In late March, President Obama took a week-long trip through Europe which included a stop of less than 24 hours in Brussels, Belgium for meetings with the European Union and NATO. The president stayed at The Hotel, a twenty-seven story hotel in the center of the city. The estimated cost for the president's stay, including about two weeks for an advance team, was $1,522,646.36.



Despite reports that the president travelled with an entourage of 900, the Justification and Approval documents only indicate a need for "283 Lodging Rooms." However, sometimes more than one hotel is used during VIP trips. For instance, when the president travelled to South Africa for Nelson Mandela's funeral, five different hotels were used.

Contracts for lodging have not yet been posted for the president's other stops during his Europe trip, which included the Netherlands and Rome, Italy.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/15m-...els_786515.html

Followed by video report.

Cost updated within minutes.

Shock on Capitol Hill as Obama's one-night stay in Brussels cost a whopping $2.9 MILLION – just for hotels and rental cars

Mouths on Capitol Hill were agape Friday as MailOnline told congressional staffers that President Barack Obama's recent one-night stay in Brussels cost taxpayers more than $2.9 million – and that's just for hotel space and rental vehicles.

The amount covered Obama's March 25-26 stay in Belgium's capital, plus two weeks of work by his advance team before the president participated in a NATO and EU summit and a tour of the Flanders Field Cemetery.

The Weekly Standard first reported on a single requisition for lodging in Brussels at a hotel called 'The Hotel,' costing an estimated $1.52 million.

MailOnline has found two additional requisitions, covering more than $396,000 at a Crowne Plaza hotel and $1.05 million in expenses for 'vehicle rentals.'

The cars were requisitioned from Modern Car, a Brussels company that specializes in luxury limousines.

'Are you kidding me?' asked a senior aide to one Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee. 'The president is going to have to get used to flying commercial some day. I bet taxpayers wish that cay came sooner.'

'Wow, that seems disgusting, doesn't it?' said a GOP committee staffer elsewhere on Capitol Hill. 'I know we need to protect the president, but at some point you have to assume we spent a fraction as much to shuttle JFK around and protect him.'

'And why do nearly 1,000 people have to go on the trip? Are there really that many Secret Service agents and clipboard-holders? This is a testament to why government needs to shrink down and start treating taxpayers with respect.'

More (with some lovely pictures of what you paid for): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...ental-cars.html

But doesn't he really deserve to live like this?

Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #5

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Quote: Frank Cannon wrote in post #4

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But doesn't he really deserve to live like this?

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all these "extras" make his salary insignificant

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Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #7

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Who does he think he is? He's gone too far! Time to move him on out!

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