(CBS) This story was written by CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller:Itll be a presidential first on Friday when President Bush accompanies Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on a pilgrimage to Graceland, the estate in Memphis that was home to rock n roll legend Elvis Presley.
I know we are supposed to wine and dine world leaders but at what cost? Several online sources including Scott Lindlaw, Associated Press | June 6, 2004, estimate that the cost of flying Air Force one varies from $40,000 to $56,800 per hour. It takes roughly two hours each way to fly from DC to Memphis, so a rough $200,000 not counting the thousands of dollars it takes for security, motorcades, etc...
Hard to find estimates on the cost of Secret Service and other law enforcment services, but we can be sure it is in the tens of thousands of dollars. All this because Pres. Bush has a buddy who likes Elvis and does horrendous Karaoke imitations of the King. I guess we should be gracious and not look at the cost, after all, what is a few hundred thousand dollars from the taxpayers to entertain a buddy.
I know we are supposed to wine and dine world leaders but at what cost? Several online sources including Scott Lindlaw, Associated Press | June 6, 2004, estimate that the cost of flying Air Force one varies from $40,000 to $56,800 per hour. It takes roughly two hours each way to fly from DC to Memphis, so a rough $200,000 not counting the thousands of dollars it takes for security, motorcades, etc...
Hard to find estimates on the cost of Secret Service and other law enforcment services, but we can be sure it is in the tens of thousands of dollars. All this because Pres. Bush has a buddy who likes Elvis and does horrendous Karaoke imitations of the King. I guess we should be gracious and not look at the cost, after all, what is a few hundred thousand dollars from the taxpayers to entertain a buddy.
