August 15, 2011 11:26 AM

U.S. Secret Service gets 2 new buses ahead of Obama tour

By
Mark Knoller
Topics
White House ,
Campaign 2012

(Credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Updated: 6:15 p.m. ET

The U.S. Secret Service has two new buses in its fleet for President Obama to use on his three-day, three-state Midwestern bus trip that kicked off Monday.

CBS News has learned the buses were purchased in recent months at a cost of just under $1.1-million each and will serve as part of the fleet of vehicles the Service uses for all of its protectees.

In the past, the Secret Service would lease buses as needed and outfit them with the security and communications equipment.

"We have not been satisfied with the level of protection offered by leased buses," said a Secret Service official.

Last year, the Secret Service placed an order for two buses with the Hemphill Brothers Coach Company of Whites Creek, Tennessee at a combined cost of $2,191,960.

The buses have lavish interiors and are usually leased to transport stars of the entertainment industry.

The company's website says its clients have included Beyonce, Cher, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Madonna, Jack Nicholson, and Pope Benedict.

Mr. Obama will travel through Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois on the tour.  He has four town hall meetings planned, as well as a forum on rural economic issues.

Although the bus trip has the feel of a campaign swing, the White House is billing it as "official." That means taxpayers pick up all the related costs. When Mr. Obama ventures out on political trips, his campaign or the Democratic National Committee pay a small portion of the cost of presidential travel, as required by the Federal Elections Commission.

But spokesman Jay Carney says "the president is not engaged in a primary election and he is doing what presidents do, which is go out in the country and engage with the American people, have discussions about the economy and other policy issues."

Aboard Air Force One en route to the start of the bus trip in St. Paul, Minn., Carney told reporters that "to suggest that any time the president leaves Washington it's a political trip would mean that presidents could never leave unless they were physically campaigning on their own behalf, and he's not; he's out here doing his job and meeting with the American people."

But Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called a news conference in Minnesota this morning to raise objections to the taxpayer-funded nature of the president's trip.



Add a Comment See all 45 Comments
by nowdontstartthatagain August 24, 2011 8:38 AM EDT
He FLYS into an airport somewhere in the midwest, hops into a brand new 1.1 Million $ bus, made in Canada, paid for by you and me, for a bus tour around the midwest, and after an hour or so, gets driven back to the airport for ANOTHER FLIGHT, lands at another airport where another 1.1 Million $ brand new black bus, also made in Canada, is waiting for him and repeats all that until his midwest bus tour is done. Oh yes......and THEN he leaves on a 12 day vacation to Martha's Vineyard.......to REST UP from this campaign bus tour!

And don't forget........those brand new shiny black buses aren't DRIVEN to the location where they meet Obama. Those buses are loaded up on one or more C-17's, and are flown to the destination ahead of AirForce-1.
AND this is REPEATED FOR EVERY CAMPAIGN STOP.

On this 'bus tour', the President will lecture the 'little people' on how they need to live within their means and cut-back! Remember when very recently Obama told that family man to GO BUY A HYBRID VAN when he said he couldn't afford to fill up his truck?

Obama's 'carbon footprint' must be as large as most cities by now.

All of this on the taxpayer's dime.....Remember, this is NOT a campaign trip - he is calling it a "Meet with the people" trip only! So that the Democratic National Committee does NOT pay a cent for all of this with his campaign funds.
Reply to this comment
by SBUSA1 August 30, 2011 12:17 PM EDT
While accurate, everything you said was copied/pasted off of other websites. And now Whites Creek, Tennessee is in Canada?
by obieweezie August 17, 2011 1:24 PM EDT
catmomtx...it's not just Republicans that are bashing Obama. The entire U.S. (to include Democrats who have seen the light) and, increasingly, the rest of the world has seen him for the plane crash he really is. Instead of riding HIS economic disaster to the ocean floor like any good captain, he feels he is above everyone else and is in a lifeboat by himself...out "touring" (campaigning on the taxpayer's dime) in buses bought with taxpayer funds. This ENTITLEMENT attitude has to stop! It's almost like he is on constant vacation instead of doing his job to punish America for something. He is in denial of his own ineptitude and disillusioned people like you are sipping from the same cup.
Reply to this comment
by kc6021 August 16, 2011 9:58 PM EDT
Unless Michelle&the kids&Joe Biden &his family is also riding in there, I don't see why he needs a Big bus if it's just him&his some staffers riding in there cause having that BIG BUS has to cost more the limo,and if he is going cross country by bus instead of the air plane or chopper, it would have to take longer getting there cause even if they blocked off the roads for his routes still it has to be slower since planes take at least 1/4 less time to get to one city to another then by riding in a car.And with how big&long that bus looks in the photo it looks like he could sleep in there during the night while traveling from 1 state to the next state.
Reply to this comment
by usedtobeadancer August 16, 2011 12:39 PM EDT
This president KNOWS he doesn't have a devil of a chance to win. Suddenly he hits the campaign trail and if he were 'killed in action' he would be the next martyr. Doesn't that sound familiar?
Reply to this comment
by Michael12540 August 16, 2011 5:11 AM EDT
I will never understand .....NEVER! The money used to buy these tour buses could be used for something or someone in more need, don't you think? All the news casts on TV and every where else constantly broadcasts how broke we are and how broke the county's people are and then we feel it necessary to spend more! Maybe we could have found a sale or even made a better deal possible. But this is totally ridiculous to say the least! Then we broadcast it! BROADCAST IT! People cannot pay their electric bill and actually live not knowing where they are going to get their next meal and it's a good thing they cannot afford a PC or the electric to turn it on because they might not be quite so interested in this article. No one will ever understand unless you are there! I am no better by complaining and I am no better by CONSTANTLY complaining so I will shut up.....just hope that the people of the USA will be GOOD! Those who are not doing too good will sooner or later be in doing better. I really really do, especially the children.
Reply to this comment
by chaterlau3 August 15, 2011 6:49 PM EDT
Directed toward the idiots who thought it was ok to spend $2.2 million dollars on 2 busses, while the country has been in a downward spiral economically: Is this really necessary? Another example of people spending our hard earned dollars on ********.
Reply to this comment
by catmomtx August 15, 2011 10:21 PM EDT
How do you know that those buses weren't bought with his own funds or with campaign donations? I mean maybe he got them the same way Sarah Palin got her bus. For goodness sakes you people just HAVE to find something to whine about. Do you expect for the President to let Republicans to have free reign going all over the country trashing the President with no rebuttal. We get that with right wing hate radio 24/7 day in and day out. President Obama deserves the same opportunity to get his voice heard as the Republican candidates for President. What are you people afraid of, that people might just listen to what the President is saying? You know that must be it because there is always an uproar whenever the President wants to speak to the people.
by wtcmedic911 August 15, 2011 11:27 PM EDT
Catmomtx: Want some cheese with your whine? Obama will give you some goverment cheese. Enjoy!
by twhiting9276 August 15, 2011 5:12 PM EDT
=============================================================
A spokesman says Mr. Obama views the outing as one of his "chief responsibilities" in office: "to spend some time outside Washington, D.C., talking to people all across the country about the economy and about how they're impacted by the policy decisions that he's making."
=============================================================

Hey, don't forget them trips to India. I mean, hey, it's the all important India vote that Obama's chasing too, and Pakistan, and China, and England, and yeah, screwit, EVERYWHERE (except where he's supposed to be). Of COURSE he views travel as a 'chief responsibility', because he's too ignorant to see the REAL responsibilities
Reply to this comment
by darkhorseky August 15, 2011 4:56 PM EDT
Ladies and gentlemen
Elvis Obama Hs left Washington agian to amaze you with his style and entertaining comments on how after all this time it's those damned republicians that wants to stop all this senseless spending!!!
Reply to this comment
by catmomtx August 15, 2011 10:22 PM EDT
Well Congress left the building three years ago, so what exactly is your point?
by Brokennews August 15, 2011 4:16 PM EDT
Must look odd going down the road.

Two large black buses following a short yellow bus!
Reply to this comment
by retm-w August 15, 2011 4:23 PM EDT
That short yellow one is palins.
by NotPartyControlled August 15, 2011 4:55 PM EDT
Now that's funny!
by Progress4U August 15, 2011 3:43 PM EDT
Transportation fitting for the President of the United States...I bets it's stunning inside! As well it should be!

You're doing and Outstanding job Mr. President. I'm proud of you!
Reply to this comment
by Progress4U August 15, 2011 3:54 PM EDT
No...I'm serious!
by retm-w August 15, 2011 4:22 PM EDT
one ?

Bet you love that since you hate him so much, but kust another closet hater that's afraid to admit it.
See all 45 Comments
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