Prospect of Barack Obama show causes UK to clear its decks

[tomm2thumbs]

Source: The Guardian

Britain will get its first chance to see Barack Obama this week when a White House cavalcade - complete with armoured limousines, helicopters, 200 US secret service staff and a six-doctor medical team - sweeps into the UK. Obama will fly into London for his first visit to the UK as president of the United States on Tuesday to take part in the G20 summit in the capital's Docklands area. He will not be travelling light.

More than 500 officials and staff will accompany the president on his tour this week - along with a mass of high-tech security equipment, including the $300,000 presidential limousine, known as The Beast. Fitted with night-vision camera, reinforced steel plating, tear- gas cannon and oxygen tanks, the vehicle is the ultimate in heavy armoured transport.

In addition, a team from the White House kitchen will travel with the president to prepare his food. As one official put it: "When the president travels, the White House travels with him, right down to the car he drives, the water he drinks, the gasoline he uses, the food he eats. America is still the sole superpower and the president must have the ability to handle any crisis, anywhere, any time."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/29/obama-london-visit-uk-g20

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Going from intimate Town Hall meetings in the U.S. to what will likely be a huge press onslaught in Great Britain is going to make for a dramatic contrast. I imagine this is going to covered extensively by our press and internationally.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Id'a thunk

they might at least have let him land at Heathrow - not in Essex :rofl:

A miltary transporter, I'm guessing, with the cars etc I guess will fly into Northolt. I thought only Bush flew with all that gear which made a laughing stock of him last time.

edit having thought about it there wouldn't be much point in flying the back up gear into Northolt - too far from Essex.

[Sultana]

2. Oh noes

I want to go :cry:

[Submariner]

3. Off topic

Every time I see your user name, it reminds me of one of my favorite research vessels I work on out of the Univ of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Great boat to work on. Actually a Maine lobster boat that was built for the university, and driven down here at a top speed of 5 knots. It was a loooong ride. Cheers.

[tomm2thumbs]

5. now I will think of that too

I wonder if this will spread

[Kolesar]

7. She was a paddle wheel steamer on the Mississippi River

And a store brand of peanut butter in my recollection.

[Sultana]

10. LOL

:D

[Sultana]

9. Interesting

:)


I have never tasted lobster x(

[No Elephants]

15. Lobster does not taste like much, until you dip it in melted butter or put it in lobster salad. In

America's youth, it was very plentiful and cheap and fed to prisoners. They complained about getting it too many times a week.

sigh.

[Sultana]

17. Melted butter?

:o
brb :puke:

[cosmicone]

18. Lobster is one thing that

doesn't taste like chicken !

[kitty1]

19. anywhere between 300 and 400 million dollars .....

all totaled. I guess when it comes to restraint, the government gets a pass it seems.
Half of those staffers wont' be needed there. He's got reps from all kinds of govt agencies traveling with him.
How someone can call restraint on corporations amid so much government waste everywhere is astounding. And don't even get started with the waste going on in the DOD. They would floor you with insurmountable charges billed for the most incidental things. A lot of it not used.
I've read accounts of examples of various items submitted for purchase with unbelievable amounts.

[cosmicone]

20. You need to be careful in which post you are replying to methinks n/t

[B2G]

11. How much is this costing?

500 people????

[PSPS]

4. When bush traveled, they had to clear entire towns of its citizens because he is so loathed

[monmouth]

6. Will Andrea Greenspan be joining the President???...n/t

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

8. PLEASE tell me they will refrain from fucking the gardens up

at the Palace.

[kitty1]

12. So an entourage worth millions is sent to a summit on solutions....

to a global economic meltdown. Something seems wrong with this picture.
Is this white house on wheels really necessary. Even the Queen of England doesn't travel with this much luxury. Does Britain not own state of the Art helicopters and have top notch medical staff available. Do they not prepare delicious food fit for a world leader. On second thought, forget that last one.

[DavidDvorkin]

13. First part from Drudge. Last sentence from ignorance.

[high density]

21. Yes let's get him a ticket on Delta instead

and a train ride from the airport.

[kitty1]

14. Last sentence not to be taken seriously of course n/t

[No Elephants]

16. So, how much credibilty will the POTUS have when he speaks on excesses