Obama Spends Nearly Half His Presidency Outside Washington - Plans to Travel More

** That's the title of the article.

He has spent half his presidency outside DC.
He says he wants to spend more time outside DC.
Yes, travel comes with the job.
However - IMHO - Obama (and Bush43 before him) seem to like excessive travel at our expense.

CBS News - Obama By The Numbers

The Washington Examiner - Obama Spends Nearly Half His Presidency Outside Washington

On "Meet the Press" December 26, top White House adviser Valerie Jarrett said President Obama's "biggest regret" is that the severity of the economic crisis forced him to "spend almost every waking hour in Washington focusing very hard on solving that crisis" and thus kept him from traveling the country to connect with the American people. According to Jarrett, Obama recently told aides, "I really want to figure out a way where I can spend more time outside of Washington listening and learning and engaging the American people." Jarrett says that in 2011 the president's schedule will "reflect that priority" -- that is, include more time outside the nation's capital.

But it turns out Obama has already spent nearly half his presidency outside Washington. As of January 2, Obama has been president for 712 days. According to figures compiled by CBS News reporter Mark Knoller, who serves as a sort of unofficial White House record-keeper, Obama has spent 339 of those days -- nearly 48 percent -- outside Washington

Where's Barack? Report sayas Obama Spends Nearly 50% of Time Traveling

CBS News’s Mark Knoller, who regular compiles White House statistics, released numbers on Friday showing that the president has spent nearly 50 percent of his presidency outside Washington, D.C. As of January 2, Obama has been president for 712 days, reports the Washington Examiner. For 339 of those days — about 48 percent — Obama has been MIA from Washington.

“According to Knoller, Obama has spent 176 days on domestic trips, 70 days on foreign travel, 58 days on vacation, and 35 days at Camp David,” The Examiner’s Byron York writes. And “you can add a couple more vacation days to the total before the president returns from his break in Hawaii.”

For comparison against Obama who is in office two years.

CBS News - Bush by the numbers - 8 years
* The Texas Ranch was out of DC but it was considered 'The Western Whitehouse'.
It was for work and the cost to the taxpayers was rather small compared to 'vacations'.
But still .. would rather he have stayed in DC than go to Texas. There was no need for it!

IMHO 'domestic trips' is a bogus use of our tax money. There is no need for us, the tax payer, to pay for many of these trips. They are usually campaign type trips for the imps of the same party as whoever the POTUS is. I can see domestic trips to visit problem areas, etc. (although I'm sure less expensive underlings can be sent to gather info) Sometimes it is needed. But I'd bet not that often.

I couldn't find a 'Bill Clinton by the Numbers' (or others) to also add for comparison.
If anyone finds them, please post ... thanks.

Okay .. here we go .. expecting the same ol' responses but I figured I'd post this story anyways. Obama zombies go ahead and flame away .. deflect away ... attack me instead of the story .. and defend His-Highness. Others .. have fun piling on and bringing up all sorts of examples of how those in the office of POTUS have abused travel and stolen our tax money in order for themselves to live a high-end lifestyle with lots of travel, etc.

( I'm in a mood, eh? Yeah ... it's a long story.)

Star and flag for you. This is quite something. So the president of the United States travels? He even travels around the very country he is the president of. Thank you.

So sue him.

Lol, not being rude.

I suggest people stop fueling politics. Most of us here at ATS realize that 75-90% of politics is no longer in the best interests for the people.

It continues because the majority of the population still feeds off their bull****.

reply to post by FlyersFan


first of all, givin the choices in the last election i felt that obama was the better choice. not the best president in our history but the better choice.

that said i agree that too much time and money is spent on travel... by all politicians. i lve just outside of dc and it always pains me to see capital hill mostly empty. they always show video of senators and representatives giving speeches to congress but what they try not to show is that they are speaking to an empty gallery. then when the holidays come, they cant wait to taeke time off, even when there are real issues to be worked out.

these are career politicians and thier agenda is to stay employed. they do that by raising money and sucking up to corporations. and we are paying for it. our govt is broken. lost focus. playing political games. greed. scams. wasteful spending.

we are led by the least among us.

reply to post by FlyersFan

I can see domestic trips to visit problem areas, etc. (although I'm sure less expensive underlings can be sent to gather info) Sometimes it is needed. But I'd bet not that often.

Oh yea right, then you would be complaining that he didn't go himself and how disconnected he was to the American people and how he doesn't care about whatever catastrophe plaguing the nation at the moment.

Basically to you, this guy can do no good. No matter what he does, you are sure as the sun shines going to find some fault in it and find a way to put some stank on it. Take it as a flame if you want, but it's the truth, from day 1 of this guys presidency you have been on here freaking out about anything you can.

Here's a question for you, does it say anywhere in the United States Constitution that the president has to be in Washington DC in order to do his job?

I'll use the excuse the conservatives used during Bush's years. The POTUS doesn't actually ever get a day off, they are working every day, even while on vacation, every single day they receive things like the President's daily briefing.

I would like to urge President Obama to spend ALL of his time outside of Washington DC. I would urge the entire US Congress to travel with him.

The less time they spend in Washington, the better off we all are.

Originally posted by whatukno

Here's a question for you, does it say anywhere in the United States Constitution that the president has to be in Washington DC in order to do his job?

The new year is off to great start.

Here we have that wonder of all wonders, a liberal actually using the Constitution to defend the actions of another liberal.



But of course to most liberals the Constitution is nothing more than a "living document" which they take to mean it can be interpreted any way they want or need.

I've been reading 'insider' comments on other sites which are saying that Jarrett is running the WH now. Obama appears to keep up appearances, but she's the one making the decisions these days. I guess there could be some truth to it.

Originally posted by wcitizen
I've been reading 'insider' comments on other sites which are saying that Napolitano is running the WH now. Obama appears to keep up appearances, but she's the one making the decisions these days. I guess there could be some truth to it.

Where did you see this?

That's effing scary.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

But it turns out Obama has already spent nearly half his presidency outside Washington. As of January 2, Obama has been president for 712 days. According to figures compiled by CBS News reporter Mark Knoller, who serves as a sort of unofficial White House record-keeper, Obama has spent 339 of those days -- nearly 48 percent -- outside Washington

Those numbers don't look right to me...

Perhaps he's aware or guesses that

his puppet masters . . . plan to nuke DC . . .

and wouldn't bat an eye at

making him a scapegoat

for the disasters, shredding of the economy, destruction, messes they ordered him to make of the Nation . . .

including . . . making it look like he was punished for being such a thoroughly destructive evil jerk, in the process--when he was merely doing as he was trained and ordered.

I've often wondered if that wasn't why he party'd so much . . . he senses or knows that, perhaps, he has limited partying opportunities left.

Interesting times . . . all cocked and ready to get dramatically more interesting.

Obama having HUGE parties

vacationing 31 days plus 35 days at camp David double what Bush did

in his whole 8 years Obama has golfed more in just two....

All at our expense...


Sad, despicable, sick, and horrible thing Obama is doing yes.

Obama is a half witted nitwit, spending all the tax payers money

on vacations, while people die of hunger, vacationing more

then any other president in history, not surprising to say the least...

Originally posted by butcherguy

Originally posted by wcitizen
I've been reading 'insider' comments on other sites which are saying that Napolitano is running the WH now. Obama appears to keep up appearances, but she's the one making the decisions these days. I guess there could be some truth to it.

Where did you see this?

That's effing scary.

OMG I'm so sorry I typed the wrong name - had been reading something else just prior to reading this thread...what I've read is it's Jarrett who is allegedly running things.

newsflavor.com...

Scroll down to the question on the WH. I've also seen this referred to somewhere else but can't remember where. If I do I'll post the link.

Apologies again.

I noticed he has spent a considerable amount of time ( and tax payer dollars ) traveling around the world. Not to mention, I had a thread that showed that his flake of a wife spent 63k, just to fly by herself to Hawaii, because she couldn't wait one day For Obama and his possee to show up and fly together.

Between Obama, and his wife...they have spent record numbers on " vacations". I'll see if I can find the article I read, were it was stated that he has been on more vacations than any other President in 2 years time.

Just an empty suit~

reply to post by whatukno


Out of curiosity, what beef might that be? An unconstitutional healthcare plan? Or was it the unconstitutional " redistribution " of another man's labor?

Originally posted by thecinic
vacationing 31 days plus 35 days at camp David double what Bush did

Excuse me?

Obama:

Visits to Camp David: -Since taking office: 15 visits: 35 days

Bush

Number Of Visits To Camp David: 149, totaling all or part of 487 days.

In what weird universe is 487 half of 35???

I think it's a good thing that Obama is getting out and seeing the people. That's what it's all about. Not isolating himself in Washington. Too many politicians hole up in Washington and don't have a CLUE what's happening in the country. I LOVE that he spends so much time getting out there, meeting people and seeing what's REALLY happening in the country and the world instead of sending 'underlings' out to do ti and report back. I think this is a Good Thing.

Given current communications technology, I don't see the need for his physical presence in Washington. As the wife of someone who works remote, it's clear to me than Obama's physical presence to do his job is less important than it used to be. And getting out and actually meeting the people of this country and seeing what they need and want is more important than diddling around with his peers.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

Number Of Visits To Camp David: 149, totaling all or part of 487 days.

Your forgetting that the above visits were over the course of 8 years in office. Not two years...
Big difference.

Originally posted by Whereweheaded
Your forgetting that the above visits were over the course of 8 years in office. Not two years...
Big difference.

So, even if we extrapolate and say that Obama will spend 35 days per two-year stint at camp David (as he has in his first two years), that's still only 140 days for an eight year period, as opposed to Bush's 487.

So I ask again, in what weird universe is 487 half of 140?

Originally posted by wcitizen
I've been reading 'insider' comments on other sites which are saying that Jarrett is running the WH now. Obama appears to keep up appearances, but she's the one making the decisions these days. I guess there could be some truth to it.

edit on 3-1-2011 by wcitizen because: (no reason given)

She has always been running the show I posted that info a looooong time ago.