Step right up, fellow NewsRakers......

[makesenseplease]

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The line starts right here:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/donate-money-uncle-sam-government-received-3-million-205307205.html


It's for a worthy cause.

[Mornac]

$3,000,000. Not bad. If they apply it toward Michelle Obama's vacation bill it will only leave $7,000,000 left for us to pay.

[ivanm]

I think every useful idiot oughta kick in at least 10 grand.

[Sassy]

The line starts right here:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/donate-money-uncle-sam-government-received-3-million-205307205.html


It's for a worthy cause.

There was a time.       Unfortunately, those days are over. 

[IM2]

$3,000,000. Not bad. If they apply it toward Michelle Obama's vacation bill it will only leave $7,000,000 left for us to pay.

What about we apply it to the salary we are still payng GW Bush?

[Observer]

The Feds should bill Obama for every cent spent on Michelle Obama and her kids. They are not government officials. They should not have access to transportation at government expense. The Secret Service should be reimbursed for every man hour it has spent protecting them out of the country.

[Sassy]

The Feds should bill Obama for every cent spent on Michelle Obama and her kids. They are not government officials. They should not have access to transportation at government expense. The Secret Service should be reimbursed for every man hour it has spent protecting them out of the country.

I'm not so sure about that.  I doubt anyone would want the position if they knew their family was going to be put at risk. 

[Observer]

I have no problem with providing Secret Service protection WITHIN the United States, but since the First Lady is not a government official and is not empowered by Congress to speak or act on the behalf of the United States, I see no reason to extend that protection to overseas visits. I also see no reason to pay for such visits.

[foodserver]

I have no problem with providing Secret Service protection WITHIN the United States, but since the First Lady is not a government official and is not empowered by Congress to speak or act on the behalf of the United States, I see no reason to extend that protection to overseas visits. I also see no reason to pay for such visits.

Damn straight!  The Hilliary's presidential campaign should have been billed for all of her travel away from her husband.  

Why on earth should we be expected to pay for her "pre-presidential" campaign?

[Mornac]

I'm not so sure about that.  I doubt anyone would want the position if they knew their family was going to be put at risk. 

--Fine. We should just put in the job description that all travel out of the DC area for members of the family above and beyond the executive is to be paid for by private funds. If a candidate doesn't like it he doesn't have to run for the office. I doubt many would be deterred.

[Sassy]

--Fine. We should just put in the job description that all travel out of the DC area for members of the family above and beyond the executive is to be paid for by private funds. If a candidate doesn't like it he doesn't have to run for the office. I doubt many would be deterred.

Yeah...I'm sure people, and their families, will be lined up to be imprisoned in DC for 4-8 years.   

[Observer]

She could go wherever she wanted. The taxpayers just wouldn't be paying for it.

When was the last time the taxpayers sent YOU on trip to Spain or South Africa or any country in Latin America? She has been on "vacation" approximately one day out of every nine Obama has been in office.

Quite the deal, eh?

[Sassy]

I have no problem with providing Secret Service protection WITHIN the United States, but since the First Lady is not a government official and is not empowered by Congress to speak or act on the behalf of the United States, I see no reason to extend that protection to overseas visits. I also see no reason to pay for such visits.

When the hubby travels for business, sometimes, not always, I travel with him.  There have been many times that my presence at a lunch/dinner, concert, party, whatever has gone a very long way to close a deal.   While the First Family isn't elected, there is no greater support than family, and the relationships a First Lady can build with the other political spouses can be beneficial.  I know, in a perfect world, that's not the way it works, but this is not a perfect world.  Now...Vacations, other than what the typical citizen enjoys - 2 weeks paid - THAT'S a different story.

[Sassy]

She could go wherever she wanted. The taxpayers just wouldn't be paying for it.

When was the last time the taxpayers sent YOU on trip to Spain or South Africa or any country in Latin America? She has been on "vacation" approximately one day out of every nine Obama has been in office.

Quite the deal, eh?

Never with tax dollars.

[Observer]

When the hubby travels for business, sometimes, not always, I travel with him.  There have been many times that my presence at a lunch/dinner, concert, party, whatever has gone a very long way to close a deal.   While the First Family isn't elected, there is no greater support than family, and the relationships a First Lady can build with the other political spouses can be beneficial.  I know, in a perfect world, that's not the way it works, but this is not a perfect world. 

The taxpayers aren't footing the bill when you go on a business trip.