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Right Wing Celebrates U.S. Loss of Olympics - Page 3

post #61 of 90
10/6/09 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
Are you serious? $1,000,000 for 2 plane trips? The Concorde never cost that much! Where can I find that information? I'm truly interested in seeing the breakdown on how 2 plane trips can add up to 1M.
I am DEAD SERIOUS. The cost of fuel, maintenance, crew, etc. adds up to huge amounts. Looks like I could be wrong and the actual cost closer to $10 million EXCLUDING Michelle's plane.

http://campaignspot.nationalreview.c...hYzY4MzJlMTc=#

Quote:
The cost of Obama’s trip will not be close to $1 mil. It is well over $10 mil if it is a dime. The figures you quoted (accurately) are for flying a VC-25 (Presidential 747). Presidential trips require both 747s, as one is a backup. However, the costs soar when you realize that from the moment a POTUS indicates he wants to go somewhere, dozens, if not hundreds of people start preparing every detail. These details include security, communications, protocol, logistics that boggle the mind and transportation that most people never see. Several Air Force cargo planes of equipment are loaded and flown to the destination with armored limos, security personnel from the Secret Service and the relevant military branches, fuels specialists, etc. A National Airborne Operations Command Post 747 from Offutt AFB, NE will accompany him to keep POTUS in constant communications in case of national or word emergency . . . We are now up to three 747s, multiple cargo planes and costs for personnel who fly commercial ahead of POTUS. If FLOTUS flies separately, add a C-32 (757) for her and her staff, entourage, hangers-on etc, with attendant security, logistics, etc. Add a few more million dollars, though many personnel in Denmark will cover preparations for both POTUS and FLOTUS.
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post #62 of 90
10/6/09 at 1:49pm
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...BFEIwD9B37CGO0
Here's another one:
Obama's Copenhagen trip wasn't cheap
(AP) – 3 days ago

Quote:
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's failed bid to bring the 2016 Olympic Games to Chicago cost more than a bruised ego.

Taxpayers shelled out probably $1 million or more for the president, his wife and others to fly to Copenhagen and back to woo members of the International Olympic Committee.

A 2006 congressional study pegged the cost of flying Air Force One at $56,518 an hour. The Pentagon recently said it cost $100,219 an hour to fly the huge, reconfigured Boeing 747 without Obama aboard. The Pentagon estimate included more costs for support needs, such as maintenance.
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post #63 of 90
10/6/09 at 2:04pm
*cough cough ahem*
A blast from the 2004 past:
Quote:
President Bush is using Air Force One for re-election travel more heavily than any predecessor, wringing maximum political mileage from a perk of office paid for by taxpayers.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n14573127/

At least Obama is using Air Force One for the benefit of the country as opposed to himself.
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post #64 of 90
10/6/09 at 2:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2dogmom View Post
*cough cough ahem*
A blast from the 2004 past:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n14573127/

At least Obama is using Air Force One for the benefit of the country as opposed to himself.


Does that exclude that little outing of AF1 for the photo op with the Statue of Liberty? And let's not forget about all those daily jaunts around the US when teleconferencing is a proven technology.

http://whitehousetransitionproject.o...2007-21-09.pdf
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post #65 of 90
10/6/09 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2dogmom View Post
*cough cough ahem*
A blast from the 2004 past:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n14573127/

At least Obama is using Air Force One for the benefit of the country as opposed to himself.
I am having the hardest time understanding what the issue is here. If Obama was the only Head of State in there... Sure... But he wasn't! IMO it would be extremely arrogant of us to send in a mayor, or a governor, when all the other nations were represented by their respective Head of State- being President, in the case of Brasil, who also arrived in an airforce 1, Brasilian version, of course; Prime Ministers of Spain and Japan, King and Queen of Spain, and of Course Obama. Can you imagine the slap on the face it would have been if we had sent a mayor?
I am sorry, but there are some things that are important to be done, diplomacy is one... Enough of the US giving this image out there of being more important than everybody else... Good for Obama for being there for his country- he promised to elevate the image of the US to the World, and that is how it is done.

ETA: I am pretty sure the King, Queen /Prime Minister of Spain, and Prime Minister of Japan didn't Fly coach to Denmark either...
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post #66 of 90
10/6/09 at 2:49pm
I really have no opinion on the whole thing. On a personal level, I can't remember the last time I even watched or shown interest in the Olympics. I really don't care that the U.S. didn't get awarded the Olympics. I find it absurd that the right and left are pointing fingers at each other over this. To me, the whole thing is a nonissue.
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post #67 of 90
10/6/09 at 2:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Essayons89 View Post
I really have no opinion on the whole thing. On a personal level, I can't remember the last time I even watched or shown interest in the Olympics. I really don't care that the U.S. didn't get awarded the Olympics. I find it absurd that the right and left are pointing fingers at each other over this. To me, the whole thing is a nonissue.
I thought the FIFA World Cup competitions were much, much more fun to watch.
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post #68 of 90
10/6/09 at 3:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
I am having the hardest time understanding what the issue is here. If Obama was the only Head of State in there... Sure... But he wasn't! IMO it would be extremely arrogant of us to send in a mayor, or a governor, when all the other nations were represented by their respective Head of State- being President, in the case of Brasil, who also arrived in an airforce 1, Brasilian version, of course; Prime Ministers of Spain and Japan, King and Queen of Spain, and of Course Obama. Can you imagine the slap on the face it would have been if we had sent a mayor?
I am sorry, but there are some things that are important to be done, diplomacy is one... Enough of the US giving this image out there of being more important than everybody else... Good for Obama for being there for his country- he promised to elevate the image of the US to the World, and that is how it is done.
IIRC no other President has ever lobbied for the Olympics or the World Fair during his term as President. Do you honestly think he would have bothered if the city in question had been Miami instead of Chicago?
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post #69 of 90
10/6/09 at 3:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom View Post
IIRC no other President has ever lobbied for the Olympics or the World Fair during his term as President. Do you honestly think he would have bothered if the city in question had been Miami instead of Chicago?
And why/how are you so sure he wouldn't?
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post #70 of 90
10/6/09 at 3:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skippymjp View Post
I thought the FIFA World Cup competitions were much, much more fun to watch.
We are hosting that too in 2014
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post #71 of 90
10/6/09 at 4:14pm
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,558842,00.html

Those concerned about the environment will be interested in the amount of CO2 emmissions!

Quote:
The effort and energy needed to make the president and first lady's quick trips to Copenhagen possible could be considered Olympic-sized by some estimates. The approximate cost of flying Air Force One round trip for 18 hours calculates to more than $1.2 million -- roughly $67,000 per hour.

The estimated greenhouse gas emissions of Air Force One for that trip amount to more than 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide. Compare that to a roundtrip on Amtrak from New York to Washington D.C. emits 220 pounds of carbon dioxide. The president's trip is the equivalent to 4,500 of those roundtrips.

The Boeing 757 the first lady rode separately emits nearly 374,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Those figures do not include the operational costs or emissions of the several passenger and cargo aircraft that accompany Air Force One with staff and equipment.

Copenhagen, by the way, will be the location for the climate change summit in December. No word yet on whether the president will attend.

Game Over?
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post #72 of 90
10/6/09 at 4:21pm
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/02/news...tion/index.htm

Quote:
Chicago 2016, the organization leading the effort to host the games, had projected a cost of $3.8 billion, including a "rainy day" fund of $450 million in case of unforeseen increases if the city won the bid.

But there was good reason to be skeptical of that projection, said Robert Livingstone, producer of GamesBids.com and a leading expert in the Olympic selection process. Host cities routinely overrun their Olympic budgets, he said.

"It's going to be more expensive than we think it's going to be, because it typically is," Livingstone said, before the decision was made Friday. "I think every [host] city is going to lose money. It's not an efficient event."

The bidding process alone cost Chicago about $100 million, Livingstone estimated.
Do you think the Chicago school system could have used that $100 million? What a waste.
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post #73 of 90
10/6/09 at 4:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom View Post
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,558842,00.html

Those concerned about the environment will be interested in the amount of CO2 emmissions!
Oh please, Come on!
As if the GOP were all of the sudden THAT concerned with the environment... Aren't you guys the ones who don't believe in global warming? May I remind you that your President Bush refused to sign the Kyoto treaty on limiting emissions of carbon dioxide in 2001? Why this all of the sudden?

What a nice little double standard....
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post #74 of 90
10/6/09 at 4:37pm
I was about to say....
if Obama hadn't lobbied for the US and the outcome had been the same, namely that Rio would have (deservedly) gotten it, you better believe a certain right-wing element of the population would be bellyaching right now over how Obama had messed up and personally ruined the US' chance to rake in international tourist revenues, caused loss of prestige in the eyes of the world - whichever spin works at the moment.
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post #75 of 90
10/6/09 at 4:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
Oh please, Come on!
As if the GOP were all of the sudden THAT concerned with the environment... Aren't you guys the ones who don't believe in global warming? May I remind you that your President Bush refused to sign the Kyoto treaty on limiting emissions of carbon dioxide in 2001? Why this all of the sudden?

What a nice little double standard....
Never said *I* was concerned about that, but obviously many liberals are, and why am I not surprised they never issued a peep about it. I always find it interesting that Al Gore and his carbon offsets never seems to bother his supporters when he jets around the world in a private plane, grabs a limo which is left running in the no parking zone while he speaks of how the rest of us should unplug all our appliances and walk to work. Who has the double standard, really????
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post #76 of 90
10/6/09 at 4:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom View Post
Never said *I* was concerned about that, but obviously many liberals are, and why am I not surprised they never issued a peep about it. I always find it interesting that Al Gore and his carbon offsets never seems to bother his supporters when he jets around the world in a private plane, grabs a limo which is left running in the no parking zone while he speaks of how the rest of us should unplug all our appliances and walk to work. Who has the double standard, really????
What you want? Your President to fly coach? come on now! Please! Gee... He is the PRESIDENT
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post #77 of 90
10/6/09 at 5:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
What you want? Your President to fly coach? come on now! Please! Gee... He is the PRESIDENT
Al Gore IS NOT the President! He DEFINES hypocrite as he jaunts around preaching about global warming and conservation while he lives in largess.

Of course I want the President to use AF1 WHEN NECESSARY. But I got a real problem with causing panic over NYC for a photo op. And I have a problem with spending millions on an UNNECESSARY trip to Copenhagen for a measly 5 hrs. while his wife takes a separate plane. And the taxpayers probably paid for Oprah's private plane too.

It is much more than AF1 in the sky. It is the escort planes and the press planes and everything else that goes into a little jaunt.
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post #78 of 90
10/6/09 at 5:40pm
I hope they included the cost of pet-sitting, baby-sitting for the girls, teachers salaries for the girls during those 5 hours, the extra food they would have had to purchase because they would have to eat out . . . . . .

I had no idea that the white house had to pay for the press planes as well! Amazing!

I hardly think anyone has to pay for Oprah for anything. She could buy a good portion of the whole US herself.
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post #79 of 90
10/6/09 at 5:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom View Post
Al Gore IS NOT the President! He DEFINES hypocrite as he jaunts around preaching about global warming and conservation while he lives in largess.

Of course I want the President to use AF1 WHEN NECESSARY. But I got a real problem with causing panic over NYC for a photo op. And I have a problem with spending millions on an UNNECESSARY trip to Copenhagen for a measly 5 hrs. while his wife takes a separate plane. And the taxpayers probably paid for Oprah's private plane too.

It is much more than AF1 in the sky. It is the escort planes and the press planes and everything else that goes into a little jaunt.
It is not a mere 5 hours - it might been for you, and for the right wing Republicans, but for many of us, and for the rest of the World, it was not. It was him, representing his country, as much as the other Heads of State were representing theirs. It is a matter of perspective. That is called Diplomacy. That is called working towards fixing the badly damaged image of the US internationally... Little by little...

Evidently what is necessary for some is not for others - for me (and quite frankly for the majority of the World outside of the US), for example, Trillions of $$ were spent on an UNNECESSARY war in Iraq. Not only that, but hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. THAT is what I call UNNECESSARY.
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post #80 of 90
10/6/09 at 7:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
It is not a mere 5 hours - it might been for you, and for the right wing Republicans, but for many of us, and for the rest of the World, it was not. It was him, representing his country, as much as the other Heads of State were representing theirs. It is a matter of perspective. That is called Diplomacy. That is called working towards fixing the badly damaged image of the US internationally... Little by little...

Evidently what is necessary for some is not for others - for me (and quite frankly for the majority of the World outside of the US), for example, Trillions of $$ were spent on an UNNECESSARY war in Iraq. Not only that, but hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. THAT is what I call UNNECESSARY.
You know, I personally care more about what the President does to address actual issues than what the world thinks of us. Guess what? Most of the Middle East hates us, and they hated us well before 2001 and 9/11 and before the Iraq war. Most of Europe will never really be happy with us, just because. We have our allies, we have our enemies, and we have those who are overall ambivalent about the US. Obama going to campaign for the Olympics isn't going to sway anyone about their feelings about our country overall. And like I said - there are much more important issues that he needs to deal with than that. But I guess that's just me.

As far as your second paragraph, it isn't $1 trillion spent. It's only in the billions - I looked it up and even on an anti-war site (www.costofwar.com) they still have the total spent (including in the past 10 months with Obama as President) at $688 billion. Including both Iraq and Afghanistan is only somewhat approaching $1 trillion, and it's still almost $100 billion shy. As far as lives lost, that's such a subjective number. How many innocents have been killed by homicide bombers? From what I hear on the news (no, not just as reported by Fox news) the casualties from those attacks are pretty darn high and while I suppose you *could* say that the terrorists wouldn't be attacking civilian markets and gathering places if Saddam was still in power, it's difficult to say how many would have been killed in silence and behind a curtain if he were still in power.
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post #81 of 90
10/6/09 at 7:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom View Post
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,558842,00.html

Those concerned about the environment will be interested in the amount of CO2 emmissions!
Lessening our "carbon foot print" is only for us, the unwashed masses.
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post #82 of 90
10/6/09 at 7:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by valanhb View Post
You know, I personally care more about what the President does to address actual issues than what the world thinks of us.
Oh well.... It's a much bigger World, and I hate to tell you, in a crisis like this, it does matter a LOT what the World thinks of us.

Quote:
As far as your second paragraph, it isn't $1 trillion spent. It's only in the billions - I looked it up and even on an anti-war site (www.costofwar.com) they still have the total spent (including in the past 10 months with Obama as President) at $688 billion.
Pocket change - $700 billion and hundreds of thousand of lives...
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post #83 of 90
10/6/09 at 8:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by valanhb View Post
We have our allies, we have our enemies, and we have those who are overall ambivalent about the US. Obama going to campaign for the Olympics isn't going to sway anyone about their feelings about our country overall. And like I said - there are much more important issues that he needs to deal with than that. But I guess that's just me.
It is not one thing that he does that is going to change everything, and I am not sure why this is such a hard to grasp concept.... The same way that he couldn't possibly solve all of this Country's problems by staying here for those five hours.

It is a step by step thing. Yes, showing up there, with the other leaders made a difference - if not for you personally, for the relationship with those other countries, and quite frankly, that is a little bigger in the larger scheme of things.
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post #84 of 90
10/8/09 at 8:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
And why/how are you so sure he wouldn't?
Had it been Miami, I think he would have been VERY anxious to lobby for it. Why? Because he wants to firm up the support of the Cuban hispanics, who have been Republican but who are wavering in that support.

And just because no previous President did something is no reason for the current President not to. After all, wasn't it Taft who installed the first bath tub in the White House?
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post #85 of 90
10/9/09 at 8:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
Pocket change - $700 billion and hundreds of thousand of lives...

Especially the lives - the natives are poor with not much of a life to look forward to anyway, and the troops are reservists, not expensive pilots, right And after all, we're keeping the muslims from taking over our country, right......
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post #86 of 90
10/11/09 at 11:39am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
It is not a mere 5 hours - it might been for you, and for the right wing Republicans, but for many of us, and for the rest of the World, it was not. It was him, representing his country, as much as the other Heads of State were representing theirs. It is a matter of perspective. That is called Diplomacy. That is called working towards fixing the badly damaged image of the US internationally... Little by little...

Evidently what is necessary for some is not for others - for me (and quite frankly for the majority of the World outside of the US), for example, Trillions of $$ were spent on an UNNECESSARY war in Iraq. Not only that, but hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. THAT is what I call UNNECESSARY.
Amen! You have it absolutely right.
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post #87 of 90
10/11/09 at 11:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
It is not a mere 5 hours - it might been for you, and for the right wing Republicans, but for many of us, and for the rest of the World, it was not. It was him, representing his country, as much as the other Heads of State were representing theirs. It is a matter of perspective. That is called Diplomacy. That is called working towards fixing the badly damaged image of the US internationally... Little by little...

Evidently what is necessary for some is not for others - for me (and quite frankly for the majority of the World outside of the US), for example, Trillions of $$ were spent on an UNNECESSARY war in Iraq. Not only that, but hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. THAT is what I call UNNECESSARY.
So why is it so easy for Obama to demand TARP bills, bailout bills, stimulus bills and health reform bills immediately or the sky will fall, BUT

He has such a hard time and needs weeks/months of think time to decide what to do about Afghanistan? Meanwhile every soldier's life is on the line, but BO can't make a decision??? He had no problem with ordering the cash for clunkers program. Just where are his priorities? Apparently not saving lives.
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post #88 of 90
10/11/09 at 12:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom View Post
So why is it so easy for Obama to demand TARP bills, bailout bills, stimulus bills and health reform bills immediately or the sky will fall, BUT

He has such a hard time and needs weeks/months of think time to decide what to do about Afghanistan? Meanwhile every soldier's life is on the line, but BO can't make a decision??? He had no problem with ordering the cash for clunkers program. Just where are his priorities? Apparently not saving lives.
Do you really think it's easy to decide what the best course is to follow in Afghanistan, especially after the election fiasco there, and the increase in violence in Pakistan?

This little opinion piece from today's NYT is interesting reading:
Two Wrongs Make Another Fiasco
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post #89 of 90
10/11/09 at 1:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcat View Post
Do you really think it's easy to decide what the best course is to follow in Afghanistan, especially after the election fiasco there, and the increase in violence in Pakistan?
Overhauling a health care system isn't exactly small potatoes either.
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post #90 of 90
10/13/09 at 11:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcat View Post
Do you really think it's easy to decide what the best course is to follow in Afghanistan, especially after the election fiasco there, and the increase in violence in Pakistan?

This little opinion piece from today's NYT is interesting reading:
Two Wrongs Make Another Fiasco
I could have sworn this thread was about the Olympics.


I see that now that Chicago was not chosen for the Olympics, the big news is about the horrendous crime rate in Chicago.
The bad guys must have been holding off doing the bad stuf until a city was chosen for the Olympics.

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news...Of_Their_Homes

Quote:
People Afraid To Come Out Of Their Homes
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news...jackson_fenger

Quote:
Chicago - Rev. Jesse Jackson says it's time to declare a state of emergency in Chicago so students can be ensured safe passage to and from school.

Jackson and community leaders from the Fenger High School neighborhood say they want to meet with Mayor Daley to talk about students displaced from their neighborhood schools and finding conflict in their new schools.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/jackson...2.1244260.html

Quote:
CHICAGO (CBS)
The Rev. Jesse Jackson addresses reporters before he rides the bus from the Altgeld Gardens public housing development with Fenger High School students, to draw attention to teen violence.

As he prepared to ride a bus with students from the troubled Fenger High School, the Rev. Jesse Jackson called the teen violence epidemic in Chicago a "state of emergency."
Thank goodness the Olympics won't be in Chicago. The committee did us a huge favor by choosing Rio.
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