Posted on 11/04/2010 5:18:09 AM PDT by maggief
Maybe no one suggested a Teleconference as a cheaper alternative...
34 warships...40 aircraft and a cast of thousands for a 3 day visit...imagine if he went for a week. ....(we should hope a month and more)
Reminds me of an emergency meeting of the Bilderburgs(SP).
Silly.
Maybe they are escaping.
Guess the “Go to Meeting” concept has been lost on the White House.
The MSM has been pretty quiet about this upcoming excursion.
540 rooms at the TajMahal, 40 passenger planes, 3000 people, at an expense of 200 million a day!!! This is an outrage!! mI haven’t heard any Pubbies speaking out against this sham to the American people. Maybe our thug leader is about to start a government in exile and stay there. Most Americans would say good riddance.
The Indian Navy is fledgling at best, with more coastal patrol-type boats than anything else. Many of the ships they've acquired are from Russia.
Can you imagine if something would happen and we have to go to war for this piece of garbage?
No No No, CNN says it is not true:).
From AC 630 last night.
COOPER: Congresswoman Bachmann, congratulations on your — on your big victory last night.
You have campaigned on — on cutting the deficit, cutting spending, not raising taxes, like a lot of Republicans, a lot of Tea Party candidates. There haven’t been a lot of specifics, though, about what programs you would want to cut to really get the kind of savings that we need.
Republican Paul Ryan has suggested sharp cuts in Medicare and Social Security. Are you willing to make cuts there?
BACHMANN: Well, I think we know that, just within a day or so, the president of the United States will be taking a trip over to India that is expected to cost the taxpayers $200 million a day. He’s taking 2,000 people with him.
He will be renting out over 870 rooms in India. And these are five-star hotel rooms at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. This is the kind of over-the-top spending. It’s a very small example, Anderson.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: But don’t all presidents take overseas trips and stay in hotels where there’s security?
BACHMANN: Not — not — not at this level. We have never seen this sort of an entourage going with the president before.
And I think this is an example of the massive overspending that we have seen, not only just in the last two years, really in the last four. That’s what we saw at the ballot box last evening.
COOPER: But the — excuse me — the...
BACHMANN: The American people are asking us to take a look at this, and not have the sort of extravagant spending anymore.
COOPER: The White House is saying that idea that this is a $200 million, you know, boondoggle is just — is completely overstated, that the — that number, it’s wildly inflated, those — those numbers.
BACHMANN: And — and that may be what the White House is stating. But, again, we have never seen a trip at this level before, of this level of excess.
COOPER: How — how...
BACHMANN: And I think it’s not a good signal to send to the American people, when the American people are, quite frankly, struggling right now with high job losses.
COOPER: But how — but you know the president needs security overseas. You wouldn’t begrudge...
BACHMANN: Certainly.
COOPER: ... begrudge any president that. And, frankly, they...
BACHMANN: Of course not.
COOPER: No one — no one really knows the cost, because, for security reasons, they don’t disclose the cost. So, this idea that it’s, you know, $200 million or whatever is simply made up.
BACHMANN: Well, these are the numbers that have been coming out in the press. And, of course, those are the numbers that I have to...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Do you believe what you read in the press?
BACHMANN: ... the numbers that are being — well, should I listen — well, should I believe what you say, Anderson? That’s really the question.
COOPER: Well, I’m not reporting this — this $200 million figure.
I guess I’m just — it just seems odd — I mean, under President Bush, did you ever talk about extravagant trips overseas, that there were too many people traveling with the president overseas?
BACHMANN: The issue here is really government excess and government government — government excess and spending.
If it’s that difficult and that expensive, maybe we should use videoconferencing for these meetings to have meetings between our two government leaders, or invite...
COOPER: So, you don’t want the president traveling overseas?
BACHMANN: ... or inviting them to come to the United States.
Not at all.
What I’m suggesting is that we need to rein in the spending at all levels. And we need to take a look at all of the decisions that are being made.
COOPER: In terms, though, of actually cutting the deficit and, you know, cutting spending, you’re going to have to make very specific — you’re going to have to come up with some specifics. BACHMANN: Where we need to begin, quite frankly, is with the general budget.
And we saw a huge expansion. President Obama increased spending at the federal level almost 25 percent. That’s an amazing expansion by the government.
COOPER: OK. So you’re not willing to say whether you would cut Medicare or — or Social Security? You’re not willing to say whether you would entertain that?
BACHMANN: Well, what — what we need — what we need to do is reform the system, because, this year, we’re spending more on Social Security than what we’re taking in, six years ahead of the projects on when that would occur.
So, we — for the sake of the most vulnerable people in this country, we have to reform Social Security, so it’s solvent.
COOPER: So, you are willing to look at cuts in Medicare, cuts in Social Security?
BACHMANN: Well, for cuts, we need to begin with the general budget. We need to reform Social Security, so that it can stand on his own — on its own, and so that it can stand on its own with Medicare.
We — we can’t be about scaring senior citizens right now. What we need to do is lay out the facts on the table and make sure that those who are truly in need, who are vulnerable are taken care of.
COOPER: But extending the Bush tax cuts will mean, in order to offset the costs of extending the Bush tax cuts, you have to come up with $700 billion just in spending cuts alone just to offset that cost.
If you acknowledge that that is true, I mean, what are three things you would cut immediately to help offset those costs?
BACHMANN: Well, it’s always considered a cost when people are allowed to keep their own money. I don’t think that it’s a cost when people get to keep their own money.
Right now, the current tax policy is — in my mind, it’s actually too high, the taxes right now. If we don’t extend these tax cuts, for instance, in my district in Minnesota, we will see $1.6 billion — $1.2 billion taken out of the pockets of my constituents and taken out of my local community, where it will be spent.
Instead, 1.2 additional dollars will be sent to Washington, D.C., sucked into that hole.
COOPER: Right. But, nationwide, that’s still — but, nationwide, that’s still accounts for $700 billion in income that the U.S. government’s not going to be getting that they’re going to have to either cut spending, get from somewhere else or cut spending on. I assume you want it to be from cutting spending. Can you tell me just three things you would do to make up for $700 billion in lost revenue for the government?
BACHMANN: I think we need to cut the spending back to the 2000, 2008 levels.
COOPER: But a specific program, three specific programs.
BACHMANN: Well, and I — and I’m — and I’m trying to answer that.
I think we need to look at eligibility levels. Eligibility levels may be too high. We may need to cut them down by a percentage or two. We can solve this problem. We can cut back on the spending.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
Now, after the interview, we did some checking on — on the claim that President Obama’s trip to India is costing $200 million a day, which seemed like a lot when she brought it up. Congresswoman Bachmann said it’s in news report. It may be on the Internet. That doesn’t actually make it true, though.
It turns out the source of this unsubstantiated claim is not from Politico. It’s from an Indian news report. And the original report is actually from an anonymous Indian source, allegedly an Indian provincial official. How he would know how much President Obama’s trip is costing, I’m not sure.
After the interview, we went back, asked the White House for further details. They said — quote — “The numbers reported in this article have no basis to reality. Due to security concerns, we’re unable to outline details associated with security procedures and costs, but it’s safe to say these numbers are wildly inflated.”
As for how inflated, we can get some idea from Bill Clinton’s similar Asian trip as president, which is widely considered the most expensive ever. The estimated bottom line for that trip, $50 million, and not per day, but for the entire trip.
It also says that Obama will be driving in a Lincoln while in India. The presidential limo as a Cadillac. If media nevet gets anything wrong then I guess that means Obama bought a new car just for the trip.
I'm no fan of the man, but stupidity is stupidity. And the idea that Obama would need a fleet offshore for his visit is stupidity.
Makes one wonder if the Pentagon doesn't have a standby plan to relieve him from duty.
Good morning Rip Van Winkle. This isn't your father's Pentagon, this is the New Military complete with Sodomites and wall-to-wall Affirmative Action at every level, top-heavy with political "leadership", while middle management will go along to get that all important Pension.
This Pentagon will more than likely order YOU marched into the boxcars than dare to threaten their own careers and pensions. Do you honestly think that patriotic leadership would endorse the last eight-years or so of insane, suicidal and wildly expensive Rules of Engagement? Do you really believe that Obama worshipper Colin Powell was a misfit and liberal anomaly in the military?
This is Nero's Rome.
Anderson Cooper 360°:
Which spending cuts should be made?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY-6ltu4oAQ
Anderson Cooper interviewed Michele Bachmann.
She mentioned the 200 million per day and Anderson later added he did some checking that the source online was from an independent news source from India. (I guess that doesn’t count?).
What was great was that Michele called Anderson Cooper on it and said - does that mean I shouldn’t believe what you are reporting?
And of course the White House would not confirm the cost of the trip - I think he said they denied that it would cost that much.
Anderson Cooper also brought up when Clinton went to India - you wouldn’t deny a president security would you? Bachmann said of course not. Clinton’s trip was apparently $50 million total - but how many years ago was that? Bachmann pointed out that we have never seen such a large expensive trip by any president.
I think he's campaigning for Secretary General of the UN, in anticipation of getting thrown out on his ass 2 years from now.
Remember the scene in Red October, when so many ships and aircraft were all sharing such a small maneuvering area, in trigger happy chaos? 34 ships may be the target, not our president. That goes for the hundreds of aircraft as well.
ANOTHER SPEECH TO THE MUSLIM WORLD.
White House says Obama’s Asia trip underscores re-engagement strategy
English.news.cn 2010-10-29 05:29:01 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) — A White House official said on Thursday that U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Asia next month underscores his Asia strategy of renewed engagement.
On Nov. 6, Obama will start his visit to India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
U.S. engagement in Asia is “founded upon our core alliances in the region, and of course South Korea and Japan are at the top of that list,” Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, told reporters at a briefing for the visit.
He said the visit to Indonesia is meant to “deepen partnership with emerging powers,” adding that Obama will deliver a speech there on his outreach effort to the Muslim world on Nov. 10.
Due to a variety of reasons, Obama had postponed visits to Indonesia for three times, which has somewhat angered the Southeast Asian country for lack of respect. In September, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono did not attend a summit between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in New York, citing “domestic reasons.”
Even though, Rhodes stressed the importance of Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country and the biggest economy in ASEAN, saying it is the intersection of a lot of key American interests.
“We see this as a partnership that is very important to the future of American interests in Asia and the world,” he said.
Obama’s visit to Indonesia and his speech there is designed to continue his effort to improve America’s tarnished image in the Muslim world.
Obama, since his first day in office, has been actively trying to restore U.S. engagement and influence in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia, which is more or less ignored by the previous Bush administration.
One obvious example, cited by many, is that former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice had skipped two important ASEAN meetings during the Bush term.
Related:
Obama to offer “mixed” assessment on outreach to Muslim world: White House
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to give a “mixed” assessment on his more-than-a-year outreach to the Muslim world during his Asian tour next month, a White House official said on Thursday.
The assessment is part of the speech that Obama is scheduled to deliver on Nov. 10 in Indonesia. In June of last year in Cairo, Obama gave his first major speech targeting Muslims, which is designed to improve U.S. relations with the Muslim world. Full story
U.S. engagement with Southeast Asia part of Asia strategy: officials
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) — Senior White House officials on Thursday classed U.S. engagement with Southeast Asia as a very important part of its Asia strategy, both in economic and security fronts.
“These are very dynamic, growing markets, from Indonesia to Vietnam to Thailand,” Ben Rhodes, White House Deputy National Security Advisor For Strategic Communications, told reporters at the White House. Full story
Well, if CNN and the WH says it’s not true then it must be true.
LOL!
Obama=Stupidity.
Media Propagandist=Stupidty
Obama+Media Propagandist =Stupidty2
Or at least that is how it is in my math book.
OOPS
if CNN and the WH SAY it’s not true then it must be true.
So do I. obama is what he is, that fact has not and was not changed. What did change things was the idiots [your term, I refer to them as traitors]that voted for him. Why? Because without their votes he would still be just another turd that is the sewer that is also called Chicago politics.
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