President Obama with Barb Starz, Dax Schieffer and Brian Stumpf of Big Sky Resort. Photo courtesy of Big Sky Resort
Posted on 08/20/2009 11:53:52 AM PDT by kristinn
The White House booked 400 (FOUR HUNDRED) hotel rooms at the Big Sky Resort for Barack Obama's overnight visit last week for a town hall meeting in nearby Bozeman, Montana. Two floors were completely taken over, including the penthouse suites.
While the national news media is ignoring the story, local media let the news slip in their gushing stories of how thrilling it was to have Obama in their midst.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported on Tuesday on Obama's visit, quoting Big Sky Resort spokesman Dax Schieffer:
The First Family stayed in one of the eight penthouses on the tenth floor of Big Sky Resort’s Summit Hotel on Friday night, said resort spokesman Dax Schieffer. The entire tenth and ninth floor were reserved for the Obamas and family as well as White House and Secret Service staff.
“All in all we had about 400 people as part of the group,” Schieffer said.
NewWest.net spoke with Big Sky Resort general manager Taylor Middleton for an article published Sunday:
“We ultimately had 400 rooms reserved,” said Middleton, noting that there were various entities within the Presidential entourage - security, press, admin staff, culinary staff - and their arrangements were “somewhat coordinated and somewhat uncoordinated.”
President Obama with Barb Starz, Dax Schieffer and Brian Stumpf of Big Sky Resort. Photo courtesy of Big Sky Resort
From Montana, Obama and his entourage went on to Boulder, Colorado on Saturday for another town hall and then flew to Phoenix, Arizona Saturday night for a speech to the VFW convention on Monday. Obama and entourage stayed at The Phoenician which describes itself as "Your Premier Luxury Destination". There are no apparent media reports on how many rooms the White House took at the Phoenician, but it would seem that 400 rooms would be consistent with the trip.
Obama and his family took time for various sightseeing and recreational activities on their Western tour.
Obama is scheduled to vacation next week at the 28.5 acre Blue Heron Farm in Martha's Vineyard.
The Vineyard Gazette reports weekly rentals for comparable properties run from $35,000 to $50,000.
There is no word yet on how many rooms will be rented by the White House for staff staying on Martha's Vineyard with Obama.
From NTU.org:
Questions about personnel opportunity costs of Presidential trip are particularly acute when examining the Clinton record. As noted previously, Clinton took staggering numbers of personnel on his overseas trips, with perhaps the biggest contingent going to Africa in 1998 (1,302 federal officials accompanied Clinton).
Oh yes. We could kill the better part of a weekend swapping horror stories.
Heheh.
So who stayed in the other 7 penthouse suites?
The comments on that post are worth noting. The article making that claim is from the New Zealand Herald and the alleged 700-person entourage was in the context of President Bush's visit to Sydney for the APEC summit. Obviously the security needs are MUCH higher for a US President attending an international summit than they are for a rural townhall meeting in Montana.
Another comment posted to the article alleges that "When Clinton went to Africa in 1998, he was accompanied by 1,302 people from thirteen different agencies (902 of these were military or Secret Service personnel)." There's no source given for that claim, so no way of knowing if it's valid.
Put me on the list for pi$$ bucket boy.
Let them eat
Arugula!
I just hate it when that happens.
But money can’t buy class.
Tough place, Montana. Pretty tho too.
Chet Huntley country, I think.
One of the articles says Chet Huntley was the original owner of the Big Sky Resort.
Part of the Resorts for Clunkers project I assume.
LMFAO
Pretty place. He came off as a tough old codger, solid, like my Dad. The Sgt. Rock of news.
hate to see the rats infesting the joint.
At least Schwab and Siebel are reliable and supportive Republicans. But, the others on the list are wildly liberal, which is strange that they want to vacation in a state that has the some of the least restrictive gun restrictions in the country.
“and the family were taken on our dime again.”
Interestingly, I’ve noticed a huge similarity between the Obambas and several entry-level managers I dealt with back in the days when affirmative action was new to the world of work. These folks had a very firm mindset about what “white folks do” in management and they imitated that false idea. i.e. they just sat at an empty desk and ‘looked managerial’. They didn’t think they had to actually DO anything.
I have the impression that the Obamas have a fantasy idea of how “rich white ‘leaders’ behave (travel, huge entourages, lots of servants, etc) and they are playing out that fantasy idea because they have no actual experience of being classy people.
ROTFLOL, thanks, I needed that.:-D
This is from a woman who lives in Bozeman , Montana . Thought you would be interested in the truth about how his visits are orchestrated. Her husband is a former Navy pilot and Delta Airlines captain. Hello All, By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered. I feel that since Bill and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you. If you chose to share this email with others I do ask that you DELETE my email address before you forward this on. On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on what they were going to do. The White House would not release ANY details other than the date. On about Tuesday Bill found out that they would be holding the "Town Hall" at the airport. (This is only because Bill knows EVERYONE at the airport) Our airport is actually located outside of Belgrade (tiny town) in a very remote location. Nothing is around there. They chose to use a hangar that is the most remotely located hangar. You could not pick a more remote location, and you can not get to it easily. It is totally secluded from the public. FYI: We have many areas in Belgrade and Bozeman which could have held a large amount of folks with sufficient parking.. (gymnasiums/auditoriums). All of which have chairs and tables, and would not have to be SHIPPED IN!! $$$$$ During the week, cargo by the TONS was being shipped in constantly. Airport employees could not believe how it just kept coming. Though it was our President coming several expressed how excessive it was, especially during a recession. $$$$$ Late Tuesday/early Wednesday the 12th, they said that tickets would be handed out on Thursday 9am at two locations and the president would be arriving around 12:30 Friday. Thursday morning about 600 tickets were passed out. However, 1500 were printed at a Local printing shop per White House request. Hmmmm......900 tickets just DISAPPEARED. This same morning someone called into the radio from the local UPS branch and said that THOUSANDS of Dollars of Lobster were shipped in for Obama. Montana has some of the best beef in the nation!!! And it would have been really wonderful to help out the local economy. Anyone heard of the Recession?? Just think...with all of the traveling the White House is doing. $$$$$ One can only imagine what else we are paying for. On Friday Bill and I got out to the airport about 10:45am. The groups that wanted to protest Obama's spending and healthcare had gotten a permit to protest and that area was roped off. But that was not to be. A large bus carrying SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members drove up onto the area (illegal)and unloaded right there. It was quite a commotion and there were specifically 2 SEIU men trying to make trouble and start a fight. Police did get involved and arrested the one man but they said they did not have the manpower to remove the SEIU crowd. The SEIU crowd was very organized and young. About 99% were under the age of 30 and they were not locals! They had bullhorns and PROFESSIONALLY made signs. Some even wore preprinted T-shirts. Oh, and Planned Parenthood folks were with them.....professing abortion rights with their T-shirts and preprinted signs. (BTW, all these folks did have a permit to protest in ANOTHER area) Those against healthcare/spending moved away from the SEIU crowd to avoid confrontation. They were orderly and respectful. Even though SEIU kept coming over and walking through, continuing to be very intimidating and aggressive at the direction of the one SEIU man. So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest. If you are wondering about the press.....Well, all of the major networks were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked on the other side of the buildings FAR away. None of these crowds were even visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds. We did have some local news media around us from this state and Idaho . Speaking of the local media..they were invited. However, all questions were to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn't want anyone to have to think off the top of their head. It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those people that talked about their insurance woes........the White House called our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for names. Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and mirrors...EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!! I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living in the United States of America , more like the USSR !! I was physically nauseous. Bill and I have been around when Presidents or Heads of State visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our country please get involved. Know the issues. And let Congress hear your voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC . Scary!! Kathy Bozeman , Montana To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. Thomas Jefferson
P R O T E S T !
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