Imagine the outrage if any Republican President went on vacation during a recession and spent $4,000 a night on accommodations. On ABC’s Good Morning America Wednesday, correspondent Yunji de Nies seemed to suggest that President Obama’s family will be spending such an amount renting expensive living space at an estate house in Hawaii for a two-week Christmas vacation. De Nies: "Christmas trees here aren't cheap – neither is staying in this $8.9 million house, which runs $4,000 a night. The Obamas rented this one and the two next door for family and friends. When you spend that kind of money, people pay attention to detail."
De Nies did not specify exactly how much is being spent or where the money is coming from, though the amount may even be significantly more than $4,000 a day as she related that "the two next door" were also being rented for family and friends of the Obamas. The ABC correspondent also recounted that the estate house overlooks a beach popular with royalty: "But it's the master bedroom and its breathtaking view that is the crown jewel. Kailua Beach has been ranked the island's best, a favorite of Hawaiian royalty."
Anchor George Stephanopoulos gushed over Obama's plans for a two-week getaway to Hawaii as he introduced the report:
Story Continues Below Ad ↓When I last interviewed President Obama in September, he was already pining for his Christmas vacation -- two weeks of sun, shaved ice and surf in Hawaii. Well, it's finally here. Delayed just a little bit by that health care vote, but it's gonna come tomorrow morning. Then the President is taking off. One other big perk of the trip, a magnificent beach house his family is staying in for the second year in a row.
Below is a complete transcript of the piece from the Wednesday, December 23, Good Morning America on ABC:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: When I last interviewed President Obama in September, he was already pining for his Christmas vacation -- two weeks of sun, shaved ice and surf in Hawaii. Well, it's finally here. Delayed just a little bit by that health care vote, but it's gonna come tomorrow morning. Then the President is taking off. One other big perk of the trip, a magnificent beach house his family is staying in for the second year in a row. Yunji de Nies takes us inside for an exclusive look at Obama's winter White House.
DAVE ZIMEL, PARADISE POINTS ESTATE: Welcome.
YUNJI DE NIES: Hello.
ZIMEL: Hi. Welcome to the Obama winter White House.
DE NIES: Wonderful. This is amazing. Step into the Obama winter White House. And it's easy to see why the first family has made this their Hawaiian home away from home.
ZIMEL: You have a chance to relax. You have this large, enclosed area that feels like you're at your own private hotel with lush setting, and it's very peaceful here. It's very quiet.
DE NIES: Dave Zimel owns the property – 7,000 square feet of paradise, large, open spaces built around a lagoon pool. One of the things I noticed when I first walked in here, there's a Christmas tree in the corner. Is that special delivery?
ZIMEL: It is special delivery. There's not a lot of evergreen trees here on the island, so that came over from the mainland.
DE NIES: Christmas trees here aren't cheap – neither is staying in this $8.9 million house, which runs $4,000 a night. The Obamas rented this one and the two next door for family and friends. When you spend that kind of money, people pay attention to detail.
ZIMEL: We brought some things in last year, but we found out what he really loves is the sweet potato chips and the taro chips.
DE NIES: Now, these taro chips, you can't get them anywhere else.
ZIMEL: Oh, this is Hawaiian. This is locals.
DE NIES: President's favorite. Malia and Sasha share a room right next to the pool.
ZIMEL: They could giggle, talk through the night, do whatever they want, and they wouldn't disturb anybody because it's separated from the rest of the house.
DE NIES: And they've got easy access to-
ZIMEL: Their favorite spot, the pool, which they would run out to, and they’d swim.
DE NIES: But it's the master bedroom and its breathtaking view that is the crown jewel. Kailua Beach has been ranked the island's best, a favorite of Hawaiian royalty. And the President has a personal connection to this stretch of sand.
ZIMEL: His grandfather used to take him to Kailua Beach because it's a great swimming beach. And so President Obama, I think he probably learned to swim right out here.
DE NIES: Locals say these waters can't be beat.
TRENTON JEONG, SURFER: You can have the worst day in the world, get in the water for just 10 minutes, catch one wave, and it's all over, and you can start fresh again. Hopefully, they'll get in the ocean and have a good time. So take that back to Washington.
DE NIES: The President has two weeks to soak in the serenity before he heads back to work. For Good Morning America, Yunji de Nies, ABC News, Kailua.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yunji also tells us that the President's Christmas getaway is on the market, and one realtor says the President has expressed some interest in buying it, but no final word on an offer. He’ll have to sell just a few more books.
—Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 07:40 ET by Retired Geek"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6 NIV
------------------------------------
"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1:5, 14 NIV
Tabernacled
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 10:19 ET by misterbee241In verse 14, "made his dwelling" translates from the Greek as literally "tabernacled" with us. The 1st century Jews would have understood this, having a feast of tabernacles, and tabernacles or tents being used by them in the Wilderness for 40 years. The disciples wated to build tabernacles for Jesus, Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration of Jesus. This is a very powerful verse and one of my favorites.
"I dont need to read a newspaper to know the world's been shaved by a drunken barber."
Walter Brennan, The Colonel, Meet John Doe, 1941
Maybe, just maybe......
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 11:01 ET by Patriot IIThe American voters will see what a stinking lying socialist is all about.....this crap of take from the rich and give to the poor......take from EVERYONE and give to this chicago street punk, and his butt kissing entourage!!! Remember this garbage every time you vote.....if you vote dumocrat..you deserve all the garbage you get!!!!!
Obamessiah just doesn't give a rip...
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 09:42 ET by goldenthroatThis whole dialogue makes me want to throw up my Christmas turkey. $4,000 a night? Hey, why should the Annointed One give the south end of a north bound horse how much is being spent on his Christmas "vacation"? He is singlehandedly plunging this country into a debt we'll never get out of and playing the proverbial fiddle while the United Socialist States of America burns.
Yeah, what's a few extra hundred thousand dollars? Totally and completely irresponsible, Osama Bama!
"Inferior people should not be employed." - Firesign Theatre
The money quote:
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 13:02 ET by kg"When I last interviewed President Obama in September, he was already pining for his Christmas vacation."
Well that explains why he couldn't make any decision on Afghanistan.
"DumbAssity of Dope"
kg, not just Afghanistan...
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 14:22 ET by goldenthroatTry everything! Oh, wait a minute...just as long as he has use of a teleprompter...
"I could dance with you until the cows come home. On second thought, I'd rather dance with the cows until you come home." - Groucho Marx
Barack Obama hasn't Even STARTED Spending Yet
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 08:18 ET by Retired GeekOur 'Dear Leader' Barack Obama and his Democrat controlled Congress spent a $1.4 trillion deficit in 2009, with NO end in borrowing and spending in the Foreseeable Future.
A one dollar bill is .0043 inches thick, 1.4 trillion dollars stacked in one dollar bills would be about 95,200 miles high.
Connecticut has 5,544 square miles or 154,557,849,600 square feet, $1,391,020,646,400 dollars (approximated 2009 spending deficit) would completely cover every inch of Connecticut with dollar bills.
Next Years deficit would cover the entire State of New Jersey in dollar bills.
When 'ObamaCare', 'Cap and Trade' and reparations to developing countries for AGW (Anthropogenic Global Warming)or AGC (Anthropogenic Global Cooling) and the Liberal crisis du jour which always must be addressed 'NOW' the time for discussion was over yesterday, Texas will be the next State.
There is NO end to the Liberal Insanity of Barack Obama and his minions.
How much is $1trillion?
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 08:46 ET by motherbeltHow much is $1trillion?
Here is a neat visual aid
One Thousand Billion Dollars
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 10:47 ET by richb313One Trillion is One Thousand Billion or $1,000,000,000,000.00 or 1x10 to the 12th power or 1 with 12 zeros behind it. To give some perspective One year contains 31,536,000 seconds. It would take 31,709.79198 YEARS to get One Trillion Seconds. One Trillion seconds is longer than recorded History.
People get lost with large numbers and they loose meaning. A person can get a handle on a thousand, one hundred thousand and can grasp a Million. If you earn the national average of around $25,000.00 a year it will take 40 years or a lifetime of work to earn a million dollars.
Lets go upscale a bit and say you earn $100,000.00 or one hundred thousand a year it would take only 10 years to earn one million. It would take 10,000 years to earn a billion dollars or 10,000,000 or Ten Million years to earn 1 Trillion dollars.
It is because most people cannot grasp what a huge number a Trillion is that we have lost perspective. If you could spend $1,000.00 dollars a second or $60,000.00 dollars a minute and never take a break, never sleep, never pause in any way, in one year you would have spent $31,536,000,000.00 or over 31 and a half Billion Dollars in 31.71 years spending $1,000.00 a second without a break you could finally have spent One Trillion or $1,000,000,000,000.00 Dollars.
I live in a Town of 25,000 people if every man woman and child earned the National average of $25,000.00 the entire salary of this town would be $625,000,000.00 or 625 Million Dollars a year and in 1600 years the Entire Population of the town, every man woman and child, would have generated One Trillion Dollars.
Play a few games with a good calculator to reference large numbers to something you can understand to really see how signifigant they are. We just add another three zeros and we get to a Trillion from a Billion. Zeros or decimal places have no impact but real world experiences do.
Yes, Rich...big numbers are hard to grasp
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 10:57 ET by BlondeHere is a useful visualization....but I did the math a while back when I first saw this video, and I think he'd have to snip that penny a few more times. Not up to doing it again this morning....but you get my drift.
A Merry Christmas to you and yours. Happy Motoring in 2010, and may we dump our Critter(s), each and every one.
Kailua Beach has been
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 08:41 ET by motherbeltKailua Beach has been ranked the island's best, a favorite of
Hawaiian royalty. And the President has a personal connection to this
stretch of sand.
Well, of course, he does! Isn't HE Hawaiian royalty????
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
Motherbelt, the question still remains...
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 10:33 ET by goldenthroatIs he even Hawaiian - or American?
"Who am us, anyway?" - Firesign Theatre
Double standards
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 08:58 ET by Texndoc"Imagine the outrage if any Republican President went on vacation during a recession and spent $4,000 a night on accommodations."
There have been so many double standards ("Imagine if Bush...") with this administration that this barely rates a blip on the screen with me. You know, it's not always bad news and complaining - here's a ray of sunshine: the liberals are arguing with their liberal press now: did Messiah promise a "public option" while on the campaign or not? Can even those moonbats be awakened from their long sleep not holding a lapdog slobbering media into account? Can they NOW be actually asking "What? He did too, media - he lied!" ???
Back to the topic: when's the last Christmas when the media didn't cover the President and his family attending Christmas services at a church? They're still "looking", aren't the Obamas?
Own places
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 10:30 ET by misterbee241At least Reagan, Bush I and Bush II had their own places to go to. Liberal democrats are bums who own nothing and have to bum from others and they bum from us to pay for it. Clinton was another good example.
"I dont need to read a newspaper to know the world's been shaved by a drunken barber."
Walter Brennan, The Colonel, Meet John Doe, 1941
Other people's money
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 09:03 ET by Red JeepHey, BO is using other people's money to stay there. What does he care?
Yes
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 11:51 ET by Worriedisn't it wonderful the Slavemaster himself steals our money for his pleasures and then the schmucks in his media thinks he's wonderful for doing it.
Gag.
Obama's Winter Wonderland
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 09:11 ET by GeneZThis is infuriating. I am out of work (company just went under, partly economy, partly mis management). and thinking about how to pay my taxes and bills and he's burning thru $4K a day??? It boggles the mind. I have to say, I have never disliked anyone like I do this president. I am seeing the destruction of our country right before our eyes and I fear for the futures of my children. Obama obviously has no clue about the real world / regular people and does not care.
I barely make 4k a month now
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 09:26 ET by smgxI barely make 4k a month now in this recession.
And he rented 2 other homes for friends and family. Wow, a entourage.
I wonder if he took his Aunt from Boston with him, give her a break from the public housing project that she's been living in for years.
Every macdaddy has to have
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 10:32 ET by misterbee241Every macdaddy has to have an entourage. A posse as it were.
"I dont need to read a newspaper to know the world's been shaved by a drunken barber."
Walter Brennan, The Colonel, Meet John Doe, 1941
I only make $1500/mo. It
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 15:32 ET by Chris M-GI only make $1500/mo. It would take me several years to afford such a thing.
W got ripped for simply going to his place
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 10:26 ET by jondelwicheduring a war. This guy is a clown---he is always traveling abroad, he shows no compassion for the millions of displaced workers, especially here: dont you think somebody would be low key during these horrible economic times??? He and his media lapdogs
have no common sense. Wonder why his approval ratings are at record lows for a first year guy? It is crap like this. My 54 yo brother was canned in Sept, has few job prospects, and he despises the pure arrogance of this alleged "leader."
2 houses next door for family and friends?
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 10:30 ET by shirtsbyericSo Aunti Zetuni is spending Christmas in Hawaii?
What about his half brother
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 14:01 ET by RedNeckinaBlueStateWhat about his half brother in Kenya living on $10 a month. Or is it a year?
→ No relation
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 14:08 ET by Cool ArrowDaddy was a modern-day "Johnny Obamaseed"
Drive a democrat useful idiot crazy
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 11:46 ET by tarunkjuyalKeep asking "How is that hope and change working out for you?"
Then with a straight face, "Did 0bama buy you a car, yet? No? Well, I got mine."
The typical democrat voter is not sharp enough to know whether you are joking or not, and it will drive them crazy.
Royalty?
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 11:49 ET by WorriedSo you mean Obama is right up there with King Kamehameha?
NEVER, EVER will Obama will be considered royalty.
SLAVEMASTER yes, KING no.
Worried
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 13:47 ET by kangarooIt's King ComeonIwantalayya,
cause he is screwing us is he not
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on"--Thomas Jefferson
Merry
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 11:56 ET by jessieHMerry Christmas! Now would be a good time for a sunami.
Now that would be a gift to all
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 12:05 ET by Worriedof us.
Merry Christmas!
well if...
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 12:04 ET by NDanielsonthese places rent out at $4,000 a night, the article says he rented 2 others for family and freinds, so is that 3X $4,000, or $12,000 a night?
my rudimentary math says...
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 12:11 ET by NDanielsonhe can stay there for about 83.3 million nights and still have change for a trillion dollars. that's about 228 thousand years...
Taro chips>
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 12:08 ET by StarAZTaro chips? What happened to the $100 a lb beef? And it's not like the guy has not been on a trip! Oh, well, it's tiring being pragmatic.
Look at it this way
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 12:10 ET by StarAZWhen he "went" to Capitol Hill with that health idea, it cost us everything! Four grand a nite is nothing.
Christmas at the WH is
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 13:05 ET by KevroyChristmas at the WH is Americana Deluxe. It is without a doubt one of the most beautifully decorated places in the entire country during the holidays. Anybody who has been lucky enough to visit the WH during xmas would tell you that.
You would think that the Obama's would respect that and revere that. This is their FIRST xmas in the WH and instead of enjoying it, they jet off to HI at the taxpayers expense. This creep does not love our country.
Why doesn't he ever....
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 13:40 ET by Irene Flick...go home to Chicago? Hawaii has enough problems with the imperial Two Dans in charge.
Poster boys for TERM LIMITS FOR ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS!
And, yes, I am shouting.
He's not really..
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 14:15 ET by sam12663from Chicago. Obama is actually a transplant and has no ties to the town. He merely lived there as a means to a political end.Tis the season in Democratland.
President Obama is nothing more than a lying empty suit; a Hollywood
style special effects smoke and mirrors show that has shown itself to
be a total fraud.
WAKE UP AMERICA! SAVE OUR CONSTITUTION!
Sam, Obama the transplant
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 14:17 ET by botgdo you think he intentionally sought out the one political town with a methodology closest to his own?
“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” -- Chief Justice John Roberts
He's not really..
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 15:06 ET by jon_torlinfrom America is the more accurate statement to make.
There's NO proof that he is from this country.
-Jon
The Media Has Always Loved Royalty.
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 14:22 ET by TenebrousEver notice that? The media adores royalty, no matter its form. Whether it's the brutal monarchs of Saudi Arabia, the affable Queen of England, the media lines up to lick their boots. That's why they've wanted an American royalty for as long as I can remember, going back at least to JFK if not before. There's a reason why they refer to that as "Camelot", right? The media is nothing but ladies in a royal court, passing around gossip about the color of the king's underwear. They are wholly unfit for a nation of free people.
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www.Random-jumbled-thoughts.blogspot.com
All I know is if I had a
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 15:03 ET by JerAll I know is if I had a nickel for every "if this had been a Republican" lament, well...I would have a whole bunch of nickels.
Jer
All I know is if I had a
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 15:12 ET by botgAll I know is if I had a nickel for every biased report by the MSM, well...I would have a whole bunch of nickels.
so Jer are people supposed to be quiet after the first thousand lies by the media?
“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” -- Chief Justice John Roberts
All I know is, if I had a
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 15:18 ET by MrShyAll I know is, if I had a nickel for every time I could prove a Republican lament to not be completely valid, I would be practically penniless.... well, nickel-less.
Secret Service gets to be away from their family for Christmas
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 16:09 ET by Daniel BakerA gift from Obama.
Palin was just there taking her book royalty vacation too.
-------------------------------------------
Liberal judges are the high priests of redefined marriage. Good men want freedom, Evil men want license
In Your Wildest Dreams
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 17:13 ET by countmein5050Just for Jer: Imagine a Republican getting away with something like this during a recession. Bush couldn't do it during a time the economy was booming!!! Liberals are seriously the most two-faced bunch of people on earth. Selective deafness....selective recall....selective in any detail they choose. They simply 'don't recall' and when confronted, 'rewrite history' to suit themselves. It's a sad day we have such an arrogant and selectively cognizant President leading this country down the tubes...if his own arrogance doesn't bring him down first.
Am I paying for this?
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 17:48 ET by rfpzzzzzMy hope is that this lying politician is paying for this out of his own pocket or at least not mine. Good luck with that! He should be at Camp David because in a few short years he won't be able to go there again. I would pay to have Bush back again. He could bomb Iran or whatever he wanted but at least he vacationed at Crawford or Camp David or his parents place and didn't want to do away with the Nativity at Christmas. No one disrespectfully wastes as much of our money on greedy living as a politician who incessantly talks about helping the poor with our money.
yeah, you're paying and so is everyone else
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 23:58 ET by jon_torlinWe should demand our money back. Not that we'll get it.
I miss Bush in office, hell, I miss Clinton compared to today! But the Constitution(amended) says two terms only. We've got enough Constitutional laws being broken by Congress and this illegal administration that I wouldn't want to break it again just to have someone back. I'm certainly not ready for anarchy yet.
-Jon
Lemmings in the msm, and
Sat, 12/26/2009 - 08:08 ET by bigtimerLemmings in the msm, and elsewhere are still following'Walks on Water' in this mode.
Idiots all.
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
Criminal theft is a hard habit to break
Sat, 12/26/2009 - 11:37 ET by Ruler4YouHe was a ACORN lawyer for "all his adult life", he is used to stealing professionaly and can't resist the opportunity to take something that doesn't belong to him. It's a different mentality than a normally balanced mind.