President Obama, First Lady Take Separate Planes To L.A. On Same Day

Separate planes from D.C. to Los Angeles on the same day?

Yes, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama did just that, and it has Fox News’ Off the Record star, Greta Van Susteren, furious, or “outraged,” to be more precise.

Greta took the Obamas to task on a recent edition of her show, calling the actions “so selfish!”

“You won’t believe what the president and first lady Michelle Obama did to you… There are Americans working really hard in this country to pay taxes and this is what the president and first lady do to the American taxpayer? Really? That’s so cold.”

While Van Susteren said that she was all for the President and First Lady traveling comfortably and safely, it made little sense that he would fly on a jet to L.A. for events on the same day as his wife, and the two would put the American taxpayers out for double the cost.

In the past, Michelle Obama has been soundly criticized for the expenses on some of her clothes, vacations, etc., and the Obama family’s frequent treks to Martha’s Vineyard have not escaped the watchful eyes of conservative blogs.

To this, many point out that President Obama isn’t the only U.S. President to take vacations — sometimes lavish ones — at the taxpayer’s expense. Furthermore, the amount of time that Obama has spent on vacation has been less than some other Presidents.

While it’s not clear if the move to take separate planes to the same location on the same day is unprecedented, to Greta Van Susteren, it doesn’t matter.

“I’m not sure if other First Ladies and Presidents did this, but if so, they were wrong, too.”

Fox News ran calculations on just how much the double-trip might have cost, and found that Obama traveled on Air Force One, which is around “$200,000 per flight hour,” or $1 million for a “coast-to-coast trip.” Michelle Obama’s flight reportedly costs $28,000 per hour, or $140,000.

Obama was flying for last week’s Jimmy Kimmel appearance and a Democratic fundraiser. Michelle was appearing with Ellen DeGeneres.

The whole shebang would have been a minimum $1.14 million price tag — not the most expensive trip ever taken but something that, on principle, continues to give Obama’s opponents something to be angry about.

But what do you think about the trip, readers? Was it bad judgment to take separate planes on a coast-to-coast trip the same day, or is this more reaching by conservatives?

Share your thoughts in the comments section.

[Image via K2 images / Shutterstock]