Obama & Transparency In Federal Spending

This video was taken back when he was a Senator.



Seemed like he was a real spokesman for transparency in federal spending.

This is now.

White House declines to say what NY trip cost

WASHINGTON (AP) - White House spokesman Robert Gibbs is declining to say what it cost for President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, to eat dinner and take in a play in New York over the weekend.

Asked if he would outline the costs, Gibbs said Monday the Obamas would have preferred using a commercial airline shuttle to New York and back but the Secret Service would not allow such unprotected travel.

The president has been criticized for the trip to New York in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and with thousands of auto workers facing unemployment as General Motors prepared to file for bankruptcy and Chrysler was about to emerge from court-guided restructuring.

What happened to the transparency?

And if you want to say Obama paid $24k for the whole jaunt, check this article, which lists some of the other costs not covered by Obama's personal checkbook.