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Thursday, October 01, 2009

President and First Lady Travel 4,000 Miles -- On Separate Planes -- To Lobby For Olympics


(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are both traveling to Copenhagen this week to promote Chicago's bid to host to the 2016 Olympic Games--and they will be making the 3,979-mile trip on separate airplanes.

The first lady left on Tuesday night, while the president will leave for Denmark on Thursday night.

Taxpayers will pick up the tab for both jets ferrying the president and first lady separately to Europe.

“Everything they do, whether it’s signing pieces of legislation or flying around the world, everything is costing the taxpayer,” David Williams, vice president of policy for Citizens Against Government Waste, told CNSNews.com. “The taxpayer is picking up the tab for everything.”

The White House announced on Monday that the president would be joining his wife on this European trip, despite indicating earlier this month that the first lady would head up the U.S. Olympic Committee delegation to Copenhagen while Obama remained in the United States to continue pushing for his health care reform plan.

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30 comments:

Anonymous said...

the democrats get a free pass on things like this, you better keep your mouth shut or you'll be labeled a rascist

Anonymous said...

Who cares if the tax payers are flipping the bill, when the potential money involved will greatly exceed what it cost for them to travel. Who complained when George Bush traveled to his ranch in Texas for a weekend or two. Come on people..I mean really?

Anonymous said...

8:51

When Bush travelled to his Texas ranch it was a two hour flight. And Mrs, Bush a truly classy first lady, didn't take a seperate plane.

As for the olympics being a money maker, the truth is that the host city usually loses money because of all the venues that have to be built.

Anonymous said...

I agree 8:51. Whats worse, you complain and say "oh, he's spending too much time there". Then when he sends his wife so that he only has to attend one day it's, "oh my, they took separate planes".

Just admit, whatever the pres. does, you are not going to like him, you will find reasons to not agree with him, and you are committed to blasting every action that he takes. This isn't because of race (for the most part) but because your idealogy is often blind to the facts.

Anonymous said...

on a side note, who says our 1st lady is not beautiful. The woman is hot! Atleast on the scale of 1st ladies.

Anonymous said...

The host cities spend moeny in the run up but new infrastructure is built, jobs are created to build them, businesses do better by 100 fold. Why do you think cities clamor to host the olympics. If their efforst actually bring the olympics to the US it will be well worth the chump change it costs to send them to Europe to lobby. The cost breaks down toless than a penny per taxpayer and you are complaining?

Anonymous said...

From the looks of it, she took the 28000 plane, which is a Bowing 757, I think. I get those 2 planes mixed up all the time, 747, 757. So she cant take the little white jet? Less fuel consumption and can still fill all of the secrit service and then some. That was Hilary's favorit.

Anonymous said...

I don't care if they take separate planes or if they went together, why are they going in the first place??? Answer that. The city of Chicago can go lobby for themselves on the Illinois' dime, they can promote new events like race riots, beatings with 2x4's and neighborhood crime challenges with their own money.

chris brown said...

I love the obama's I think there doing a great job and they should keep up the good work haters step back.

Anonymous said...

10:00am, Don't you dare try to introduce any facts or context. The idealogues are strictly against that!

I will be factchecking your statements and hope they are true.

Anonymous said...

This is simply pay back to the daly machine lead by corrupt 'lobbyist' Valerie Jarrett.
Oh, lobbyists were banned by Obama. What happened? She was given an exception.

Anonymous said...

Could we have an objective look at the trips the Bushes took (husband and wife) overseas and whether they were all together?

Anonymous said...

OBama's primary responsibility is that of Commander and Chief of our armed forces. He has time to do late night TV appearances and fly to Copenhagen but he doesn't have time to meet with General McCrystal or even respond to his request for troops which he has had since JULY. Everything else OBama has done is an emergency, rush, rush pass it right now, don't even bother to read it, yet our military can't get a decision on a life and death request. My grandson is current serving with the US Marine's in Afgahnastan. He and our other troops in Afgahnastan and Iraq deserve better than this.
Where is Cindy Sheean and the other libs NOW !!!! This man is a joke and should be impeached.

Anonymous said...

Obama begging for something positive tour .

jefferson said...

I think George went to the Olympic Games for a few days, did he not? I think Chicago would make money on the Olympic games since there lay out in building facilities would be low. Many sites are in place. The international Olympic Committee seems to expect politcal l;eaders to show up and beg for the games. This is not right but seems to be their plan.

On a side note, Mrs Obama is first lady hot, not really hot hot.

Anonymous said...

It's not uncommon for someone as high profile as the president and first lady to take seperate planes. Think about it: they have 2 small children at home, should something happen during flight, they run the risk of leaving their kids without either parent.

Big corporations do this all the time--they usually have restrictions on the number of executives that are allowed on a single corporate jet.

Anonymous said...

9:43....beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I for one behold none when I look at her....what I behold is an angry arrogant woman who has far less appreciation than she should for the opportunity this country has provided both her and her husband.

jefferson said...

You know I bet she can dunk a basketball, she is tall

Anonymous said...

Yeah, she's tall alright. Reminds me of Sasquatch when she walks too... (no that's NOT a racial slur, just an observation.) Compare her elegant moves with the Sasquatch video and you might be suprised...

Anonymous said...

Jefferson, you are a riot...LOL is there really such a thing as "first lady hot?" Still LOL, she is a good looking lady regardless of her current title, and this is coming from another woman :)

Anonymous said...

People didn't bitch when GWB flew to Beijing, China to SIT ON HIS A** AND WATCH the olympics...a trip, that if I recall correctly lasted several days.

MD_Progressive

Anonymous said...

And this has everyone surprised??? why?? the only reason he became president is to waste our money and ruin our lives..while he sits back and says Im the 1st black president i can do what ever i want...

Anonymous said...

MD_Progressive:

You should stick to you day job of collecting government handouts.
Bush went to the Olympics to represent the US and support the athletes.
Obama is taking a vacation and trying to award a big payoff to the Chicago unions.

BIG DIFFERENCE.

But I don't suppose you would be able to understand.

Anonymous said...

This is stupid. Both have separate commitments, different schedules.

If the Olympics come to Chicago, what an economic boost that will be to the region, not just Chicago.

jefferson said...

Well there needs to be first lady hot. I mean there is UCLA cheerleader hot and there is news bunny hot, and cafeteria lady hot well (maybe not). We gotta have first lady hot, right?

Anonymous said...

6:30, sure, one day in Copenhagen in meetings and public appearances = vacations. You are blinded by your hate.

"1st lady hot" means she's no Halle Berry, but compared to all other first ladies, she ranks in the top.

Anonymous said...

You democrats really are dumb democrats. Yes the country having the olympics in Chicago is top priority alright forget the unemployment rising. Who cares if it brings a TEMPORARY fix to the Chicago economy. Obama approved to repair roads etc. These workers are only paid a short time and back to the unemployment lines. You all need to quit putting band aids on a huge problem. You sure don't know how to think outside the box. I am tired of this President's ego being fed and you democrats supporting the likes. Change we can believe in indeed.

Anonymous said...

8:10, so you don't believe (whether you agree with the solution or not) that the Pres. has spent the last 9 months focusing on these problems? That 1 day in Copenhagen is going to stop the progress of his plans?

No wonder you guys think up all these sinister plots. You really believe the president just pushes all the little buttons and runs the show 24/7

dogg said...

So these pieces of crap are costing the tax payers double the money that they should on this trip. Hmmm. I guess we should all expect it. Soon the kids will be flying solo also.

But...I guess I have to see all sides of the story. I am not sure I could be in a confined place with that arrogant, know-it-all, jackass of a woman. If I was married to her, I would definately want to have her take her own plane also. At least I would get a few hours of peace.

I hope Rio gets it. Chicago is not worthy of the bid. South America has never had the Olympics. I think they would put on a stunning show.

dogg

Anonymous said...

The bottom line is the Obamas spent $1,500,000.00 on a trip for nothing. They did not get the nod for the Olypics. It is our money, our tax money spent like it is nothing. While they are doing this
we have people losing their homes, out of work , starving in the streets. Yet they are our answer. BULLSH-T. They could have gotten Oprah to pay for the trip she thinks they are the greatest. She could have written a check for that amount and never even missed it. I think the President should have been more concerned with unemployment, the two wars he has us in and the economy. Just to mention a few important issues.