Obama Swing-State Visits Surpass George W. Bush's Record

[Conservative]

Obama Swing-State Visits Surpass George W. Bush's Record | Fox News

When President Barack Obama jets to Scranton, Pa., Wednesday to promote his jobs package, he'll log his 56th event in a presidential battleground state this year, putting him well ahead of President George W. Bush's record-breaking swing-state travel in 2003.

Obama's extensive travels this year have opened the president to criticism from Republicans that he is intertwining campaigning and governing at a time when he has called for bipartisanship on intractable national problems. Most of the cost is typically born by taxpayers.

Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 17 of his third year in office, Bill Clinton held 40 events over 24 days in the battlegrounds of his time, according to data compiled by Brendan Doherty, a US Naval Academy assistant professor who is widely viewed among political scientists as an expert on presidential travel. Over that same stretch, George W. Bush held 49 events in 34 days, drawing complaints from Democrats.

Obama has surpassed his predecessors in both categories; as of Nov. 17, he attended 54 events in 11 battleground states over 42 days. "Obama has certainly ramped up the volume," said Doherty, author of a forthcoming book called "The Rise of the President's Permanent Campaign."

Where's the complaints from the Dems now?

Presidential travel tied to official business, such as promoting legislation -- in this case, Obama's jobs' bill -- is paid for by taxpayers. Purely political events are paid for out of campaign funds. If the trip includes both, the cost is split. Much of the president's travel has been connected to official business.

Yeah... and it all just 'happens' to be in states he needs to carry for re-election. Total coincidence, huh.