Posted on 08/15/2011 9:42:51 AM PDT by maggief
By Josh Gerstein, Politico
The Secret Service has revealed to Talking Points Memo that the government has purchased two armored buses for use by President Barack Obama and Republican candidates in the 2012 presidential campaign and beyond.
(Excerpt) Read more at nation.foxnews.com ...
I was just talking to a family member about that this weekend.
I truly pray and hope that the Secret Service does a great job keeping him safe. I want him either impeached or beaten at the polls. Anything else will result in him being a martyr greater than MLK and ensure a follow-on term for his wife.
That said, this is America not a 3rd world country. We have a political and legal system to remove leaders. Anything else is lawlessness.
Operation Rolling Blunder
Tragic Bus
The Magical Misery Tour
***It says the Republican will use the other bus.***
Built by union workers and fully equipped with bugging devices!!!!!
The U.S. Secret Service has two new buses in its fleet for President Obama to use on his 3-day Midwest bus trip starting today.
An official tells CBS News the buses were purchased in recent months and will serve as part of the fleet of vehicles the Secret Service uses for all of its protectees.
In the past, the Secret Service would lease buses as needed and outfit them with the security and communications equipment as needed.
"We have not been satisfied with the level of protection offered by leased buses," said a Secret Service official.
Another official said the buses cost the service $1.1-million and are of a size and make the Secret Service finds most suitable for its equipment and protective requirements.
Much ado about nothing. Not much money in the great scheme of things
Obama’s “Tour de Chance”.
Hm. You may have a point.
"Tuppence and thruppence each day,
So he can ride to his ral-lay."
Too much... the Tragic Bus.
Mr. niteowl77
The crease in Obama’s trousers ( made famous by David Brooks) sure looks like it can use a pressing..
But hey you guys totally ignored the jobs created by his magical bus tour. (major sarc) Next time if the mood hits him and he’s thinking of hitting FL and up-and-down east coast, a different bus for its different purpose. This is yet another opportunity for Obama to stimulate economy growth, by sucker punch us taxpayers every chance he gets.
Yep, don’t forget POTUS’ laser focus on jobs, jobs, jobs.
Nice that the Democrat/Republican Party can use taxpayer's money for such things, eh?
How about the nominees of other parties?
I say this facetiously, to make a point.
The taxpayers are also paying tens of millions of dollars to pay for their dog and pony show national conventions.
It's a travesty.
Debt man Touring on ShortBus-1
http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/127728253.html
I wonder if he sits in the back...
As a member of Congress, and now a USSS protectee, maybe Michelle Bachman should be “issued” the other one.
ok ok... let not get silly here, it’s not like they are going to send these to the scrap yard next week. A president (any president) needs to be secure, and I am sure Rick Perry will appreciate these fine buses when he becomes president.
Totally agree. In 2013 if this was happening, FREEPERS would be all over this saying. Thank God that Sarah is safe behind very secure buses. Worth every penny.....if it is President Perry, same thing. That is what I absolutely HATE about politics. Just change the party and president and the article is the exact same. The liberals used to complain about every single thing that President Bush did and now we do the exact same thing.....it is just boring and so predictable.
Reuters Pictures 1 day ago U.S. President Barack Obama walks out from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington as he leaves to play golf August 13, 2011.
The Secret Service has revealed to Talking Points Memo that the government has purchased two armored buses for use by President Barack Obama and Republican candidates in the 2012 presidential campaign and beyond.
The agency initially declined to tell TPM whom the buses were bought from, but based on some searches of federal databases it looked to me like the seller was Hemphill Brothers Coach Co. of Whites Creek, Tenn. Last July, the Service signed a contract for nearly $2.2 million with the firm, according to a federal procurement database. (The entry doesn't specify the number of buses.)
"The contract you found is the contract," Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said Thursday morning. "It's two buses for $1.1 million each."
"We've been overdue for having this asset in our protective fleet for some time," Donovan said. "We've been protecting presidential candidates and vice presidential candidates all the way back to the 1980s using buses during bus tours."
In the past, the service leased buses and then tried to fit them with extra security gear. But that can't provide the assurance of starting from scratch.
"They're certainly going to be used for bus tours around the country," as well as other events, Donovan said. "When protectees go to remote areas, go camping or on a motorcyle trip, we''ll bring the asset out as a mobile security facility." (Kind of like a congressman's mobile office, I guess.)
The final cost of the two new buses will exceed $2.2 million, because the Service prefers to add its own aftermarket security features to vehicles. Donovan said the service will do so in this instance as well.
The $1.1 million price tag is roughly in line with costs for custom-made, luxury motorcoaches. This company quotes prices of $1.5 million to $2.5 million for a new luxury bus.
UPDATE: This post has been updated with comment from the Secret Service.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/0411/22_million_pricetag_for_Obamas_new_armored_buses.html
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