Obama takes wife out to NYC for an night

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

You mentioned his going to a ranch. There is a movie featuring him not jumping around doing something in an elementry school on 9/11. People called him stupid and worse for his speaking gaffes. He was dragged through the mud and back based on pretty much everything he did. There was a movie released about him being assassinated....

The guy wasn't a great president - but you have to admit that the Bush bashing bordered on moronic a lot of the time.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

DevilsAdvocate - This is what I am talking about. It is stupid partisan politics that brings about these non-issues.

The Bush = Hitler stuff has been thrown around a lot and to deny that is only making your arguement look way worse. I don't have the time or effort to look up examples for you, but everyone knows they exist... Hell read the CBC forums and you will still get that crap.

What non-issue? If I find out that Obama got a memo just before leaving saying that Osama Bin Ladin is determined to make a terrorist strike and the U.S. is in imminent danger of an attack, I'll view this trip to NYC in a whole different light.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

What are you talking about? I have no idea when George Bush went golfing, nor do I have an idea nor care when Obama went to a dinner and a show. I don't think that anyone could have predicted that September 11th was going to happen regardless as to what memo was put on his desk... a memo which I haven't heard of unless it is coming from the mouth of someone who believes in conspiracy theories and whatnot.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

. a memo which I haven't heard of unless it is coming from the mouth of someone who believes in conspiracy theories and whatnot.

So this memo here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...August_6,_2001

Only exists in the mind of conspiracy theorists?

[FlamingLonghorn]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

So this memo here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...August_6,_2001

Only exists in the mind of conspiracy theorists?

So are you saying Bush just ignored the memo? Was he supposed to lead the investigation or leave it up to the pros like the FBI? There had been plenty of warnings from Bin Laden and Al Qaeda since the mid-90's. Hindsight is a nice thing to have one criticizing someone.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Dion

I get that he made his wife a promise. He could have also posponed that trip when the economy was better.

It's the timing of it that makes him look bad. Countless Americans are struggling to make ends meet and here he is going on a one night pleasure trip to NYC. I always thought politicians are supposed to lead by example when it comes to economic matters. My brother who is an American citizen doesn't think highly of what Obama did and he's unemployed right now also.

My problem is there is always going to be something the money could have been spent on that is better for the Nation than a night out in NYC. However, then what? Is the President and any other official going to have stay locked up in their houses because of it?

You can't expect that from any human being and I can almost guarantee you that Obama and Michelle would be making the same trip regardless of him winning or not.

Of course it sucks it cost him (or the taxpayers) a $1M just to go to a Broadway show but that is just the world we live in. He has to protect himself and his family and luckily his job allows him to do that.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by Sowa

So are you saying Bush just ignored the memo? Was he supposed to lead the investigation or leave it up to the pros like the FBI? There had been plenty of warnings from Bin Laden and Al Qaeda since the mid-90's. Hindsight is a nice thing to have one criticizing someone.

I asked for someone to PLEASE find a ridiculous claim against Bush that is just as moronic as this thread. The best anyone could come up with is that "Bush went on a golf vacation days before 9/11".

Thus, the claim was:
"Going to New York for a Broadway show" = "Golf vacation in August 2001"

I say:
"If we find that Obama got a memo saying Osama determined to attack" just before leaving on vacation, then yes
"Going to New York for Broadway show" = "Golf vacation in August 2001"

The complaint about Bush going on a golf vacation wasn't a criticism of his fiscal irresponsibility. It wasn't a condemnation of his waste of taxpayer money. It wasn't a complaint about wasting transportation, security and other resources. The complaint about Bush going on a golf vacation is that perhaps he should have been working with his intelligence community to look into that memo that MMM says doesn't exist. So WHEN you provide the memo that OBAMA received saying that the US is going to be attacked again and you post that thread, I won't call it a stupid thread.

I'm still waiting for a post and/or thread condemning Bush for something as inane as this thread.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by HOOT

My problem is there is always going to be something the money could have been spent on that is better for the Nation than a night out in NYC. However, then what? Is the President and any other official going to have stay locked up in their houses because of it?

Stay locked up? Don't be silly! He didn't have to go NYC to have a night on the town.

Of course it sucks it cost him (or the taxpayers) a $1M just to go to a Broadway show but that is just the world we live in. He has to protect himself and his family and luckily his job allows him to do that.

It shows poor leadership when many Americans have to tighten thier budgets to make ends meet. Or the many retirees that lost half the value of thier 401ks then the market crashed.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

George W. Bush has been compared to Hitler by people the world over. Every time he visits anywhere there are people who are lining up to call him pretty much every name in the book (some deserved - others not so much) and the some of the biggest evidence they could point to is his speaking gaffes.

Sorry but to say that George W. Bush didn't put up with stuff like this in his presidency is about as moronic as this thread in the first place.

Before the US set one foot in Iraq, in this very forum, someone said that Bush made Hitler look like Santa Claus.

Just wow. Really?

Thanks for your post MMM.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

You mentioned his going to a ranch. There is a movie featuring him not jumping around doing something in an elementry school on 9/11. People called him stupid and worse for his speaking gaffes. He was dragged through the mud and back based on pretty much everything he did. There was a movie released about him being assassinated....

The guy wasn't a great president - but you have to admit that the Bush bashing bordered on moronic a lot of the time.

George Bush jokes are the jokes that stupid people laugh at. Everyone can make them and think they are clever. From a foreign policy perspective, the guy went through the worst and most dangerous time for America since the Second World War. As far as his domestic policy and the impact his Republican Party had on American politics... well... yuck.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Dion

Stay locked up? Don't be silly! He didn't have to go NYC to have a night on the town.

His promise was a Broadway Show, there is only one place in the USA to go do this.

I just don't see the big deal tax dollars or not these were dollars already spent within the budgets. Maybe he should just stay in all the time, save some money for the government and lay off some of those Secret Service Agents...oh wait.

[Devils'Advocate]

I think when going to G8 summits he should wear flip flops and bermuda shorts. They are a lot less expensive than those tailored suits and wearing those expensive suits is an insult to those poor laid off workers.

Good grief.... if he was doing this every weekend then it MIGHT be something to complain about... but this is one night out that he promised his wife months and months ago. Get a grip people.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by HOOT

His promise was a Broadway Show, there is only one place in the USA to go do this.

So what. My brother promised to take his wife on cruise but can't fullfill that due to his being unemployed. Show some leadership.

I just don't see the big deal tax dollars or not these were dollars already spent within the budgets. Maybe he should just stay in all the time, save some money for the government and lay off some of those Secret Service Agents...oh wait.

Take the money budgeted for the NYC trip and give it to a bunch of charities. Show the American people that you understand thier plight.

If he's going to a show in DC why would he need to lay of some of those Secret Sevice Agents?

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Dion

So what. My brother promised to take his wife on cruise but can't fullfill that due to his being unemployed. Show some leadership.

Well luckily the President of the USA didn't get laid off so he still have the benefits of his job and the money to do so. Not everyone in the USA has put their life on hold because of what he happening.

He could have given the money to a charity but then I'm sure we would still be hearing what he should or could have done better with the money.

Take the money budgeted for the NYC trip and give it to a bunch of charities. Show the American people that you understand thier plight.

If he's going to a show in DC why would he need to lay of some of those Secret Sevice Agents?

"Broadway show" being the key words.

[BlackEleven]

I have my doubts that it cost $2M. But let's say it did. A quick google tells me there are about 130M tax payers in the United States. So it cost American tax payer about 1.5 cents each. I'm not an American tax payer, but if I was, I wouldn't really be losing too much sleep over my penny (and a half).

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by BlackEleven

I have my doubts that it cost $2M. But let's say it did. A quick google tells me there are about 130M tax payers in the United States. So it cost American tax payer about 1.5 cents each. I'm not an American tax payer, but if I was, I wouldn't really be losing too much sleep over my penny (and a half).

The sad part is it probably cost closer to $1M, and probably no more than $500,000 more than if he stayed in DC. So that would bring it down to less than a half a penny per tax paying American.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by D to the iddy

That is a bold statement to be making unless you're just comparing that they both like to do social things. Their policies, etc. are very different. That's cool if you disagree with both, but putting them in the same boat is way off in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Sowa

He's putting the jack ass people who make a big deal over everything the president does in the same boat. I am as liberal as they come, but I could not stand the crap and hatred that got thrown Bush's way. Now Obama's president and its the same people who defended Bush from the asinine crapslinging that are tossing it Obamas way. These people are the reason idiots like Limbaugh and Olberman are rich. All this does is distract from real issues and divide Americans even more.

The 'crap' I was referring to wasn't what each President choose to do in his spare time. Instead, I was referring to the garbage being thrown at each BECAUSE of their social activities.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Bull. I'd like to see some threads about Bush that were this frivolous. We got one on the Devils board saying that Obama is inept because he didn't know what the NGA was. How many didn't need to Google that? Apparently he asked a worker there what kind of work they do... and that makes it to all the right wing blogs. What kind of environment is that to work in? You can't ask questions because it gets posted all around the internet that you don't know it already? The desperation that things like this thread come from is just absolute poison to trying to improve the state of the nation.

Imagine what will happen the day Obama says something like "(Our enemies) never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

Bull indeed.

I've been on CP and a lot of other boards long enough to know that there are wacky idiots here and there that apply the same crap to both Presidents.

Just the way it is.

Nothing to get worked up over either.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Well luckily the President of the USA didn't get laid off so he still have the benefits of his job and the money to do so. Not everyone in the USA has put their life on hold because of what he happening.

You're right. Not everyone has to show god leadership when it comes to hard economic times. Forget the ones that are struggling and hop that plane to NYC. Good job!

He could have given the money to a charity but then I'm sure we would still be hearing what he should or could have done better with the money.

I somehow doubt giving money to a good cause is going to create grief for him.

"Broadway show" being the key words.

So those same Secret Service Agents wouldn't be going with him to the DC show?

[Azure]

Originally Posted by HOZ

I see this thread has devolved into a "HOZ is an idiot" because he posted something disagreeable to many people. Though it is interesting that some of my biggest cost estimation critics have come around to now thinking that it is about right.

A drop in the buck in regards to government spending? Certainly. Not a big deal? Depends where you are sitting. If you are one of the 30,000 + people about to lose your job directly due to his policies I don't think it would be small potatoes. POTUS is a 24/7 high stress job where you grow grey, have no personal life, and rarely see your family for 4-8 years. If you can't handle that don't sign up for the job! If I was one of those people that just saw their job axed and then see him fly off to NYC to blow a cool 1-2 million (more than I will make in my lifetime) "for a night out" it would be the last time he saw my vote.

That was extremely crass of him and worthy of criticism. A far cry from Bush is Hitler stuff.

I know where you're coming from, and have already said that Obama doing this NOW, at this time, with the economy the way it is doesn't help his image. He'll be in the Whitehouse for 3-1/2 more years. Lots of time to take his wife to Broadway.

But, it really isn't that big of a deal. Like CC said.....people should focus on the money Obama threw away trying to bailout the car companies that were inept and bankrupt. Or the trillions he has committed to a problem he doesn't know how to solve.