Wednesday, December 26, 2012

President Obama to cut his vacation short in order to deal with "fiscal cliff." Right Wing unimpressed, accuse First Lady of wasting taxpayer money by staying.

Courtesy of the New York Times:

President Obama is planning to cut his Christmas vacation short and return to Washington to make a last-ditch push for a compromise on a tax and spending dispute that remains stubbornly unresolved. 

The White House said Tuesday that the president would leave Wednesday night. His family, however, will stay behind in Hawaii.

Now you may naively believe that this is a good thing as reflects the President's seriousness about getting this  budget situation under control before January 1st, but that only because you don't watch, read, or listen to Right Wing media outlets.

According to them having Michelle and the girls stay behind in Hawaii luxuriating in the Socialist sunshine is costing taxpayers a whole bunch of money, according to some figures that these idiots pulled out of their ass:

The White House does not reveal the price tag for the Obamas’ vacations. But an estimate can be made given several known and likely expenses. 

Assuming Mrs. Obama uses the type of plane she has flown before to Hawaii, the Air Force C-40B Special Mission Aircraft, the cost of a flight from Honolulu to Washington would be about $63,000. If the C-40B must be flown out to Hawaii to retrieve Mrs. Obama, as would seem likely, the first lady’s travel costs could amount to about $126,000, assuming the jet is dispatched from Washington.

Okay so assuming a whole bunch of things it appears that staying behind will cost a lot. We assume. (Of course we could also assume that ALL Presidential vacations have cost a lot of money, but that it didn't really bother the conservatives until THIS President was in the White House. Hmm, I wonder why that is?)

Of course if we continue with those assumptions we could also ascertain that much of the travel expenses connected to the First Lady's time in Hawaii is used for security, something which is perhaps more of a concern with THIS Presidential family than those in the past simply because, with the help of these same Right Wing media outlets, there have been more threats made against this President than any other President in history.  And several of THEM were shot!

And speaking of vacations, the Right Wing talking points will ALWAYS fall flat when faced with the reality that George Bush spent 1,020 days of his two terms in office on vacation. Which is far, far more than any OTHER president in history.

And by the way, that is NOT an assumption, that is a fact!

44 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:09 AM

    I wish he'd have just stood his ground and stayed on his vacation. The GOP has pushed us over the "fiscal cliff" anyway so Obama should have stood firm. I can't wait until this cliff talk is all over and we can go back to normal!

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    1. Anonymous10:27 AM

      If he stays on vacation people complain. If he cuts his vacation short people complain. HE CAN'T PLEASE YOU ALL!!!!!

      He knows what he is doing. HE is the ones deciding this decision about his vacation. Let him be!!!!

      Delete
    2. fromthediagonal11:05 AM

      anon 10:09... the question is "What's Normal?"

      Here is my answer: "The same antagonism just for the Hell of it." Literally...

      There is nothing normal when a regressive congress pursues a "slash and burn" agenda ordered by the deep pocketed, privileged few in order to preserve their tax advantages.

      Sadly, too many of the rest of us who possibly just get by on their incomes do not see that all of this is to the detriment of the 99%, to use the half-forgotten phrase of the protests a year ago. Talk about short memories...

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:07 PM

      But if we just go over the cliff the Bush tax cuts expire for everyone, military funding gets cut, so maybe we can finally get out of these two (or more) senseless conflicts we are involved in. These are good things that Dems have wanted for a long time. The only bad part is regarding the recalculation of Social Security, but ya know what, retired people in BOTH parties are going to be up in arms over that one, so perhaps that issue will be the one that has Americans calling for change on BOTH sides of the aisle. Same with removal of extended unemployment benefits; that will hurt people in both parties and have them screaming for change.

      I see plunging over the cliff as the great equalizer; we will also achieve things that we Dems have been dreaming of forever. Let it happen, if the middle and lower class begins to struggle, it will be members of BOTH parties screaming for tax relief and Obama can be a hero by walking it back and putting retroactive tax breaks in place. If the Republicans tell their constituents "no" and won't approve a relief tax package, then guess what, their constituents may finally see the light and vote those bastards out in 2014.

      See, another win for US! Calling the GOP bluff and Obama actually standing up and playing his hand will ultimately benefit everyone. It might be painful for some, in the short term, but we really need to focus on long term goals here and neutering the GOP. Going over the cliff will be a great start.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous12:08 PM

      I love President Obama. He ALWAYS remains calm and focused. Bet there are a few of those Repubs that he'd love to say 'fuck you' to....let us all do it for him every chance we get.

      The Amercian people love the Obamas and Bidens and the majority find the Republicans disgusting.

      Delete
    5. fromthediagonal1:48 PM

      I like the way you think, anons at noon...

      Delete
    6. Anonymous6:08 PM

      One of the Cons was bitching about Security
      when POTUS came to SF and he said it was a "Waste of $$$" for police protection, fireman for the motocade.
      I informed him, its always been this way for all POTUS's past and present.

      Of course we KNOW the difference. This POTUS is half AA and a DEM!

      I am so sick of their bullshit.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous10:12 AM

    OT There is some kind of mystery going on up there in Wasilla. That lady who loves publicity has been unusually quiet. No Merry Christmas Greeting on her Facebook or Twitter. What's going on? I guess you might have to drive up there and see if the lights are on and if everyone's OK. Thanks

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    1. Anonymous11:08 AM

      Maybe she finally landed in a starvation and Adderall induced coma; couldn't happen to a more deserving harpy.

      I'm not a religious person, but thank God that, for whatever reason, she has shut the fuck up and let's hope she stays that way, forever...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:12 AM

      The First Family is awesome in a natural wholesome way. This country is blessed.

      Something is up or down at the Wasilla Compound Headquarters and Fake TV Propaganda Studio. Did you see Brancy's PRAISE OF BRISTOL picture? The only words were "Merry Christmas". It is obviously ALL ABOUT BRISTOL. That family didn't show Thanksgiving dinner, just some shots with other food around at Thanksgiving time.

      On the Brancy blog is Bristol with some lights all over, behind her is a mess that looks like Junker slept over on the couch and left his quilt, it could be presents unwrapped? Did Bristol fail at her PR attempt for Todd's selection of a boyfriend? junker stayed over for some comfort when they suddenly decided she needed a Christmas picture? Bristol is in military garb and Tripp has a strange looking molotov cocktail device as he is attempting to escape her clutches. Release the five year old, Bris, he wants out of there. There is no clue that these heathens bother to decorate much for Christmas even for their "family values" propaganda. Someone, who does attend church, may have brought a strobe light for the green dots to photograph a Christmas appearance.

      The "family values" propaganda must be coming to a halt.

      That was the most self centered weird pretend Christian blog yet.

      Delete
    3. Sally in MI11:18 AM

      Usually when she is quiet like this, it is either because another baby has been delivered, OR she is having more work done and has to wait for the bruises to heal enough to be covered up by makeup. hard to believe she couldn't even be bothered to have RAm write a "Merry Christmas" post for her donors, however. Or did she send them all personally autographed cards..you know, for $100, Sarah will send you an autographed holiday photo!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:57 AM

      SILENCE IS GOLDEN

      Not any holiday post from Sarah Palin? Nothing to the troops?

      THAT IS HUGE.

      She has conceded that she is done and no one can speak a word. Is she still fighting it and thinks she can reload again? Is she just catatonic? In a fit of bulimic vomit and diarrhea? Meth mouth mania? Why didn't one of her ghost writers take over? What happened to Ram? Did her SarahPac check bounce?

      SILENCE SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous12:06 PM

      I think it wonderful that we don't hear from them as much anymore.

      Suspect investigations as to 'Toad the pimp' and the Dairygate problem which Sarah was heavily involved as quitter governor.

      So hope both of them end up in the slammer.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous12:34 PM

      Well, the last time out, she DID admit she was irrelevant.....HAHAHAHA

      What a MAROON!

      Delete
    7. Check out this "family" picture Beefy posted! WTF is wrong with BALDY?

      Where is she you say...look behind the Toad...and you'll see some kind of disembodied head that looks suspicously like the bald fella rising out of the pumpkin patch (H/T to The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown) What an idiot!

      Link...

      http://wp.patheos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/blogs/bristolpalin/files/2012/12/photo-2.jpg

      Delete
    8. Anonymous1:17 PM

      She looks wasted.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous1:44 PM

      Are they in Dillingham? Baldy's body withered away. They must be thrilled The Big Head is still haunting them. Track has been watching the Learning Channel, one of those swamp men series. Track might even be pretending to fish.

      Delete
    10. jcinco2:38 PM

      probably getting her face rearranged again. or in detox.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous2:39 PM

      All I did was ask "Where's Sarah?" Oh, my, here's the photo that proves absolutely nothing. There is still nothing on Sarah's Facebook. But Bristol and Nancy are very busy reacting to every comment posted here and there on the internet.

      I didn't even get to vote for my favorite blog out of Bristol's Top Ten. Of course it would be "Put a Ring On It." The reason is that while Bristol protested that her current boy friend didn't live with her, she had pitched the idea of "trial husband" as a reality show concept. Having Gino appear in her "reality" show indicated a intimate relationship. And the reason that I loved that reality show was because we got to see how Bristol handled Tripp. There were actually some real moments in that fake show.

      That's how I see Bristol's blog and the latest photo posted there. Where's Sarah? Here she is. Of course that's Sarah. She's got a cell phone in her hand. Who is the blond holding the baby in her lap? Is that Britta? Could that photo be from last year? I can't keep track of those people? (Is that Track with the beard? Where's Willow?) Is that Chuckie? Gosh, he has sexy legs. Where are Chuck and Sally? Where's Waldo?

      Delete
    12. Anonymous2:41 PM

      @ GinaM 12:46 PM
      If you click on the picture it zooms in. I noticed two things...Sarah is wearing sneakers with her leggings and what appears to be a skirt or maybe a blanket?...never seen her wear them unless she is doing her fake running. And Bristol is getting fat again. Bristol, don't eat your feelings, get therapy.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous3:01 PM

      My God...notice Sarah has her phone clutched in her hand, as always? She looks ridiculous..poking her bald ass head out..Trig looks unruly, as usual. He must have some severe behavior problems. And the guy in shorts, barefeet? In Alaska in December? Really?
      But Sarah...can't even have a family get together on Christmas without a phone attached to her claw??
      I guess she has to get her daily talking points from her handlers in the right-wing media.

      Delete
    14. Anonymous3:24 PM

      Who is the blond holding the baby in her lap?


      Britta is gone. The blond may be one of Todd's girls. That is his grandmother on the sofa next to man is Christmas shorts. This may be Dillingham, don't you know that todd has it going on in that town? He gets lots of protection and business would be good. Commercial fishing business is a terrific front. The cousin that gave Dr. Drew a different name just had a baby, she is in the picture, one of the babies may be hers.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous10:39 AM

    Didn't you know? Black people were meant to be servants slaving away in the kitchen and cotton fields. Even if you're the first family because you are black, you're certainly not supposed to be taking ANY vacations and I don't care if a white president took 10 times as many that doesn't count because white people are entitled and black shouldn't be acting so uppity - it's not their place and rubs us the wrong way!

    SNARK

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  4. The right-wing slime machine has nothing else to do… EVERYTHING they ever held dear has either been shattered into pieces of fake dirt on the floor or exposed as flim-flam..

    They’re nothing.. They have nothing.. they represent nothing… they’re irrelevant..

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  5. Anonymous10:58 AM

    Fuck those fucking fucktards that have nothing better to do than create chaos like the fuckers they are!

    I feel better now. Can I add Fuck Off Teatards, Republicans, McCain, and most of all Sarah?

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  6. You know, I loathed Dubya, but it never occurred to me to resent the necessary security expenses associated with the first family, and I don't remember liberal whining about it, either.

    I am sure we didn't pay the Bush family's personal expenses, any more than we pay the personal expenses of the Obama family. I am also quite sure that it wouldn't have bothered me in the slightest if Laura and the girls traveled at different times than President Bush did, necessitating separate security expenditures.

    Conservatives who whine about the legitimate expenses of the first family are just asinine and unpatriotic jerks.

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    1. Anonymous12:15 PM

      Bush should have been docked for actual pay as he spent 490 days at his Crawford Ranch (sure he said some of those days he was "working"-Ha!) Bush also spent over 380 days at Camp David, yea, working....He pretty much phoned it in his entire two terms, worked from home, shall we say. He got paid for a Presidency that he never showed up for!!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous1:40 PM

      I think it is interesting that the Bush family (George the II) spent all of their Christmas vacations at Camp David, not in Texas. They probably got a lot more done for them at Camp David (and much more expensive for us taxpayers) than had they gone home to Texas.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous11:05 AM

    George W Bush cleared brush and took more vacation time than most presidents-- if we don't count Ronald Reagan who was "out to lunch" much of the time.

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    1. Anonymous11:27 AM

      Reagan had it made. He was clueless and it was arranged for him to act as a working President when he was having all those "senior moments".

      Delete
  8. Sharon11:09 AM

    It is so insane to begrudge this man some time off with his family, his schedule of events and speeches account for every minute of his day. If you compare his working hours to congress, they are the ones stealing our taxpayer money. Obama is not a robot and frankly I think he draws his power from his family, how else does he do it? He should have stayed in Hawaii, let the do nothing assholes of the congress do their friggin jobs for once. This country needs a refreshed man to lead us and frankly the rest of his family needs it too. Bush's vacation record was a disgrace, and even his time in the WH was a joke compared to the activities now. Is it possible to hate the GOP even more...they are the poison of this great nation.

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  9. Yes, the COST of Mr Obama's vacation travel --to/fro Hawaii--was pricey. Yet not as expensive as not doing more to resolve this Fiscal Cliff issue by year's end.

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  10. If they piss him off too much, they’re the ones who’ll be sorry!

    Right wing talking points; I ran into it yesterday, but only from one person. I conducted myself well and we remain friends, but it’s clear the guy listens to Limbaugh all the time. Thanks for helping me formulate good responses, IM folks.

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  11. Anonymous11:22 AM

    Where or where was the right-wing Fox News outrage in 2008 when the economy was tanking badly and Bush and his extended family were on a 'farewell' world-wide tour, using, of course, Air Force One??? He visited any countries, one most notably: Iraq where a shoe was thrown at him.
    He spent weeks and weeks going overseas on his tour when our economy was going down the drain. Where was the outrage then??

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  12. Anonymous11:26 AM

    When confronted by an idiot whining about the cost of protecting the president (and first family, VEEP and family, members of House of Congress and the Senate, federal judges, etc.)...

    I ask what does a day of war in Afghanistan cost?

    Protection is really, really cheap compared to war.

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  13. Anonymous11:28 AM

    Yes, right wing, please add up the many, many dollars it took to haul Geo's ass down to his "ranch," build security for him, and take Laura and the girls where they wanted to go when they wanted it.
    Please tell us about the security given to the two Bush girls when they were in college, when they drank, slept around, and ignored the Secret Service whenever they could, as a game. How much did that cost the taxpaters?

    How much money is Geo. W. raking in with his appearances and speeches now== based on his being president === with not a dime reimbursed to the country, from which he earned his position.

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  14. Anonymous12:03 PM

    I will not begrudge any president, Republican or Democrat much needed family time and vacation especially during high stress times. I mean really, we live in an age of electronic communication..if decisions need to be made he can make them no matter where. And yes, it will be expensive because of the security costs. You know, if Dubya needed to go chop wood on his ranch to clear his head and refresh more power to him. And if Obama prefers to spend time in Hawaii with family to get some down time that's fine with me. I want my president, no matter who he or she is to be in tip top mental health. Now quit yer whining right wing!

    Sheesh

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    1. Anonymous1:42 PM

      I agree completely.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
  15. Anonymous12:04 PM

    Didn't Limbaugh go after President Obama on some other trip where he quoted what it cost the taxpayer and it was so incorrect it wasn't funny.

    Republicans are the continued assholes they have persisted in being. It's going to be so much fun seeing more of them voted out of office on the national, state and local arenas in the next election cycle. They are friggin jerks - just plain nasty and vile!

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    1. Anonymous2:56 PM

      There was a rumor started by the right wing that one of Mr. Obama's overseas trips, I believe in 2011, was costing the American taxpayers $200 million a day. Wasn't true.

      Delete
  16. slipstream12:56 PM

    Yep, little Georgie took 1020 vacation days. And on the other days, he went out to ride his bike while that nice Mr. Cheney stayed in the White House and made all the really tough decisions.

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  17. Anonymous1:44 PM

    When figuring the cost of getting the First Family back to the White House, one fact is generally ignored. Air Force pilots have to put in a certain amount of air time each month to keep certified. In other words, they have to fly a plane somewhere even if they have no reason except for air time. With advance notice, the Air Force can fly the First Family on planes that have to fly anyway. So one plane flies from Hawaii to a west coast base, and another flight takes them to DC. I had a friend who was a bomber navigator. They would fly that bomber from CA to the Gulf coast for lunch to get those hours in. So the Air Force could get Mrs. Obama and the girls back to the White House with NO extra cost.

    Elizabeth 44

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  18. Anonymous4:43 PM

    I thought this crap would be done with once the election was over, but I see that Fox and the
    RightWingNut nation intend to charge on with the craziness.

    I thought they hit the bottom of the barrel when they tried to launch the hilarious lie that President Obama is the one who is a flip flopper, NOT Romney.

    Not to let people laughing at them deter them, they trot out this obscenity about vacation days the Obama family have had...paying no attention to how ridiculously more vacation time Dubbya logged.

    Once again, relying on the poor memory of Republicans, matched only by their lack of a sense of humor.

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  19. Anita Winecooler8:26 PM

    I'm glad they're venting their anger in words- it won't get them anywhere, it's like watching a dog chase it's tail.
    The GOP knows that President Obama is returning, yet they've washed their hands of the whole matter. I know one thing, I trust the President and think his coming back shows the people who voted for him and many others, where the blame lies if/when we go over the cliff.
    We might get a smaller deal, but I doubt Obama's original offer will be tabled. What's worrisome to me is the effect, long term, it'll have on the economy.

    OT - here's a link to an interesting take on the shootings and Republicans who hate socialism, yet support socialist governments with their gun purchases.

    http://www.politicususa.com/republicans-hate-socialism-fund-socialist-countries.html

    ReplyDelete

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