President Barack Obama spent his summer vacation in each of the first three years of his presidency at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
The president skipped his annual Vineyard vacation during 2012’s re-election campaign.
According to CBS News White House reporter Mark Knoller, who tracks presidential travel, a numerical look at vacation time taken by Barack Obama and his predecessor, George W. Bush, revealed:
Barack Obama has taken 92 days of vacation since he was sworn in, compared to 367 for George W. Bush at the same point in his presidency
14: Number of vacation trips taken by Obama since he took office in January 2009.
92: Number of days, all or in part, Obama has spent on vacation.
57: Number of vacation trips taken by Bush at this same point in his presidency.
50: Number of visits Bush made to his ranch in Crawford, Texas.
323: Number of days, all or in part, Bush spent at the ranch.
7: Number of trips Bush made to his family’s compound in Kennebunkport, Maine.
26: Number of days, all or in part, Bush spent in Maine.
The numbers do not include visits to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
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President Barack Obama has set a new record for travel on the taxpayer dime in 2013, according to Judicial Watch.
The conservative watchdog group obtained travel records from the US Department of the Air Force that show the Obamas racked up $7.4 million during just three trips in 2013 – in flight expenses only.
The records include the Obama family’s Christmas vacation in Hawaii from December 21, 2012, to January 5, 2013. During that stay, Barack Obama took a short break and flew back to Washington to work on a budget deal, then returned for the rest of his vacation.
President Barack Obama has set a new record for travel on the taxpayer dime in 2013 (photo Getty Images)
The second trip was in early August, 2013, when Barack Obama flew to California for a private fundraiser with DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, then appeared with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show. Later that month, the Obama family vacationed in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
In August 2013, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit after repeated stonewalling by the White House. The watchdog group reported: “The outbound flight to Honolulu for the Obamas’ 2012-13 Christmas vacation cost taxpayers $2, 214, 393.60. The return flight to Washington cost $1,871,961.60. Flight expenditures alone came to $4,086,355.20.
“The outbound flight to California in August, 2013 for Obama to dine with Katzenberg and appear on the “The Tonight Show” cost taxpayers $1,209,926.40. The return flight to Washington cost $935,980.80. Flight expenditures alone came to $2,145,907.20.
“The outbound flight to Martha’s Vineyard for the Obama family’s August vacation cost taxpayers $890,323.20. The return flight to Washington cost $273,945.60. Flight expenditures alone came to $1,164,268.80.
“The grand total of $7,396,531.20, Judicial Watch pointed out, only accounted for flight expenses for the three trips.”
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