Just curious: Is Obama flying to Hawaii on a commercial jet

[question everything]

or on his own?

Hey, don't flame. I can see others asking the same questions.

[lapfog_1]

1. Again, the Secret Service would not allow this

even if the candidate wished to do it.

[question everything]

4. Thanks, makes sense

(and I apologize as it appears that this issue was already raised here).

Will he, then have to reimburse the campaign for fuel cost?

[napi21]

5. I'm sure he will have to reimburse them unless he can somehow

turn it into a combined campaign/personal trip. I'm not sure how that would be handled. Partial reimbursement maybe. I suspect he won't try to do that though. They were pretty clear that he was leaving the campaign trail for 2 days, so it doesn't sound like there's much wiggle room there relating to purpose of the trip.

[RB TexLa]

10. They would have no legal authority to stop it.

Like it or not.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. There no reason why he should fly commercially.

[lapfog_1]

17. Presidents... and Presidential candidates

do not ignore the wishes of their security details. Not if they want one of the members of said detail to "take a bullet" for them someday.

When I said "not allow", I meant that the SS detail would tell the candidate "This is a really bad idea, Senator" as opposed to "we'll see how we can accommodate your wishes to fly commercially".

[liberal N proud]

2. Well the Republicans are all in a tiz so it must be his jet

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7571263

[madamesilverspurs]

8. The pukes are trying to claim

that this is scandalous squandering of "poor peoples'" donations.

Not that they're trying to take the heat off Palin's shopping spree or anything. . .

[datasuspect]

3. a presidential candidate flying commercial

would pose many security risks.

[beyurslf]

6. There is no way the SS would allow him to fly commerical airlines.

Can you imagine the security risk invovled in that? I don't want President Bush on a commerical flight.

[damntexdem]

15. Cramped seats, several dollars for a bag of crap for lunch.

Nope, the security risks are just too great. ;-)

Actually, I DO want Dubya on a commercial flight -- back to Crawford for good! (Or Paraguay, or wherever he hides from the World Court.) January just can't come fast enough.

[OmahaBlueDog]

20. Right, but he could have booked a small private jet

..it probably didn't occurr to anyone, or the perception was that there was no time.

[maxsolomon]

7. then have an event

its not like hawaiians wouldn't show up.

[ellacott]

9. How did he travel to Hawaii went he took a vacation a couple of months ago

I suspect he took his campaign plane also.

I also imagine that certain personal expenses are allowed.

[TahitiNut]

11. I don't see a problem with him flying commercial.

If anything, that'd be why it'd take advance planning. He'd probably go business class and have a couple of Secret Service agents on the plane. I'd guess there are agents on permanent assignment in Hawaii, too. The campaign charter plane will probably continue serving the rest of the campaign and surrogates. I don't get the impression that Obama is inclined to go overboard.

[FLyellowdog]

12. He can fly anywhere he wants to as far as I'm concerned.

[damntexdem]

13. He's leavin' on a jet plane. May know when he'll be back again.

Whatever he flies on, he won't claim to have sold it on E-Bay.

[HereSince1628]

16. Out on runway no. 9 big 767 set to go...and I'm stuck here on the grass

with a hope that ever grows.

[scheming daemons]

18. If Obama holds even ONE press conference in Hawaii, he can claim it was a "campaign trip"

Hawaii is a state, ya know.

[wiggs]

19. The plane is likely outfitted as an office, with conferencing, a staff, and

communications/campaigning going on nonstop 24/7.

Pretty sure he is not sitting alone doing crossword puzzles on the flight over and back.