NEWS AND OPINION:
Behold, the White House announces: “On Thursday, March 12, the President will travel to the Los Angeles area where he will tape an appearance on ’Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and attend a DNC event.” Just to catch up, President Obama also went on a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Atlanta on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Judicial Watch continues to send timely Freedom of Information Act requests to the U.S. Air Force, seeking hard data on how much such jaunts cost, what with Air Force One costing $206,337 an hour to operate. And voila. The watchdog group has obtained the records for Mr. Obama’s complicated fundraising expedition to Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles last summer to reveal that the trip cost taxpayers $2,425,085 — and 50 cents. That does not include lodging, meals, incidentals or the costs of security details and vehicles.
“President Obama received heavy criticism for moving forward with the West Coast fundraisers in July and the August vacation due to numerous major international crises at the time: escalated fighting in Gaza and the surge of illegal aliens over the U.S. border,” notes Tom Fitton, president of the organization. “Only a week before heading west, Obama also drew fire for attending fundraisers in New York immediately after the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in Ukraine. There was, however, one section of his West Coast trip Obama’s advisers deemed wise to cut out — an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s comedy TV show.”
Guess that appearance is now a go.
Meanwhile, Judicial Watch also shares some White House vacation trivia of interest, also based on official documents. Flight expenses alone for the annual Obama family Christmas visit in Hawaii cost $3,672,798 for 17.8 hours of airtime aboard Air Force One. When the transportation costs for previous holiday visits in 2012 and 2013 are added, the total comes to $15,540,515.
It’s similar to “treating Air Force One like an Uber ride. Our military deserves better,” observes Mr. Fitton. “And President Obama seems oblivious to the burden he is placing on Americans with his continuous vacations, getaways and political junkets at taxpayer expense.”
CLINTON PRESS CONFERENCE, TWITTERIZED
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The reviews immediately cluttered Twitter following Hillary Rodham Clinton’s press conference to explain her private email practices for official business and other complex matters. A few samples, followed by their tweeters:
“Today Hillary Clinton announced she will not be running for President because she has too much baggage” (Erick Erickson, RedState.com); “Hillary’s Checkers speech” (Ed Driscoll, PJ Media); “No wonder Hillary Clinton is launching her 2016 campaign on April Fool’s Day” (JunkScience.com); “Save this quote: ’Imagine if this was Bill Clinton’s e-correspondence scandal? I did not have a text with that woman’” (Ron Fournier, National Journal); “Hillary train wreck: It was ’inconvenient’ to carry 2 devices. I also destroyed tons of e-mails” (author Brad Thor); “Hillary clearly thought it was beneath her dignity to tell the country to trust her. Dems need to be concerned” (Jonathan Tobin, Commentary Magazine); and “Hillary Clinton should 1) Hand over her server to an independent arbiter 2) Show her influence is not for sale to foreign governments” (Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus).
A COMEDIAN EXPLAINS ALL
“The whole country is getting nauseous from her already — even the liberal press,” veteran comedian Jackie Mason tells Aaron Klein, a Manhattan-based talk radio host. Mr. Mason was musing about Hillary Rodham Clinton. “Even The New York Times, which has spent 30 years protecting her, is attacking her. All the liberal press is attacking her.”
And why is that?
“Since they could still pick another Democrat and there’s no Republican involved, the press for the first time is frank and bold, and they can tell the truth about her — because if she was running against a Republican, they’d be protecting her,” Mr. Mason observed.
SEE ALSO: Senate Conservatives Fund helps Republicans on right, picks fight in Congress
HILLARY NO MATTER WHAT
Hillary Rodham Clinton appears to be an inevitable political fixture on the campaign trail, despite the emails, memories of the terrorist attacks on Benghazi and questions about her private foundation. Among all U.S. voters, three-fourths still think Mrs. Clinton is the next likely Democratic presidential nominee, while only 18 percent disagree, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released Tuesday.
American opinion about a Hillary-less race presents a familiar roster: Sen. Elizabeth Warren is No. 1 with 25 percent of the vote, followed by Vice President Joe Biden (21 percent), Sen. Bernie Sanders (6 percent), ex-Sen. Jim Webb (5 percent) and ex-Gov. Martin O’Malley (2 percent). But there is uncertainty — 17 percent prefer some other choice and 23 percent are undecided.
“Democrats worried about the email and foreign donation controversies now surrounding Clinton are beginning to talk about other possible presidential candidates for next year,” the poll stated. But they appear loyal to a name they know: 88 percent of likely Democratic voters still believe Mrs. Clinton is likely to be the party nominee.
Democrats, meanwhile, agree with all voters about the other possible candidates if Mrs. Clinton bows out of the 2016 race: 31 percent would choose Warren, 30 percent would favor Mr. Biden, followed by Mr. Sanders with 7 percent, Mr. Webb (6 percent) and Mr. O’Malley (2 percent). Another 12 percent want another candidate, 13 percent are undecided.
The survey of 1,000 likely U.S. voters was conducted on March 8-9.
THE NEXT BIG GOP THING
Republican presidential hopefuls will scurry to grass-roots events in Iowa and New Hampshire with much zeal. It’s part of their job description at this point. There are also the big events, the must-gos. The Conservative Action Political Conference — CPAC — is one. The Southern Republican Leadership Conference is another. It’s still two months off, but the big GOP 2016 names have signed on to journey to a jumbo convention site in Oklahoma City, “the new energy capital of America,” say organizers.
On the confirmed speakers list (with more to come): Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Rick Santorum, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina and Donald Trump. Fifty speakers are also on the agenda for the three-day event, which will include a birthday party for oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens; a presidential straw poll; energy, utility and manufacturing forums; and the grand “Energizing America Gala” with speechifying by former Oklahoma GOP Gov. Frank Keating.
POLL DU JOUR
• 89 percent of Americans say President Obama and Congress are sticking to their partisan positions rather than compromise; 8 percent say they are working together.
• 64 percent of Republicans are “satisfied” with the field of potential GOP presidential hopefuls.
• 63 percent of Democrats are satisfied with the field of potential Democratic presidential hopefuls.
• 60 percent say Jeb Bush represents too much a return to policies of the past; 51 percent say the same of Hillary Clinton.
• 59 percent overall agree it is “time for a person who will bring greater change” to run for president.
Source: AN NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll of 1,000 U.S. adults; the sample included 229 Republicans and 262 Democrats.
• Erudite commentary, soaring rhetoric to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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