Vacationer in chief: Tens of millions spent on 38 Obama holidays

◼ "staggering costs" - Paul Bedard/Washington Examiner

Costs are hard to pin down, and most come as a result of Freedom of Information Act suits from taxpayer watchdog Judicial Watch which pegged the Obama-Biden vacation tab at $40 million last year. That was before first lady and daughters took spring break in China, and the first family's annual summer vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Christmas in Hawaii, and this year's holidays.

For just a handful of trips, the Air Force and Department of Homeland Security have complied with the FOIA cases, but the costs of security, prepositioning of aircraft, staff housing and transportation and communications are typically not disclosed and are always covered by the government for every single president.

For example, Judicial Watch FOIA suits for just two vacations in 2013 produced flight costs of $5,250,624. But undisclosed are, for example, the costs of a trip to China last year by Michelle, her mom Marian Robinson and daughter Sasha and Malia....

"The Obamas are abusing the public trust and the taxpayers with unnecessary luxurious vacations and travel," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in releasing those details of flight charges to Martha's Vineyard and Hawaii. "These staggering costs show why these documents were covered up and we had to sue in federal court to get them. Another transparency fail for the Obama gang."

The White House argues that personal costs are covered by the first family, but critics say that those costs are a miniscule amount of any trip. And critics of stories like this one argue that presidents need to take breaks and their work never ends, even on holiday.

While former President George W. Bush took more vacation days than the estimated 175 by the Obamas, critics slap Obama because most of Bush's vacations were taken at his ranch in Texas, not the lavish digs he prefers in places like Hawaii and Martha's Vineyard, Mass. He has also criticized the rich.

CBS White House Reporter Mark Knoller, the unofficial presidential record keeper, calclates that the president has taken 22 vacation trips spanning all or part of 160 days.... KEEP READING