President’s Dog Airlifted at Enormous Expense to Taxpayers? Debunking Claims Made Against Budget Cuts

by Hans Bader on August 13, 2013

In response to the automatic budget cuts contained in the sequester, President Obama canceled public tours of the White House, citing inadequate funds. But recently, he had his dog airlifted to Obama’s holiday home. As the Associated Press notes, “Bo, the Obama family’s beloved dog, arrived for the holiday in a MV-22 Osprey aircraft. He will enjoy an eight-day holiday with plenty of manicured grass to run around in. The Obama’s dog has arrived for the family’s annual vacation in style, jetting in on a state-of-the-art aircraft with his own contingent of security agents.” Such an enormous expense seems to be in tension with White House claims of austerity. “Obviously, when you’re president of the United States, you carry a little baggage when you travel,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. (The news site MSN also notes the First Dog “travels with his own motorcade“). It’s not certain the primary purpose of the airlift was to transport the president’s dog, as Ed Morrisey notes; MSN says it may also have carried additional White House staff not responsible for handling or transporting the dog…..To Read More…..