Clinton Already Thinks She’s President
[Yesterday], Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama shared a moment in the campaign spotlight in North Carolina. Obama’s active support of Clinton is not what has stirred controversy. Rather, the controversy is the in which Obama and Clinton traveled to North Carolina together.
Clinton and Obama flew on one of the most magnificent aircrafts on earth – Air Force One. The plane is 4,000 square feet and has three floors. It has a medical suite that can function as an operating room, walk in freezer and enough space to feed 100 people at a time. It comes with a private bedroom, kitchen and office that is surrounded by the most sophisticated military equipment on earth.
This flying wonderland, however, costs the American taxpayers nearly $200,000 per hour. Clinton’s luxurious travel conditions seem almost hypocritical for a candidate who argues that her greatest strength is her passionate “commitment to helping people.” Yet, she travels to campaign stops at a cost per hour that is four times the median household income in the United States.
By law, Clinton will have to reimburse the government for “her” share of the travels. Still, those will be only a few thousand dollars, a fraction of the actual costs. This is perfect fodder for the liberal media; we would expect them deplore such extravagance from the candidate of the people. Instead, they defend the use of the jet by defending Obama.
The Washington Post acknowledges that the president is on call “24 hours a day and seven days a week, and he has to fly on Air Force One.” The article, like many in the liberal press, have long argued that all recent presidents have used Air Force One to campaign.
The Post even highlights a quote from former President Ronald Reagan, who supposedly turned a campaign event into an official event (presidential candidates must reimburse part of the cost of Air Force One for campaign events) on a trip to Ohio, “[T]his is a bipartisan meeting, so I’m not going to tell you how proud I am of Congressman Bud Brown and what an invaluable all he’s been in the fight against big government in Washington.”
With a parting shot, the Post speculates that Trump may have reacted very differently to Reagan’s use of Air Force One. But the liberal media is comparing apples and oranges. Reagan was a sitting president, Clinton is not. While taxpayers should question the use of a taxpayer funds for a flying mansion during campaigns, a president does require protection. On the other hand, Clinton is not the President.
Perhaps traveling with the President to a similar location made sense. But where does it end?
It may not be unethical for Clinton to campaign on taxpayer dollars that are designated to the current president, but it certainly seems to violate the spirit of government ethics. The nominee for president should not already have access to funds made available to the executive office.
Who knows, maybe I’m just being ridiculous for assuming the word “ethics” and “Clinton” can coexist in the same article. I suppose we all know the answer to that. (For more from the author of “Clinton Already Thinks She’s President” please click HERE)
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