First Lady accused of spending $10m in public money on her vacations

Expensive massages, top shelf vodka and five-star hotels:

The Obamas' summer break on Martha's Vineyard has already been branded a PR disaster after the couple arrived four hours apart on separate government jets.

But according to new reports, this is the least of their extravagances.
White House sources today claimed that the First Lady has spent $10million of U.S. taxpayers' money on vacations alone in the past year.

Michelle Obama, pictured yesterday in Massachusetts, has been accused of spending $10m of public money on vacations
Branding her 'disgusting' and 'a vacation junkie', they say the 47-year-old mother-of-two has been indulging in five-star hotels, where she splashes out on expensive massages and alcohol.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...10m-public-money-vacations.html#ixzz1W3k7GKp1

 

Well done - wish I could spend $10M on holidays

 

They've priced a trip from DC to Hawaii on Air Force 1 to be $1,000,000 in the same article that they price a round trip to Spain on Air Force 2 (a 757) at $150k (a significantly greater distance) - try working that out.

They include Secret Service costs - as if they wouldn't be getting paid otherwise.

They also include things like the cost of the Coast Guard and Navy stationed around Martha's Vineyard - as if they wouldn't be getting paid otherwise.

It is a disgusting story. So it's no wonder the Daily Heil chose to run ir.

 

I wish you were correct - however Mz Obama also comes along with around 20 handlers, all which get paid for too.

Michelle Obama doesn't perform any official duties.

But this hasn't deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession.

 

I dunno - maybe you guys like footing the bill for this?

If so, I have a vacation coming up soon too, and I will need 20 handlers financed for this, and no, I do not perform any Official Duties either. PM me for my Paypal

 

Irrelevant.

They don't only get paid when she is on vacation, therefore they have no bearing on the story.

And where is your evidence that the number is unprecedented? Oh right, you don't have any because you're just reciting tosh.

Paraphrased from Snopes
According to Laura Bush's former Chief of Staff, she had 24-26 staffers by the end of Dubya's second term.
Lady Bird Johnson had 30.
Jackie Kennedy had 40

Which is why she doesn't get paid, despite the fact that she has a full calendar of events she is expected to attend.

Again, tosh.

God, stupid people really get on my wick.

 

And let's not forget that the only recent US presidents that have taken less vacation time during their first year in Office were Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

Don't let the facts hit you on the ass on the way out.

 

So wait, you guys support this stuff ??

Is this like Dr. Strangelove ??

 

You're citing the Daily Mail?

Way to undermine your own argument, dude.

You know that paper's a joke, right?

 

Attack the messenger all you want, she still has 20 assistants and has wasted 10m on holidays alone.

Let her do her PR officially - why does it have to be under the guise of vacation?

 

I've already firmly debunked the $10m thing. If you are incapable of objectively looking at the facts and coming to a logical conclusion, then that is your problem.

I'm British, I have no dog in this fight. I'm objectively telling you that you are wrong.

Now, don't you have a tea party to plan or something?

 

holy...

you're trying to discuss facts and evidence. it's not going to work.

 

That's how the Daily Fail does its "journalism" though, isn't it.

"A source said 'I am shocked and appalled that poor people are asking for medicine when they get sick'"

"Economists expressed disgust at the outrageous pay of public sector workers"

and best of all

"The Taxpayers' Alliance said 'the public are longing for the day when the outdated postal service is fully privatised'".

Bunch of... (oh, I'd better not. TOS and all that).

 

It's somewhat entertaining to observe how people will ignore facts in an attempt to protect their own delusions. It can't be very far from actual psychosis.

 

So it's OK for Ms Obama to have these waste of assistants, and to spend lavishly on continuous vacations?