[silverleaf]

So give us the REAL numbers!

And also the amount paid by those 21 freeloader relatives and friends as compensation

Ditto with the trip to Spain with a posse of 30, all to have lunch with the Queen...

[blueyon]

So how much did we pay for her children....I mean “staff” to go?

[sodpoodle]

***The hourly rate is not the marginal cost of operating the plane—it is an accounting figure that prices in a number of fixed costs from maintaining the Air Force fleet for this kind of plane over a year.***

Bifurcated bookkeeping???

Who else used this plane ‘over the year’?

[Dapper 26]

The modern day “let them eat cake” crowd. The Obama’s are the classic “poor white trash” with apologies to America’s poor white trash.

[Lazlo in PA]

Everywhere this WH turns anymore, there is just damaging embarrassment. The Regime were partying like rock stars all through this term and now they are surprised they are being called on it.

[Night Hides Not]

Although the overall amount is small, the fact they categorized the First Daughters as "Senior Staff" is the most troubling.

The First Lady's staff filed a fraudulent travel voucher.

This is straight out of Animal Farm.

[dead]

"The number stated is misconstrued and out of context. The hourly rate is not the marginal cost of operating the plane—it is an accounting figure that prices in a number of fixed costs from maintaining the Air Force fleet for this kind of plane over a year. For example, it includes estimated replacement parts, depreciation, repairs, and costs that would have been incurred regardless of this flight," said an official.

Like all government spending, there are multiple accounting methods used to track the money, depending on whether you want to talk about how expensive something is or how cheap.

For example, when you want to calculate the cost of a mission in President Bush's illegal war in Iraq, you can get one number, but when you want to calculate the cost of a comparable mission to fly Queen Esther and her brood on a fat-finding mission to Africa, you can produce a far lower number.

[I cannot think of a name]

“The hourly rate is not the marginal cost of operating the plane—it is an accounting figure that prices in a number of fixed costs from maintaining the Air Force fleet for this kind of plane over a year.”

Yes moron, that’s how the hourly cost of ALL aircraft is calculated.

From the airline to the corporate jet - yes even Air Force aircraft. And by the way, it sounds suspiciously low already.

[twister881]

The First Wookie travels with a hairdresser and makeup artist...well, that’s really been working. /s

[DTxAg]

Fight erupts over First Lady's travel costs, and food costs, and liquor costs, and massage costs, and number of vacations, and hypocrisy about food, and attitude towards America, and everything else.

Don't you miss Nancy and Laura?

[LowTaxesEqualsProsperity]

The bitch needs to pay us back.

[shoff]

What about the $900.00 for just plane food?

[trumandogz]

We need to force all First Families to pay the full cost of any vacation they take while in the White House.

[353FMG]

What “fight”?

Moochelle will get away with screwing the taxpayer and she will do it again and get away with it again.

[BerryDingle]

Moosejaw should grow a big pair of cankles and fire the entire WH Travel Office.

[JimSEA]

That is slick. Now, instead of answering the question, they are having a big argument about cost accounting. This method, perfected by Slick Clinton, works every time with a compliant press.

[ßuddaßudd]

Did Øbama use his pimp hand on his babies momma?

[Ann Archy]

Half a MILLION DOLLARS was just for the PLANE!!!!!!!

[Cicero]

At least Marie Antoinette was good looking.

[Chode]

didn't the silly cow list her spawn as Assistants or Aides or some such????