During Obama’s campaigning in 2008, he spoke of his total devotion to the job as president if elected. One of the things he said he would give up is vacations. Well, we now know that was one of many, many big lies Obama’s told since day one of his presidency. Not only has Obama vacationed, he’s vacationed in lavish style racking up HUGE tabs compliments of the American taxpayer. Just listen to the video below from 2008 and know that he’s lying through his teeth:
When he was a candidate for president in 2008, Barack Obama said during an interview that as the occupant of the Oval Office his vacations, his leisure, even his need for sleep, would be gone in a dedication to the American people that such a position requires.
Then he had American taxpayers spend in excess of $70 million on his … vacations.
The comment he made came during an interview with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert. It was recorded in 2008 but apparently not published online until 2012.
In context, Obama said, “You have to understand that if you seek that office, you have to be prepared to give your life to it. Essentially the burden that any president, I think, strikes, with the American people is, um, you give me this office and in turn my, fears, doubts, insecurities, foibles, need for sleep, family life, vacations, leisure is gone. I am giving myself to you.”
He continued, “The American people should have no patience for whatever is going through your head because you’ve got a job to do. How I think about it is, um, that you don’t make that decision unless you are prepared to make that sacrifice … that bargain.”
And he noted, “I think what’s difficult and important for somebody like myself, who has a wonderful forbearing wife, and two gorgeous young children, is that they end up having to make some of those sacrifices, too.”
However, the partial expenses for taxpayers even before the Obama family’s extended and lavish vacation in Hawaii over the 2015 Christmas holiday, and the vacations for Vice President Joe Biden and his family, totaled $70,563,336.75, according the Washington watchdog Judicial Watch, which has been keeping tabs on the president’s vacationing.
Total costs are simply not available because some security-related expenses never are released. But a significant part of the costs are the taxpayer-funded jet travel for the Obama family.
Only a few weeks ago, Judicial Watch said, “You may want to sit down for this one. We have new records from the U.S. Department of the Air Force revealing that Barack Obama and family had a busy 2015, vacationing on the American taxpayers’ dime.
“The unnecessary travel included an Obama Palm Springs golf trip in June, a trip to New York City in July and a family trip to Martha’s Vineyard in August – all of which cost taxpayers $3,115,688.70 in travel expenses alone. The documents regarding the Obama travel expenses came in response to three Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the first was filed on June 30, 2015, the second on July 23, 2015, and the third on August 24, 2015.”
The report said the June 20 golf outing for Obama to Palm Springs required 10.6 hours of flying time, costing taxpayers $2.1 million. Then a July 18 outing for Obama and his daughters to New York cost $309,000. And the Obama family’s August trip to Martha’s Vineyard cost taxpayers about $620,000 in flight time alone.
Separate security costs include the salaries and expenses of the various Secret Service and other teams that the government provides. For example, during his annual Hawaii getaway over Christmas going on now, an ambulance remains on stand-by while Obama vacations.
Reported Judicial Watch, “In Palm Springs, Obama played golf at the plush, private golf course of Oracle billionaire Lawrence Joseph ‘Larry’ Ellison. The golf course is located on Ellison’s 249-acre Porcupine Creek estate, which features a golf club and course, a huge 18,400 square-foot main residence, eight guest houses, a pool, spa, gym and an amphitheater. It was Obama’s fifth golf outing to Palm Springs in the past two years. The West Coast trip reportedly included political fundraising and one speech to the U.S. Conference of Mayors.”
The New York trip was to allow Obama some time “hanging out with his girls,” according to an ABC report.
Read more: wnd
