Obama Loves Doing The TV Talk Show Circuit, But At What Cost?

The president's disapproval rating, as of this writing, stands at 52%, the highest of his presidency. Only 42% of Americans approve of the job he's doing. Not good. There are a thousand and one reasons for this, everything from the economy that's been in the tank the past five years, the stagnant and high unemployment rate around 7.4%, the "phony" scandals the administration has gotten itself into, to the president's spending (bad) habit that continues, just to name a few.

The spending (much of it wasteful) has the National Debt of this country out of control, barreling toward a hefty $17 trillion dollars (National Debt Clock ). Each dollar puts a heavy load of debt on future generations, our children and grandchildren. But

there seems to be no desire on the part of President Obama to cut the spending...instead he wants to ramp it up, calling for a budget of increased spending and higher taxes. It's estimated that by the time he leaves office in 2016 our National Debt will have topped $20 trillion dollars. This is borrowed money, mostly from the Chinese.

Obama's penchant for raiding the taxpayer's purse extends to his almost daily travel around the country in his favorite "boy toy," Air Force One, in search of a camera and microphone. It seems a daily speech is required from one who enjoys hearing himself talk and for some reason he can't do it from the confines of the White House. Thus the extravagant cost to taxpayers to fly him around.

It costs $180,000 per flight hour to run Air Force One.

Pres.Obama on Air Force One

$180,000. It would have taken yours truly just over three years of income to pay for that one hour.

Let's take the president's recent 'unnecessary' trip across country to yuk it up with Jay Leno on the "Tonight Show." Talk about waste. Obama has appeared on no less than 10 TV talk shows while in office, more than any other president going back to the early 1960s....and visiting Mr. Leno in L.A. is not cheap. At $180K per flight hour, it cost taxpayers more than $1.8 million  just for the flying time to California and back. That figure does not include the time Mr. Obama spent in Marine One, the president's helicopter. Other expenses

Good Times on the Tonight Show

include the huge entourage of staff and Secret Security agents that have to be fed and housed. And every president just can't get in a vehicle and go...unless a convoy of 20 other vehicles are with him. An expensive undertaking, to be sure.

No one begrudges our presidents riding in style and in a secure manner in which they can fully govern the country even in an emergency from the confines of Air Force One. But Mr. Obama has abused the privilege as it seems almost daily he's somewhere other than Washington, D.C. And while he complains that the government is out of money because Congress won't get together on budget issues, the hypocrisy is there is no effort on his part to do his part and cut out the wasteful, nonsensical travel. But...boys will be boys when it comes to their toys!!





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