As Americans face a fiscal cliff, the Obamas make do with 54 Christmas trees

[CuteOldGuy]

This clown really believes that he is royalty. Unbelievable. Four more trees, and he will have one for each state in the union.

From the article:

Amazing how a reelection can reshape an incumbent's thinking about many things. Now safely ensconced in the White House for 49 more months, the Obamas have decorated the place with 54 Christmas trees this year.

Even allowing for the usual Washington excesses with taxpayer money, that's a whole grove of Christmas trees.

"We have 54 trees in the White House," an excited Michelle Obama proudly told visitors the other day. "54! That’s a lot of trees."

In fact, the Obamas' 54 trees this year are almost 50% more Christmas trees than last year. That was during the campaign before Obama whispered a reminder to the Russians that he had to be careful until Nov. 6, when a victory would give him more "flexibility."

Now, how much carbon do you suppose those 54 trees could be sequestering had they not been chopped by this green president?
And no wonder Obama talked over the weekend about addressing tax increases before any of that annoying business about cutting spending to address this thing called the national debt, now having soared past $16.3 trillion..

In addition to 54 Christmas trees, Michelle Obama has overseen the placement of thousands of ornaments in public rooms. Many of the ornaments celebrate the Obama family dog, Bo, who seems to have become the First Family's favorite symbol of Christmas. Other decorations, including on the more prominent trees, were made by children in schools on U.S. military bases.

There's several hundred yards of garlands and wreaths all over the hallways and rooms. And, of course, a traditional gingerbread house that has working chandeliers and weighs about 300 pounds.

Last year, according to Mrs. Obama, some 90,000 visitors viewed her White House decorations. The irony is this year the main residents of the White House won't be there for most of the holiday period and for both major holidays.

According to notices distributed to residents of an exclusive waterfront neighborhood in Hawaii, they can expect to enjoy restricted access and other inconveniences to their homes and normal lives from Dec. 17 through Jan. 6. That's about a 50% longer holiday vacation than last year.
The inconveniences stem from security requirements for the vacationing Obamas and a large number of their accompanying friends. Obama's staff will have to put up with rooms in a nearby luxury hotel.

The Coast Guard will be patrolling surrounding canals. Navy SEALs will be doing whatever SEALs do on security detail. The Secret Service and local police will man numerous area roadblocks and perhaps even some bushes.

The estimated costs to taxpayers of this latest vacation foray is in excess of $4 million. The largest single expense is Obama's 747 jet, Air Force One, which runs about $182,000 per flight hour. It's a nine-hour journey, each way, between Washington and Honolulu. That's about $1,638,000 one-way. Their bags fly free.

Those transportation totals do not include the costs of Air Force cargo planes to haul the fleet of armored cars to the island and back, so the Obamas can visit Hawaii friends, beaches and restaurants. And so the president can get to a nearby Marine base for his morning workouts and to various golf courses with friends.

Besides covering the Christmas and New Year holidays, Obama's vacation dates also strangely coincide with what was expected to be the peak negotiating window for Obama and congressional Democrats and Republicans to address the so-called fiscal cliff. Until recently the cliff has been described as something of a financial doomsday, albeit one that Obama and Capitol Hill protagonists set for themselves.

These are automatic combined tax hikes and drastic additional budget cuts, mainly to defense, scheduled to occur in the first hours of January, the product of similar last-minute negotiations two years ago.
So far, according to both sides, the talks have not progressed well. The president, who took yesterday off to play golf, may be confident of complete success in the remaining 14 days.

Or perhaps Obama will leave Joe Biden in charge of closing the deal, since the vice president's oversight of the $800 billion stimulus spending so effectively spurred the economy.

Read More At IBD: http://news.investors.com/politics-a...#ixzz2E1JYrcVl

[i'va biggen]

good to see them putting those trees to good use.Most of them would have been just used for mulch...

[timpage]

Christmas decorations?!? At the White House?!?! During Christmas?!?!? Outrageous.

Is this the best you can do COG? Must not be anything on the winger websites about Benghazi, Donna Rice or how badly Grover Norquist is being treated by that goddamn liberal Republican faction that wants to help try and save the country. Bastards.

Those 90,000 visitors that are expected at the White House over the holidays ought to be happy with that one big tree out front that Bo the dog pees on.

[markroxny]

This is why he is the 4th largest poster on this site.

Must have nothing better to do than to find ways to bitch about Obama every 10 minutes.

[Doove]

Seems COG would prefer to see 53 more trees lying unsold on 12/26 in the various temporary nurseries that are set up during the holiday season.

So tell us COG, since Bush and Eisenhower each had 27 trees in a particular year, and Clinton had 36, what exactly is the right number of trees to have?

[TheDaliLama]

Is there a limit?


...are you sure that some of those trees aren't HOLIDAY TREES?

Is it racists to dream of a white christmas?

[CuteOldGuy]

They can have as many as they want, as long as they pay for them themselves. Did you realize our "royal family" costs more than the British royal family?

And it's clear, Obama does think he's the "Lord and Savior". Most of the decorations celebrate his dog? Really? God, that must make him hungry!

Sure, I could post about other things, but it's fun to watch your reactions on stuff like this. You did not disappoint!

[satexasguy]

COG, the liberals will never see the excess spending Obama does. Hell, he can't even control government spending. The liberals will make any excuse to validate whatever Obama does.

How many families could the Obama's have supported instead of spending so much on decorations? The liberals claim to want to help the poor but they only jest as they say "Let them eat cake"

[fetishfreak]

Hey at least he is still celebrating Christmas

[CuteOldGuy]

I wonder how many Nativity scenes there are in the White House?

[CJ7]

Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy

They can have as many as they want, as long as they pay for them themselves. Did you realize our "royal family" costs more than the British royal family?

And it's clear, Obama does think he's the "Lord and Savior". Most of the decorations celebrate his dog? Really? God, that must make him hungry!

Sure, I could post about other things, but it's fun to watch your reactions on stuff like this. You did not disappoint!

I bet you have a link to prove that dontcha?

God save the Queen


I do

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/the...-obamas-fault/

oh yeah, the taxpayers pay the queen 30million a year .. whats Obies check look like? and sadly enough the good lil prince and wifie Kate are no longer on the backs of brit taxpayers ... Daddy picks up their checks from now on

on three, 1 2 3 .. awwwwwwwwwwww

[Laz]

It is an example of poor leadership. How does he expect anyone else in the government to believe they need to watch costs if he does not? A true leader would be looking at cutting his costs at the same time he asks others to either give more or cut their own costs.

That being said I wonder if the republicans in Congress are finding ways to cut their own costs?

[CJ7]

the cost of xmas trees? seriously?

lmtao

[Doove]

Originally Posted by Laz

It is an example of poor leadership.

Four more years of this shit. Should be fun!

[CuteOldGuy]

Four more years of narcissistic, corrupt, dishonest and incompetent leadership. You would think that was fun, Doove.