Two of the Obamas are in the Bahamas, but not everybody is happy about that. While first daughters Sasha and Malia enjoy some Caribbean sun, GOP congressman Steve King has been getting into a lather about the cost of their vacation.
King was taking phonecalls as part of an interview on an Iowa talk radio show when one caller complained it was “hard to stomach” watching the girls take a vacation.
“When we’re tightening our belts, either all of us should do it or none of us should do it,” opined the caller, adding, “This – I am pretty tolerant, I always have been, I usually shut my mouth. This is not acceptable.”
King, as it happens, agreed wholeheartedly with the caller . He said: “You’re on point. [President Obama] sent the daughters to spring break in Mexico a year ago. That was at our expense, too, and now to the Bahamas at one of the most expensive places there. That is the wrong image to be coming out of the White House.”
The Obamas use their own money to pay for family vacations, but many critics argue that the security costs associated with travel are difficult to justify. Indeed, President Obama’s own vacations have attracted plenty of flak in the past. Conservative sites and blogs have previously attacked the Obamas’ 2011 Hawaii vacation, which reportedly cost the taxpayer around $4 million.
However, Obama has also taken significantly less vacation time than many previous presidents. President Bush spent 1,020 days on vacation over the eight years of his presidency, a huge figure compared to the 131 days taken by Obama during his first term.
This is not the first time the Obama daughters have been targeted by rival politicians. Back in January , the National Rifle Association labeled President Obama a “hypocrite” for dismissing the idea of armed school guards when his own daughters attended a school with guards. It was later revealed the guards at Sasha and Malia’s were unarmed.
What do you make of the ‘Obamas in Bahamas’ furore? Sound off in the comments.
