Spendapalooza: The Obamas’ vacation at Martha’s Vineyard
The ABC News Business Unit does some recession math and compares other luxury vacation resorts to Martha’s Vineyard, where the Obama family will travel next week for an end-of-summer stay.
FYI, you’re footing some of the bill:
…Caroline Taylor, another Martha’s Vineyard realtor, estimated that the property would go for $35,000 to $50,000 a week. The Obamas will pay for at least a portion of the rental, but taxpayer funds will be used to pay for Secret Service and staff housing on the property.
Shared sacrifice for thee, but not for He.
***
Related: Cube-steak Americans vs. the Wagyu Beef White House
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Categories: Barack Obama
The high-maintainance beautiful people.
Save your energy for the healthcare debate. Not mission critical.
Maybe they’ll stay.
This guy is going to take everything he can get from us under his wealth re-distribution plan. He thinks Air Force One is ” pretty cool”. What a jerk. I wish he would get off television and go to work
just how many “family” vacations do these people need in a year?? I know I’ve had 1 in the last few years…one…it’s all I could afford to do…and I didn’t do it on the taxpayers dime!!!
Give them 10 days a year like most Americans get if they are that lucky! Account for every single penny they spend and deduct it from dear leader’s salary. It’s not like he and wifey don’t have money in their bank accounts…arg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Arrogance at its finest.
The Obama’s remind me of when the Clinton’s left office – take all the silverware and other goodies while they’re still living in the White House. The party won’t last forever.
The nerve of them to lecture the private sector CEOs.
oops almost forgot…who maintains the area?…70% or more are illegal aliens from Brazil….think maybe he could bring ICE along for a ride?? maybe it’s a future voter summit…
Couldn’t he just use Comfort Inn like we did last Summer? I love those cook-your-own-waffle breakfast bars!
“…wit a automatic got me goin’ like General Electric
damn
the lights are blinkin’, I’m thinkin’
it’s all over when I go out drinkin’
Oh, makin’ my mind slow…
Insane in the membrane…”
–Cypress Hill
Must be damned nice. I’m going to Nagshead for 4 days in September, and if it wasn’t for my brother splitting half the bill, I wouldn’t be going at all.
I hope he gives me a break, and takes a vacation from appearing on television all the time.
We were in Martha’s Vineyard a few weeks ago. The rumour was that the White House staff had booked 90 rooms at the local hotel in Oak Bluffs to house Obama’s retinue. The lowest rate at that hotel (for a tiny room with two twin beds) is $230/night. Assuming that they get special rates at an average of $250 and stay only 7 nights (one or two before or after), that’s $150,000 before meals, tax, transportation, per diems, etc.
Hurricane Bill may make this vacation unforgettable. Heres hoping there is a no refund policy in effect.
Darwin, if the big pharmaceuticals pay for it, that’s nuthin’!
You have the jerk part right(if I expressed my true feelings I’d be banned from MM’s site), he is working by his ideals and goals, socialize America, thats it.
It does not matter what program the obamanation tries, it is 100% socialism and all those “yes we can” independents couldn’t see it last Nov. I get sick and tired of hearing “Americans are smart they can see what he is doing”. Question, if we’re so smart, why is this community organizing, empty suit the president of the greatest country in history.
Elizabeth, Barry & Michelle thank you for splitting the bill with them too!
When company executives work for a living an spend money that’s bad.
When Obama and Chewie spend large sums of money that’s perfectly fine.
Think of all the money THEY spend that could be going to illegal alliens. Horrible! Just horrible!
While we can expect plenty of gusing coverage, footage of Obama’s “glistening pecs” and exploitation of his children, at least he won’t be on TV for a few days posing as the Great Philosopher King Who Knows What’s Best For Us. Actually, it will place him “above the fray” again, so he can sit back, God-like, while letting his sycophants do battle against the Evil Mongers. He also won’t have to bus in an adoring crowd when he ventures out among the People- the liberal Vineyard populace was already selling lots of weird Obama merchandise (oil paintings of the Fist Bump that Shook the World) and offering Obamaritas (they cost $1 billion) in local taverns. I am glad I will not be there.
Vacation from what? He just got back from a campaign trip to Yellowstone.
We’re in the “worst economic crises since the great depression” and this putz is spending 50 grand a week in Martha’s Vineyard? Couldn’t spend a couple days at the Ranch in Chicago? Going home was good enough for both Bushes, Reagan, Nixon, even Carter.
The elitism in this administration is beyond reprehensible.
A true man of the people. Didnt get a vacation this year – couldnt afford it. I’m glad to see Obama got his, that WE helped pay for.
Let’s see, four Obamas and an entourage of 400. I figure the Obamas will repay 1%.
ThatSamIAm, chewie? you wouldn’t be referring to the reincarnation of the princesses of Camelot would you?
If so, good on ya, that is funny and we all can use a laugh on occasion.
What’s the beef? They’ve been on vacation somewhere or other for about 50% of the time since he was inaugurated. It’s good to be the King.
Our previous President (I can’t seem to remember his name anymore, it’s been so long) spent a third of his presidency at his luxury ranch in Texas. Was that a scandal?
Well, it is August recess.
Congress gets more days off then schoolchildren, but they yap about how kids don’t need so many days off.
Seems like everyone in our Federal Government needs a reality check.
I wonder if the cost of rental includes widening the doorways so Michelle Obama can get her fat ass through them. We’ll end up paying for that too I suppose. I hope the rental company counts the silver before they leave.
On August 19th, 2009 at 10:51 am, tiredofit08 said:
I thought the same thing! They seem to be on a vacation or exotic tour each month – it’s like the Obama presidency is just one big excuse to play “extreme vacation.”
Its good to be the king, but better to be the god.
Anyone else recall the main stream press complaining about the expenses for Bush vacations when the economy was down?
Will they do the same now?
crickets…
I heard that they are there to scout around on which side of the island to put the wind farm, once Uncle Teddy shuffles off.
Good thing the Kennedy’s fought and won to keep that wind farm off the coast. It would have been horrible for The One’s view to be marred by all that clean energy being made.
My last two vacations were spent in Iraq.
But beach was nice, except the tide was way out.
LOL
great posts folks, I can always use a good laugh, sitting here now reading and lmao.
SSG David Medzyk, funny and t.y. for your service.
LGM:
BUSH IS NOT IN OFFICE ANYMORE!
And the government didn’t pay for luxury accommodations for his family every three months. Bush OWNED the ranch he stayed and or he went to property the USA owns (Camp David).
HOW long has the a$$hat BO been in office now? 7 months.
How many expensive trips/vacations has he been on with the Queen and/or kids?
Europe, Paris, NYC “date” night, Yellowstone, Martha’s Vinyard….Who’s the Elitist POS here? I think even you, in your BO-is-God mania can, with the help of some serious deprogramming, can figure it out…
Or maybe you really aren’t that smart after all.
Yeah, but plenty of room to dig for clams and quahogs!
Ditto on the TYFYS.
Point — it was “his” ranch, not some hotel he was renting for 150k. I wasn’t making a rhetorical point. Obama has literally been away from DC more than he’s been there. He just got back from a trip out West with highlights at Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon and with a couple of meetings thrown in so that he wouldn’t have to pay the tab. Actually, I don’t mind. I’d rather he was spending a few million of our money joyriding around in AF1 than being in DC where he can do real damage. A lady on a talk radio show yesterday had a great idea. After we elect these fools, we should just pay them their salaries and tell them to go lay on the beach for 4 years. They’d cost us a lot less.
lgm, if you can’t come up with links/references as to cost per night/week for the “vacation” you are accusing the previous administration of. STFU.
proof please–of this ‘third’ .
Don’t miss MM’s point (even if it is weak). She’s questioning the cost of Obama’s vacation to the taxpayer because of the cost for security, staff, etc. I doubt Bush’s time in Texas was expensive to the tax payer. However, I’m not sure about Kennebunkport – it might have been cheaper because of the security infrastructure already in place on Walker’s Point.
However, I don’t think it’s a scandal for the sitting US President to enjoy a vacation. (Although, he certainly can’t pretend to be sacrificing along with the people). I also think it’s in our best interest to have security and staff for the US President during the vacation. While Martha’s Vineyard might be a bit expensive for this, I don’t think it’s unreasonable. The Riviera might have been scandalous.
Does anyone know if annual Secret Service and White House staff travel budgets aren’t set by Congress? If their budgets are fixed, then I don’t really see a problem. But you still missed the point, lgm.
Saving the world is not as easy as it looks. Liberals need the well deserved time off to find themselves, discover new horizons and seek personal fulfillment. Now stop asking so many questions and get back to work peasant.
First president’s don’t go on vacation they’re always working and available if something happens and are up on current daily briefings. Second GW didn’t pay for rent on his ranch and SS stayed on the ranch
was there really any doubt?
By the way dummy, if your still here(lgm is a drive poster for the most part), we didn’t pay for President Bush to stay at his own home you dunce and the secret service stayed in the bunk house and barn, when they weren’t watching out for the nut case across the road. You know the one, she used her dead son’s military record for her own evil needs.
Yep, that is part of the reality and goes with the territory. Happens with every CINC. Much ado about nothing.
Since when has “staying on budget” become a concern of this administration?
SSG David Medzyk
Thank you for serving our country. I hope you are off the hook and cannot be called back to duty under the Poser-in-Chief.
Do they even have a budget or know what one is?
How many vacations does this make in 6 months?
They must not like Camp David except for little girls’ birthday parties.
Notice none of the Obamabots is saying word one about the money the Obamas are spending on vacations.
And in the meantime he and Shelly are telling us all we need to make sacrifices and cut our spending and our carbon footprints.
I guess so he can spend more of our money on travel and fuel for the jets and suvs.
Never a truer statement has been made on this blog.
LOL hurricane BILL as in clinton is possibly going to hit his mega tax dollar vaca. so next week is vaca, but the tour of our national parks this past week complete with the family was WHAT? oh yeah he gave a speech each time the plane set down, but the trip to europe, the trip to africa, the trip to each of the parks, were all business trips for the messiah. next week is vacation, AND WELL DESERVED TOO!
Seriously, who cares where the Obama’s go on vacation?
As bad as he is, He is the president. Wherever he chooses to go, he will be accommodated in the style afforded to anyone who holds that office. If the Obama’s Continues their ostentatious life style with Wagyu beef dinners, $700 tennis shoes, and luxury vacations to Martha’s Vineyard, etc. in this economy its going to hurt him politically.
A Clintonesque “I feel your pain” with a little more of a low key vacation would have been better, but this guy is tone deaf. eventually he will pay the price for it.
Anywhere the POTUS goes, a 30 mile flight restriction goes into effect. Unless they make a change in the rule for the first time since 9/11/2001, only airlines, military and law enforcement flights are allowed within a 10 mile radius. Within 30 miles there can be no training, aerobatic, glider, ultralight, hang gliding, parachute, balloon, crop dusting, animal control, banner towing or model rockets flights. Also, everyone needs to be in contact with the appropriate air traffic controller, but will be refused access if they’re too busy.
Bottom line is a lot of businesses are being hurt in the short busy season. Hotel cancellations are frequent due to not being able to fly to MVY or 1B2. This also makes it very difficult to get across to Nantucket.
At least when Bush went on vacation in Crawford, it wasn’t as densely populated an area.
who cares what the f@#king proletariat thinks anyway??
7thson: Yes, I know. That’s what makes it enraging.
I just saw that it’s more of a PITA for Obama’s subjects. The TSA is going through the expense of setting up security gateway stations at Westchester, NY, Hyannis, MA and Providence, RI from 6/23 at 6:00 until 6/30 at 8PM. Anyone flying not on an airline there must register the flight (both in and outbound) online 72 hours in advance. You have to stop at one of those airports for airline style screening. No mention if the 3 oz. liquid applies.
What’s all that costing?
Let’s see now, if the Obama’s are getting to Martha’s Vinyard next week, and if Hurricane Bill could slow down just a little bit, increase in intensity and veer just a bit to the left, hmmmmmmmmmmm.
Blue Lips is setting a European example – At least 6 weeks of vacation per year at taxpayer expense.
Any wonder why BMW and Mercedes have built new car factories in the US, China and everywhere else that isn’t Europe?
If you Libs want to be European so badly, please immigrate there. The Americans who wish to stay will do just fine without you.
Unlike Elizabeth,with whom I empathize,I hope every minute of Obama’s vacation at my expense is covered 24/7 by every news and gossip show,magazine,and all media.I want evey person in this country who can only afford a trip to porchville to see where their money is going.
It is one thing for a POTUS to vacation at HIS OWN HOME,and quite another for ME to pay more for his 1 week vacation than I did for my house.
On August 19th, 2009 at 11:54 am, JonB said:
lgm,
if you can’t come up with links/references as to cost per night/week for the “vacation” you are accusing the previous administration of.STFU.Fixed it for you JonB.
SSG Medzyk,
Come to Afghanistan. The slopes are great, the snow is fresh and the runs are challenging. Where else can you go on a black diamond run and KNOW you will need your PSAGT and IBA? It’s good training for the biathalon too…ski, drop, shoot…and instead of mogls, we have mines….again, more challenging…but you know how it is…be all you can be. Or is it the few and proud? Or are you Aiming High? That is correctable though, one click at a time.
Thanks for holding down the fort in Iraq. It is just west of the next armpit we will be in…
CW4
jrgdds @12:51:I must respecfully disagree with one contention:”he will pay the price for it.”
In the child-like Democrap mind,there are no consequences.He has been elected POTUS,so even if he is removed from office,it doesn’t matter. Having held the office(no matter how badly he f!!!s it up)is all that counts to a Dem.If you are thinking that he will be morally disgraced,it is impossible to disgrace someone who has no morals.
Mega dittos to that one Jon.
I wouldn’t begrudge Hope-a-Dope his vacation if he’d grant just two conditions:
1. Earn it. Do something other than fob off his job onto Nancy-&-Harry and a mob of “Czars”; and
2. Give America a vacation from having to see his mug on the TV every 5 minutes.
But as he can’t comply with either condition, I can’t say that he deserves a vacation, or a break.
Must be great as a worker in the white house. The boss is never home. He’s off now to Martha’s Vineyard, probably to be identified with the Kennedys…especially JFK, a hero of the democrats. Funny, JFK wouldn’t have a chance, politically, in the party today. He would be branded a conservative.
Do you have any idea how much it cost to move the White House to Crawford every year? Bush didn’t go there alone, and he didn’t pay for everyone else to join him. If you didn’t complain then, don’t complain now.
I’m glad the president’s kids get to spend some quality time with their dad, and I don’t care how much of the money he makes off his crappy books he spends on leisure.
I agree. Among the more liberal Democrats, Obama will remain a hero no matter what. His burdening today’s tax payers, their children,as well as unborn tax payers will the bill for his Big Brother and entitlement programs is immoral.
My point about him paying the price was that Independents will continue to turn against him as their lot does not improve while he continues to indulge in extravagance. He is tone deaf!
Vacation, what vacation? We haven’t gone anywhere on vacation since 2002. Besides not being able to afford it, my husband works nights and weekends and doesn’t have enough seniority to take vacation in the summer (they’re not allowed to take vacation at Christmas, it’s the busy season) and the kids are in school and I work regular hours during the rest of the year.
It must be nice to be married to the POTUS, be a millionaire, not have to work, and to go on vacation every 3 months or more.
As I recall, it sure was (according to the left).
See: spent time at own ranch in Texas, above.
Isn’t this what Camp David is for?
I haven’t been on vacation more then ten minutes from my house in TEN YEARS! What I take is called STAY-cation!
I’d also like to know just who else is going to meet with mr. Obama in Martha’s Vinyard! I’d be willing to bet it’s definately not anyone who loves America if you get my drift!
I had a good laugh today. The DUmmies are really divided on the Cindy Sheehan protest in the offing at the Annointed Ones August retreat. They were sure 100% with her when the protest was at Crawford. LOL
jsr said: “Saving the world is not as easy as it looks. Liberals need the well deserved time off to find themselves, discover new horizons and seek personal fulfillment. Now stop asking so many questions and get back to work peasant.”
When I read your comment the picture of it being written on the side of a barn by a brush held in a pigs hoof, like in 1984, suddenly came to mind. Scarey, man.
It’s OK folks! The house was finished with lead paint – BO’s favorite dish is lead paint chip crusted shrimp fried in mercury.
Admit it explains a lot.
Just look at the cadaverous killer of Mary Jo, infamous Ted “HMO” Kennedy. In a misguided but desperate attempt to survive,it was reported he’s been trying to flush the lead and mercury out of his brain with massive amounts of ethanol which confirms Time Magazine’s 4 page editorial just before old Rose died, that Teddy really wasn’t an alcoholic. OOOPS! This could get me reported to BO’s enemies list email site.Of course every American who isn’t a communist is on that list.
It’s not the same thing: the Crawford ranch was just completed in 2001, after President Bush was in office, and was replete with all the communications-/wiring, security facilities and essential amenities the WH would need to carry on business just as though in DC.
It cost little to nothing for the Bush WH to carry-on business in Crawford; the entourage merely had to pick-up and board Air Force One for Crawford.
It just seems like forever under the yoke of Obamanomics.