A big thank you from M. Obama

[$parechange]

: Thanks So Much!!



For only the second time in my adult life, I am not ashamed of my country. I want to thank the hard working American people for paying $242 thousand dollars plus additional expenses for my vacation in Spain . My daughter Sasha, several long-time family friends, my personal staff and various guests had a wonderful time. Honestly, you just haven't lived until you have stayed in a $2,500.00 per night suite at a 5-Star luxury hotel. We only booked 70 rooms for our friends, staff and family. Thank you also for the use of Air Force 2 and the 70 Secret Service personnel who tagged along to be sure we were safe and cared for at all times.

Air Force 2 only used 47,500 gallons of jet fuel for this trip and carbon emissions were a mere 1,031 tons of CO2. It costs only $11,500 per hour to operate Air Force 2 and each additional plane for the other members of our party group. These are only rough estimates, but they are close (who's counting?). That's quite a carbon footprint as my good friend Al Gore would say, so we must ask the American citizens to drive smaller, more fuel efficient cars and drive less too, so we can lessen our combined carbon footprint.

I know times are hard and millions of you are struggling to put food on the table and trying to make ends meet. I do appreciate your sacrifice and do hope you find work soon. I was really exhausted after Barack took our family on a luxury vacation in Maine a few weeks ago. I just had to get away for a few days. Will write more from Martha's Vineyard where we will spend our sixth vacation this year with more of our family and friends.

Cordially,

M. Obama

[E_]

[Dolphin]

Suck it Up


This is just the beginning

[katie]

It was reported that they (Obam's) paid for this trip out of their "personal" pocket.... I wonder if that included all of the security, etc???

[FasterThanYou]

It was reported that they (Obam's) paid for this trip out of their "personal" pocket.... I wonder if that included all of the security, etc???

I can guarantee they did not.

The White House says that as a policy, official trips by the first family are paid by the government but all personal elements paid are personally. Since this is a private trip, the White House seems to be suggesting that the Obamas are personally paying all costs associated with the vacation.

But there appears to be some wiggle room there, in part because the Secret Service must protect the First Family, and the cost to taxpayers would presumably go up during travel.

Also, at a time when the economy is in a slump would it not make sense to stay within the US to help our economy in lieu of traveling abroad?

[re3too]

Also, at a time when the economy is in a slump would it not make sense to stay within the US to help our economy in lieu of traveling abroad?

Whaaaat? And act like ordinary folk?

[$parechange]

at RE3! Don't you all know that they are above all other infidels?