Style and substance on Obama’s European trip – Political Hotsheet – CBS News 02/06/2011
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This is Mr. Obama’s 18th foreign trip and his 9th to Europe. By the end of this six-day trip that also includes stops in France and Poland, he will have been to 30 nations as president, some of them a few times. His pace of foreign travel is exceeding his immediate predecessor, George W. Bush, who at this same point in his presidency had made only 13 international forays to 23 nations. By the end of his eight years in office, President Bush had made 49 foreign trips to 75 countries. Many more than once.
The big secret about presidential travel is the cost. It’s enormous and not something any White House has been willing to discuss in detail.
In 1999, the General Accounting Office tried to calculate the costs of a couple of foreign trips taken by President Clinton.
It calculated that 3 presidential trips he took to Africa, Chile and China cost taxpayers, $42.8 million, $10.5 million, and $18.8 million, respectively.
Video: Awkward moment in Obama’s toast to the Queen
Video: President, British PM play ping pong
Video: Obama: “No one more Irish than me”The biggest cost is the 747 that serves as Air Force One and its twin that flies along as a backup aircraft. They bill out at over $100,000 per operating hour.
This trip, President Obama spends about 20 hours on Air Force One. Add to that the cost of the cargo planes that fly the president’s limousines, support vehicles and helicopters to each and every stop. It adds up quickly.
Costs aside, foreign travel is as much a part of the American presidency as political fundraising – an endeavor that also costs taxpayers an unknown amount of money.
Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher: Shoes On The Other Foot 23/05/2009
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The RNC video, which begins with the speaker’s head in the iconic spy-series gun sight, implies that Pelosi has used her feminine wiles to dodge the truth about whether or not she was briefed by the CIA on the use of waterboarding in 2002.
Michelle Malkin » Of course: Swine flu is all the evil GOP’s fault! 27/04/2009
Posted by pcarsen in News, Political, Stimulus.Tags: Democrat, Porkulus, Republican, Stimulus
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Well, it didn’t take long for partisan Democrats to blame the swine flu outbreak on the Republican Party.
Here’s the line: Since House Republicans all opposed the trillion-dollar-porkulus, which included funding for pandemic preparations, it’s all. Our. Fault.
via Michelle Malkin » Of course: Swine flu is all the evil GOP’s fault!.
Stimulus funds in states: It costs money to spend | lohud.com | The Journal News 24/04/2009
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LINCOLN, Neb. – When it comes to the $787 billion in federal stimulus money flowing from Washington to the states, it will cost money to spend money.
Nebraska’s governor’s office told lawmakers it expects to spend more than $1.2 million over two years to oversee disbursement of about $1.5 billion Nebraska stands to receive in federal stimulus funds.
Stimulus funds in states: It costs money to spend | lohud.com | The Journal News.
Glenn Thrush’s Blog: Pelosi briefed on waterboarding in ’02 [UPDATED] – POLITICO.com 24/04/2009
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Nancy Pelosi denies knowing U.S. officials used waterboarding — but GOPoperatives are pointing to a 2007 Washington Post story which describesan hour-long 2002 briefing in which Pelosi was told about enhancedinterrogation techniques in graphic detail.
Glenn Thrush’s Blog: Pelosi briefed on waterboarding in ’02 [UPDATED] – POLITICO.com.
