[sernv99]

probably would be more believable if you directed us to the credible, un-biased source where you got this info from......

 

[Traders]

Joe,

If you would have read a little further, you would have know that the Waterville Morning Sentinel published a clarification of the original story that explained that the President's regular jet was to big for the local airport and so 2 planes were used. The second plane, with the President's dog was filled with White House staffers.

Obama may not be a President you like or approve of, but it's probably not useful to help to spread unfounded rumors.

 

[sernv99]

+1 on Trader's post....if you are going to bash someone, at least use credible sources and/or get the facts straight otherwise you are no better than Jack Conway!

 

[Setterman]

How many staffers does it take to care for the dog? And why was the dog going anyway? Or did he take over the Speaker's job already?

 

[Jack L. Smith]

It is worth noting however, what happended a few weeks ago. Pres. Obama was making a political rally appearance in Wilimngton, Delaware on the afternoon of Friday October 15th to support Chris *****, Candidate for U.S. Senate.

Wilimgton DC is approx a 1.5 hour drive from DC. Obama flew in Air Force ONE to Philadelphia internation Int. airport, which is 30 miles north of Wilmington.

Then he was flown by Special Military helicopter and air escort vehicles back down to Wilimington. I have seen estimated costs for AF One at $80K to $120K per hour, plus associated escorts. AF One also always has a sister plane flying nearby, at further costs.

This does not seem efficient to fly for $200K when you can drive in a hour for a few thousand dollars, including the various secret service & motorcade issues.

I have a problem with any sitting President using tax paid transportation for (self serving) political rallys. I also am distressed in the poor decision making to spend that much money for a trip where you fly past the target location and then fly backwards again, when the drive is about an hour's time.

Perhaps this is what happens when you don't see the target properly coming out of the house. Perhaps the President should hold lower on the house.

Am I missing something here?

js in PA

 

[likes-to-shoot]

I thought the title fo the thread meant Nancy learned how to fly her own plane. lol

Now that she isn't speaker anymore does she still get the big fancy plane she cried for when she became speaker of the house?

 

[sernv99]

yes, you are missing a lot.....whenever the president drives somewhere, local LE and secret service have to do rolling road closures and block off overpasses, etc....that puts the burden on the local communities to pay for their extra police officers on duty. This happens a lot in the metro DC area whenever POTUS or Vice POTUS drive around to a function in the 'burbs of metro DC. It creates gridlock as well.

I remember traveling on the NY State Thruway, from the Geneva exit towards Rochester, a few years ago. Bush was in rochester and was traveling to somewhere east of Rochester on the Thruway. I was driving west towards rochester. they had local and state LE blocking off the onramps to NYS Thruway East and the overpasses...lot of local manpower. Addtionally, it's better for security to have the president/vice president not drive. The decision to drive/not drive is really left at the discretion of the Secret Service.

 

[oldgahchamp]

Nancy will have to ride a bike or walk. Look at the millions of dollars per year we will be saving with her out. Also, is there any truth to the talk of obama going to India with an entourage of hundreds and 20 airplanes? Larry

 

[likes-to-shoot]

Larry, Unfortunatly so, #1 BILLION dollar trip. B as in BILLION.

Bill

 

[WS-1]

I have a solution. Why doesn't the idiot just stay at home. Nobody cares what he has to say. Nobody respects him. Nobody trusts him. If the number of votes cast for the South Carolina democrat senatorial candidate is any indication of voting trends in the electorate, I would deduce that undereducated minorities represent the only voting block still even remotely interested in Comrade Obama's manure.

 

[Jack L. Smith]

Thanks servn99. Those are good points. But to my way of thinking, that local manpower is on the payroll anyway, not any additional costs, (except maybe some OT for few officers.) I'd be hard pressed to come up with over $200,000.00 of police costs to drive from DC to Wilmington DE. no matter how many road were closed or escort vehicles were used in those 2 or 3 hours.

I do not believe the Secret Service advised the President to fly to 100 miles to Philadelphia. I just don't. You may be right. I think the decison was borne of political arrogance and disrespect for tax payer's costs.

Speaking of road way grid lock, how about the shutdown of air travel? The Philly aiport, DC to NY airspace and ground facilities were all shut down as AF One, or the two way helicopter trip captured all that airspace for all of Friday afternoon.

While I appreciate your comments, I still think this trip was very wasteful.

 

[Auctioneer]

Obama did come to my area and the local police both city and county were told right off that they will not be reimbursed for his visit. It is an honor to have him in your area. BS BS BS BS.

He flew in on AF one plane. I just didn't see the need to use the plane. He has a helo that would have done just fine for the trip here. All he is doing is spend spend and spend. Hey its not his money so what does he care?

 

[sernv99]

I do know that the Secret Service does have significant input to the President's/Vice president's mode of travel for events, based solely on the measurement of threats, not on taxpayer costs. Also, these guys (politicians in general), whether you like them or not, keep a pretty tight daily schedule to a T. Any ad-hoc delay in any one of their scheduled events for that day causes the rest of the day to be all fugged up beyond repair and things have to get rescheduled/canceled/postponed etc etc...it's the same thing working on the staff of a flag officer for any one of the services....if they have to be somewhere by X time, then they will do whatever they need to do to make that event/meeting at x time. Otherwise their schedule gets all fugged up and it fuggs everything up the next day and the day after etc. etc....

 

[southjblue]

Nancy will be o.k.---They just got her a new broom-----Sernv99---Bush just put out a bumper sticker---Do you miss me yet?---You guys make me laugh---The shoe is now on the other foot---2 yrs from now we will have it all---MO---MYSTIC---

 

[WS-1]

Obama is a darkly sick teller of half truths. The most unskilled observer of his midday press conference could easily x-ray his loquacious prevarication. The India trip is but another blatant example of the hypocrisy and selfishness of a failure in freefall. He doesn't deserve to be called an American.

How many cancer stricken single women could be saved from foreclosure with ONE BILLION DOLLARS?

 

[Recoil Sissy]

Gentlemen:

The House Speaker is second in line of succession should a prez be incapacitated. That's reason enough why a moron like Pelosi should NEVER be Speaker - but I digress.

Pelosi didn't get the 'big plane' because she whined. The big plane started while Dennis Hastert (R-IL) was Speaker. Following the cowards attacks of September 11, 2001, the Speaker's ride was upgraded for security reasons.

So, Pelosi got the big plane after the 2006 mid-term elections. Boehner will get it now.

I stand with those posters who suggest we confine criticism to the long list of genuine misdeeds committed by Obumble, Pelosi, et. al. Lord knows there is more than enough bad behavior to criticize without getting side tracked on baseless crap.

sissy

 

[headhunter]

Ohhh, the dog... I thought you were talking about his wife.

 

[stokinpls]

How does 200 million bucks a day for his India trip make you feel? Is 40 airplanes enough that they have the dog's transportation covered this time? How about 2 disassembled Marine One helicopters sent for "puddle jumps"? And here it is the 99th week of your unemployment benefits and all of you old timers can do without your SSI raise again this year, OK? Yeah, real leadership.

 

[sernv99]

Boeing is very happy that he is going to India....

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-18/india-in-talks-to-buy-5-8-billion-military-aircraft-before-obama-s-visit.html


so are a bunch of business leaders from the US and DoD and defense contracting companies as well....

That $2 billion is peanuts compared to some of the deals he will be closing with the Indians. Otherwise he isn't going to waste his breath talking to them if he knows they won't pay up for some of our hardware or cut us some deals. His party just got spanked in the elections. Do you think now is the time to go on an expensive trip if he knows there will be no end result?

Come on, do some research on this trip...big business has a big smile. And big business = Republicans

 

[Husky44]

I’ll never find fault with any person that takes their dog wherever they go, no matter who they are.
If I was in that position there would plenty of trips with the dog to good hunting spots!