Posted on 05/08/2003 9:00:08 AM PDT by Hillary's Lovely Legs
Spin-Docs-at-Work Alert
White House Tries to Spin Clear of
White House Press Briefing, September 21: Question: "Joe, what do you think of that study that three recent foreign trips by the President cost in excess of $70 million? That sounds like a lot. Does it strike the White House that way?"
Following the revelation yesterday by the General Accounting Office (GAO) that the cost of three recent overseas trips by President Clinton cost taxpayers a whopping $72 million, the White House was confronted with questions. Ironically, the President was out of town -- although in the country this time -- when the deluge began. As usual, the White House spin machine kicked into overdrive. Too bad they didn't bother to check the "accuracy setting" on the machine before they started it. So, we thought we'd help them out.
What follows are White House press secretary Joe Lockhart's responses to questions about the GAO study examining the costs of three 1998 presidential trips to six African countries, to China, and to Chile that cost the American taxpayers at least $72 million, and our supplemental facts.
Lockhart: "The President has traveled -- if you look at the previous President in the first term -- less than President Bush."
Lockhart: "And I think if you look at the costs, there is a high cost of providing physical security to the President when he's overseas. . ."
Lockhart: "Well, I think if you look at the report and look at the fine print -- and I hope people do -- you'll find that the vast majority of these costs are incurred for physical security. . ."
Lockhart: "The kind of costs incurred by this President over at DOD are very similar to the costs incurred by President Bush and President Reagan and previous presidents."
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September 22, 1999
Excessive Foreign Travel Cost Revelation
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RPC Clinton Administration List |
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3 - 6 - 01 | Legislative Notice: S. J. Res. 6 -- Disapproving Former President Clinton's Ergonomics Rule | |
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10 - 23 - 00 |
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Gore Alleged to Have Violated Law He Authored: Senate to Probe Vice President's Secret Deals on Russian Arms to Iran |
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9 - 11 - 00 | Gore Failed Victims of Terrorists: One Year After He Might Have Stopped it, Gore Still Silent on Release of FALN Terrorists | |
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4 - 27 - 00 | Has Clinton Gotten Assurances that Elian Would be with His Father and Not with Fidel? Clinton's Mouthpiece Won't Say | |
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3 - 30 - 00 |
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Lameduck President's Continuing Globetrotting Forays: Latest Trip Pegged at $50 Million -- Most Expensive Presidential Trip Ever |
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10 - 25 - 99 | Clinton/Gore Forest Road Policy Blueprint for Disaster | |
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Victim Requests for Meetings Turned Down: Clinton/Gore Consulted Terrorists' Supporters But Stiffed Victims | ||
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9 - 27 - 99 | Clinton Home Loan Deal May Violate Federal Law (No Wonder They're Reconsidering It) | |
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9 - 22 - 99 | Africa, Chile, China...Next Outer Mongolia? Three Trips, Eight Countries, 2,400 People -- and a $60 Million Pentagon Tab | |
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9 - 22 - 99 | White House Tries to Spin Clear of Excessive Foreign Travel Cost Revelation |
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9 - 21 - 99 | Coddling Terrorists? | |
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9 - 21 - 99 | Al Gore: Quick to Condemn "Arms-for-Hostages," but What About "Terrorists-for-Votes?" | |
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9 - 21 - 99 | Clinton's Foreign Travel: Excessive or Abusive? Government Auditor Finds Just 3 Recent Clinton Trips Cost $72 Million | |
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9 - 21 - 99 | Excessive Clinton Travel Tab = Taxpayer Abuse: Most Funds Raided from U.S. Military Readiness | |
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7 - 30 - 99 | What His Contempt of Court Is Going to Cost the President | |
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3 - 18 - 99 | Oscar Rides a Donkey (and Vice Versa) -- Hollywood Money and the Democratic Party | |
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2 - 12 - 99 | Judgment, Though Not Conviction -- Bipartisan Judgment Against the President | |
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1 - 21 - 99 | The 'Era of Big Government': It's Ba-aack! | |
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10 - 22 - 98 | President Proclaims National "Character Counts" Week -- What's next? National Irony Week? | |
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10 - 20 - 98 | "Dollar Bill" Clinton -- Clinton & Gore Host Fundraisers Galore Amidst Sea of Indictments | |
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10 - 16 - 98 |
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Clinton Set to Double Presidential Travel Record -- He's Already Set Records for Trips, Days, and Pace of Overseas Travel |
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10 - 7 - 98 | Doing Time for Perjury in a Civil Case | |
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10 - 5 - 98 | Can Witnesses in Civil Cases Lie Under Oath With Impunity When Asked About Sex? | |
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10 - 2 - 98 | Bill Clinton: On the Road and Off the Job -- AWOL President is America's Most Frequent Flyer |
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9 - 29 - 98 | What is at Stake in Impeachment? -- Bill Clinton's Sworn Testimony as a Model for Others | |
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9 - 24 - 98 | "It's the Perjury, Stupid!" -- Sexual Misconduct Is Not the Issue | |
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9 - 23 - 98 | A "Monica" Market? -- Do the President's Problems Threaten the Financial Markets? | |
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9 - 10 - 98 | Did President Clinton and Vice President Gore Violate Federal Election Laws? | |
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7 - 30 - 98 | Bill Clinton, On the Road Again...and Again...and Again -- He's Just a Travelin' Man | |
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7 - 30 - 98 | President Clinton and Executive Orders -- It's Not the Number of Orders, It's the Weight of Government | |
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2 - 4 - 98 | 1998 Court Calendar for the "Most Ethical Administration in History" | |
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6 - 2 - 97 | What if Congress Voted on Presidential Immunity? -- The Paula Jones Case is Not Trivial | |
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Yes! Thanks. I tried the FR search and couldn't find it.
[wonder if Maxine can tell us if that's a custom made flight jacket clintoon is sporting?]
-- U.S. President Bill Clinton completed a triumphant visit to the Balkans Tuesday, greeting both KFOR troops and the Kosovar Albanian refugees.
He wrapped up his busy day praising U.S. pilots at Aviano Air Base, in Italy, thanking them for their 11-week air campaign that forced Yugoslavia to accept a Western peace plan for Kosovo.
"You have repeatedly put your lives on the line to save the lives of innocent civilians and turn back the tide of ethnic cleansing," said Clinton, whose remarks were punctuated by frequent cheers. "Thank you again for this noble endeavor."
Clinton returned to the White House early Wednesday. [don't want to have to mingle with the rif-raf for too long.]
The refugees gave Clinton a hero's welcome as he and his family toured the muddy tent city. Stenkovec housed some 30,000 refugees at the height of Operation Allied Force, NATO's bombing campaign against Yugoslavia. full story
So how much did this little adulation tour cost, including the jacket?
Well lookie here....
The President expresses his gratitude to members of Operation Allied Force at Aviano Air Base in Italy. June 22, 1999 Photo by William Vasta
President Clinton commends NATO peacekeeping troops in Macedonia. June 22, 1999 Photo by William Vasta
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