Joe Biden's trip abroad $322K limo bill ON TOP of $1million hotel stays

[idb]

Every job has it's perks.
I get to keep all the grocery trolleys from work that get damaged in the carpark.

 

[Borillar]

Mr Biden and Mr Cameron are expected to discuss the security situation in Africa and the future of the UK's relationship with the European Union.

The visit comes shortly after President Barack Obama raised concerns over Mr Cameron's plans to hold an in/out referendum on EU membership, telling the prime minister in a phone call that the US "values a strong UK in a strong European Union".

Also likely to be on the agenda are the security situation in north Africa, Iran's nuclear programme and the continuing uprising in Syria.

Mr Biden will meet Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on his arrival in the UK on Tuesday, before having a working lunch with Mr Cameron in 10 Downing Street, the US Embassy in London confirmed.

BBC News - US Vice-President Joe Biden to visit Downing Street



But to hell with talking about unimportant stuff like Iran's nukular program, or China making dangerous inroads into Africa.

Let's talk about Biden's hotel bill. That's what matters!


Bachmann for Prez 2014!

They should have stayed at Motel 6 with the continental breakfast. They could have saved a buck or 2.

 

[tinydancer]

Why 100 rooms? Who was in his entourage?

I think it's reasonable to question this. One half million dollars for a one night stay? Not even a corporate rate?

Oh and here's the contract that was released. Nothing to do with Bachmann.

And I sure as hell hope they got a free continental breakfast for this price. Sheesh.

VPOTUS January / February 2013 - Hotel in Paris
Solicitation Number:

Agency: Department of State

Office: European Posts

Location: U.S. Embassy Paris, France

Notice Details
Packages

Original Synopsis
Feb 14, 2013
8:58 am


Notice Type:
Award Notice
Contract Award Date:
January 28, 2013


Contract Award Number:
SFR63013D0004


Contract Award Dollar Amount:
585,000.50


Contractor Awarded Name:
HOTEL INTERCONTINENTAL PARIS LE GRAND

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=3d47ac64ca9e991844815680e18e454f

Actually, when our top people visit foreign countries, an entire floor has to be sealed off the floor for safety purposes. Nowadays, they have to have a small army of Secret Service agents who are trained in thwarting terrorist attackers, and possibly our own food service people to avoid poisoning incidents. Ventilation systems have to be checked and free of toxic products, debugging experts have to check for surveillance stuff, etc. These things aren't cheap.

Oh I've had some fun with this. See my Dear Dave email . I understand the security issues.

But when we're talking half a million a night just for accomodations for a one day meeting with Hollande and one day meeting with Cameron one has to ask what are the results of these meetings.

Besides the nice pictures.

Asking basically what did your taxpayers dollars get you?

 

[tinydancer]

I think we should weigh this against Dick Cheney's contribution to getting us into the 2 trillion dollar Iraq War.

Throwing in LBJ's Vietnam war is about as relevant to this OP as Cheney/Iraq for heaven's sake.

Sheesh.

 

[TheSeventhTiger]

you have to wonder why Biden never holds an open question press conference. you can pretty much predict what the press will ask him. anyone wanna guess?

 

[TheSeventhTiger]

you have to wonder why Biden never holds an open question press conference. you can pretty much predict what the press will ask him. anyone wanna guess?

Vice President Bozo! Vice President Bozo!, in 2012 you made a comment regarding slavery, and removing them from chains. can you please enlighten us and tell us what states still practice slavery, and do they still pick cotton?

 

[Clementine]

It sort of takes one's breath away. I don't expect any world leader to stay at a Holiday Inn. I understand security issues.

But seriously 100 rooms rented out? A million dollars for two nights?

Vice President Joe Biden's costly trip to London and Paris last month just got more expensive.

A newly uncovered receipt from the February trip shows the vice president's office spent $321,665 to a limousine company in London, in addition to the previously reported hotel tabs of $459,338 for one night's stay in the city and and $585,000 for a night in Paris.

State department officials say Biden's staff members, who are not allowed to drive themselves, used the limo company to get around the city. Biden's limousine was flown in from the U.S.

Hot spot: Biden rented out more than 100 rooms in the Hotel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand


During his trip in late February, Biden spent the night at two five-star hotels - one night at the Hyatt Regency London for a total of $459,338.65 and another night at the Hotel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand for $585,000.50.



Joe Biden's trip abroad gets even costlier with 322K limo bill ON TOP of 1million hotel stays | Mail Online

What a relief to know that the sequester hasn't affected the traveling habits of our elite leaders.

 

[tinydancer]

I could have made this guarantee work for the American taxpayer. Keeeeeeeeeeeeding.

And inquiring minds want to know....who collects the Priority Club Rewards? At half a million dollars per stay, surely Biden's getting a lot of points here.



I just hope they got free donuts and coffee for that price.

 

[TheSeventhTiger]

why couldn't Bozo just rent out a local Motel 6?

 

[rightwinger]

We get these stories every few weeks....and when the REAL story comes out, Conservatives scamper away waiting for the nest...

Gubmint is wasting our money story


Joe Biden? What did you grow tired of the Michelle Obama wastes our money stories?

 

[KnobbyWalsh]

We get these stories every few weeks....and when the REAL story comes out, Conservatives scamper away waiting for the nest...

Gubmint is wasting our money story


Joe Biden? What did you grow tired of the Michelle Obama wastes our money stories?

False News also got caught lying when it was about Obama's travel prices. It's expensive, sure, but this is just more winger hyperbole. People don't understand how highly involved presidential travel is. I was involved in two of them - Reagan in 83 came to our college campus to speak and I was on the campus police force. Secret Service was in a month ahead of time. Hell, we had to undergo extensive background checks. White House police and Lord knows who else for weeks before a few hour speech/dinner. You felt a military presence when he came.

 

[tinydancer]

We get these stories every few weeks....and when the REAL story comes out, Conservatives scamper away waiting for the nest...

Gubmint is wasting our money story


Joe Biden? What did you grow tired of the Michelle Obama wastes our money stories?

False News also got caught lying when it was about Obama's travel prices. It's expensive, sure, but this is just more winger hyperbole. People don't understand how highly involved presidential travel is. I was involved in two of them - Reagan in 83 came to our college campus to speak and I was on the campus police force. Secret Service was in a month ahead of time. Hell, we had to undergo extensive background checks. White House police and Lord knows who else for weeks before a few hour speech/dinner. You felt a military presence when he came.

Oh screw off with "False News" bullshit. I never linked to Fox.

Can't you get some new material? If you are thrilled to death over Biden spending over half a million bucks on a one night stay just say so.

This is a government link.

VPOTUS January / February 2013 - Hotel in Paris
Solicitation Number:

Agency: Department of State

Office: European Posts

Location: U.S. Embassy Paris, France

Notice Details
Packages

Original Synopsis
Feb 14, 2013
8:58 am


Notice Type:
Award Notice
Contract Award Date:
January 28, 2013


Contract Award Number:
SFR63013D0004


Contract Award Dollar Amount:
585,000.50


Contractor Awarded Name:
HOTEL INTERCONTINENTAL PARIS LE GRAND

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=3d47ac64ca9e991844815680e18e454f

 

[FJO]

Seeing Joe Biden's all too frequent verbal slip-ups, the British Prime Minister and the French President were probably treated to a hilarious and fun-filled good time at American tax-payers' expense.

 

[rightwinger]

We get these stories every few weeks....and when the REAL story comes out, Conservatives scamper away waiting for the nest...

Gubmint is wasting our money story


Joe Biden? What did you grow tired of the Michelle Obama wastes our money stories?

False News also got caught lying when it was about Obama's travel prices. It's expensive, sure, but this is just more winger hyperbole. People don't understand how highly involved presidential travel is. I was involved in two of them - Reagan in 83 came to our college campus to speak and I was on the campus police force. Secret Service was in a month ahead of time. Hell, we had to undergo extensive background checks. White House police and Lord knows who else for weeks before a few hour speech/dinner. You felt a military presence when he came.

What is generally missing from these posts:

1. All the facts
2. A sense of scope. Why we are there, how many people
3. Historical perspective. Is this expenditure out of line with what is typically spent

Other than that, it is typical rightwing whining about they should stay at Motel 6 and ride city buses and eat MREs

 

[eflatminor]

I bet you cannot even tell us, without looking, why Biden went to England and France, can you.

I can't, which may be part of the problem. If this ultra expensive trip was so important, I would think the reason for travelling should be apparent.

You really want the leader of the richest country on Earth, who is the target of many, scrimping like a pauper?

I remember a guy in my neighborhood growing up that always had a new Cadillac. We thought he was rich. Then got laid off and the bank repossessed his shiny car...and his house. He looked rich but was in fact just in debt.

With $16 trillion in the hole, I don't think they should 'scrimp like a pauper' but I also think they should be far more frugal with other people's money. Half million dollar per night hotel bills are not reasonable.

I get and appreciate your point here, I just think Biden went too far.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

I understand security issues.

No you don't.

But seriously 100 rooms rented out? A million dollars for two nights?

Do you think it would have been cheaper for the Secret Service to perform thorough background checks on every single hotel guest that would have been present in the other 99 rooms if they had been rented out to regular customers? Many of the guests would not be U.S. citizens - so its not like they can just go and pull their criminal records from the FBI and state police agencies, they'd have to work with every single foreign government from where the guests were from, its beurocratic nightmare and I doubt the federal employees that perform such services come cheap. And they'd also have to monitor the guests as the enter and leave their rooms to ensure they are the same pre-approved people. Not to mention I'm sure the hotel would charge extra for the inconvenience caused to these guests, as many of them would surely demand a lower hotel bill for the inconvenience of having to pass through U.S. Secret Service security every time they enter the floor the VP is staying on. Don't forget the extra manpower needed to secure the floor - extra agents that would have to be flown in, paid per diems, and put up in rooms themselves. And even if you did all that and did it the best way possible, its still not going to be as safe as simply renting the entire floor.

Issues like these are the reason experienced professionals handle security for the PResident and Vice President not some armchair message board wacko who thinks he can determine whether a security bill is too high based on gut feewing awone.

 

[tinydancer]

A million and a half dollars for just two nights accomodations and limo service and the left wing thinks that just by questioning these expenses we're whining?



$1,500,000 for 48 hours = $31,250.00 per hour.

 

[tinydancer]

I understand security issues.

No you don't.

But seriously 100 rooms rented out? A million dollars for two nights?

Do you think it would have been cheaper for the Secret Service to perform thorough background checks on every single hotel guest that would have been present in the other 99 rooms if they had been rented out to regular customers? Many of the guests would not be U.S. citizens - so its not like they can just go and pull their criminal records from the FBI and state police agencies, they'd have to work with every single foreign government from where the guests were from, its beurocratic nightmare and I doubt the federal employees that perform such services come cheap. And they'd also have to monitor the guests as the enter and leave their rooms to ensure they are the same pre-approved people. Not to mention I'm sure the hotel would charge extra for the inconvenience caused to these guests, as many of them would surely demand a lower hotel bill for the inconvenience of having to pass through U.S. Secret Service security every time they enter the floor the VP is staying on. Don't forget the extra manpower needed to secure the floor - extra agents that would have to be flown in, paid per diems, and put up in rooms themselves. And even if you did all that and did it the best way possible, its still not going to be as safe as simply renting the entire floor.

Issues like these are the reason experienced professionals handle security for the PResident and Vice President not some armchair message board wacko who thinks he can determine whether a security bill is too high based on gut feewing awone.

We know how those experienced professionals handle security now don't we?



I'm sure the hookers were more expensive in Paris and London as compared to South American hookers.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

A million and a half dollars for just two nights accomodations and limo service and the left wing thinks that just by questioning these expenses we're whining?



$1,500,000 for 48 hours = $31,250.00 per hour.

Please give us an itemized list of cost to perform background checks and secure the floor for the 99 other rooms had they been rented to regular customers.

I'm sure you've performed that kind of analysis, right? Otherwise your entire OP is based on per speculation.

Thanks.


p.s. - also, how come you didn't notice these kinds of things before Obama took office?

 

[tinydancer]

A million and a half dollars for just two nights accomodations and limo service and the left wing thinks that just by questioning these expenses we're whining?



$1,500,000 for 48 hours = $31,250.00 per hour.

Please give us an itemized list of cost to perform background checks and secure the floor for the 99 other rooms had they been rented to regular customers.

I'm sure you've performed that kind of analysis, right? Otherwise your entire OP is based on per speculation.

Thanks.


p.s. - also, how come you didn't notice these kinds of things before Obama took office?

I always have noticed taxpayer dollars spent. I was reading about ex President's expense accounts and I flipped.

No limit on the necessary security details assigned to each of them of course, but considering they are all wealthy in their own right what the hell are taxpayers doing paying for ex Presidents postage expenses and the like?

I'm very bipartisan on this. I'll bitch about both sides.