After appealing to Americans to sacrifice their holidays President Obama has been accused of having double standards days before his wife and children went on a costly skiing trip being flown there on Air Force Two.While there the family stayed at the upscale Sebastian Hotel on Vail Mountain, where rooms start at $650 a night and range up to more than $2,400 for multi-bedroom suites.
A local newspaper reported that the first lady went to Restaurant Kelly Liken and dined on braised ribs.
Normally to most Americans this would not be a big deal, but the trip came just days after the President tried to sell his cost-cutting budget to the American people by asking them to stay at home.
Right after stating, “Just like every family in America, the federal government has to do two things at once. It has to live within its means while still investing in the future. If you’re a family trying to cut back, you might skip going out to dinner, you might put off a vacation,” Michelle zipped up her bags, was driven to the tarmac with the kids and flew to Vail on Air Force Two. But in actuality it is Air Force One, it is known as Air Force One only when the President is aboard, which costs around $181,757 per hour.
A motorcade of about a dozen vehicles, including at least 15 police officers, travelled from Eagle County Regional Airport to Vail on Friday night when the presidential party arrived.
Even though Mr. Obama stayed at the White House, the rest of his family headed to Colorado –rather than visiting slopes closer to Washington in Virginia or Pennsylvania, despite previous criticisms over the family's extravagant vacations, including a trip last summer to Spain.
Mrs. Obama also raised eyebrows when she left earlier than her husband for their annual Christmas holiday in Hawaii, incurring additional expenses estimated to be more than $97,000.
In August it cost taxpayers an alleged $375,000 for her security detail - and two flights on Air Force One - on a holiday to Spain with her daughter, Sasha, and 40 friends.
Although the Obama’s will pay for a portion of the skiing trip, taxpayers will still shoulder many of the costs.
As the majority of Americans sit by their kitchen table deciding which bill to pay, dining on macaroni while being told do as I say, not as I do, the first lady of the health police dined on ribs.
Michelle had said “Not too many places in this country you can do that and still be at the seat of power”.
Could that also be interpreted as “Let them eat cake?
~ Joe Sinagra
