vineyard cost taxpayers $465,420.49 in Secret
Service expenses alone. This included $457,310.33 in hotels, $271.56 in car rentals, and $7,838.60 in air/rail travel. The records
were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed on November 24, 2015. Judicial Watch sued The Department of
Homeland Security, of which the Secret Service is a part, because it had failed to respond to 19 FOIA requests from Judicial Watch since
July 21, 2014.
Obama
Attendance at Paris Climate Change Conference Cost Taxpayers $4,165,068.40. Judicial Watch announced today
[7/26/2016] that it has obtained records from the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of the Air Force detailing the costs
of Obama's trip to attend the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference. Secret Service charges for Obama and his staff to
attend the Conference cost taxpayers $1,324,171.60. Flight expenses cost $2,840,896.80, bringing the total expenditure
for the conference to at least $4,165,068.40. To date, Obama's known travel expenses total $83,795,502.33.
Preparations
Under Way for President's Martha's Vineyard Visit. The vacation dates are known to be in August, likely during the early to
middle weeks of the month. The Obamas traditionally are on the Vineyard during the week of the Agricultural Fair and the Oak Bluffs
fireworks, iconic Vineyard summer events. Past vacation stays have ranged from eight to 16 days.
President
Obama to Arrive Next Week for Martha's Vineyard Vacation. The First Family will travel to the Vineyard on Saturday, August 6, a
White House official said Friday [7/29/2016], and they are scheduled to depart on Sunday, August 21. No public events are scheduled.
This is the President's seventh summer sojourn on the Vineyard during his presidency, and the Obamas also visited the Vineyard before their years in
the White House.
Obamas'
holiday idyll shattered by local anger over outsize mansions. When the Obama family start their summer holidays
this week on the quaint New England island of Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts, they can expect to relax in
the solitude and privacy they have enjoyed during their previous five visits. The Washington Post called the
president the equivalent of a vacationing Yeti: "Many have had near brushes with the leader of the free world, but only
a precious few have actually laid eyes on him." But film-maker Thomas Bena says the house the Obamas are renting this year
is a prime example of the kind of mega-construction that is threatening to destroy the character of the island.
Marie
Antoinette in the White House. Daniel Greenfield calls for the end of taxpayer slavery to fund the lavish
plantation lifestyle of the current Democrat occupants of the White House.
Obama
Golfs 300th Round as President at Martha's Vineyard. President Barack Obama kicked off his vacation at Martha's
Vineyard this afternoon with another round of golf. According to CBS reporter Mark Knoller, that marks Obama's 300th
golf game during his presidency.
Obama
keeps unusually late hours on Vineyard vacation. President Barack Obama did something unusual during his summer
vacation on Martha's Vineyard: He went out on the town four nights in a row. After a better part of a decade of
using this breezy Massachusetts island as a low-key, quiet summer retreat, Obama has picked up the pace this year. In
his final summer vacation as president, Obama has spent almost every night of his escape painting its towns red —
so to speak.
The Editor says...
Why not? Somebody else is paying for everything!
Obama
golfs 'organic' on Martha's Vineyard, $350,000 initiation fee. President Obama is golfing organic Wednesday,
taking his clubs to one of the most exclusive venues in New England, and one famously known as the nation's first "organic"
course. Obama, who has golfed several times during his annual summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard, steered his
motorcade to Vineyard Golf Club, where the initiation fee is $350,000 and annual dues $12,000 for the 305 members.
President
Obama and procession of 18 golf carts visit vast Hawaii region he is trying to protect from climate change.
Looking at these pictures, it seems that Obama is already swanning off on another holiday despite just arriving back from
Martha's Vineyard. But the President was actually taking a very relaxed looking trip to his home state of Hawaii in
order to view a vast area that he just made into the largest protected environment in the world. Arriving in a
golf-cart motorcade, Obama made his way past ruined Second World War structures to the Midway Atoll, one of the most
remote parts of America.
The Editor says...
Is Camp David supposed to be a meeting place for official business, or a taxpayer-funded playground for the rich?
GAO: Obama
spent $3.6m golfing with Tiger Woods. A new Government Accountability Office report shows that President Obama
spent $3.6 million of tax payer money in 2013 for a golfing vacation which included a round with Tiger Woods.
Taxpayer
Tab For Obama Trip That Included Golf With Tiger Woods: $3.6 Million. Taxpayers shelled out millions of dollars
in 2013 when the golf-addicted President Obama took Air Force One to Florida on vacation and played a round of golf with
Tiger Woods, according to a new government study. From Feb. 15-18 in 2013, the president went on a four day trip that
included an official speech in Chicago and some leisure time in Palm Beach, Florida. According to a forthcoming report
by the Government Accountability Office that was obtained early by The Daily Caller, the government spent a total of $3.6 million
to fly, protect and support the president during this trip to Illinois and Florida.
Obamas Spent
$79.6 Million on Travel Expenses So Far. New information obtained from the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) brings the grand total of known travel expenses of President Obama and his family to $79,630,433.93, Judicial Watch
reported Wednesday [6/13/2016]. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton called President Obama's travel spending a "scandal"
and an "abuse of the office." "Taxpayers should be incensed that the Secret Service's resources [are] wasted to provide
security for endless golf excursions, political fundraisers, and luxury vacations," Fitton said.
Campaigning
for Hillary yesterday, Obama mentions himself 207 times. Remember that Donald Trump is supposedly a narcissist
as you consider the following. The President of the United States took time off from his awesome responsibilities
yesterday to fly to two cities in Florida, Miami and Jacksonville, and gave speeches totaling 84 minutes.
Who
Pays for Politicking on Air Force One? Here's the Formula for How Costs Are Split. President Barack Obama
hit the skies in Air Force One in the week before the presidential election, stumping for who he hopes to be his
successor — at a cost that will mostly be covered by taxpayers, but will be partially refunded by the
campaign. The president stumped for Hillary Clinton, stopping for speeches in Columbus, Raleigh, Miami, Jacksonville,
and Fayetteville, North Carolina. Obama previously stumped for Clinton in Charlotte, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and
Orlando. Air Force One, for fiscal year 2016, has an estimated cost per flying hour of $180,118, according to the U.S.
Air Force information obtained by Judicial Watch. The reimbursement is based on what a flight would cost if it were a
first-class commercial airline, according to Federal Election Commission regulations.
Vacationer-In-Chief:
Astronomical Spending for Obama Holidays. The taxpayer tab for the vacations for President Obama and his family
now has surpassed $74 million, even though Obama once said a president must be prepared to give up taking vacations for the
sake of the nation. The word comes from Judicial Watch, which has been demanding public records from the government and
filing lawsuits to get the information about the Obamas' profligate spending on travel. Judicial Watch found taxpayers
have spent at least $74,124,562.48 on the family's down times.
Taxpayers Hit Hard With Michelle Obama's
China Trip. Barack Obama's taxpayer-funded trips are costing taxpayers a pretty penny. Other presidents
have certainly pushed the line on this. However, here, one has to ask if the Obamas are really doing the people's
business on these extravagant, spare-no-expense trips across the country and to luxury destinations overseas. Judicial
Watch just obtained records from the U.S. Department of the Air Force revealing that Michelle Obama's 2014 trip to China cost
American taxpayers $362,523.53 in air travel expenses alone. The first lady, her daughters, and her mother spent March
19-26 in China, in a trip highlighted by extended visits to some of the country's most popular tourist sites. Judicial
Watch previously uncovered an expensive combination of trips by the Obamas to Africa and Honolulu, which cost taxpayers
$15,885,585.30 in flight expenses alone.
So
How Much Has All of Obama's Traveling Cost Us? Judicial Watch did a little digging on the travel costs of Obama's
vacation on the West Coast back in October and found in the process that Obama has now racked up $72 million in travel
expenses in his 7 years as president, making him the "$10-million-dollar (per year) man." Via a Freedom of Information
Act request, Judicial Watch learned from the U.S. Department of the Air Force that Obama's 2015 Columbus Day trip to San Diego
cost nearly $1 million ($969,783.90) in flight expenses alone. And that's just for the flights from Los Angeles to
San Diego and then from San Diego to Washington. When you add the cost from Washington to the West Coast (which included
three fundraising stops in Oregon, Seattle, and San Francisco), the total tops $2 million.
Another week of vacation overseas: Obama's
final foreign trip a 'group therapy' session. President Obama will depart Monday [11/14/2016] on his final
foreign trip of his presidency — and the main topic of the three-country tour is expected to be President-elect
Donald Trump. "We certainly expect that the election will be the primary topic on people's minds everywhere we go,"
deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters, the Wall Street Journal reported. The president will travel
to Athens on Monday, then to Berlin on Wednesday and finally Lima, Peru, on Friday. He's expected to return to
Washington, DC, on Sunday.
Obama
Family's 2015 Hawaii Vacation Cost Taxpayers $4,823,206.88. Judicial Watch announced today that it obtained
records from the U.S. Secret Service revealing that its travel expenses for the First Family's 2015 Hawaiian vacation cost
taxpayers $1.2 million, which bring the total cost of the vacation trip to at least $4.8 million. This was the Obamas'
eighth Hawaiian family vacation. The trip has become an annual event for the Obamas. To date, Obama's and his family's
travel expenses total at least $85,029,819.
Single Obama
Vacation Costs Taxpayer Millions. President Obama was notoriously absent from the Oval Office during some of
America's toughest times. Often found on the golf course instead of standing with the nation during these frustrating
vacations, the Obamas did make an annual trek to Hawaii during their 8 years in the White House. The cost to
taxpayers for this yearly trip will blow your mind.
Obama
family travel, vacations, cross $85 million mark. The first family has spent over $10 million a year on travel
and vacations, and the still growing bill has crossed over $85 million in eight years, according to a watchdog group.
Judicial Watch, which has charted the travel of presidents for years, on Monday [12/5/2016] said that it has received a new batch
of bills for the first family's Christmas break in Hawaii, bringing that trip to nearly $5 million. The Obama's are
expected to return to Hawaii this Christmas. The expenses cover items such as security, flights and hotel rooms for staff
and U.S. Secret Service. They do not include the price of prepositioning ships and aircraft in the area or much of the
communications costs.
8 Years,
$85 Million: Obama's Expensive Vacations. Over the past eight years, President Barack Obama and his
family have spent more than $10 million a year for travel and vacations, totaling in excess of $85 million —
and the number is still growing.
Bill
for Obama family's vacations and travel hits $85 million as they prepare for final taxpayer-funded holiday in Hawaii. President
Barack Obama and his family have spent more than $85 million globetrotting since they moved into the White House. And they're not done
yet. The first family will head to Hawaii later this month for their final, taxpayer-funded vacation. A conservative group
chronicling the Obamas' spending said Monday [12/5/2016] the 2015 holiday in Hawaii cost $4.8 million.
After
$85 million in family travel, Obama looks forward to 'decent vacation'. While moving out of the White House,
President Obama will also be packing his suitcase for a holiday. The outgoing executive told Comedy Central's Trevor
Noah that after eight difficult years he's looking forward to "a decent vacation." No doubt Obama deserves
one — of course, on his own dime this time. While in office, he's explored the Roman Coliseum, walked the
Great Wall of China and snorkeled in Maui. Now during retirement, picking a decent destination will be truly difficult.
Obama
family will travel to Hawaii for holiday vacation. President Obama and his family will be taking Air Force One
to Honolulu on Friday to embark on their annual Christmas vacation. The president does have one work-related event
planned for his vacation, which usually consists of golf, parties with friends and dinners out. Obama later this month
will greet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Pearl Harbor for his planned historic visit. The president and his
family won't return to Washington until after the new year.
As
Suspected Terror Rages In Berlin, Obama Hits Hawaiian Golf Course. An assassination in Turkey and suspected
terrorist attack in Berlin haven't stopped Barack Obama from golfing while he is on vacation in Hawaii. According to a
White House pool report, the president left his vacation home in Kailua Monday morning [12/19/2016] to play a round of golf
under cloudy skies at the Mid-Pacific Country Club.
Final
First Family vacation!. On the first day of his Hawaii vacation, President Barack Obama spent the morning
playing golf with three aides and a longtime friend. The group enjoyed temperatures in the 70s at Klipper Golf Club
inside Marine Corps Base Hawaii on the island of Oahu, where Obama was born.
The Editor says...
Unless he was born in Kenya.
Running
For That Okidoke, and Shave Ice. [L]et the record reflect that BHO is one of very few Presidents whose golf
game has actually improved during his time in office. And in case you're interested, we had dinner last night at the
exclusive Vintage Cave Club, which is not just a restaurant it's a concept.
Obama's
Hawaii Christmas vacations cost taxpayers $35 million over 8 years. For the last time, taxpayers are paying for
a Hawaiian Christmas vacation for President Obama and his family, an annual luxury getaway that has cost the Treasury easily
more than $35 million over eight years. Golfing on oceanside courses, dining at high-end restaurants and frolicking on
stunning white-sand beaches where security guards keep other tourists at bay, the president and his family are in the midst
of a 17-day holiday that requires dozens of Secret Service agents, military personnel and other government employees to
guarantee their safety and ease of travel around Oahu. The Obamas are once again renting a multimillion-dollar oceanfront
home in Kailua, a town on the northeast side of the island where houses in the neighborhood fetch around $10 million.
It's near golf courses and a Marine Corps base where the president goes for morning workouts at the gym.
Obama
dines at Nobu as latest Hawaii vacation pushes cost of first family's travel past $96 million. President Barack
Obama dined out with his family and friends at hip Honolulu Asian fusion restaurant Nobu on Wednesday night [12/28/2016].
Obama received a round of applause from other guests as he walked through the restaurant, a video posted to Instagram
shows. Earlier in the day Obama hit the gym and played a round of golf with his childhood companions. He spent
the afternoon at the Shangri La Islamic arts center built by tobacco heiress and socialite Doris Duke. The first family
has been in Hawaii, enjoying their last taxpayer subsidized vacation, for nearly two weeks. They're parked there until
after the New Year holiday.
Report:
8 years of Obama vacations cost $85 million. As America's first family enjoys its eighth and final vacation in
Hawaii, new estimates put the price tag of the Obamas' annual trip at $3.5 million or more. In total, the cost of the
the first family's personal or largely personal travel during the last eight years comes to $85 million — though
that is likely to climb to $90 million after additional records are released, according to the conservative group Judicial
Watch based on federal government records. The cost of Air Force One and other government planes as well as helicopters,
cargo planes, armored cars, Secret Service protection and advance, communications and medical staff has led Judicial Watch to
push for less personal travel.
The cost of Obama. Obama
isn't exactly new to spending like a second wife on Rodeo Drive. When he wasn't taking two planes on five-star family
vacations and hoisting Cristal with bubble-dwelling super-celebrities like Mr. and Mrs. Beyonce, he was sending planes
on secret missions to hand hundreds of billions of dollars to fun guys like Iran. Eight years of Obama spent the
Democrats into a hole deep enough to hide every "green energy" boondoggle and auto industry bailout.
'Obama
circled the globe 23 times': Interactive map shows how the outgoing president logged almost 570,000 miles on Air Force
One. With Barack Obama set to leave the Oval Office, he can look back on eight years of international
jet-setting on Air Force One, which took him a total of approximately 569,480 miles. That is roughly the equivalent of
traveling around the globe 23 times. These calculations were reached by mapping experts with Esri UK, a company that
specializes in location data using geographic information systems software known as ArcGIS.
The use of Air Force One as a coast-to-coast taxi for purely personal travel: President
Obama attended Florida wedding of his longtime staffer hours after he finished his White House farewell bash.
Over the weekend President Barack Obama served as a groomsman in the Florida wedding of his longtime staffer and most
frequent golf partner, just hours after his star-studded farewell bash came to an end at 4am. Obama arrived at the
Jacksonville International Airport on Saturday [1/7/2017] just in time to see Marvin Nicholson, the White House trip director
and the president's personal aide, marry the love of his life.
Disregard all those farewells:
Obama isn't really leaving. Normally, retiring presidents speak of relief about shedding the burdens of
commander-in-chief and flee back home on a final complementary flight aboard a plane no longer called Air Force One without
the new president. The Obamas will, indeed, take that final post-inaugural Air Force flight — but only for a vacation.
The Editor says...
How strange that the Obama family needs another vacation — immediately after returning from two weeks in
Hawaii — to rest up for his very comfortable retirement.
Malia
Obama went on secret trip to South America. President Obama's older daughter, Malia, embarked on a secret
three-month educational trip through the mountains and jungles of Bolivia and Peru with no special treatment allowed —
except for the security detail. Malia, who deferred her acceptance to Harvard for a year, spent October and November
traveling with a group of teens through the Colorado-based Where There Be Dragons organization, which says it offers young
minds a chance to "examine current political trends, social movements and environmental conservation efforts" in Peru and
Bolivia. Photos emerged Thursday [1/19/2017] showing the 18-year-old posing for a picture during a jaunt through
Bolivia's Cordillera Real mountain region.
The Obama Presidency —
By the Numbers. Obama Vacations — 217 days. According to Mark Knoller, a CBS News reporter who tracks presidential
leisure, Obama has taken 28 vacations covering all or parts of 217 days during his two terms. That is less than his
predecessor, who spent 490 days at his Texas ranch while he was president. Obama's travels did not come cheap to taxpayers.
The conservative watchdog Judicial Watch reported last month that records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that taxpayers
have spent $96.9 million on Obama's travel.
Obama
pictured in heavy contemplation as he's driven in tiny new motorcade on vacation. Former President Barack Obama
looked to be in deep thought as he headed home from a workout, escorted by his smallest motorcade in years. The
nation's 44th president has chosen to spend the first days of his newfound retirement playing golf and hitting the gym at
Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. Obama was captured looking tired and in heavy contemplation as
he was driven back to his home in a dark vehicle, flanked by his tiny new security detail on Sunday.
Barack
and Michelle Obama are all smiles as they pose with immigration officials in British Virgin Islands. Barack and
Michelle Obama have arrived in the British Virgin Islands after jetting in to the Caribbean on Richard Branson's plane.
The former first couple posed with staff at Terrence B Lettsome International Airport, the islands' main airport, on Monday
night [1/23/2017] after a flight from California. A photograph of the pair with their arms stretched around immigration
officials and the local police commissioner appeared on social media after their quiet arrival.
The Editor says...
I'm not sure who pays for the Obama family's travel expenses now, but he still rides in a bulletproof limo and still has the
Secret Service all around him, and we're paying for that.
$100
million worth of fun. Barack Obama is the gift that keeps on giving. Merely by finishing his term, he's
saving the American taxpayer millions. Lots of millions. His frequent vacations lent new meaning to the word
"tourist." Getting there might not have been half the fun, but it was some of the most expensive fun. Judicial Watch, a
government-watchdog group that monitored the full eight years of Mr. Obama's travels, used two separate lawsuits filed
under the Freedom of Information Act to determine that the former president's travel over his two terms cost the treasury
$96,938,882.51. Not all of it was charged against the Secret Service accounts. Much of the expense was borne by
the U.S. Air Force.
Obama's Travel
Cost Taxpayers More Than $96 Million. President Obama's travel expenses cost taxpayers more than $96 million
during his time in office, according to a report from the watchdog group Judicial Watch. The group obtained documents
from the Secret Service and Air Force that revealed President Obama's travel over the last eight years totaled $96,938,882.51.
President Obama's trip to the Florida Everglades on Earth Day in 2015 to give a speech about global warming cost a total of
$1,012,367.76. While the speech was touted as an opportunity to talk about global warming, the president used the trip
to attack Republican presidential candidates.
Barack
Obama's presidential library may need $1.5 billion. The Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago could
require a $1.5 billion endowment, its architects say, three times what was raised for the George W. Bush Presidential Center
in Dallas. Husband-and-wife architectural team Tod Williams and Billie Tsien noted that it will be difficult to raise
such a huge sum because Obama scrupulously declined to do much fundraising while he was still in office. The Obama
Center is due to be so expensive because it will require the construction of both a presidential library and a museum about
the lives of Barack and Michelle Obama. And federal requirements now stipulate that former presidents must have larger
endowments to pay for annual operating costs at the libraries.
Obama
runs $100M vacation tab on taxpayers. President Barack Obama's legacy of running up the tab for taxpayers during his
family's exorbitant and frequent vacations is projected to reach an excess of $100 million before the close of his two terms as
president — putting a strain on the economy, military and Secret Service.
Final
tally: President sticks taxpayers with $100M vacation tab. As a candidate in 2008, then Sen. Barack
Obama, D-Ill., vowed he would give up vacations if elected president, in order to completely focus on his job.
Fast-forward to the present, and it is now projected Obama will have spent more than $100 million in taxpayer funds on
vacations during his eight years as president.
Final
Obama travel tab: $100 million. The final tab for former President Obama's eight years of family travel to ski
resorts, beaches and European cities has finally come in and the bill is $99,714,527.82. Judicial Watch, the taxpayer
watchdog group that has shifted its attention to President Trump's travel costs, said it just received some of the last responses
to Obama-era Freedom of Information Act requests for trip costs from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Secret Service.
Obama
Travel Totals Nearly $100 Million. The new Obama White House era travel records show: •
The March 2014 trip to Key Largo during Spring Break — where the First Family stayed at the exclusive Ocean Reef
Club — cost the Secret Service $247,827.50: $182,120.33 for hotels and $65,707.17 in travel expenses. The
total cost of that trip with previously released $885,683 in flight costs from the Air Force is $1,133,510.50.
• Other documents show that Michelle Obama's February 2015 Aspen vacation cost the Secret Service a total of
$64,807.41: $47,109.28 for hotels, $3,559.43 in rental cars and $14,138.70 in other travel expenses. The total cost of
the trip with $57,068.80 in flight costs from previously released Air Force records is $121,876.21. •
Judicial Watch released documents from the Air Force concerning the 2016-2017 Obama family Christmas trip to Honolulu showing
17.9 hours flying at $142,380 per hour, bringing the total flight cost to $2,548,602.
Greatest
Hillary / Huma Email Exchange Ever. This email exchange between Hillary Clinton and her best friend Huma Abedin
is entertaining on several levels. [...] The Democrats can't figure out why working class voters no longer identify with
them. Maybe the sense of entitlement to separate airplanes expressed by Mrs. Clinton provides a clue. Of
course, neither Hillary nor Michelle Obama paid for her own trip; both airplanes (assuming two were taken) were at taxpayer
expense. But worrying about that sort of thing is for the little people.
Apparently Mr. Obama plans to be on vacation for the rest of his life. Obama:
Back home again in Indonesia. Barack Obama is off on another extended vacation abroad this week, this time in
Indonesia where he spent much of his formative childhood years. Since his White House lease expired in January, the
ex-president has vacationed at a friend's house in Palm Springs, on Richard Branson's private Caribbean island, on David
Geffen's private yacht in French Polynesia and in a Tuscan hamlet purchased in its entirety by John Phillips. Obama
appointed Phillips ambassador to Italy. He turned the old town into a private luxury estate. Now, after a lengthy
private jet flight from Hawaii, Obama's back home again in Indonesia for nine days with a large family entourage, including
wife Michelle and half-sister, Maya Soetero-Ng, her family and, of course, Secret Service agents.
The
Obamas take a private jet from Bali to Java. Former President Barack Obama and his family wrapped up their
five-day vacation on Indonesia's resort island of Bali and headed to the historic city of Yogyakarta on Wednesday [6/28/2017]
during a nostalgic trip to the country where Obama lived for several years as a child.
Surprise! You're
still paying for Obama's vacations. Former President Barack Obama's family may be out of office, but taxpayers
are still footing the bill for their vacations, and you will be for life. The Obamas began a nine-day vacation in Indonesia
on June 30 by rafting along a river in a luxurious resort in Bali. It was a homecoming for Obama, who grew up
attending school there. But taxpayers are footing the bill for this family trip down Memory Lane. Under the
Former Presidents Act, the president and his wife are allowed $1.5 million a year in travel expenses, not including their
security detail and lavish, lifelong pension.
USA
Today runs by the fake news story playbook. You know the story already. USA Today "broke" it in a huge
scoop on Monday: "Exclusive: Secret Service depletes funds to pay agents because of Trump's frequent travel,
large family." That's yuuuge. [...] Under former President Barack Obama, 31 people were protected by the Secret
Service. Under Trump the number rose to 42, including 18 family members. Shocking.
The Editor says...
Hmmm. Barack H. Obama has a wife and two kids. And his mother-in-law lived in the White House for eight years. And his puppet-master
Valerie Jarrett was there constantly. That adds up to six people. So why were 31 people given Secret Service protection?
No,
President Trump isn't bankrupting the Secret Service. Reading the headline of this explosive USA Today story would lead a
reasonable person to believe that the Donald Trump presidency is bankrupting the Secret Service because, as stated by Secret Service
Director "Tex" Alles in the piece, "The president has a large family, and our responsibility is required in law," Alles said. "I
can't change that. I have no flexibility." Yes, Director Alles is correct, the president does have a large family, and
presidential travel is expensive for the U.S. taxpayer. [...] But the "overtime," "constant travel," and "compensation crunch" problems,
although very real, are not problems unique to the Trump administration.
Obama
will top Bush as most costly ex-president. President Obama is about to become the most expensive ex-president,
costing taxpayers $1,153,000 next year, according to a new Congressional Research Service memo looking at the official
allowances for the five living former chief executives. His $1,153,000 budget request for 2018 is more than $100,000
higher than President George W. Bush's request for next year and nearly $200,000 more than President Clinton's expected
budget. President George H.W. Bush is slated to get $942,000, while President Carter will get less than half that,
at just $456,000.
Obama's
2018 expenses will cost US taxpayers $1.1M: memo. The Former Presidents Act, which became law in 1958, provides former White House
occupants with lifetime benefits after leaving office. Each ex-president receives a base pension of $205,700 annually, but the budget
requests they submit to Congress may also address additional expenses, such as for staff salaries, office allowances, travel and Secret Service
protection. Obama's $1,153,00 budget request for 2018 is nearly $100,000 more than that of former President George W. Bush, and
around $200,000 higher than for former President Bill Clinton.
Obama
is America's most expensive ex-president: Former POTUS wants $1.2 million for next year including a half-million dollars for office
space. Former President Barack Obama's D.C. office space has pushed him past all of his predecessors when it comes to his
post-presidential office space paid for by the government. Obama's $1,153,000 budget request for 2018 surpasses former President
George W. Bush's by $100,000, the Washington Times reported. The request is also $200,000 more than former President Bill
Clinton — who maintains his post-presidency office in Harlem.
Obama
Is Now the Most Costly Former President. After his pension, an office space, and other perks, former President
Obama is costing taxpayers the most to support out of all the ex-presidents. Next year, the American people will be
footing his bill to the tune of $1,153,000, according to a Congressional Research Service memo. This figure is more
than $100,000 higher than President George W. Bush's request and roughly $200,000 more than President Clinton's.
Former President George H.W. Bush will receive $942,000 and President Carter will bring in $456,000.
Joni
Ernst, GOP senator, demands cap on ex-presidents' payments. A Republican senator introduced legislation Tuesday
[9/12/2017] to cut down on the amount of money ex-presidents siphon from taxpayers, looking to limit their pensions and
office expenses. Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican, said that while presidents should keep getting taxpayer-funded
security details, they don't need the more than $1 million in pensions and office equipment that former Presidents Obama and
George W. Bush are each expected to cost in 2018. Her bill would cap the annual pension payment at $200,000 per
president, and would impose a cap on how much an ex-president's office can cost.
Judicial
Watch: Obama Travel Cost Now $105,662,975.27. Judicial Watch today [9/14/2017] announced it obtained
travel records from the Secret Service in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, bringing the known total
of travel expenses for former President Barack Obama and his family to $105,662,975.27. The latest records show President
Trump's travel expenses total slightly over $4 million. Judicial Watch also announced that oral argument will be heard
on Friday, September 15, 2017, in an additional FOIA lawsuit challenging the district court's dismissal of Judicial Watch's
claim that Homeland Security has a history of violating FOIA's requirements in the processing of Judicial Watch's requests.
Obama's
subsidy-rich lifestyle. As much as former President Obama advises us that 'at a certain point, you've made
enough money' things are different when it comes to him. Redistribution advice is for little people. For him,
it's all about free stuff for multimillionaires, a subsidized lifestyle if there ever was one -- for trips to Tahiti, to
billionaire yachts, to Italy, to the Caribbean. There hasn't really been anyone more at odds with his own advice once
his own expenses are taken into account. Already, we know Obama's a copious consumer of luxury travel, given his
gargantuan expenditures, often for useless or partisan political trips, while he was in office. According to the tally
from Judicial Watch, it came to $105 million from the taxpayer, mostly for his end-to-end vacations.
Dem
leaders want state to pay for Obama Center-related road projects. Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael
Madigan — the Chicago Democrats who control the Illinois General Assembly — are mapping plans for the state to help
pay for infrastructure improvements in and around Jackson Park related to the Obama Presidential Center. The two leaders "are looking
for a commitment from the governor to support road projects that would support the Obama Presidential Center," Cullerton told the Chicago
Sun-Times on Tuesday [10/3/2017]. Gov. Bruce Rauner's office did not respond to a request from the Sun-Times for a comment on
state assistance for road projects associated with the future Obama Center.
'Privately
funded' Obama presidential library could cost Illinois taxpayers $100 million or more. Erecting a monument to
the Obama presidency is a task best handled quickly, before the seeds of disaster planted in Iran, the federal debt, and the
FISA Court (among other places) come to full flower. And despite promises of private funding, taxpayers are going to
have to cough up, even in Illinois, a fiscal dead man walking with pension obligations that dwarf the taxing capacity of the
state and the City of Chicago. Barack's plans for a monument to his glory will not be thwarted by mere politicians or
community groups.
Obama's
$1.5-billion ego project. The Obama Library is on track to cost $1.5 billion, three times the $500 million it
was projected to cost, and quite a bit of that will be borne by taxpayers. Yet it won't contain... any library materials.
It won't even be hooked up to the National Archives system — on account of it being too cheap to want to pay the six-figure
costs of that purpose. All it will have is online document access, which can be reached from any computer anywhere. There
will be nothing special about coming to the Obama library to do any kind of presidential research. What's more, it's a great
way to cherry-pick which documents can be seen among the Obama papers and which cannot. Is this library really about what
libraries are about, which is to say scholarship of the historical record? Not in Obama's case. He'd probably rather
no one remember the details of his many failures in office, which those records could show.
Melania
Trump cuts bloated first lady payroll from Michelle Obama days. According to a Fox News analysis of White House
personnel reports, Melania Trump has significantly reduced the number of aides on the first lady's office payroll in
comparison to her predecessor, Michelle Obama. During then-President Barack Obama's first year in office,
16 people were listed working for Michelle Obama, earning a combined $1.24 million a year.
Obama
Family Vacations, Campaigning Cost Taxpayers New Total over $114 Million. Judicial Watch announced today [11/27/2017]
that it obtained records from the U.S. Department of the Air Force and the Secret Service in response to a Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) request and two FOIA lawsuits for travel expenses by the families of former President Barack Obama and President
Donald Trump. The total for Obama travel is $9,028,346.90 for this production of documents. Added to the
previously released costs, the known total for travel expenses for the Obamas is now $114,691,322.17.
Obama
library's public cost estimated at $175M: report. The planned Obama Presidential Center in Chicago is being
privately funded, but on Friday city officials estimated how much taxpayers will pay for roadwork and other construction around
the center: $175 million. It was the first time city officials put a specific dollar figure on the expected cost
to the public, the Chicago Tribune reported. "These proposed investments are intended to make the (center) and surrounding
Jackson Park a world-class destination on par with Chicago's Museum Campus," the city's Department of Transportation (CDOT) told
the newspaper, in a statement accompanying the figures.
Taxpayer
tab for retooled roads around Obama Presidential Center: $175 million. Chicago's City Hall on Friday for the
first time put a price tag on the cost to overhaul the roads in and around Jackson Park for the Obama Presidential Center and
a related golf course merger: roughly $175 million, with potential funding sources to include the state of Illinois.
If funding from the financially frail Illinois government is to be a major source for paying for the Obama Center roadway work,
it could emerge as a campaign issue in the race for governor and other down-ticket contests. Last October, the Chicago
Sun-Times reported how the Democratic leaders who control the Illinois General Assembly — House Leader Mike
Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton — were mapping plans to ask the state for more than $100 million
to pay for road work related to the Obama Center.
Non-stop vacation: Former
US President Barack Obama set to head Down Under for speaking tour. Former United States president Barack Obama
will visit Australia next month as part of a trip that will also see him speak in New Zealand. The New Zealand United
States Council announced on Sunday it would host Mr Obama at speaking events in Auckland and Sydney on March 22 and
March 23 respectively.
The Obama Center Can Afford More Than $1 Rent.
Now comes news that Illinois taxpayers will put up at least $174 million for roadway and transit reconfigurations needed to
accommodate the Obama Center. If you don't live in Illinois, you may be smirking — but you'll be footing the
bill, too. Eighty percent of such spending is generally reimbursed by the federal government, and Illinois officials
confirmed to me that they expect to receive $139 million from Washington if they request it. All that taxpayer
money — and for what? Originally, Chicagoans imagined they'd be getting a true presidential library, akin to
those they might have visited for Ronald Reagan in California or John F. Kennedy in Boston. But unlike those libraries,
the Obama Center won't be run by the National Archives and Records Administration. It won't even house Mr. Obama's
records, artifacts and papers, which will be digitized and available online. Instead the center will be owned and
operated by the Obama Foundation.
Obama
playing dictator-in-exile from a kingly south of France palace? President Obama is living the life of a former
king, vacationing these days at a palatial estate in the south of France. At what point has he made enough? [...] Why
the taxpayers should pay for this via the security guard details, as if the man can't afford any of his own after all the
payoffs he's now collecting from speeches and book deals is rather a side issue. The problem is that this comes as he's
engaging in quite a few shenanigans on his own around Europe. DCWhispers, a pretty reliable blog, reprinted an item
stringing together all the Obama spottings around Europe with its leaders, all of whom are of the #NeverTrump ilk, calling it
the activity of a "dictator in exile."
And
The Winner For Most Expensive Ex-President For Taxpayers Is.... Once a president's job is finished and he
leaves office, taxpayers don't cease getting their hard-earned money taken from them in order to pay their salaries and
security costs. They actually get paid for the rest of their lives. Outside of that though, we still have to pay
for a number of expenses carried by each former president of the United States. Every former president has expenses,
but the most expensive of all the living former presidents is none other than Barack Obama himself.
Last-minute pork barrel spending in an attempt to buy votes:
Free healthcare clinic at L.A. Sports Arena draws 4,800.
In addition to receiving medical treatment, patients were enrolled in a free coverage program to prepare for the federal healthcare overhaul that takes effect
in 2014.
Obama Is
Trying To Buy The Hispanic And Female Vote With Another Government Giveaway. Now that the polls say that President Barack Obama's poll
numbers with women and the Hispanics in the United States aren't as exceedingly high as they were previously, there is suddenly a new benefit to the
farming — and rancher — community who are either female or Hispanic, who feel they were discriminated against in the not-so-distant
past. How ironic that this benefit to females and Hispanics is being offered right before President Obama's reelection date. One might
logically think that the timing of this benefit to these groups — who vote — is planned to sway their presidential election vote on
November 6. It's just one of the many, many methods in which an incumbent president can grab some extra votes in the eleventh hour.
Buchanan: Obama 'drug dealer of welfare'. President
Barack Obama is a "drug dealer of welfare," conservative commentator Pat Buchanan charged in an interview with Fox News's Greta Van
Susteren Tuesday night [9/18/2012]. "Barack Obama is a drug dealer of welfare," he said, speaking on "On the Record with Greta
Van Susteren." "He wants permanent dependency, in my judgment, of all these folks... somehow getting benefits, benefits, benefits
and paying no taxes."
Sugar Daddy in Chief. [Scroll down] And Obama has
repeatedly over the past several months used his executive authority to reward certain key constituencies, a process
sometimes referred to as "vote buying." Here are five prominent examples: [#1] $12 million in
transportation funding for Ohio. Several days before a scheduled campaign event in Ohio last week, the Obama
administration announced the release of more than $450 million in unspent high funds to various states as part of
the widely mocked "We Can't Wait" campaign. Ohio is set to receive more than $12 million for transportation and
infrastructure projects.
Obama's
Kind of Immigrants. Of course Obama wants illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants will depend
on the federal government for subsistence, if the federal government offers it. That's the whole purpose
of the Democratic Party in the first place: To create dependents and enhance their own power. But
think about what this means. The Democratic Party, and its standard bearer Obama, can only survive politically
if millions of people depend on them for their livelihood: Their food, their shelter, and what passes for
medical care and education when run by the government.
Obama uses green pork to push the swing states: Nuclear's Dilemma: Few Jobs, Just Energy.
Last week, Environmental Entrepreneurs, a trade group, announced that wind and solar projects around the country had created 34,409 new jobs
around the country in the second quarter of 2012, with high concentrations in California, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and Colorado.
A carefully timed pork barrel project: White House holds 'We Can't Wait' funds for
almost four years. The administration has waited three years and seven months to implement a new "We Can't Wait" project that redirects
unspent appropriations to fund new construction projects. The wait delayed the spending announcement until 11 weeks prior to the November
election. The announcement is part of the administration's "We Can't Wait" effort, which highlights the president's authority to change spending,
law enforcement priorities and regulations, independent of Congress and the courts.
Obama OKs old earmark for highway projects.
The Obama administration will free up $473 million in unspent "idle earmarks" to allow states to spend the money on highway projects immediately, Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood said Friday [8/17/2012]. The unspent money comes from congressional pet projects that were written into four spending bills from 2003 to
2006. But the money was never spent — either because of an error in writing the bill, because the project could be completed without it, or because
the earmark wasn't big enough.
Obama
redirects $470M in 'idle' earmark funds to highway projects. The Obama administration said Friday that it would use $470 million in unused
money earmarked by members of previous Congresses to pay for new transportation projects. The White House said the money comes from appropriations
bills that were passed by lawmakers from 2003 to 2006. Since taking over the House in 2010, Republicans have banned earmarks, and have touted the fact
that the recently approved $105 billion transportation bill did not include any.
Malia Obama goes to Mexico on Spring Break
Would you send your 13-year-old daughter to Mexico for her own little spring break romp?
The State Department has warned American citizens not to travel to Mexico. But if you bring 25 federal agents
with you, apparently it's okay.
Malia
Obama guarded by 25 Secret Service agents on spring break in Mexico. Barack Obama's eldest daughter is
spending her springbreak [sic] in the historic Mexican city of Oaxaca in the company of 12 friends — and
25 Secret Service agents. The US President's 13-year-old daughter Malia is staying at a downtown hotel in the
city famous for its colonial architecture and well-preserved native American traditions, an official said.
Obama's
daughter spends spring break in Mexico. The elder daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama is spending her
spring break in the historic Mexican city of Oaxaca in the company of 12 friends, a state police official said.
The young tourists, including 13-year-old Malia Ann Obama, are staying at a downtown hotel in this city famous for its
colonial architecture and well-preserved native American traditions, the official said.
Other sources for this story:
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6] (Why is that important? Keep reading.)
The Editor asks...
The federal government will provide security, transportation and food for this trip, at taxpayer expense, but who
are the chaperones? If Malia comes back pregnant, will she be "punished with a baby"?
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
A day later... AFP
story on Obama daughter's Mexico trip scrubbed from Internet. An AFP report that President Barack
Obama's 13-year-old daughter, Malia, is spending spring break in Oaxaca, Mexico appears to have been completely
scrubbed from the Internet news sites that first reported it. Pictures have appeared in Mexican magazine
Quién.com allegedly showing Malia visiting Oaxaca. AFP, the French news agency, first reported
around mid-day Monday [3/19/2012] that Malia Obama was vacationing in Mexico with 12 friends under the
protection of 25 Secret Service agents and a number of local police officers. The International
Business Times reported that "the group arrived in Oaxaca on Saturday and reportedly visited the architectural
site of Mitla."
Malia
Obama's Redacted Spring Break. The AFP ran with a story Monday [3/19/2012] mentioning that Malia Obama
was "vacationing in Oaxaca, Mexico, along with a number of friends and 25 Secret Service agents." Completely
inoffensive, but also kind of tacit violation of the media- politician "My kids have the right to a private life when
they're doing things out in the public eye" bargain. The story of Malia's spring break was promptly "picked up by
Yahoo, the Huffington Post, and the International Business Times, as well as UK publications like the Daily Mail and
the Telegraph." By Monday evening, the majority of those stories were down.
Why
Is the Story About Malia Obama Vacationing in Mexico Disappearing from the Web? Have you heard that
Malia Obama, the president's daughter, is reportedly spending her spring break in Oaxaca, Mexico? Allegedly,
she's jetting off with some of her classmates and 25 Secret Service agents to a country that the State Department
has said all Americans should avoid. But something is different about the latest "Obama vacation controversy:"
references to it are disappearing from the Internet — and fast.
The Editor says...
The Obamas have a history of making bad decisions, and
spending taxpayer money on themselves, especially on their globe-trotting vacations, which is the subject of this page.
(Vacations from what? That's another story.) The news media have a history of covering up the Obamas'
gaffes, and the tradition continues in this case. The White House wants this scandal swept down the media
memory hole, and the Democrat-controlled news media are happy
to comply.
Media scrubs Malia Obama
vacation story. The AFP, the Huffington Post and other websites have scrubbed a report about first daughter Malia
Obama's Spring Break vacation. On Monday, the AFP reported that Obama's daughter was vacationing abroad, along with a number
of friends and 25 Secret Service agents. The story was picked up by Yahoo, the Huffington Post, and the International
Business Times, as well as UK publications like the Daily Mail and the Telegraph and other overseas publications like The
Australian. But on Monday night, the story had been removed from those sites.
White
House Admits Asking Media to Scrub Reports of Malia Obama's Mexican Vacation. After it was reported Monday that Malia
Obama was going to Mexico for spring break with 25 Secret Service agents, people began to notice that such reports were being scrubbed
from the Internet. Politico's Dylan Byers reported Tuesday this was done at the request of the White House.
The Editor says...
The press has a tradition of leaving all the U.S. Presidents' children alone, unless they're Jenna Bush, since the children
are — by decree — not newsworthy. But the story here is one of government waste, extraordinarily poor judgment,
and now gross manipulation of the news media. As usual,
the coverup is worse than the crime. This is a scandal.
White
House: Malia Obama Safe From Earthquake in Mexico. Malia Obama is safe and out of harm's way following
an earthquake in Mexico today [3/20/2012], where the president's eldest daughter is on vacation. "In light of today's
earthquake, we can confirm that Malia Obama is safe and was never in danger," the first lady's communications
director Kristina Schake said in a written statement.
The Editor says...
At first the press was forbidden to report that Malia was in Mexico without her parents. But the press was
later encouraged to happily report that Malia is safe in Mexico. The White House wants to be able to turn
the news media on and off as needed.
Troubling
Things Obama's Spring Break Story Reveal. First you have to wonder about sending
a 13-year-old to drug-war-torn Mexico to frolic with her friends. It doesn't strike us as
the wisest move, given the potential risk to her and those around her. Then there's President
Obama's indifference to the country's perilous financial situation. With deficits topping $1 trillion,
you'd think he'd set an example by scotching a trip that required 25 very expensive Secret
Service baby sitters. Surely there were less costly places for her to go. If Obama
had been a Republican, you can bet such profligacy would be the talk of the town. ... In the end,
this was more about an Obama power play over the media than it was about his daughter's safety.
The Media's Double Standard
On Obama's Daughters. [Scroll down] Predictably, the major media news outlets bowed to White House wishes
and scrubbed references to Malia's Mexico trip, presumably because it had no "vital news interest". So, it's officially
off-limits to question or discuss Obama's bizarre decision to send underage Malia on a solo Spring Break trip to Mexico in
defiance, by the way, of his own State Department's stern Travel Warning. Yet one day earlier, on Monday, Michelle Obama
went on the David Letterman show and publicly discussed their child-rearing philosophy of instilling "South Side Chicago"
values in the girls. So what IS the media standard, then, on stories relating to the Obamas' child-rearing decisions?
They're public matters on Mondays but off limits on Tuesdays?
White
House in fury over Rick Santorum for attacking Malia Obama's trip to Mexico. Barack Obama responded Wednesday [3/21/2012]
with shock to Rick Santorum's recent criticisms that the President was an irresponsible parent for sending his daughter to
Mexico. President Obama's deputy campaign manager, Stephanie Cutter, ripped the Republican presidential candidate for
raising an issue about Malia Obama's recent school trip.
President
Obama's daughters' privacy is difficult to protect in Internet age. A news story that the White House sought to
suppress became a news story anyway on Tuesday in an episode that underscores the difficulties of maintaining the privacy and
security of President Obama's underage daughters in a digital world.
The Editor says...
No it doesn't. If anything it shows that "mainstream" press is controlled by the White House, and the internet is an
effective way to bypass Obama's throttle.
Malia Obama Stories Disappear From the Web ... Again.
Remember back in March when news stories about Malia Obama vacationing in Mexico started disappearing from the web? [...] It seems the same thing
has happened again, this time after Malia attended a concert last week by U.K. boy band One Direction. The Daily Caller pointed out that
two of the main outlets that covered Malia's attendance have since scrubbed their stories or heavily altered them.
Months later, Obama is now using his children for political gain. Obama daughters showing up in public comments, campaign
ads. The bump in visibility comes as President Obama uses the girls to personalize his image and his thinking on a range of public
policy issues, from explaining why he placed a phone call to a college student assailed by radio talker Rush Limbaugh to his decision to support gay
marriage.
[Emphasis added.]
Update: Group sues Secret
Service for cost of Malia Obama's spring break trip to Mexico. A watchdog group with a history of exposing the taxpayer costs of
President Obama's vacations is now suing the Secret Service for records detailing how much it cost the agency to protect first daughter Malia Obama
when she traveled to Mexico for spring break earlier this year. It's a trip that the White House has famously tried to keep out of the news.
JW
Sues for Cost of Obama Daughter's Spring Break Trip. Judicial Watch is investigating yet another Obama personal
vacation, trying to get a sense of costs passed on to American taxpayers. This time, our investigation focuses on the
security costs associated with First Daughter Malia Obama's trip to Mexico during Spring Break 2012.
Another update: Judicial
Watch Uncovers Taxpayer Cost for Malia Obama's Spring Break Trip to Mexico. JW has kept close watch on the First Family's extravagant
personal trips for the American people, since we're the ones footing the bill. And last week we released records detailing the government
funds expended on Malia's March 2012 Spring Break vacation to Mexico. According to the records, obtained from the U.S. Secret Service as a
result of a Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed on September 20, 2012, the total cost of the trip amounted
to $115,500.87.
Malia
Obama's Trip to Mexico: $115,500.87. Malia Obama's spring break trip evoked controversy after the Obama White House reportedly
ordered the removal of press reports detailing the trip. On March 19, 2012, numerous online press outlets reported that the president's
13-year-old daughter, Malia Obama, was on a Spring Break trip to Mexico accompanied by 25 U.S. Secret Service Agents and as many as 12 of
her friends. However, shortly after the press reports surfaced they were quickly removed from the Internet. The trip took place
shortly after the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a statement advising students on Spring Break "to avoid Mexico."
The Editor says...
Mr. and Mrs. Obama owe the rest of us $115,500.87 for that excursion. But that was only one of four vacations detailed in the
article immediately above, with a total price tag of almost a million dollars.
The Obamas use their kids as political pawns when it works to their advantage: 'Every
kid needs a taste of real hard work': Why President Obama wants Malia and Sasha to work minimum-wage
jobs. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are on the lookout for minimum-wage
jobs for their teenage daughters so they can give them a feeling of what 'most folks go through every
single day.' 'We are looking for opportunities for them to feel as if going to work and getting
a paycheck is not always fun, not always stimulating, not always fair,' the president said in an interview
with Parade magazine, slated to run on Sunday. 'I think every kid needs to get a taste of what it's
like to do that real hard work,' Michelle echoed.
Years after the Mexican vacation, the Obamas meddle with the media again. White
House Strong-Arms Photo Agency to Quash Malia Photos. Malia Obama went to a famous L.A. restaurant Monday
night [7/7/2014] — a restaurant regularly frequented by celebs and paparazzi — and when the White House
found out a photog took her pic, they went into DEFCON 1 to KILL the photo
Obama's multi-million-dollar Indian junket
Entire
Taj Mahal Hotel Reportedly Booked for Obama Mumbai Visit. President Obama's aides have booked the
entire Taj Mahal hotel ahead of the president's high-profile visit to the Indian city rocked by a terrorist attack
two years ago, The Economic Times reports. The newspaper reported that the Obama administration has reserved
all 570 rooms, as well as the hotel's restaurants, to ensure airtight security when the president and first
lady Michelle Obama visit Mumbai early next month. Dozens of other rooms have been booked elsewhere in
the city.
Marie Antoinette
has nothing on the Obamas. Clearly this administration learned nothing from the public outcry
over Michelle Obama's turn as Marie Antoinette re-incarnate on her last little junket to Spain. If you
thought the flaunting FLOTUS dropping a cool half million on a vacation trip for 40 of her pals and 70 secret
service agents was over-the-top, wait to you get a load of the Obama itinerary for the Mumbai junket.
Obama's 855-Room Junket to India: What About
the Deficit? Having created another trillion-dollar deficit for the current fiscal year, President
Obama is working on yet another deficit buster with his extravagant two-day visit to India in November. ... To
ensure fool-proof security, the President's team has booked the entire the Taj Mahal Hotel, including 570 rooms,
all banquets and restaurants. Since his security contingent and staff will comprise a huge number, 125 rooms
at Taj President have also been booked, apart from 80 to 90 rooms each in Grand Hyatt and The Oberoi
hotels. The NCPA, where the President is expected to meet representatives from the business community,
has also been entirely booked.
White House staff
to man Taj. The iconic Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai will be off limits not only for outsiders, but
also for most of the hotel's employees during US President Barack Obama's visit. Operations at the hotel
will virtually be taken over by White House staff for two days beginning November 6. Just 10 per cent
of Taj's 1,400 permanent staff will be at hand for the guests, comprising the US first family and the rest of
the delegation. The hotel will not accept any other guests.
Taj
hotel staff to be under 'house arrest' for Barack Obama. The Taj is shutting its doors to other
guests as it readies itself for its most important one. But the arrival of Barack Obama doesn't have the
hotel's staff excited. Reason? For the two days the US president and his entourage will be at the
Taj, the staff will be under virtual house arrest. Worse, they can't keep their mobile phones with them.
Obama's
trip to be biggest ever. US President Barack Obama's trip to India next month is set to be the
biggest ever by any US president in terms of the protocol and logistics.
Obama's
$200 million-a-day trip to India. President Obama's trip to India will cost the U.S. $200m-a-day,
it was reported today. The visit — part of a 10-trip to Asia — will take place
amid unprecedented levels of security in the city of Mumbai, where terrorists killed at least 173 people
two years ago.
US
to spend $200 million a day on Obama's Mumbai visit. The US would be spending a whopping $200 million
per day on President Barack Obama's visit to the city. ... About 3,000 people including Secret Service
agents, US government officials and journalists would accompany the President. Several officials from
the White House and US security agencies are already here for the past one week with helicopters, a ship and
high-end security instruments.
Obamas
wanted to celebrate Diwali in India. Barack Obama, who became the first US president to personally
celebrate Diwali in the historic East Room in 2009, wanted to "specifically" celebrate the festival of lights
with Indians, the White House has said. "He (Obama) specifically wanted to have an opportunity to celebrate
Diwali and to do so with the Indian people, getting beyond simply his official business," Jeff Bader, Senior
Director for Asia Affairs at the National Security Council, White House, said.
The Editor says...
Call me a hayseed, but I had never heard of Diwali.
Apparently it is a five-day festival that is important to Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. And evidently
it is important to Mr. and Mrs. Obama as well.
34 warships sent
from US for Obama visit. The White House will, of course, stay in Washington but the heart of
the famous building will move to India when President Barack Obama lands in Mumbai on Saturday. Communications
set-up, nuclear button, a fleet of limousines and majority of the White House staff will be in India accompanying
the President on this three-day visit that will cover Mumbai and Delhi.
US
security may jam walkie-talkies. [Scroll down] Meanwhile, even as Delhi Police is preparing
to use its newly-acquired sophisticated weapons to ensure fool-proof security for the US president, the cops
might still have to rely on their mobile phones to communicate with one another when the President is on the
move. Security agencies said that there was a possibility that the entire walkie-talkie network might
be "jammed" as the US security agencies will be blocking all possible frequencies through which communication
is possible.
The Editor says...
First of all, blocking "all possible frequencies through which communication is possible" means blocking
every known radio frequency. Secondly, imagine the uproar that would ensue if the Indian Prime Minister came
to Washington and jammed every radio (and television and cell phone) frequency. Transmitting radio signals
without a license is illegal in every country in the world. For the U.S. to send civilians into another
country to take over the radio spectrum is an act of unmitigated imperialism.
India:
The Pasha Tour. Yes, a traveling president deserves security. But the 3,000-person entourage
accompanying Barack Obama to Mumbai, India, this week reeks of pashalike decadence.
Coconuts,
monkeys, warships: India's security plan for President Obama's visit. Just days ahead of his
trip to India, local authorities were going to extraordinary lengths Thursday [11/4/2010] to protect US President Barack
Obama, even removing coconuts from trees to prevent them falling on the president's head.
A
coconut-free respite for President Obama. President Obama can't wait to get out of Dodge, and who
can blame him? He's off Friday for a long trip through Asia, landing first in India, and if he puts
everything on his credit card, he'll have enough frequent-flier miles to go anywhere for years after he
leaves the White House. He'll feel right at home in India. He hasn't had an opportunity to blow
other people's money with abandon like this since he sent billions to General Motors and Chrysler.
How
much do Obama's foreign trips cost? An thinly sourced report that President Barack Obama's upcoming
trip to India is going to cost $200 million a day looks to be grossly inflated, but how much do presidential
trips abroad actually cost? That answer isn't quite as secret as the White House and some press reports
would have you believe.
Cost of Obama's Trip to India Angers
Right. Back in 1999, the General Accounting Office did a study of a 10-day trip to Africa by
President Bill Clinton. The report found that the total cost for the trip was $42 million.
That figure did not take into account the airplanes, helicopters and support personnel who accompany the president,
however. (The personnel would presumably be paid whether or not a trip took place.) The operating
cost of Air Force One is over $100,000 per hour, and a ten-hour flight from DC to Mumbai would thus tack on a
million dollars to a trip's cost.
Fuzzy Math Dogs Obama's
Asia Trip. As if Tuesday's shellacking wasn't enough, President Barack Obama is getting pilloried
by the right on the cost of his 10-day trip to Asia, with outlandish hyperventilation going directly from suspect
Indian media reports to conservative U.S. media outlets and commentators without a pause for fact-checking. ... [T]he
report is demonstrably incorrect. It says the White House had blocked off the entire Taj Mahal Hotel in
Mumbai — it hasn't — and that the press traveling with Mr. Obama will be staying there.
We won't. Besides, the press pays its own way at considerable cost to the media outlets, not the U.S.
taxpayer.
Obama's India extravaganza angers Americans.
The US is still crawling through a recession and its citizens are unhappy that their president is squandering huge
resources on a vacation. ... Take the bomb-proof surface tunnel that is to be installed by US military engineers
on the approach to Mani Bhavan, the Gandhi museum that the president will visit soon after he comes to Mumbai
on Saturday. US security officials came up with the plan after inspecting the route to the museum and
they felt that the area was too congested to monitor. The kilometer-long tunnel that will be large
enough to let Obama's cavalcade drive through, will be put up in an hour.
President Obama's excellent asian adventure.
President Obama is being ridiculed for the extravagance of his trip to Asia. A report from India that Obama's
trip will cost $200 million a day for two days in India is implausible and baseless. However, the
White House will not say what the actual price tag nor, to my knowledge, has it denied that he be will accompanied
by an enormous entourage the accommodation of which will be hugely expensive. Instead, the administration's
talking point is that presidential trips abroad are always expensive. That's true. But Obama seems to
be taking things to a new level.
Obama moving White House to India?
Despite yesterday's election, it is now blatantly obvious that Obama & Co neither cares about the
United States of America nor its people. Today, the US tyrant — along with an estimated 50 jumbo
jets full of his 3,000 person entourage — will fly Air Force One (followed by the second AF One
and Marine One copters) to Mumbai, India where he and his merry minions will take over the entire Taj Mahal
and other hotels. The now fully visible to the entire world hedonist and "Neroistc" monarch Obama will
spend at least $200 Million PER DAY of OUR money to indulge his every whim and fantasy.
Obama
to use teleprompter for Hindi speech. Namaste India! In all likelihood that will be
silver-tongued Barack Obama's opening line when he addresses the Indian parliament next week. ... But few in
India know that the US president always carries the teleprompter with him wherever he speaks.
Glib Pasha Gets His
Just Deserts. [Scroll down] While the White House is denying reports from the Indian press that
the President's mambo to Mumbai will cost US taxpayers $200 million a day and that 34 U.S. warships will
be on hand there for his visit, it is not providing any accounting of what promises to be a very ostentatious
pageant. Coconuts are being plucked from the trees lest any on fall on his crown and 40 airplanes,
13 heavy-lift aircraft and three helicopters, chefs, huge security details (which are already offending
local dignitaries) luxury jets will accompany him and expensive hotels for the operation and invited guests
have been fully booked for the excursion.
Bomb-proof
tunnel with air conditioning. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle arrived in India's
commercial hub of Mumbai on Saturday [11/6/2010], days after voters punished his Democrats in mid-term elections.
Probably not since the days of the Pharaohs or the more ludicrous Roman Emperors has a head of state travelled
in such pomp and expensive grandeur as the President of the United States of America.
Well,
as long as the White House denies it ... It really doesn't matter what it's costing for Obama's
trip — it's too much. When the President decides it would be a good idea to drop into
Philadelphia and back a candidate at 5 on a workday afternoon, the politicos love it, but it costs us a
bunch of money and ties up all the working stiffs who are trying to get home with traffic gridlock —
caused by the President's party. That's a shame and it's a slap in the face to the people it
inconveniences. And, frankly, I've lived through too many White House denials to accept them as gospel.
Obama's Disastrous
Visit to India. As his political party was delivered a severe blow and his agenda was cut off at
the knees on election day he was seen dancing happily all across the [Indian] continent with a lavish visit
paid for at the taxpayer's expense even as those same taxpayers were enraged at wild government spending sprees.
The New York City Flyover
Buzzing New York City in Air Force One is not only a waste of fuel, it's completely unnecessary.
The ostensible purpose of this flight was to take pictures of Air Force One with the city in the
background. The same end product could have been produced through the use of Adobe Photoshop.
There must have been more to it than mere picture taking. I suspect this flight was just a joy ride for
a large group of influential Democrats.
Will anyone lose their job over this incident? Don't count on it.
They Knew!
The FAA knew letting a presidential jumbo jet and an F-16 fighter fly ominously near Ground Zero Monday might cause
panic in the streets — but the White House still insisted the photo-op be kept classified, sources said
yesterday. A cryptic, classified alert — obtained by The [New York] Post yesterday [4/28/2009] — written
by James Johnston, a high-ranking Federal Aviation Administration official in Washington, predicted the fear and
confusion.
Create-your-own
NYC Air Force One flyover photo ... we did. Memo to the White House: Not only was
flying a Presidential jet for a photo-op Monday over downtown Manhattan in bad taste — it was unnecessary.
Anyone in the White House ever hear of Photoshop?
White
House Calls New York City Flyover 'Stupid'. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday a photo-op
featuring the presidential jet flying over the Manhattan skyline was as "stupid a thing to do as one could dream up."
During an interview on Air Force One, Gibbs said if President Obama had had "any knowledge of the stupid idea to go take
pictures of the plane in New York, I can assure you that wouldn't have happened."
FAA Memo: Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic.
A furious President Barack Obama ordered an internal review of Monday's low-flying photo op over the Statue of Liberty.
[WCBS-TV] has discovered the feds will have plenty to question. Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets
and a 747 from the presidential fleet to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11
replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public.
The Editor says...
Whoever ordered this flight was at a high enough level in the government that neither the
Air Force nor the FAA could veto the idea. That's pretty high up. There aren't many people at that level
in the White House, and they all talk to each other, and yet the President claims that he knew nothing about it.
Real
Cost of 'Stupid' New York Flyover Far More Than Air Force's Total. Flying the presidential jet
over lower Manhattan for a photo op, sending panicked New Yorkers running into the streets, was as "stupid a
thing to do as one could dream up," the White House said Wednesday [4/29/2009]. And it cost far more than
the $328,835 the Air Force says it spent. New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg's office said it doesn't have hard
numbers yet on how much the city had to spend to deal with the panic caused when a backup jet to Air Force One,
accompanied by two F-16 fighter jets, flew around for approximately 30 minutes for a photo shoot commissioned
by the White House Military Office.
Flyover Launcher.
This morning, at least one news organization and one citizen advocacy group was mulling filing a Freedom of
Information Act request seeking the release of the manifest for the Air Force One New York flyover to determine
if any Obama donors or other interested parties were on board the flight. The suspicion that
civilians — or a high-ranking White House official — may have been on the flight
is the result, in part, of the involvement of Louis Caldera, the Obama Administration's director of the
White House Military Office, who authorized the New York City flyover, and who was brought into the
administration, say Obama donors and transition team members, for his understanding of the Pentagon's
inner-workings, his relationship with high-powered donors with backgrounds in the defense industry, and
his ties to both Bill and Hillary Clinton and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson.
So Why Does Air Force One Need Publicity,
Anyway? Sometimes, even the most straightforward question can create a havoc of evasion and denial in
Washington's corridors of power — a question such as "Why does Air Force One need publicity photos?" It's
a legitimate question, following the official explanation that Monday's flight over lower Manhattan by one of the
President's fleet of 747s (shadowed by a fighter plane) that evoked ghosts of 9/11 and spread panic, was
simply an ill-conceived photo opportunity.
100 Days of
Reckless Photo-Op Hubris. Come on, who's surprised? The White House-engineered photo-op of low-flying Air
Force aircraft that caused terror in New York City this week epitomizes the Age of Obama. What better way to mark
100 days in office than with an appalling exercise in pointless taxpayer-funded stagecraft? The superficiality,
the unseriousness, the hubris, the obliviousness to post-9/11 realities: They were trademarks of the Obama campaign,
and they are the tattoos on his governance. He never leaves home without his teleprompter. All the Obama
world's a stage.
Fly By Farce Theory.
[Scroll down] "Apparently there was also a similar strafing scheduled for Washington DC which has
been scrapped."
Feds "demanded total secrecy" in NYC
flyover — We demand answers. Having personally experienced the loss of law enforcement
officers I knew rather well and knowing others in law enforcement who were forever affected on the
morning of 9/11, I am mad as [heck] over the ill-conceived low-altitude flyover of the skies of lower
Manhattan by an Air Force One lookalike and its F-16 military escorts that took place early Monday
morning. Not only am I outraged, I want answers, if not for me, for every American and especially
those who were forced to relive the fear felt on 9/11.
Yeah, right. President Obama
"Furious" to Hear of Plane Incident. A White House official tells ABC News that
President Obama was "furious" to hear about the incident this morning when Air Force One and Air
Force fighter jets appeared to be flying into the Manhattan skyline, scaring many New Yorkers into
thinking they were about to face another terrorist attack. Many buildings in lower Manhattan
evacuated. Angry New York politicians lashed out at whoever was responsible for the
incident — which turned out to have been for a photo op.
A 'Classified' Photo Op Turns Into a
Soaring Blunder for the White House. As secret missions go, this one was a flop. On
Monday morning, one of the 747s used to ferry around the U.S. president was dispatched to the Statue of
Liberty, escorted by a fighter jet. Assignment: Get some fresh glamour shots of the plane.
The Air Force said the flight needed to remain confidential. So while New York police knew about it, as did
at least one person in the mayor's office, regular New Yorkers remained in the dark.
President
Obama calls Air Force One flyover a 'mistake'. President Barack Obama admitted Tuesday it was
"a mistake" to send a Boeing 747 and an F-16 fighter jet buzzing over lower Manhattan. Speaking before a
meeting at FBI headquarters in Washington, Obama said he was as in the dark as everyone else about the photo
op fly-by, but made no secret of his disapproval. "It was a mistake, as was stated," Obama said.
"And it will not happen again."
To Seem, Rather Than To
Be. New Yorkers, from the mayor on down, are livid — and justifiably so. Certain
officials were notified about the stunt, but they were told to keep it secret. So people like
the mayor and the general public had no idea what was going on when the jumbo jet roared overhead, low
enough to rattle windows, with the F-16 right on its tail. ... And in a week or two, they'll do
something else even more thoughtless and tone-deaf.
Air
Heads in DC Terrorize City. It turned out that the backup Air Force One jet and the fighter that
appeared to be pursuing it only 1,000 feet above Ground Zero were staging the spectacle to get publicity shots
of the presidential plane with a New York backdrop. President Obama called the incident a "mistake"
today and said it would not happen again.
The Editor says...
That probably means that it won't happen again in New York City. On a weekday.
During daylight hours.
Obama
orders review of NYC plane scare. President Barack Obama has ordered an internal review to
determine how the decision was made to send of one of his official airplanes on a low-flying photo op past the
New York City skyline. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday [4/26/2009] that deputy
chief of staff Jim Messina will lead the review.
Air Force One, Flaps
Up! The White House announced that it was unaware of the plan to scare the pants off of half of
one of America's busiest cities and had "just found out about it." Really, is someone out joyriding in
the president's plane around New York without permission? What if there had been a national emergency
and he had to rush out to Edwards AFB. "Hey, where is my ride?" "We're not sure, Mr. President"
but we are looking into it and should have a reasonable idea within three weeks."
Bloomberg
Questions Air Force Dumb & Dumber. Scaring the holy heck out of the city by allowing a
low-flying Air Force One clone and an F-16 to buzz lower Manhattan for photo op. Dumb. Deeming
those photos classified. Even dumber. Mayor Bloomberg took a little shot at Team Obama today,
questioning the public relations-savvy of the administration's decision to keep the publicity photos of
low-flying plane under wraps.
The
Selective Transparency of Barack Obama. Sunlight is for suckers. The New York Post
reported on Tuesday that the White House will not release the $328,835 snapshots taken of the president's
Boeing VC-25A that buzzed lower Manhattan. The entire world has seen news and amateur photos and videos
of the incident, but if President Obama has his way, taxpayers won't be able to see the flyover photos they
paid for with their own money.
White House Declines to Release Photos of New
York City Flyover. The White House is refusing to release the controversial photos of Air Force
One flying over the Manhattan skyline last week that triggered panic among New Yorkers and an internal review
in the Obama administration. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that there was no need to
release them.
White
House won't release Air Force One photos. Here it is, more than a week after the $328,000 photo
op, and still it's hard to understand how someone could think it was a good idea. White House press
secretary Robert Gibbs was wearing his tap dance shoes today when asked about a report in the New York Post
that the White House wasn't going to release photos from the much-maligned mission.
Phantom
Air Farce Pictures. The $328,835 snapshots of an Air Force One backup plane buzzing lower
Manhattan last week will not be shown to the public, the White House said yesterday [5/4/2009]. "We
have no plans to release them," an aide to President Obama told The Post, refusing to comment further.
The Editor says...
What if there were no pictures? That would explain the administration's reluctance to
release them. I suspect it was all just an expensive joyride for the Democrat elite.
Update:
Wait — The White House, at long last, has released the picture that was taken on the Air Force One
barnstorming flight over New York. And it looks like my earlier assumption was incorrect — one person
lost his White House job over this incident.
ONE picture? That's all they took? $328,000 Photo: WH Will Release Pic
from Air Force One NYC Fiasco. The White House has apparently had a change of heart, and will
release "a photo" from the pricey, fright-inducing Manhattan flyover photo-op involving an Air Force fighter
jet and a Boeing 747 which is sometimes used as the president's plane.
White
House aide Louis Caldera loses job over Manhattan flyover fiasco involving Air Force One. The
White House aide who authorized the controversial Air Force One photo-op flight last week around the Statue of
Liberty is out of a job. President Obama has accepted the resignation of Louis Caldera, the director of
the White House Military Office, the [New York] Daily News learned Friday [5/8/2009].
After
Flyover of Air Force One Backup, Military Office Director Resigns. The director of the White
House Military Office submitted his resignation on Friday, less than two weeks after he authorized a flyover
by an Air Force One backup of the Statue of Liberty that terrified thousands of people in New York City.
'Air
Force One' photo-flop costly: One job. The White House hasn't only released a photo from the
$357,000 "photo op" of the Air Force jumbo jet that serves as Air Force One flying over New York and scaring
half the city still traumatized by the airliner attacks on the World Trade Center's twin towers.
The White House also has released the White House military affairs director who authorized the flyover.
Secretary Gates Concerned
About Violation of Protocols for Air Force One Flyover. On the same day the White House is
scheduled to issue a report as to what went wrong when White House military office director Louis Caldera
signed off on an Air Force One flyover that frightened so many New Yorkers on April 27, a letter was made
public indicating that Defense Secretary Robert Gates is concerned about the lack of military supervision of
the plan.
Series
of gaffes led to Air Force One flyover. The Air Force One photo shoot over New York City last
month, with the presidential aircraft buzzing lower Manhattan at 1,000 feet as terrified workers were
fleeing office buildings, was a convergence of gaffes missed e-mails and phone calls, doses of pain pills,
early departures from the office, and hallway "asides" that went nowhere.
Air
Farce Ejector Seat. The bumbling head of President Obama's military office resigned yesterday
after an embarrassing internal report revealed his failure to give a heads-up to the White House and the
public or to anticipate the panic triggered by a photo op of Air Force One cruising low over New York City.
The Visual Subtext of
the Statue of Liberty Fly-by Photo. One image alone was released from the expensive photo op that
terrified New Yorkers last month. Out of [untold] images taken during the mission, only one was chosen.
It speaks powerfully to the American public — in symbolic language. The ominous and imposing
aircraft dominates the scene in such a way that, in gestalt parlance, no one could mistake the figure for the
ground. The figure is an aircraft that serves as Air Force One, representing the Messianic omnipotence
of the Obama presidency.
Bam's
Scare Force One Scapegoat. On Friday [5/8/2009], the White House released the results of a
bizarre "inquiry" into Scare Force One that strangely looked only at the military office. Little
surprise, then, that the designated fall guy was the military office director, Louis Caldera.
Aide Responsible For AF1 Flight
Over NYC Lands Safely. Louis Caldera, the head of the White House military office forced out over the
controversial Air Force One photo-op over the Statue of Liberty, has become a senior fellow at the Center for American
Progress, The Mouth learned Wednesday [6/10/2009]. CAP, a center-left think thank founded by the well-connected
John Podesta, is a repository of well-known Democratic operatives and policy wonks.
The latest: The old Friday night media dump. Defense
Department Releases Flurry of Photos of Botched Plane Flyover. The Department of Defense released a
flurry of additional photos Friday [7/31/2009] of Air Force One's controversial Manhattan flyover in April.
A total of 146 photos were released of the April 27 incident, which panicked many local citizens and
prompted officials in the New York metropolitan area to question why the White House Military Office did not
make the mission more broadly known.
Doc dump details Air Force Ones' New York City
mishap. The documents show that the Air Force carefully tracked the explosion of negative press that
ensued after panicked New Yorkers feared the low-flying, circling planes were part of a 9/11-like attack. The
e-mails also show various components of the bureaucracy trying to steer clear of the fallout. Of those who
knew about the planned flight, only an Air Force reserve Major General, Brian Keenan, seems to have foresight
into the response the photo op inspired.
Official
e-mails reveal boondoggle over Air Force One's Manhattan flyover. Government officials knew the Air Force One
flyover of the Statue of Liberty would scare the bejabbers out of New Yorkers, but went ahead with it anyway and quickly
realized their bigtime blunder. A barrage of e-mails between officials right after the flight made public Friday
showed a flurry of second guessing, finger-pointing, attempts at damage control...
Three million
New Yorkers did not have a need to know. On page 11 of the 533 page Friday afternoon document
drop from the White House, a quote from an e-mail referring to the disastrous Air Force One flyby of lower Manhattan:
"3 million New Yorkers did not have a need to know." Page 22: "Will probably receive some local
press, but WH (White House) shouldn't catch any questions about it."
Air Force used
Twitter to track NY flyover fallout. As the Pentagon warns of the security risks posed by social networking
sites, newly released government documents show the military also uses these Internet tools to monitor and react to
coverage of high-profile events.
No Explanation
For This Insanity. [Scroll down] This administration demonstrated its lack of compassion
for [the people of New York] when it ordered jets to fly near Ground Zero for a ridiculous photo op of Air Force
One. Who shot the photos? The jet pilots? How good could the photo be when the cameraman is flying
an air force jet at the same time? Why was a photo even necessary? Did they never hear of
Photoshop? This story smells to high heaven and we never did learn who was in Air Force One nor
did we get any rational explanation for the ridiculous decision.
Why Obama Sticks in my Craw. "Special Pictures" was
the reason given back in 2009 when Air Force One buzzed New York City on a Sunday morning. New Yorkers were alarmed. It seemed an indelicate
aeronautic act to pull on the city still smarting from the effects of previous low-flying large jets. Not to worry... and please disregard.
We were told that these pictures were for a special documentary or something, therefore the flight was necessary. Forget that any off-the-shelf
photo-editing program could put Air Force One into a New York City skyline without the fuel, escort, or citizen alarm. I must have missed the
documentary or any other use of Air Force One pictures with New York City as a background. Certainly it was not as some suggest. There is
no way a power-hungry narcissist would be so egocentric as to order Air Force One into the air for a joyride with the family. Nor could we imagine
a first lady so power-crazy, or even a Napoleonic chief of staff.
An Uncontrollable Ego. The week after Obama's first inauguration,
commuters in New York City were shocked when Air Force One buzzed the Statue of Liberty. When the White House was queried nobody took responsibility.
But only the President of the United States can override standing orders and FAA safety rules in that symbolic act of giving the middle finger to the whole
country, within sight of the ruined Twin Towers. Buzzing Lady Liberty was only one of dozens of acts of symbolic defiance that Obama has indulged in over
the years. Psychiatrically these gestures have two features: first, they are unnecessary to achieve any rational goal; and second, they always reveal
rage and hatred against "middleclassness," as Jeremiah Wright calls it, the values that normal Americans hold dear.
