Obama's summer travel partly courtesy of taxpayers

Reverend_Hellh0und · 07-18-08, 10:55 AM

Quote:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Burnishing his foreign policy credentials, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is traveling this summer to Iraq and Afghanistan - and the taxpayers will be footing the bill.

His Republican opponent, John McCain, visited Iraq in March, also during the campaign year, and taxpayers financed that trip as well.

My Way News - Obama's summer travel partly courtesy of taxpayers

I for one find this utterly dispicable. This utilizing taxpayer funds, to get photo-ops with troops to further thier canidacies demonstrates that these canidates are business as usual washington insiders.

I will give McCain a slight, slight edge in integrity for timing his with this though it is crap vs poo all over:

"McCain's visit to Iraq in March was an official trip of the Armed Services Committee. Members of that panel frequently travel abroad to meet with troops and their commanders."

But it is transparent and not much better.

What do you all think.

Ikari · 07-18-08, 11:02 AM

I think that if we tracked down in total what all the individual politicians spend tax payer money on, we'd be sickened by the whole lot. Unfortunately, I don't see how this is anything close to news. Of course Congressmen aren't going to personally pay to go visit the troops, especially the Presidential candidates running around trying to pretend they care. Bunch of lying thieves if you ask me, we'd do well to rid ourselves of the whole lot.

Reverend_Hellh0und · 07-18-08, 11:03 AM

Well I agree with you, except that I think it is news. Complacency (sp) is not a solution.

shuamort · 07-18-08, 11:08 AM

Unfortunately, it's part of the game. I remember the big "scandal" about Bush using Air Force One in 2004. Since Obama's campaign has the bucks behind it, it would make sense if he paid for it out of there.

Also a little interesting, read into it what you will:

Quote:

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama is allowed to travel the world at government expense to learn firsthand about foreign-policy issues before Congress. Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I. and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., will accompany Obama

Jack Reed's re-election 2008 website.
Chuck Hagel is set to retire at the end of this term.

Orius · 07-18-08, 12:00 PM

Governments in general waste a lot of money on personal expenses.

BWG · 07-18-08, 05:14 PM

Maybe their "comfort capsules" will be completed in time.

Quote:

Terrorism Funds May Let Brass Fly in Style

The Air Force's top leadership sought for three years to spend counterterrorism funds on "comfort capsules" to be installed on military planes that ferry senior officers and civilian leaders around the world, with at least four top generals involved in design details such as the color of the capsules' carpet and leather chairs, according to internal e-mails and budget documents.

washingtonpost.com

I especially liked this...

Quote:

One request was that the color of the leather for the seats and seat belts in the mobile pallets be changed from brown to Air Force blue and that seat pockets be added; another was that the color of the table's wood be darkened.

Changing the seat color and pockets alone was estimated in a March 12 internal document to cost at least $68,240.

Orius · 07-18-08, 05:15 PM

That's disgusting.

ludahai · 07-18-08, 08:19 PM

Isn't this the same guy who decided not to accept public financing of his campaign and the restrictions that go with it, and now he wants this campaign trip financed by the taxpayers? HYPOCRITE!

independent_thinker2002 · 07-19-08, 11:58 AM

Okay people, this is a silly attack. A couple weeks ago he was being knocked for being a critic without actually going there. Now you are complaining that he is going, as a US Senator, who votes on these issues? It's shallow and weak.

Yes, it will likely be a good photo op. But if he were there to campaign and not talk to our Generals, it would be disastrous. It would be shallow and weak. But every US Senator should be able to go to Iraq and speak with the Generals. It's pertinent to their job.

Reverend_Hellh0und · 07-21-08, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by independent_thinker2002

Okay people, this is a silly attack. A couple weeks ago he was being knocked for being a critic without actually going there. Now you are complaining that he is going, as a US Senator, who votes on these issues? It's shallow and weak.

Wrong.

The complaint is that he is using taxpayer funds to pay for photo-ops in the mideast. He should pay for it himself.

Or is he not the canidate of "change" you had all hoped?

Quote:

Yes, it will likely be a good photo op. But if he were there to campaign and not talk to our Generals, it would be disastrous. It would be shallow and weak. But every US Senator should be able to go to Iraq and speak with the Generals. It's pertinent to their job.

Do you actually believe the man who has never been there all of the sudden thinks he needs to go there to talk to Generals or is it more likley a campaign tactic....