Michelle Obama and President Obama traveled to Martha’s Vineyard just hours apart, costing taxpayers thousands in additional expenses so she could have just a bit of extra vacation time.
Mrs. Obama and her daughters arrived just before 2 pm Thursday on a U.S. government jet, according to the Martha’s Vineyard Times, which got its information from the local airport. The first lady’s office has been silent on her travel. President Obama arrived in the evening along with the family dog Bo.
The extra costs related to Mrs. Obama’s solo trip mainly include the flight on a specially designed military aircraft she took instead of Air Force One, as well as any extra staff and Secret Service that had to be enlisted to go with her. She would also have had her own motorcade from the airport to her vacation residence. This is not the first time Michelle has gone on vacation ahead of the president on the taxpayers’ tab. Last December, she racked up what was likely more than $100,000 in expenses leaving early for their Hawaii vacation.
Things that make you go Hmmmm, or just part of his “jobs” initiative?
SHAME, etc
Shouldn’t be surprised.
It’s typical for elite dictators.
obama is a c%^#
These kinds of reports are a bit crotchety. Yep it is bad PR but has no real significance to any of the issues the country must deal with.
Bad form, I agree. But except for the extra fuel, all the personnel, vehicles, etc. are on standby and getting paid for anyway.
Even if you do count the price of everything, it equals, what 12 seconds worth of the war costs?
Michelle Obama’s message to the American public:
Let them eat cake.
I like the way you form an editorial conclusion right in your opening description. “Just so she could have just a bit of extra vacation time.”
Good going. I’ll have to try that some time. Just to slide in some extra snide.
Why didn’t they take the ferry to the island?
#8 Because that might have benefited a local economy. Cant have that can we?
What do the simple folk do
To help them escape when they\’re blue?
The shepard who is ailing, the milkmaid who is glum
The cobbler who is wailing from nailing his thumb
When they\’re beset and besieged
The folk not noblessly obliged
However do they manage to shed their weary lot?
Oh, what do simple folk do we do not?
He’s the president. He can travel and take a vacation whenever, wherever and however the hell he wants, K? It’s part of his benefits package.
Certainly not defending the ass clown, but he has taken a lot less ‘vacation’ time than several past presidents.
C’mon, he just spent 3 days on a grueling bus tour (at taxpayers expense) he needs 11 days off to recover (at taxpayers expense). Then he’ll be fresh when he starts his re-election campaign (at taxpayers expense).
New rule: The President’s salary should be a nominal $1 per year until the national debt is paid in full.
Dallas – a true leader leads by example. K?
# 8 MikeN said, on August 19th, 2011 at 9:59 am
Why didn’t they take the ferry to the island?
Because he was too busy to leave at the same time as the balance of his family.
How many people are sent death threats on a daily if not weekly basis in a position with a history of those threats being acted on?
People criticizing the necessary state of affairs have shit for brains.
Sadly, you still get to vote.
Obama vacation count to date: 70
GW Bush vacation count for same timeframe: 225
Yeah, Obama is bankrupting the country by vacation.
And what’s more is they probably all had _breakfast_ this morning at taxpayers’ expense!!!!! Just look at how _fat_ they’re getting on our dime!!!!!
How dare they?!?!?!
Oh right, I forgot. It is that time of the year. It’s the annual “Mock Outrage at the President’s Vacation” time of the year.
Enjoy your hissy fit. It really should become a new American holiday.
$100,000? We spend that much a MINUTE in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Just curious, but do weekends gets counted as part of the “vacations” when people are criticizing the President.
Most of us get 104 vacation days (Sat & Sun) a year.
Bush was criticized for taking over 1000 vacation days in 8 years. But there are 2920 days in 8 years, and 832 of those are weekends. Were those days included?
Ok, the President knows when he campaigns for the job, it’s a 24/7 job.
This article is about the fact that extra expenses were incurred because the President and first lady couldn’t be bothered to arrange their schedules together.
#19 RE: Presidential breakfast.
Actually, if they dined at the White House, then Obama paid for the food. The staff is part of the benefits package, but as I recently learned, the food itself is not part of the deal.
I understand that this took Nancy Regean, among others, by surprise.
I don’t know who pays when they eat “out”.
“At some point you’ve made enough money”
So by Mr. Obama’s example, taken with his previous statement, should I assume that the government would not count it above and beyond ‘enough money’ if I ever earn enough to hire as many staffers and assistants as Michell Obama, buy jets for my wife and I, and vacation 10 times area at the most expensive places in the world? Whatever salary I would need to do that, that should be the new “Obama rich”, not $250,000.
Non-story.
As has already been said, but I’ll repeat anyway: Those “extra” expenses are actually not extra, as the units involved are already gassed-up (literally and figuratively) and ready to go, and are already paid for. This has been true for every President and First Lady since the first one. And while I agree with the sentiment of the $1 salary, that is also irrelevant, as his salary does not directly pay for his traveling expenses, the country does. That means that the taxpayers pay for their leaders’ expenses, which is only fair. It also means that the President, because he IS a taxpayer, bears some of the expense, just as you do.
And who’s to say that he is or isn’t allowed time off? I’m sure any and all of you would be willing to take his place, with the 24/7 job,and the juggling political agendas, and socio-economic problems, and all the rest. And I’m sure that any and all of you would do swimmingly well. Strange that there aren’t more candidates running for President.
It’s very easy to say ‘so-and-so’ isn’t doing anything, or is doing the wrong thing, from the safety of the outside of the lion cage.
Please note that I do not speak of specific Presidents, or other World Leaders. I speak from the view of the forest, not the trees.
Let’s root out the real cause of the deficit: The Planned Parenthood $2M waste.
So, never mind the first lady’s vacation travel arrangements.
Let’s call on Congress for ANOTHER week of debate on the Planned Parenthood waste and save our nation.
Obviously the debt issue would be solved if Obama stopped taking vacations and carpooled.
I do not begrudge security. That she couldn’t be bothered to wait and travel with the President makes it clear that these elites can’t be bothered to even pretend to cut expenses nor are they at all interested in rubbing elbows with the common sort except when running a con to get votes.
Given the choice the Obama’s wouldn’t want their kids in the same room with someone like Dallas or me, or anyone else that posts on this blog.
Guess the good news is that he can’t screw us when he’s on vacation….
(Well, not as much….)
Maybe he’ll fall off an alp or something….
And the worst news, thus far, is that the Republicans just haven’t come up with anybody.
Michele is an annoying fat bitch, and that’s all there is to know. The country is full of them.
not news the opposition to every administration loves to point out the vacations(face it if you are President they are all working vacations) and expenses of those in the White House
did we ever pay off the overspending of the Mary Lincoln? now she was a First Lady who could spend