Obama’s Hawaii Trips Cost More Than Palin’s Clothes

[Murrican]

http://www.newsmax.com/kessler/obama_hawaii_plane/2008/10/26/144260.html


Obama’s Hawaii Trips Cost More Than Palin’s Clothes
Sunday, October 26, 2008 3:21 PM
By: Ronald Kessler

Barack Obama’s trips to Hawaii on a chartered Boeing 757 each cost more than twice the price of Sarah Palin’s new clothes.

Brad Blakeman, who was in charge of scheduling for President Bush, says a Boeing 757 costs about $20,000 an hour for fuel, crew, and maintenance. Since a trip to Hawaii entails 10 hours of flying time from Chicago, the total cost for each round-trip comes to about $400,000.

Obama used the Boeing 757 for trips to Hawaii over the summer for a vacation and again last week to see his failing grandmother. Admirable though that visit was, “By Obama using a private jet to go on a purely personal visit to see his grandma, he’s wasting not only energy, but he’s using the money that his supporters have given him for campaign purposes,” Blakeman says. “It’s a purely personal visit paid for with campaign funds.”

On the other hand, the media are highlighting the Republican National Committee’s purchase of $150,000 in clothes for Palin, even though the dresses will be donated to charities. The New York Times played the story on page one.

“They’re picking on Palin, who was provided a wardrobe by the RNC strictly for political purposes, and it was always intended that these garments would be then given to charity,” Blakeman says. “So there’s a benefit that’s going to charity, not a benefit that Palin will have after the election. There was a need for it because she’s a modest person who didn’t have an extensive wardrobe to do 24/7 campaigning.”

To pick on Palin without going after Obama’s plane trips is “an absolute journalistic abuse,” Blakeman says. “This is the same plane that he took to Hawaii when he went on vacation. In the summertime, when gas was soaring and Americans were having to pinch their pennies, this guy gets on his campaign plane and goes to Hawaii on vacation. He did a couple campaign stops in a state that is not a swing state and is a guaranteed win for Obama. That was clearly to cover the tracks of this vacation.”

Blakeman notes that at the height of the gasoline price surge, Obama suggested that Americans check their vehicle’s tire pressure as a way of conserving fuel.

[Murrican]

Expect the above Obama fund-wasting facts will be buried, rationalized and/or praised by mainstream media...

Won't bet on it, as I'm hoping I'm wrong.

M

[DoubleEdgeSword]

I don't care about either. I made donations to the Obama campaign. Let the people who donated to the RNC demand their money back if they'd like.

Welcome to the board, by the way. Nice to have another voice. Just a couple of things, when we post news articles, we don't post more than seven paragraphs. Second, we already have a couple of resident "blame-everything-on-the-liberal-media" folks. You think you might take another tact just to mix things up a bit?

[Murrican]

Actually, I'm an equal opportunity-blamer, as i hope my comments on various issues reflect.

In the future I will honor the 7-paragraph convention you have described. Sounds too short, but I guess big paragaraphs quickly add up to 4,000 words.

The importantant thing is sourcery and relevance. Who said what and why... And attribution, does or does it not load the text with spin... That is, saying "Obama said" is correct because it's neutral, but saying "Obama complained", "Obama charged", "Obama whined", "Obama distorted", "Obama revealed" and "Obama defended" are all value-laden devices which all media use to distort their content, intentionally or not. Substitute any other name in place of Obama's and the effect is the same. We should at least be able to rely on the media, but we can't.

The media is by its nature interested in change -- news -- and that's one reason why it can run into trouble with 'conservatives', who by some definitions aren't interested in change. They want change, too, of course, but not necessarily the same as your average journalist.

As a trained journalist with decades of experience, I say this as not an indictment of my trade but rather as a commentary which is too often true. It's hard not to get caught up in the rhetoric and causes of those who are trying to use the media to right wrongs they passionately perceive. While the rest of the citizenry just live their lives, happy with much they take for granted. But the more educated the journalist, the more willing he or she is to suspend disbelief and accept an alternate world-view. And that's actually a good thing. But excess is a bad thing; and too often we experience revelatory journalism sans context. Not enough said, but don't want to gild any lilies or cook 'em... : )

M

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Excellent points. Thank you for taking the time to explain your background and to give us your take on the state of today's journalism. I happen to agree with much of what you've written. I'm from the old school where "the White House said..." was not acceptable attribution -- buildings do not speak --, so we are kindred sprits in that regard. Yes, I also agree with you that adding anything beyond "said" to an attribution is bias, unless of course, someone actually does shout, an occurrence which we all know is rarely the case in politics. ;) Welcome.

[pinky]

Obama also attended a fundraiser while in Hawaii, so you could argue that it was a legitimate campaign expenditure.

[SparkleHugs]

How do we know that he spent campaign money for it though?

I guess, while i didnt contribute, if i had, i wouldnt have minded contributing for a man to go home and see his dying grandmother. *shrugs* i guess that's a little more important than a fancy suit...even if it's going to charity. lol

[Whoda Thunk?]

I contributed again today. I really don't care that he went to see his dying grandmother. I'd be unimpressed if he hadn't gone to see her.

[db44]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. If he didn't go, imagine the field day the McCain camp would be having if he didn't go, and she were to (God forbid) pass away.

What is a presidential candidate to do? Just hop the next flight of Aloha Airways? A charter flight is necessary, I think. And as Pinky said, he campaigned there, so it's not like it was just a waste of money for a personal trip.

Compared to Palin, who was billing her state for personal travels for her family? Even if I did have an issue with Obama going to Hawaii, it's his money to do what he wants with to some point. It's not tax dollars of his constituents, going for an unimportant and unnecessary trip for his children.

And speaking of clothes, did anyone hear Palin's response? She's going back to shopping at consignment stores and giving back the clothes after the election? Why is it I doubt both? That she's shopped consignment stores since starting off in politics, and that she's just giving back the clothes? What stores are just going to take all those clothes back? At best she'll donate the clothes to research for special needs children, as that's her passion. I expect though she's more likely to do as she said she did with the plane and selleverything for her own profit on eBay.

[lions1mew]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. If he didn't go, imagine the field day the McCain camp would be having if he didn't go, and she were to (God forbid) pass away.

What is a presidential candidate to do? Just hop the next flight of Aloha Airways? A charter flight is necessary, I think. And as Pinky said, he campaigned there, so it's not like it was just a waste of money for a personal trip.

Compared to Palin, who was billing her state for personal travels for her family? Even if I did have an issue with Obama going to Hawaii, it's his money to do what he wants with to some point. It's not tax dollars of his constituents, going for an unimportant and unnecessary trip for his children.

And speaking of clothes, did anyone hear Palin's response? She's going back to shopping at consignment stores and giving back the clothes after the election? Why is it I doubt both? That she's shopped consignment stores since starting off in politics, and that she's just giving back the clothes? What stores are just going to take all those clothes back? At best she'll donate the clothes to research for special needs children, as that's her passion. I expect though she's more likely to do as she said she did with the plane and selleverything for her own profit on eBay.

Gotta fund that Alaska Secession thing ...

[db44]

Is it a coincidence the two states with the majority of our oil are the only ones that can, or talk about, succession?

I don't think they hate OPEC, I think they want to be the American version of OPEC. After all, where is Palin's money for tax breaks coming from? The rest of us driving Americans.

[Murrican]

How do we know that he spent campaign money for it though?

Campaign plane is a Boeing 757. That's what he used. It's his campaign headquarters, effectively. But had he taken a LearJet he would have saved a lot.

[db44]

A Learjet? To go from the mainland to Hawaii? Wiki lists a learjet has a maximum range of under 1300 miles. From LA to Honalulu is a trip of over 2500.

So I suppose you would have been okay with the U.S. Navy deploying a aircraft carrier so the plane could land, refuel, and go back on his merry way... Each direction?

Welcome to reality, buddy. Planes have a maximum flying distance, even with full fuel tanks.

Since I already have a simple reason for the 757, I won't go into the whole notion that his campaign HQ also has to fit on the plane.

[db44]

Heh, Google actually has driving directions from the mainland to Honolulu: Drive up to Washington, then kayak 2,756 miles!

It's a flash site so there's no link to post, but I kid you not!

[Murrican]

The Bombardier LearJet 85 has a range of up to 3,450 SM (5,556 km) with 4 passengers, 2 crew.

source: http://www.flexjet.com/Our-Aircraft/L85/

I'm sure one of the campaign's supporters has a LearJet 85 sitting in the hangar... or a Challenger... or some other business jet that costs less than $20,000 an hour to operate.

[lions1mew]

Heh, Google actually has driving directions from the mainland to Honolulu: Drive up to Washington, then kayak 2,756 miles!

It's a flash site so there's no link to post, but I kid you not!

LOL that's hilarious!

[pinky]

Takes me back to my honeymoon.......one of my aunts, when she was told we were going to Hawaii, asked if we were driving. :roll: