An honest, but potentially naive question.

[casus belli]

I'm deeply concerned and troubled..... :lol: gotcha.

No, but in all seriousness, it seems to me that George Bush has been spending an awful lot of taxpayer money on flying himself, his wife, and others in his administration to stump for Republicans out on the campaign trail. While I realize this has been allowed in the past, it just seems to me that this particular campaign cycle involves him spending a lot of time mis characterizing Democrats and Democratic candidates. Making an appearance is one thing, but do we have any recourse when he uses our taxes to essentially slander us and our positions before the American people. Making a stop to say something like "Bill is a great guy and I think he'd make a fine Senator" is one thing. "If Democrats win, then the terrorists win" is a totally different story. I feel like, at the least, he should be reimbursing the American people for any time and money he spends on the campaign trail, since he's only representing about 37% of taxpayers give or take when he does so. Then again, maybe I'm just way off base here. Feel free to tell me so, if that's the case.

[Auggie]

1. You're not off base. B*sh is abusing his power as usual.

And I feel the same way.

[ClintonTyree]

2. Not in my opinion........

you're completely on target. These little fund raisers and stump speeches are costing the American taxpayers (ALL of them, not just RepubliCONS) a whole lot of bread. Of course, Bush always finds some "official" reason for a visit so he can put it on America's credit card.
Now if Hillary were President and was doing this the media would be doing all sorts of "special reports" about our tax dollars being wasted. But since it's "tax cuts for the rich" George Bush .............(crickets chirping).
The FIRST thing Democrats have to do when they regain control of this country is break up the media monopolies. If they don't do that we can expect another media blitz tearing down Democrats for nearly everything they do, ie. the Bill Clinton witch-hunts. We need a "fair and balanced" media, and NOT in the FUX News sense of the term.

[PurpleChez]

3. In fact, I do remember that in '94, '96, or '98

the Liberal Media gave Pugs an open forum to vent about the impropriety of Bill Clinton taking time away from his presidential duties to go out and campaign.

Now, I seem to remember that on some purely campaign trips the cost of security, travel, etc., MIGHT be picked up by the party. But that doesn't change the time away. I guess with the Chimp it might be best if he's far away from the seat o' power.

[stellanoir]

4. It used to be called

"taxation without representation."

Now it's far worse as dissenters to the * agenda are arrested and incarcerated and fined.

His promtional excursions have bothered me from the get go, but none were worse than those he took during the aftermath of Katrina. Someone had posted what AF 1 cost to fly for a hour. That along with the fact that he can't travel with any less than 1000 security people.

The waste and impropriety is staggering.

[casus belli]

8. I agree, that's the part I was most concerned with...

the expenses you don't see, such as secret service, pre-post trip planning and security, support staff, campaign materials, etc. I think at the least every dime he spends on such activities should be fully disclosed and readily available for public scrutiny. It only adds salt to the wound that the money is being utilized to demonize his political opponents.

[stellanoir]

11. Oh and the things that I forgot to mention that also

are most annoying are the pricey propaganda style sets and props from which he catapults his drivel.

An honest orator needs nothing more than a podium and perhaps a microphone and NOT a BS bully pulpit.

Stating the obvious here I know.

Oh well.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

5. I think the Republican Party reimburses the government...

...for dubya's campaign travel expenses. There was some discussion of this yesterday in a thread about whether or not Rove is violating the Hatch Act by conducting political bidness in the White House on government time.

:goes off and searches for the thread:

Ah, here you go:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2536243

[casus belli]

7. Thank you for the link! n/t

[liberal N proud]

6. AF1 = $60,000/hour to fly

And that does not include the support vehicles that fly along.

No you are not off base, he is screwing the taxpayer.

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. That would be AT LEAST $60,000/hr.......

and the support vehicles are flown on up to two C-17's or a C-5 at a cost upward of $100,000/hr. Often they carry one of the Sikorsky Blackhawk derivatives painted in Presidential colors as well, to act as Marine 1 to fly him from the airport to where he wants to go if it is too far to motorcade his ass. Bush has spent more time on AF1 than almost all the previous presidents combined.

I remember a few months back he went to California to take a bicycle ride to promote fuel efficiency around the Napa Valley or some similar locale. How many tens of thousands of gallons of jet fuel were burned so he could appear to be concerned about fuel economy!?!

Oh, the irony of it all.

[radfringe]

10. Supposedly,

the individual campaigns are suppose to pick up the costs..

there was a posting here about two weeks ago regarding reports of candidates asking bush NOT to campaign in their areas. SNOWjob said these reports were wrong, bush wasn't campaigning in particular areas because those campaigns couldn't afford to pay the costs for security etc...

Wish I could find the article - because SNOWjob also mentioned that bush was going to slowdown the number of appearances...

guess that was before ROVE saw "THE REAL-REAL math" on the polls