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Actually, the Russians were delighted to see Obama's family. They are particulary interested in Sasha, because her name is so evocative in Russian.
When the Times is reporting Obamas star power does not mean anything to Russians I would pretty much trust that. It must have hurt them deeply to print that
And you asked these same hard hitting questions when bush was at his ranch ON VACATION for 1/3 of his presidency?
Yeah.
In contrast, didn't Bush own the ranch before he was President? We weren't paying any sort of rental or daily fee for the use of the personal home like you would a fancy hotel. The Obamas aren't staying at personal residences.
People are losing their jobs and homes and yet this big spender is once again turning his nose up at the American taxpayers. WHY in the world is his entire family on this trip? He's got the wife, the kids and the Grandma and now they are even bringing the god mother,Eleanor Kaye Wilson.
Their current summer vacation includes sightseeing in Russia, Italy and Ghana.
I thought he moved her family in the white house so she could baby sit? Why are we footing this bill now? Wasn't just a few weeks ago that they were all jetting around Paris and England on "Michelle One" shopping, sight seeing and eating Fish and Chips?
I wonder what offical business that was about? Obammyhad already left on Air Force One. So it was just the free loading family jetting around.
Did you expect the POTUS to rent bicycles for the trip? What a far reaching, obtuse post!
Maybe because at various state dinners the spouse is expected to accompany the President?
Princess Diana was just the spouse of Prince Charles. But she served a key diplomatic function when she traveled with the prince, and without him. Even after their divorce, she served England as an ambassador at large.
The wives and families of political leaders often serve a diplomatic function, both at home and abroad.
But did Diana's extended family travel with them? Did Laura Bush's side of the family go everywhere with them? I don't recall that ever happening.
In contrast, didn't Bush own the ranch before he was President? We weren't paying any sort of rental or daily fee for the use of the personal home like you would a fancy hotel. The Obamas aren't staying at personal residences.
But as the posters complained, they have to pay for the whitehouse if he's there or not.
Did they not have to pay for the whitehouse no matter where Obama is.
When Bush traveled he had his home, and the whitehouse to be looked after.
I don't know where you get your money, but most of us work for our dough, and it really, really irritates us to send our hard-earned money to the government to see them just arrogantly squander it when we could keep it for ourselves and families.
I work for my money and I don't want the government to waste it which is why I've went to protests, written my representatives and worked on campaigns to do things like stop the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stop the bailout, stop bank executives from using taxpayer money for executvie compensation, end the war on drugs, stop locking up non-violent drug offenders, cut aid to Honduras, stop corporate welfare, cut subsidies to megafarms, cut coal subsidies, cut oil subsidies, stop the government from spending $2 billion of an F-22 designed to fight the Soviet Union, and cut the military budget. In comparison to all the issues mentioned above, these trips cost next to nothing and they also enhance our soft power.
In contrast, didn't Bush own the ranch before he was President? We weren't paying any sort of rental or daily fee for the use of the personal home like you would a fancy hotel. The Obamas aren't staying at personal residences.
Not when they're traveling, but they paid for Bush when he traveled.
If they go to he Obama house, they'll stay there.
You know what, for all the people losing their jobs and homes, this is just a smack in the face.Despite their circumstances, they'll still be expected to fork over the tax dollars to pay for Michelle's trip.
It wasn't just eating fish and chips....things are a bit more costly now....
On that Sunday, Obammy flew to the US on Air Force one. The wife, kids and her Mom stayed and went shopping and then took their own 757 over to London for more sight seeing and shopping.
Keep in mind Obammy had just said "You can't get corporate jets, you can't go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers dime."
I guess that does not mean his wife and her Mom and kids.
The London Times reported:
"Motorcycle outriders, armoured Chevrolets and bullet-headed men in raincoats criss-crossed London yesterday as Michelle Obama and her daughters spent a second day on an unofficial visit to the capital"
Then the times went on to say that when they arrived the buidling was closed down and the tourists and the people already there had to leave and they made them wait up against the wall. Her motorcade shut down the London streets around the pub because Michelle wanted to have some fish and chips in Mayfair.
Her entourage was 15+ and there were dozens of her personnel and other staff were outside guarding the building. So how much did those little fish and chips cost us?
This is nothing new. Every president does these types of things. Did you post a similar thread when Bush traveled with his family to the Beijing Olympics or when he traveled to his ranch every week? no. Your obviously just bitter that the GOP scumbags lost the election and you want to pick a fight.
But did Diana's extended family travel with them? Did Laura Bush's side of the family go everywhere with them? I don't recall that ever happening.
You don't recall that because Bush's travel arrangements, or the travel arrangements of Britain weren't made an issue of. When Diana brought the boys to the US for vacation, did it bother you that her secretary and the boy's nanny came along?
The issue here shouldn't be that our President, who has two younger children and a wife, chose to have them accompany him on a trip abroad. The issue should be what kind of small-minded, petty people choose to exploit this into a partisan issue.
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