Local Reporter Grills Obama on Family Vacations

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Excellent questions and it is about time

Quibeauxd of IA 11:17PM April 17, 2012

Didn't Mrs. Obama take the kids to Spain a few years ago, with a an estimated cost to the taxpayer of $320,000 ($160K each way)? Although Mrs. O. did reimburse the purse for the equivalent of six or seven first-class tickets, that's still well up over a quarter of a million bucks. Our family got to go to Florida last year (and saw and did everything we hoped to) because we were able to save a few thousand over the course of four years. Imagine what we could have done with her air fare alone!

Where the Obamas' vacation preferences are contrasted to George W. Bush's, the most obvious contrast is that Bush took vacations to a ranch that he owned, paid for most of it, and because of the vigilant media, we know that most of the he spent there, he spent working -- in meetings, conference calls, press conferences. The media liked to grumble about the dirt, but that was about all they could dig up about W's trips. It was his property, he paid for it, and he spent his time there doing the work the American people were paying him to do. Far cry from Hawaii (which is in Asia), Spain, and eleven days of golf and the high life at the epicenter of elite American vacations: the Vineyard.

Miguel Cortes of WA 1:39PM April 14, 2012

I do not remember and can not find Laura Bush demanding separate flights for her and their dog. Can someone point that out to me

Katie of CA 8:25AM April 14, 2012

So how does Obama's vacation travel compare to that of other presidents?

Todd of KS 11:12PM April 13, 2012

Because we ALL KNOW that Bush was in the White House more than he was in his vacation house. (That was sarcasm by the way.)

Michael Griffin of NC 10:26PM April 13, 2012

Larry Connors, bless you. The fawning toadies, aka the White House press corp, would not dare to ask a real question . You did, but got the usual non-answer from the Golfer-in-Chief.

Carol of ME 7:35PM April 13, 2012

Angela Riedel must have a reading comprehension problem because at the end article it clearly stated that Mr. Conners stated that he was not questioning Obama's need to travel on AF-1. But Obama did in fact side-step the question with redirection. Of course Obama would have no response to the question about all their very expensive multiple per year vacations.

Steve Bunten of CO 6:14PM April 13, 2012

Larry Conners, you have offended The Great Leader with your impudence.

Please stop by the station managers office on your way out as he has a pink piece of paper that you are to sign and a small box will be given to you for your belongings.

The secret service men will drive you home today by way of the Mississippi River...

PMOD of CA 4:16PM April 13, 2012

I guess you really just have to ask yourself how you expect the leader of the United States to travel. Myself, I want him and his family protected.

Angela Riedel of FL 3:08PM April 13, 2012

Way to go Larry Connors; finally someone asks him a semi tough question. I wish Larry would have asked the president, why he didnt speak out on the Jamal Shaw case like he has on the case in Florida.

What's his doing running the world on vacation when so many good US Citizens are out of work.

Rock of IL 1:14PM April 13, 2012

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Ken Walsh's Washington

A longtime chief White House correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, Kenneth T. Walsh has covered five presidents beginning with Ronald Reagan. Along with other U.S. News writers, he continues to provide insight into the White House of Barack Obama and the world of presidential campaigns.

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