I got this as an e-mail and while I didn’t vet the story I have no trouble believing it. The current POTUS is all about pomp and show. He’s typical of what the Left has always produced. People who talk a good game about being for the ‘little guy’ and who we have to pull together. Then when it comes to them they want as much bowing/scraping, booty kissing, and ‘respect’ as possible. And they want to indulge in the aforesaid in as much luxury as possible. In other words they want to be treated like royalty. However the only thing ‘royal’ about them is the part where they’re a royal pain in the ass.

From a recently retired Air Force Colonel …

Subject: The Dinner Date $$$$$$$

First, let me say that I’ve moved three presidents up to now and I’ve seen incredible waste. But, the “new” guy really takes the cake. I don’t have an issue with the President promising his wife dinner and a show in NY City or that he even takes his wife out. But, when I saw the news say that the date cost $24,000, here’s what you DON”T know.

The Dinner Date $$$$$$$

Three days before “dinner” a C-17 (the Golbemaster heavy lift cargo/transport) flew 44 Marines and the helicopter maintenance equipment to JFK Airport .. The day before “dinner” I flew a C-17 with the US Secret Service (USSS) and the motorcade to JFK Airport. Our crew of 5 spent two days and nights at the NY Hilton in Times Square. My hotel bill: $621.66 plus $64 a day in per diem.

The USSS guys were at a different Hilton in NYC, so figure that cost another $14,000 (or so) plus per diem. The Marines had to have cost as much and were there four days, so figure another $55.000 plus per diem (for 44 Marines).

We were supposed to fly the motorcade back and then go home, but the AF was so short of C-17’s that we were re-tasked to take the motorcade back, return to JFK and take the helicopter back to Quantico. When we got back to JFK, we noticed a helicopter’s rotor blade sticking out of the hangar where the helicopter was parked and that informed me that either it wasn’t ready to transport or it was flying home. After shutting down the engines of the C-17, I walked over to the hangar and to my surprise, I find not one, but FIVE (5) helicopters. We’re obviously not transporting five big helicopters. I went and talked to the Marines guarding the “fleet” and found that they were flying all five helicopters home and we were only transporting the Marines and the maintenance equipment. After talking to the Marine(s) in charge, I was told that the White House requested FIVE helicopters. The Marines told me that they spent all morning trying to figure out how much it cost them to come and said they figured it cost them $140,000 to stay there (I don’t know where they came up with that figure) and the trip’s total had to be about $1.000.000. This date is mind boggling !!!

We heard that the President didn’t use Air Force One (the 747) so I asked if he came in one of the 757’s. I was told that he came in on THREE (3) AF Lear jets. So, date night consisted of 2 C-17’s flying three missions, 3 Lear jets, 5 helicopters, Presidential Motorcade, 44 Marines, more than 20 USSS personnel on our plane. Who knows what it cost the NYPD and NY Port Authority (at the airport) in overtime.

These are the same people that chastised the Automobile CEO’s for using their aircraft. It further proves that the media only use the facts that make the President look good and hide any facts that will detract from his persona..

Is this the “change” we expected? Talk with friends and those who are not blinded by charisma. Many folks I know who voted for Obama are very disappointed and sorry they did so.

The Emperor’s clothes on a grand scale. “Transparency?”

Remember, it was the media that reported that this “Dinner Date” costs only $24,000, so don’t believe the media. Also remember, 2010 is just around the corner.