Here’s an article that claims more than 700 people travelled with President Bush: http://www.boingboing.net/2007/11/29/president-bushs-trav.html
Between security personnel and lower-level officials to deal with their APEC counterparts, that seems an appropriate level for an official overseas visit.
Obama's trip was a self-serving political hackery/vacation-on-the-government teat long weekend.
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.
That was a state trip to Sydney Australia, likely for high level meeting and all that. Thus the extra people and having to ship a bunch of stuff. Hardly comparable to a town hall within the country where you are bringing a bunch of family as well. Bush’s trip to Australia was without Laura.
It’s a given that the President does not travel light so to speak. But to have a bunch of extended family along is what irks me.
You are comparing apples to oranges and you know it. That was for an overseas summit. Not a one nighter in Montana.