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Wednesdays Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Tue Jun-02-09 09:29 AMOriginal messageCBS Early Show just did a hack piece on Obama's expenses Edited on Tue Jun-02-09 09:31 AM by Wednesdayslike...Oh My God, get this: his night on the town (when he and Michelle went to see the Broadway show)--the security entourage and all, cost the taxpayers $81,000!To be fair, at least Dave Price jumped in after the bullshit piece to say, "Hey, he's the president, cut him some slack." (Thank you, Dave. It's as though the network doesn't think Duhbya ever cost the taxpayers anything.)Liberal media, my ass.
sandnsea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Tue Jun-02-09 09:40 AMResponse to Reply #12. The price of the 2nd Amendment as far as I'm concerned. If we didn't have so ******* many crazies with such easy access to guns in this country, we wouldn't need this kind of security.
First, the First Couple (and entourage) flew from the White House to Andrews Air Force Base — three choppers (two decoys), if the Marines stuck to standard operating procedure (and they are sticklers for SOP). That means dozens of men and women — radar, communications, mechanics, crews, everyone, perhaps 100, who knows? — were involved. (A batch of tagalongs must've taken a taxpayer pool of vehicles out from the White House to AAFB, since it took three jets to get the gang to NYC).Second, the president moving on a Saturday takes a full operation at and around the White House, dozens and dozens of people. Maybe they're all on salary, so that didn't likely cost much. But all the cops involved — D.C. police, uniformed Secret Service officers, Capitol police — were probably paid overtime, even double time. Probably, again, 100 personnel or so.Then there were the jets — at least $24,000 for the three aircraft used to ferry the Obamas, aides and reporters to New York. The Obamas' jet, a Gulfstream 500, served as Air Force One.Third, a C-17 had to fly to NYC to put in place a full motorcade (at least a dozen vehicles, maybe more). The military cargo plane may have taken up at least two, but maybe three, more choppers to fly the whole party from JFK to a Wall Street landing zone, where the motorcade was waiting. If not, the choppers flew there solo (White House veteran reporter Mark Knoller of CBS Radio wrote recently that "The VH-3D that serves as Marine One consumes about 1,200 pounds of fuel per hour." Ouch.Fourth, driving through Manhattan is an expensive exercise. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of NYPD have to be stationed all along the way, shutting down roads, holding back pedestrians. There were police cars involved, dozens of motorcycles, and the ever-present NYC ambulance (oh, don't forget that the White House doctor also probably went — with all his gear). The city likely gets reimbursed by the White House for the cost (they usually do). And they were all probably getting time and a half (the NYPD overtime budget is extraordinary).Fifth, the United States Secret Service (USSS) had to scope out the whole thing, then station agents all over — sharpshooters, undercover agents, etc. — at a huge cost. Who knows if they were on overtime. And if you think they went up Saturday morning, think again. They were likely in NYC upwards of a week before, planning the whole evening, every second of every movement. They had to map out five movements — from JFK to the Wall Street LZ, then a motorcade to the restaurant, then another motorcade to the play, then a final motorcade back to the LZ, then a chopper flight to JFK, before the First Couple and crew jetted back to AAFB for another chopper to the White House.One thing is known — The Obamas picked up the cost of dinner costs and their orchestra seat tickets, which cost $96.50 a piece. So if the whole thing cost $250,000, the Obamas offset that by at least a few hundred bucks. Phew.
If we didn't have so ******* many crazies with such easy access to guns in this country, we wouldn't need this kind of security.
Cha28. Here's a thread on it from last night.. mikiturner (447 posts)(Chris) MATTHEWS! "Just totally schooled the RNC for "date-gate." Called them "piss-ants" and "jealous." He then called them out for not saying anything about Bush's trips to Crawford."
If your come-back is "But why didn't you conservatives criticize Bush for doing it?" then you already lost the argument. That's not the point. The point is the left would and did criticize Bush for it but they don't when Dear Leader does it. They're the hypocrites for not staying consistent..
Not to mention former President Bush wasn't out there wagging his finger at the rest of us and telling us about how we need to be more "green" and with the economic downturn we're all going to have to tighten out belts...only to fly off on his own little "date nights" at our expense.
