Obamas Take Separate Planes So First Lady Can Get A Few More Hours of Vacation in Martha’s Vineyard?

While I do not recall a great deal of grumbling from conservatives about George Bush’s long vacations, I have to agree with the criticism of the First Family taking two separate planes to their vacation on Martha’s Vineyard — apparently to give the First Lady a few hours head start on the vacation. At a time of tremendous economic sacrifice, it seems pretty insensitive to take separate planes and motorcades at a cost of an estimated $100,000.

Michelle Obama and her daughters arrived around 2 pm Thursday on a U.S. government jet while President Obama is scheduled to leave a few hours later with the family dog Bo.

Last December, she was criticized for spending more than $100,000 to get an early start on a vacation to Hawaii. I know folks who have been trying to get work for years and struggling to support their families. I can only imagine what they are thinking when the First Family cannot spare a few hours to save tens of thousands of dollars. Even if the First Family does not get the terrible image left by such excess, one would hope that a staffer might raise a gentle objection to such a self-indulgent approach to the use of government aircraft.

full: http://jonathanturley.org/2011/08/19/obamas-take-separate-planes-so-first-lady-can-get-a-few-more-hours-of-vacation-in-marthas-vineyard/

And a complete facial.

SO well said.

easily turn into 12 or more hours later. Heck, we both work the same place and sometimes I have to waste gas going to get our son across town, then drive back to work to pick him up. It seems when there are IT problems, people don't think anything of calling him to get it fixed, regardless of time.

And it seems to me the Pres. might be in a similar situation - needing to be there to work on something.

Unlike Dubya, Obama will be working whether on vacation or at the WH. But he's spending the extra time at the WH. There is no reason that the rest of his family should need to wait around. Many of us would, and have, made such separate arrangements to accommodate necessary duties. The high expense in the Obama case is the consequence of the need for security.

And at least Obama won't be spending his time cutting brush on a pig farm. ;-)

He has only spent 1/3 of the time on vacation that bushie did and bushie took the 747 to TX from DC. He deserves whatever time off he gets.

However, its election season and its bad optics. IOWs - politically its just dumb.

He lectures us about the need for cutting all the entitlement programs instead of pushing a jobs program and then he wastes money on top of it? That will win the hearts of middle class America.

A tree slug could have more sense and ethics than Bush. We are in an economic crisis here, and at a time when unemployment is high, people are having trouble making ends meet, lay offs are hitting many workers, and people are losing their homes to foreclosures, it seems insensitive that the president and first lady would take separate planes to the same destination, only to arrive hours apart - at taxpayers' expense.

If the plane crashes the kids will have at least one parent. Good idea if you can afford it. At least one can rationalize it this way.

paying the air crew and maintenance crew. The stimulative effects are small, because it doesn't cost that much, but the economists I respect are opposed to austerity measures.

Also, the President has one of the most dangerous jobs on earth that requires a large team of dedicated, highly trained, individuals to protect him and his family. Chaining the family to the Presidents leg is a bad idea, and the cost ot their travel is just part of what we pay to have a President in this modern world.

The complaints should have been raised when he decided to go on vacation, but only for him not his family, and not because of austerity, but because millions, including myself, are unemployed and the economy is in the shitter.

If anything happens to Barack's plane, at least the girls aren't orphans.

I would think that has to have crossed their minds.

just like the Romneys!

poor Bo!

he tells teachers and others that they must share the sacrifice while his family does this.

i`m not sure which it is- he just does`t understand or he does`t care.

at LBJ for going around turning the unused lights off in the White House. Given everything wrong with him, at least something was right.

I really don't like those who spread them at DU and then agree with the right-wing media cabal

who are batshit crazy enough to do pretty much anything. And that's just the domestic terrorists...although that's not what they call themselves. That's only one of several reasons I can think of that 2 planes would be used, especially for the most threatened president ever. I would not be surprised to find out this was recommended by the Secret Service and/or that the Obamas paid the costs on FLOTUs' plane. But that's not as salacious as the story that they're just out of touch, rich elites, is it?

I may not be agreeing with POTUS right now on the way he's handling things, but this subject just does'nt rise to my minimum standard for outrage.

"Obama stays in D.C. to do extra work, delaying his vacation, and will join the First Lady at a later time..."

would do anything to decrease unemployment. It would be nice if we didn't have all the crazies out there and they could just fly on a commercial airline like everyone else but it isn't like that unfortunately..

story? I thought that the First Family always (or almost always) split up just like the President and Vice-President do when flying anywhere. I thought it was something demanded by the Secret Service. So the complaints are misleading in several ways IMHO.
Just let the guy have a few days in semi-relaxation before he has to start dealing 24/7 with everything again.