President Obama is reportedly scheduled to be vacationing in Hawaii on January 2, the date billions in spending cuts – and untold consequences for the economy – will kick in if a deal is not reached on the “fiscal cliff.”
According to the Hawaii Reporter, residents who live in the area of Oahu where Obama and his family vacation have been told that the usual restrictions on their movements during an Obama stay will be in place for 21 days, from December 17 through January 6.
The White House has not officially announced the vacation, and it is unclear if the travel plans are finalized or if the Obamas will be in Hawaii for the entire three-week window covered by the restrictions.
An upcoming vacation could provide subtle pressure for Obama to reach a deal, since not getting one might force him to cancel his coveted time in Hawaii. Even though the election is behind him, Obama’s advisers would probably think it too much of a public relations nightmare to have the president luxuriating in paradise while the country embarks on a season of massive pain.
In the past, Obama has made sure he got his vacation time in – even extending his scheduled Hawaii sojourn after being forced to delay its start because of negotiations with Congress.
What’s more, the Obamas skipped their traditional August trip to ritzy Martha’s Vineyard, an excursion that would have contrasted too severely with a candidate supposedly fighting for the middle class. They presumably are more than eager at this point to get away.
The Hawaii Reporter estimates that the total cost of the vacation to Hawaii and federal taxpayers, including funding for travel, staff and protection, is at least $4 million. Obama’s vacations are more expensive than those of previous presidents because of the huge costs to fly Air Foce One and an accompanying cargo plane for nine hours or so to Hawaii.
Source: whitehousedossier.com
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17 Responses
People are starving, no food, no home…. the economy is bad…. but our dear president is planning a $4million vacation…. IMPRESSIVE! And what? I have to ask what I can do for my country, not what my country can do for me….
Oh WOW… Is he for real? We’re worried about going over the fiscal cliff and he’s gonna take a vacation on TAX PAYERS money.
1. The true cost is what the days in Hawaii cost, versus what it would cost him to stay in the White House and take a local vacation (visit Baltimore, the Smithsonian, etc.). Only the marginal cost is something to worry about.
2. He’s from Hawaii. If that’s a concern, only vote for candidates from Virginia and Maryland.
3. If they are using airplanes permanently kept on call, the only cost is the marginal cost compared to the plane staying at Andrews Air Force Base. I suspect the inflated figures try to amortize the cost of the plane, which isn’t fair.
4. That the president choses to visit Hawaii during the winter, rather than his adopted home town of Chicago, suggests he is sane after all. I’ld worry anyone who wanted to vacation in Chicago in the winter.
YW please take down the picture of this Rasha!
How much was it for Bush? Add in inflation I’m sure it’s non-story. other than the optics of a vacation being bad at this time, that is.
To No. 4
I would much rather the editors take down such a hateful comment about our President and limit your future postings. The editorial guidelines suggest civil discourse and respect for those in authority, both rabbonim and our elected leaders. As to the substance of the article, prior Presidents have spent (including Obama’s predecessor GWB have take more frequent and lengthy vacations so not sure what your point is). Also, those of us in D.C. who have to put up with frequent street closures and traffic gridlock every time he leaves the WH grounds, we’re delighted to see him get out of town for a badly needed vactation 6,000 miles away for a week or two.
Is this article from the same source that reported that the First Lady took a vacation to Spain that cost $200 million? And why has the cost gone down, if the travellers include the First Lady and the Prez?
#5, Bush hardly ever took vacations. He spent a lot of time working at his Western White House, but took very little time off, and I don’t think he ever traveled anywhere for his own pleasure.
Hey# 3: You would make a perfect lapdog for wannabe Ayatollah Obummer. Why don’t you pay for his vacation flings and spare us, the tax paying working class, the money that is deparately needed to fix what he created.
Every President took vacations. Bush used to go to his ranch my point is just it sounds bad $4M but in reality it may not be. Going to Hawaii at this time (fiscal cliff etc..)would be terrible PR.
If it was money to send him to his home country of Kenya, I’d be more than willing to contribute as long as it was one way for the entire tribe.
20 days, shows how much the lord & savior will be missed, pistol grip ears & all.
BozO’s favorite song as a Kenyan tar baby; “down low, sweet friends of mine, down low, ya know it feels so fine…down low, ya know it feels so nice, sock it to me bro’ not just once but twice…”
Do you realize that:
1) NOBODY in the entire USA works as many hours as the President does. He LIVES at his office. He works 7 days per week, from early morning to late in the night, and often in the middle of the night as well. He’s never “off”. (Even on holiday.)
2) He has the highest job in the world, with a giant amount of responsibility. He’s entitled to something in return.
3) It’s not HIS choice that his holiday needs to be so expensive. It’s the fault of those people who want to kill him. (Sometimes it seems like some commenters here are included in that…) What would you want, send him on a holiday with 2 bodyguards?
I’d like to see ANY of you working in a job that demands between 12 to 18 hours of your day, 7 days per week, and even requires you to put in hours per day when you’re on “vacation”. For him, “vacation” means he only needs to work perhaps 8-10 hours per day, instead of 14.
@The Chassidishe Gatesheader
I guess I’m a “NOBODY”. I own my own business & worked 7 days a week for more than the first 10 years, including most holidays. I ran 2 shifts that often required my presence because of the type of work being done. Most small business owners are never “off”. I also didn’t take a vacation for many years until the business was more established & even after that rarely more than 1 week a year. After a long time I could finally take 2 weeks a year.
I acknowledge that being POTUS is a very time consuming, stressful job but the Obama vacations are outrageous. JFK used the family compound in Hyannisport. LBJ used his ranch, Reagan also used his ranch. GWB used his ranch. Other Presidents also had more reasonable vacation locations.
Predecessors had far more appropriate vacation destinations than the Obama Family’s: Spain, Mexico, Aspen, Vail, South Africa, Martha’s Vineyard, Palm Beach, Maine, NYC, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, multiple Hawaiian and then finally the reasonable distention of Chicago, their home town.
There’s no excuse for the extravagant vacations the Obamas have taken, especially considering the financial state of our nation and the critical work that needs to be done.
LMAO AT MILLHOUSE… are you seiours? Bush never took vacations? LMAO BUSH IS the vacation KING!
Did I really read someone complaining about Obama taking a vacation? See, lying about things like this adn saying racist crap like the whole Kenya fiasco is why the GOP lost the election.. but you people do not learn.. so please keep doing it. We will clean the house in 2 years.
Bush spent at least $20 million taxpayer dollars just on flights to his ranch in Crawford. Not only did Bush spend more days on vacation than any other president, but he used Air Force One more often while on vacation than any other president.
487 days at Camp David
490 days at Crawford Ranch
43 days at Kennebunkport Compound
Total Vacetion time for Bush: 1020 days, more than 1/3rd of his presidency, for the ones bad with arithmetic that is 33% of his 8 years as prez. Bush set the record for most vacation time taken by any president EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At the end of of August, 2011 Obama had spent a whopping……….. 61 days . he is on pace to be under 200 days on an 8 year term….. WOW!… Obama is really abusing it hu? LMAO
To The Chassidishe Gatesheader
You know? I do know people that work more than 12-18 hours a day 7 days or more a week and even a year.they spend time away from their families and risk their own life for our country..OUR U.S. MILITARY! I think if that’s the case they should give away 4 million dollar vacation to all military..right? THEY DO DESERVE IT!
THANKS TO ALL THE HEROES OUT THERE FOR YOUR SERVICE.