Guiness could use a good man like RFENST !

* American warships to patrol off Mumbai during visit
* Coconuts removed from trees as a precaution
* 250 U.S. business executives with Obama on 'biggest ever trade mission'
* $200million Asia trip cost denied but the President will have huge entourage


President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle arrived in India's commercial hub of Mumbai on Saturday, days after voters punished his Democrats in mid-term elections.

Probably not since the days of the Pharaohs or the more ludicrous Roman Emperors has a head of state travelled in such pomp and expensive grandeur as the President of the United States of America.

While lesser mortals – the Pope, Queen Elizabeth and so on – are usually happy to let their hosts handle most of the security and transport arrangements when they venture beyond their home shores, the United States creates a mini-America on the move to ensure that nothing is left to chance.

Obama arrives in India at the start of a ten-day tour of Asia. At the heart of the White House caravan is ‘The Beast’, a gigantic, ‘pimped-up’ General Motors Cadillac which security experts say is, short of an actual battle tank, probably the safest road vehicle on the planet.

But an outlandish car is only the start. Mr Obama will fly, of course, on Air Force One, the presidential private jumbo jet, which, boasting double beds and suites, is fitted out more like a luxury yacht. Some reports suggest it costs around $50,000 (£31,000) an hour to operate.

Of course threats can come from any direction, so a squadron of U.S. naval ships will patrol offshore. Some reports have claimed that 34 ships, including two aircraft carriers, will be involved (not far off the size of the Royal Navy’s entire Surface Fleet) but the White House has denied this.


On land, as well as The Beast, Mr Obama’s entourage will travel in a fleet of 45 U.S.-built armoured limousines, half of which will be decoys. He will also travel with 30 elite sniffer dogs, mostly German Shepherds.

The White House has, according to some reports, booked the entire Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, the city’s most luxurious. It is not uncommon for the grander heads of state to reserve a floor or two, but a whole hotel is unprecedented.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326962/Obamas-India-visit-security-erect-bomb-proof-tunnel-Gandhi-museum.html#ixzz14ZXwrZuu 

The trade deal is worth $100 bajillion million zillion and will create/save/assist/somewhat support/loosely correspond to infinity to the second power jobs.

Making up numbers to justify things is fun!

\:d/

So we sold them a couple of planes, and they're going to open a bunch more call centers to outsource US product support.

Got that about right? Couldn't we just have announced that in a minor press conference?

Are these in addition to the 2.5 million new jobs pledged by 2011?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/11/obama-pledges-t.html 

If accurate and there are 2.5 million new jobs, then "yes" But, I 'm sure you hope he is wrong, the 2.5 million jobs don't come and that no good comes of anything he or others might do. Just keep on ragging and complaining so constructively. That is exactly whatour country and political system need to improve!

Actually, I hope the current administration's policies generate 25 million new jobs and balance the budget in one fell swoop but I don't see that ever happening through strategies like central planning, socialized medicine, and the proposed carbon emissions legislation.

What have I personally done to be constructive? I'd say most recently by actively supporting and eventually voting for conservative candidates in the last election, including one conservative Democrat.

I don't see that happening through any strategy, no matter who our President is and/or who is in or controlsthe legilature. But, back to the issue in the title of this thread: Presidtential travel.

I'll give credit when and if credit is due. When it comes to job creation in the private sector, so far all I've seen from the current administration is mostly political rhetoric and feel-good hot air.

So it remains to be seen if this undeniably expensive junket yields any tangible benefits to the American taxpayers, who are paying for it.

You righties would have a little more cred if you had been bitchin about the 2 billion dollars that was being spent on Iraq War per week. Now it just looks like you can't find anything this president does is right.

So,maybe the trip costs a bit less than reported.

So what? Obama sucks and his wife has a giant azz....

Wouldn't it be good to have another country on th U.N. Security Counsel, who might vote "NO" with us from time to time? Or, should we be concerned with dilluting our vote by way of expansion? Simple gestures towards others, whether or not immediately effective, can help build stornger ties, can't they?:-k

http://www.rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/9000/25949122/Obama_supports_India_on_UN_Security_Council 

Much more important: Is your avitar Dr. Strangelove?

No cred either in campaigning on ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and bringing the troops back home, and failing to do that as promised. Or creating millions of new jobs, and failing that as promised. Or getting the economy back on track.

No cred either in blaming the previous administration for every current failure. Bush has been gone for two years, and things have either stayed stagnant or gotten worse. So yeah, other than Obama's pledge to more effectively regulate in Wall Street...a dubious pledge at best since one of his major campaign fund contributors was Goldman Sachs...there isn't much done right so far.

In an ideal world, yes they can. I hope for all our sakes this is the case.

We might as well give them our Security Council seat in exchange for 5 million jobs.

Obama is begging with tin cup in hand.

Hello Pot meet Mr Kettle...