One of the raps on Mitt Romney is that since he’s wealthy he’s not in touch with the problems of Americans struggling in this economy. To some extent that’s probably true, but at least he’s known for being frugal. The Obamas, on the other hand, seem to be going out of their way to be out of touch with the “little people.” How much more out of touch can they get than pleading for $3 donations while on a $4 million vacation?
Speaking from her paradisical $4 million Hawaii vacation, Mrs. Obama wants to know: Do any of President Obama’s supporters have $3 to spare for his reelection?
This is approximately like coming upon Warren Buffett on a street corner with a McDonald’s cup asking if he can have 15 cents.
Michelle’s request was part of an email sent to the Obama 2012 list today. (Read More)
Speaking of Romney, he compared President Obama to Marie Antoinette. Jim Geraghty expanded on the theme.
I am sure Obama’s spokesman will reject the Antionette comparison during the president’s 10-day Hawaiian vacation, at the press center outside his luxury rental in Kailua, sometime after leisurely three-hour dinner of special tasting menu at Alan Wong’s Restaurant (roughly $105-$125/head) before the 91st golf outing of his presidency Ko’olau Golf Club (greens fees $80-$130).
If only we all had it so rough.
What I find simply amazing is the nerve they have playing their class warfare games while living better than royalty.
Update: The Daley Gator linked – thanks!
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The President is responsible for his own hotel and meals, not only on vacation, but in the White House. Other expenses, such as having round-the-clock Secret Service protection, are, of course, borne by the taxpayers.
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Bob: If you believe that the Obamas are paying even 1% of the cost of all these “vacations”, you are in La-La land. This latest Hawaii trip is estimated at a Four million tab to the taxpayers. What’s 1% of 4 million?
$40,000.
The President is only responsible for his own costs and the costs of his family, not those of the Secret Service and other essential government personnel. That means he pays his hotel room, first class airfare, meals, etc. Of course it’s only a small percentage of the entire tab, but paying for Secret Service protection, Air Force One, fighter escorts, etc., is the responsibility of the taxpayer.
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Bob: if Obama wants a 4 million dollar vacation, maybe he needs to ask permission from those who will pick up the tab.
That has already been provided by legislation. Obama is not getting a $4 million vacation. Most of the expenditures are government responsibilities, not luxuries provided to the President.
Bob: If this partypotus really needs all that protection, he shouldn’t be let out of Washington… ever.
All U.S. presidents are provided round-the-clock protection for rather obvious reasons. And certainly the President has to be able to travel outside Washington.
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[...] The Lonely Conservative marvels at how out of touch the Obamas are [...]
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Bob: Every penny spent by the government is provided by the taxpayer.
Well, yes. In a representative democracy, revenue is raised by the legislature. It’s called taxation with representation.
Bob: Those presidents could walk the streets alone withour fear.
The first attempted assassination of a U.S. President was in 1835. Since then, several Presidents have been assassination, and many others have been subjected to attempted assassinations. Some of these people had political grievances, others were simply unstable. You can’t allow an individual to override the Constitution and to have a veto over the electoral process.
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Zachriel:You can’t allow an individual to override the Constitution and to have a veto over the electoral process.
Perhaps you can explain how Obama’s actions are any different? He has constistantly ignored the Constitution and is now threatening to rule by exectuive order and ignore the Congress.
Obama is presently occupying the position of president, but he is still an individual… doing the very things you claim individuals must not be allowed to do.
Zachriel:In a representative democracy, revenue is raised by the legislature. It’s called taxation with representation.
We are not a democracy, we are a Republic.
The chief characteristic and distinguishing feature of a Democracy is:
Rule by Omnipotent Majority. In a Democracy, The Individual, and any group of Individuals composing any Minority, have no protection against the unlimited power of The Majority. It is a case of Majority-over-Man.
The definition of a Republic is:
A constitutionally limited government of the representative type, created by a written Constitution–adopted by the people and changeable (from its original meaning) by them only by its amendment–with its powers divided between three separate Branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. Here the term “the people” means, of course, the electorate.
What is it you are refering to when you talk of a “representive democracy”. There is no such thing.
As far as taxes? Why does the government insist that paying yur taxes is voluntary?
Becuase the government knows – even if the majority of citizens do not – that the 16th amendment failed ratification by one vote. That’s not a wild claim, that’s recorded fact.
Philander Knox, Secretary of State, 1909-1913, the Taft Administration, proclaimed the 16th amendment to be ratified just a few days before he left office, even though he knew it had not been legally ratified.
We all pay onerous federal taxes today because of the illegal prolamatin of one man, Philander Knox.
Know your history, then opine.
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Zachriel: In a representative democracy, revenue is raised by the legislature. It’s called taxation with representation.
Bob: We are not a democracy, we are a Republic.
Is the word “representative” confusing you?
Bob: Rule by Omnipotent Majority.
Sorry, that is called majoritarianism, or an ochlocracy. Modern representative democracy has numbers of institutions, both public and private, that form a complex balance of power, including a constitution, divided government, an independent judiciary, corporations and other business entities, political parties, trade organizations, unions, clubs, individuals, etc.
Bob: What is it you are refering to when you talk of a “representive democracy”. There is no such thing.
Wikipedia: “Representative democracy is a variety of democracy founded on the principle of elected people representing a group of people, as opposed to direct democracy.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representative_democracy
Merriam-Webster: “Democracy”, that is, “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections”
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/representative%20democracy
CIA: “Republic – a representative democracy in which the people’s elected deputies (representatives), not the people themselves, vote on legislation.”
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2128.html
Bob: As far as taxes? Why does the government insist that paying yur taxes is voluntary?
Paying taxes is not voluntary—by definition. However, people have the right to vote.
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Continuing Wikipedia’s definition of Representive democracy:
Wikipedia: “There is no necessity that individual liberties be respected in a representative democracy: one that does not is an illiberal democracy. A representative democracy that emphasizes individual liberty is a liberal democracy.”
As I stated, you cannot have just a “representative democracy”. It must be either a liberal democracy or an illiberal democracy.
So there we have it… This administration does not respect individual liberties, so rather than having a non-existant representative democracy, we actually have an illiberal democracy.
According to Plato, democracy is one step away from tyranny, and ultimately degenerates into it. It would seem we are well on the way.
We can play these word games unitl the cows come home if you wish, but it will not change the fact that the founders intended for us to have a “Republic”, and as Benjamin Franklin said, “If you can keep it”.
I missed your comments on the illegality of the 16th amendment.
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Bob: As I stated, you cannot have just a “representative democracy”.
No, Bob. You said “There is no such thing” as a representative democracy. None of this addresses our comments on the topic, of course.
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LOL…
I am right on both counts.
You cannot have a representative democracy, because there is no such thing. Either you have a liberal democracy that recognizes individual liberties, or an illiberal democracy that does not.
And you are right… The original topic was how out of touch the partypotus and his wife are.
By the way…
“Zachriel” is a rather unusual name, so I looked it up.
Definition 1 – Zachriel is an angel that governs memories, and
Definition 2 – Zachriel is a rebellious angel that has been hiding from his kind for many years.
Is that what you fancy yourself as?
A note of interest:
The original Hebrew word that many have translated as “angel” actually means “messenger”.
Another tidbit about angels: Angels were not portrayed with wings until after 300AD, when a nameless stonecarver carved some wings on an angel on a Pope’s crypt, probably Saint Caius, or Gaius. Not surprising, since angels were often described in the bible as not flying, but climbing up ladders to get wherever they were going.
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Bob: You cannot have a representative democracy, because there is no such thing.
We provided valid citations from the dictionary, an encyclopedia, and the U.S. government. Here’s some more:
Encyclopedia Britannica: “Most democracies today are representative. The concept of representative democracy arose largely from ideas and institutions that developed during the European Middle Ages and the Enlightenment and in the American and French Revolutions. Democracy has come to imply universal suffrage, competition for office, freedom of speech and the press, and the rule of law.”
“It is not surprising then, that the significant documents of congressional history are often key documents in American history. These bills, resolutions, petitions, and letters are more than relics of a distant past. They connect us intimately to the great decisions made by our representatives and personalize the lawmaking process in ways no textbook can. In short, the records of Congress document the history of American representative democracy.”
National Archives of the United States of America
Not sure how else we can help you.
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Bob: Meanings change, words are redefined.
There’s glory for you!’
‘I don’t know what you mean by “glory”,’ Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. ‘Of course you don’t — till I tell you. I meant “there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!”‘
‘But “glory” doesn’t mean “a nice knock-down argument”,’ Alice objected.
‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’
‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’
‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.’
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