Have Black Skin...Can't Travel

[alcibiades_mystery]

Here's a simple claim: at the root of the "$200 million a day India Travel" lie sits the racist narrative that still infects our political discourse. The story is, of course, about supposed "excess" in a time of economic trouble, sure. But, as we know, it comes on the heels of the Michelle Obama "How much for your Spain junket" bullshit, and looks like it will be a constant refrain if any Obama goes anywhere.

It catches on for a simple reason: it is nothing but a dressed up amplification of the old "welfare queen" lies.

This story, as is so much bullshit thrown at Obama, is fucking racism pure and simple.

I've heard plenty of bullshit stories about "Presidential excess" thrown at Democrats. Clinton had the famous "plane left waiting on runway" lie, and other nonsenses of a similar stripe. But I don't remember ever hearing stories about the supposed costs of Presidential travel until Obama showed up. It may look like a story of excess, but it's really a story of race and public money. And it's fucking disgusting beyond belief.

Anyone who promotes such stories should be called out on it immediately: that's some racist bullshit right there.

Now, needless to say, the usual concerned coterie will likely suggest that "not everything's about race." Oh, they'll say, you reduce so-called "real" racism--which is apparently limited to a guy in a white sheet burning a cross, provided it's 1959--to a triviality. Spare me. The whole of our political discourse is fucking saturated with racial tropes, and this one is most definitely about race.

The President, when black, doesn't get to travel on legitimate business of state. Rather, this little refrain sees him as a blinged-up n-word, rollin' with his entourage. That's what they're saying. It's dog-whistle as the day is long, and it is beyond the fucking pale. No. Fucking. Pun. Intended.

You wanna "radicalize?" Fine. Radicalize that. Cut people off and tell them you won't stand for such garbage.

[flamingdem]

1. This is similar to Michelle's trip to Spain, ugly stuff nt

[HipChick]

2. I was accused of playing the race card..

when I brought that up today in response to someone spewing that garbage..they are using that for cover now

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. "I only play the race card when dealing with a fucking racist"

Ah well, they don't usually speak to me after that, but who wants to talk to such assholes anyway?

[alanquatermass]

13. Great line! And what's more...

-- there is a lot of occasion to be playing it nowadays.

It's like I'm always telling my Rethuglican Dad: Don't even try convincing me Obama isn't being crucified cuz of his race right now. It may be DISGUISED racism -- and badly disguised, by the way -- but it's right there if you know where to look.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Yep.....

but being a racist is all the rage these days.....

My media told me so.

[HipChick]

5. yep..and the media is implicit in making it acceptable..BUSH spent $billions on a fake war

Not one question..he was clearing bush at his fake ranch

[political_Dem]

6. K and R. This needs to be discussed.

I am tired of this subject matter ridiculed while other forms of bigotry are taken seriously.

[Bobbie Jo]

11. +1

Ridiculed and summarily dismissed.

[doc03]

7. I overheard a Rethug say Obama is spending $34 billion

on the trip. That is one hell of a trip I hope he has fun, I wonder if that includes meals?

[BolivarianHero]

10. People actually believe this tripe?

Don't they analyse their beliefs and ask themselves if it's even logically possible?

If Obama were to spend $1,000,000 a minute on this trip, he would need to be gone just over 14 days to spend that much money.

Oh wait...Creationism..Right.

[laughingliberal]

15. That would be a great comeback to anyone who brings that up:

Asshat: Obama's spending $34 billion on this trip!!!

DUer: Yeah, but continental breakfast and high tea is included.

Wonder if they'd get that they're being ridiculed?

[Number23]

8. Rec'd. The dog whistles sound more like jet planes at this point

And they ain't all coming from the Republican side.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. K and R!

[DFLforever]

12. Makes me sick to my stomach.

[moriah]

14. hmmm...

http://rpc.senate.gov/releases/1999/df033000.htm

Found their actual link, and put it up there... so we don't have to give any hits to the site that reposted it.

"Lameduck President's Continuing Globetrotting Forays

Latest Trip Pegged at $50 Million --

Most Expensive Presidential Trip Ever

March 30, 2000

There he goes again. Our globe-trotting president was flying high this month, traveling to Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Oman, and Switzerland. That brings the total out-of-country days for President Clinton, the Traveler-in-Chief, to 212. He's racked up visits to 66 countries -- some more than once -- and 2 territories not recognized as countries. He is, by any measure, the most traveled U.S. president ever.

And just how much is this latest foray estimated to cost the American taxpayer? ABC News, apparently relying on unnamed Pentagon sources, has reported a price tag: a cool $50 million -- the "most expensive overseas trip ever taken by a president," as they put it during the March 23 broadcast of World News Tonight. And because the newscast did not fully identify the costs, it is unclear if this estimate includes only military costs - or even only Air Force costs."

It goes on from there.

[Zax2me]

16. Nope. Clinton was constantly bullied about his trips, costs...

Sorry, Obama is getting drug through the same dirty pipe that Bill Clinton lived in for 8 years. You may be right about it being racism now, but Bill was treated the same way.
He was hounded for eight years about the cost of this, excess of that. Have we forgotten already?!
The second bushCo got into office - poof - !
No more complaints.
Suddenly the cost of trips was no longer a factor.
The typical far right did it but the MSM also chimed in.
I remember a trip to India late in his second term, along with some other trips, where they called him a lame duck President on a world wide spending spree.

[alcibiades_mystery]

17. I guess the difference would be that Clinton was criticized for the #ACTUAL# cost of his trips

Whereas the lies thrown at Obama are so out of line with anything like reality that they index something completely different.

I did say in my post that I didn't remember previous critiques of the same sort, not that they didn't happen. In any case, for people to *believe* the $200 million a day and 34 warships lie, something else has to be at work than the mere charges of excess lodged at Clinton.

[malaise]

18. True but this started in the Indian press

and take it from me racism in India is a gazzilion times worse than in the USA.

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. That may be

But we'd still have to explain why it caught on in the American public sphere.

[malaise]

20. Because the corporate media will repeat anything that

can hurt President Obama. They don't give a flying fuck about facts or that report would never have been carried since not only are the figures ridiculous, but common sense would require that someone asked how on earth an Indian source knew the so called details including security.

[Brewman_Jax]

21. GW Bush* spent more time on vacation than any other president

in history, but he was white, so no one cares. :eyes:

[backscatter712]

31. Don't forget to bring up his drunken romp at the Beijing Olympics...

[Brewman_Jax]

32. Forgot about that

good point, but the apologists will say that he was having a good time--ON VACATION! :rofl:

[malaise]

22. Here's a good response

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/11/05/attacks-president-obama-going-asia-a-long-trip-reality

[Fire1]

23. And guess what? After PO is out of office,

whenever that may be, that will be my last and final vote. Call it racist, if you will, I really don't give a shit. Never again will I donate my money or my time to another white candidate and believe me, I won't be the only one.

[Mimosa]

24. I see it too. BTW, the racists forget India is one of our top 3 allies. n/t

[butterfly77]

25. It was going on throughout..

the 2008 primaries and because SOME PEOPLE get upset and portray it as calling them a racist just because someone points out the facts that are plainly there for everyone to see. I saw a post her last night about the racism against the President and it was as though their was a line of people in their little gang ready to post and tell everyone its just like Clinton.

The President has been asked every damn question under the sun many which should have never been asked and I have never seen them asked of any other Presidential candidate. They also try to portray it as the same for Bush. Pres Obama hadn't even taken office yet and he was being blamed for things he hadn't even done yet or intended on doing. He has been disrespected in soooo many ways and then the media and the teabaggers tell us its his fault.

" He needs to make another speech and then they say he didn't say the speech this way or that way. With every issue the Gulf "he needs to bring the whitehouse down there and stay until all of the oil is cleaned up"-Bullshit!" He is being disrespectful to Sarah Palin".This is one of the most hypocritcal lies out of all of the shit the media,repubs and teabaggers spin. This is the leader of the teabaggin party once she showed up it has been non stop racism 24/7.

They say he needs to show more respect when he is the most disrespected President in history. The republiCONS win some seats and it is now supposedly a mandate and he is suppose to compromise and reach across the aisle. These mkfers have got to be kidding me! Do they really think the public and the media doesn't know what is really going on.Do they really think we have forgotten all of the reaching the President has been doing every since taking office and McConnell comes with his demands and ultimatiums? SOME MORE BULLSHIT!

This shit is blatant and in your face and some people can still say it isn't about his skin color.

Now,I read this post last night and as I read the responses I wondered where in the hell they have been for the past three years. Many here are trying to pretend as though they don't see the racism against the President and try to talk down anyone who brings it up. YOU AIN'T FOOLIN NO ONE!!! Many things that could have been done to help this country and won't be done because some people don't like the Presidents' SKIN COLOR...

[CBR]

28. +1000... discussing race and its impact on the President is

verboten.

[mstinamotorcity]

26. This is nothing

But the Billionaires Boys Club playing with peoples lives. They know that there are still people who hold deep racist traditions that have been passed on through the years. There are some who are just getting used to the idea that African American people are not the way they were portrayed the on TV. So they take the racism and create fear that all the Black people are coming to get them,their jobs,their homes their safe little communities. This way we can stay divided and while they are worried about the Black man trying to create socialism The Billionaires Club is playing Rob the American Citizens.

Yes the villainized Clinton. But by our President being half African American is the bonus plan for the BBC. They come from from an era that was supremely racist and they taught it to their children. So you should not expect anything different from them. They will use his race anytime they know it will divide thought and people.

[Recursion]

27. So when they did crap like this about Clinton, did they think he was black? NT

[butterfly77]

29. They didn't like the fact ...

that he got along with blacks.Guilt by association. Don't you get it yet didn't you watch some of your so called Democrats who ran from the Pres,but used him if they could fill their pockets in some way.

Didn't you see the so called Dem from Mississippi who said don't blame me I voted for McCain. Didn't you see how no Dems didn't help him during the healthcare debate but,they wanted him on it 24/7 while solving the banking crisis,untangling the messes withing different departments ,while dealing with moles within the whitehouse..

[alcibiades_mystery]

33. They certainly tagged Clinton as a spendthrift on travel

But they did so with actual travel numbers, not obviously made up numbers so excessive as to be literally unbelievable.

[SweetieD]

30. I agree. It is so transparent. I saw a sign from some low info/low income voter that said

something to the effect "congratulations to all, your hard earned money is being used so Obama can go on vacation." The theme is that white folks hard earned money is going to help some black person. Some white folks would rather die than give their money to a black man.