fish and chips and fiscal responsibility

[justashooter 430]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/london.asp

Michelle Obama Takes Girls to London for Fish and Chips

Truly change we can believe in --- or as was said during the campaign,

"We are the change we have been waiting for."

Imagine this --- and when do we get totally fed up?

A Boeing 757 and a fleet of armored cars for Michelle’s sight seeing tour!

Michelle One

On Sunday, President Obama flew back to the United States on Air Force One. His wife, two daughters and her mother did a bit of shopping in Paris before taking their own Boeing 757 (C-32) over to London to do some sight seeing.

We all remember Obama’s admonishment to corporate CEO’s in February:

“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.”

Apparently that doesn’t apply to his wife.

The London Times opened it’s description of Michelle’s visit this way:

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.

The Times went on to describe that when Michelle and the girls arrived at Westminster Abbey, the building was closed to tourists with people already in told to “wait against the wall.” An American visiting the Abbey said “Right then I knew it was probably someone from our ‘royal family’.”

Michelle’s motorcade shut down the London street above as the First Lady of the World and her children go for Fish and Chips at a pub in Mayfair. The entourage inside the restaurant was 15 people while dozens more wait outside. Include the dozens of Air Force personnel to fly and service the plane, embassy personnel and other staff and we are talking about a serious expenditure of tax payer dollars.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans have lost their jobs and won’t be able to take their family on a summer holiday. Despite their circumstances they’ll still be expected to fork over the tax dollars to pay for Michelle’s trip.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Afraid it isn't very scandalous to me. British taxpayers pay for the upkeep of the royal family - even in dire economic straits. One overseas trip is pretty trifling next to that.

[tmma 467]

I don't care about Michelle much...But at least he has finally seen fit to come back from jet setting and do something here.

[NickD 203]

We only had one president that felt he wasn't king, but was there to represent and care for the people. Think his likeness is on the one dollar bill. Been mostly all kings since then, and kings need to be treated like royalty. Same with bishops, they are suppose to wash your feet, but instead, you bow down and kiss their rings.

We the people, let stuff like this happen, just like we praise despicable people that sing dirty songs or play with young boys.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

This isn't something new or unique to the Obama administration - first families have travelled privately before and will do so in the future owing the taxpayer not much more than the customary commercial travel expense for such trip with Joe and Jane America picking up the balance of the tab. This is outrage over nothing, really.

[tmma 467]

This isn't something new or unique to the Obama administration - first families have travelled privately before and will do so in the future owing the taxpayer not much more than the customary commercial travel expense for such trip with Joe and Jane America picking up the balance of the tab. This is outrage over nothing, really.

yeah, it's not unique..but it IS about time he actually spent a decent amount of time all at once here instead of jet setting around, I mean he needs to be here to work on the change he promised...Unless of course he meant a change of country every week for him and his family...

Edited July 14, 2009 by tmma

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't think change meant 'change the way presidents do things on the international stage'. As I understand it, heads of state are committed to perform certain tasks and most of his trips so far have been in that regard.

As for Michele's trips abroad with the kids, I don't know what is normal for US first families, but I would suggest that this outrage is a little selective and for the most part ignored except for some angry bloggers who like to tittle tattle.

[tmma 467]

I don't think change meant 'change the way presidents do things on the international stage'. ....

Not that it matters on the scale of things, but I disagree with this...I mean wasn't it part of his prez campaign to somehow change the way the international community views us by making nice with everyone? I dunno-like I said, I don't care about Michelle; I am just glad he saw fit to park himself back here.

[Peikko 1,575]

Changing perceptions is more about what you say when you get to the meeting or how you word your speeches regarding international affairs, than attending or not, although not attending, say a G8 summit is unprecedented and would send a very, very negative signal.

What a clumsy sentence.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't think change meant 'change the way presidents do things on the international stage'. ....

Not that it matters on the scale of things, but I disagree with this...I mean wasn't it part of his prez campaign to somehow change the way the international community views us by making nice with everyone? I dunno-like I said, I don't care about Michelle; I am just glad he saw fit to park himself back here.

Well yes - but that happened simply by virtue of that fact that a new president was elected and that it wasn't Bush.

Obama's idea of "change" was always poorly defined - though as far as the campaign went it was more about reducing the waste on Washington and the influence of private interests. I don't think he will come close to achieving that - its just some empty rhetoric to get elected. The same sort of empty rhetoric that a lot of career politician's employ.

Obama is simply better at the sleight of hand than Bush was.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

This isn't something new or unique to the Obama administration - first families have travelled privately before and will do so in the future owing the taxpayer not much more than the customary commercial travel expense for such trip with Joe and Jane America picking up the balance of the tab. This is outrage over nothing, really.

yeah, it's not unique..but it IS about time he actually spent a decent amount of time all at once here instead of jet setting around, I mean he needs to be here to work on the change he promised...Unless of course he meant a change of country every week for him and his family...

Maybe you've missed it but the President has been overseas on official business.

[tmma 467]

This isn't something new or unique to the Obama administration - first families have travelled privately before and will do so in the future owing the taxpayer not much more than the customary commercial travel expense for such trip with Joe and Jane America picking up the balance of the tab. This is outrage over nothing, really.

yeah, it's not unique..but it IS about time he actually spent a decent amount of time all at once here instead of jet setting around, I mean he needs to be here to work on the change he promised...Unless of course he meant a change of country every week for him and his family...

Maybe you've missed it but the President has been overseas on official business.

And now he is back to take care of official business here like ...oh, I dunno, maybe the economy, unemployment, the environment, inflation- you know that kind of thing.

Edited July 14, 2009 by tmma

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Official business is official business, whether it be overseas or in the country. The country doesn't grind to a halt if the President is absent on a foreign visit.

Its not like in the Bush years when W retired to his ranch for six months and went on golfing holidays.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

This isn't something new or unique to the Obama administration - first families have travelled privately before and will do so in the future owing the taxpayer not much more than the customary commercial travel expense for such trip with Joe and Jane America picking up the balance of the tab. This is outrage over nothing, really.

yeah, it's not unique..but it IS about time he actually spent a decent amount of time all at once here instead of jet setting around, I mean he needs to be here to work on the change he promised...Unless of course he meant a change of country every week for him and his family...

Maybe you've missed it but the President has been overseas on official business.

And now he is back to take care of official business here like ...oh, I dunno, maybe the economy, unemployment, the environment, inflation- you know that kind of thing.

So you're saying that the President ought to neglect the international portion of his job? Domestic only solutions for global issues? Brilliant!

[tmma 467]

So you're saying that the President ought to neglect the international portion of his job? Domestic only solutions for global issues? Brilliant!

No, not saying that at all...I don't think the President can afford to neglect any portion of his job. It's good to see him back here concentrating on what's happening here.....See, what's really 'brilliant' is not needing you or anyone to put words in my mouth.