Bush's flying circus leaves out only the kitchen sink

[kskiska]

(snip)

Mr Bush will be accompanied by a retinue consisting of 250 members of the Secret Service, 150 advisers from the National Security Department, 200 representatives of other government departments and 50 political aides.

There will also be approximately 100 journalists travelling with him. There are also his personal chef, personal assistants, four cooks, medics and the presidential 15-strong sniffer dog team.

One person who always travels with Mr Bush is the military aide who carries his "nuclear briefcase". The aide, an army colonel, will have his own room at Buckingham Palace.

It is not revealed if Mr or Mrs Bush will have stylists with them, although the First Lady may be well-advised to do so, having become the butt of uncharming remarks in America about her fashion sense. But they will both bring extensive wardrobes with them ready for a state banquet or a trip around Sedgefield.

To transport this vast caravan, Mr Bush will use Air Force One and Two, both 747s, and a third chartered passenger jet. C17 Globemaster cargo aircraft are believed already to have flown over his motorcade, including the armoured limousines that he always takes him with abroad.

more…
http://www.opinion.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$WZRNHQRRFPHKVQFIQMGSFF4AVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2003/11/15/nbush15.xml&sSheet=/portal/2003/11/15/ixportaltop.html

[grasswire]

1. that's just sickening

Think how much this is costing London! 5000 cops on the street for starters.

[UpInArms]

2. now who in the world would make an

"uncharming remark" about Pickles' polyester pantsuits?

[NNN0LHI]

3. I would feel better if he left the Nuclear Football at home n/t

[lowfive]

4. no kidding!

sounds like what he brought to australia - it was AUD$2 million to protect him for a few hours.

my seven year old niece will be protesting this. i think she ought to have a sign about the emperor and his "extensive" wardobe.

[Mrs. Overall]

5. Is this usual??

Does a president usually travel with nearly 800 "extras"? Are the limousines usually flown to the country being visited?
Is this just Bush or have other presidents conducted travel like this?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6. I recall watching a special on this years ago and I think that the Lomos

being flown over are SOP. I have never heard of other Presidents going with a smoo personal army of 800 attendants though.

[NNN0LHI]

7. I think the limos are SOP. The numbers of security personal seems high n/t

[UpInArms]

8. here's a link to a Clinton trip in 2000

http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/12/12/ireland.clinton/

It talks about him going all over Europe and meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace, but gives no details about the entourage.

I don't know how that sounds to you, but the press was not really kind to Clinton and I would assume that they would definitely have made a big deal if there had been something so vast as what we are seeing now.

Here's another link with some figures in it - the GOP carped about the expenses of flying Clinton around, it's full of stuff

http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/03/23/clinton.travel/

(edited to add second link)

[bluedeminredstate]

10. Some quotes from the story you posted...

"Some congressional Republicans maintain that the trip, initiated with the intention of diffusing tensions between IndiaÊand Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir -- the flashpoint for two of the three wars the between these neighbors -- isn't worth the trouble because both sides have steadfastly refused to curb their nuclear weapons programs.

You minimalize and marginalize the impact of the President of the United States when you do these kinds of things that end with nothing more than photo ops," charged Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)."
Yeah, like El Chimpo's trip to the UK isn't one collossus photo-op... I'm sure Hagel worried that flyboy, complete with the presidential package on full display, was marginalizing the impact of the office when he strutted around on the deck of that aircraft carrier.

snip

"Clinton has undertaken 47 trips to 61 countries in the course of his seven years as president -- leading some Republicans to complain that taxpayers have been taken for a ride"
At least 61 countries would have him, not to mention Clinton actually was interested in the rest of the world. Beats cowering in the Azores. I bet Chimpy couldn't name 61 countries...

snip

"A General Accounting Office report detailing the cost of President Clinton's 1998 trips to Africa, Chile and China found that the administration spent $42.8 million, $10.5 million and $18.8 million respectively on those journeys.

At the time, Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) labeled the extent of the president's travels not only 'excessive' but 'abusive.'"
Wonder what he thinks about Chimpy's endless fundraisers and trips to the pig farm?

snip

"The travel debate will likely continue long after the president returns to Washington. With one eye fixed steadily upon his legacy, the president will visit Europe, Asia and possibly South America during the closing days of his presidency, which comes to an end in January of 2001."
Nice of CNN to end the article with a dig that implies Clinton was doing trips at the end of his presidency because he was cynically mapping out is legacy.


:grr:

[jody]

9. But Air Force One has a kitchen sink in fact more than one.

:hi:

[truthisfreedom]

11. who cares.

pffft. he's still a weenie.

[Duncan Grant]

12. The squatter's flying over his own band of supporters.

How else are they going to get a palatable photo op? Europeans are flying in from everywhere to protest this POS -- wish I could be there to see it!

[Lisa]

13. Too bad they aren't bringing George's mom! Because ....

... Then we could call the whole debacle "The Lyin', the Witch, and the Wardrobe".

(apologies to the Narnia fans out there)


I still don't dislike poor Laura enough to call her anything that rhymes with "itch" -- especially after the "lump in the bed" incident.

[rocktivity]

14. BWAH HAH HA HA HA HA!!!

...It is not revealed if Mr. or Mrs. Bush will have stylists with them, although the First Lady may be well-advised to do so, having become the butt of uncharming remarks in America about her fashion sense...

A couple of us DU-ers pointed out Laura's lack of fashion sense, and were accused by others of being sexist/ageist/weight-ist. But over the course of our lives, most of us have figured out which colors and styles of clothing do NOT make us look our best. And wearing upholstery went out with Gone With the Wind, LOL!


rocknation

[realFedUp]

15. any food tasters?