Pirate's Cove

Alternate title: NY Times Totally Unconcerned About Barack Obama’s Luxury Travel On Public Credit Card

(NY Times) As Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey waited to depart on a trade mission to Israel in 2012, his entourage was delayed by a late arrival: Mr. Christie’s father, who had accidentally headed to the wrong airport.

A commercial flight might have left without him, but in this case, there was no rush. The private plane, on which Mr. Christie had his own bedroom, had been lent by Sheldon G. Adelson, the billionaire casino owner and supporter of Israel. At the time, he was opposing legislation then before the governor to legalize online gambling in New Jersey.

Mr. Christie loaded the plane with his wife, three of his four children, his mother-in-law, his father and stepmother, four staff members, his former law partner and a state trooper.

King Abdullah of Jordan picked up the tab for a Christie family weekend at the end of the trip. The governor and two staff members who accompanied him came back to New Jersey bubbling that they had celebrated with Bono, the lead singer of U2, at three parties, two at the king’s residence, the other a Champagne reception in the desert. But a small knot of aides fretted: The rooms in luxurious Kempinski hotels had cost about $30,000; what would happen if that became public?

So, let me ask: did this violate any ethics? Let’s also ask, where the taxpayers paying for this? Nope on both accounts. However, this has obviously unsettled the NY Times. He’s taken quite a few trips at the expense of other people, often foreign trips, often in an attempt to bring business to NJ. Jerry Jones paid for his trip to see the Cowboys play several times. The only mentions of taxpayer funded travel are about using car services rather than taxis and

State taxpayers paid for Mr. Christie, his wife and two aides to travel to the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans, as New Jersey prepared to host the 2014 game. Airfare for four passengers came to $8,146; Mr. Christie’s hotel for three nights cost $3,371.

And here comes the mention of Obama

Mr. Christie is hardly the first politician, in either party, whose embrace of luxury travel has prompted criticism. Hillary Rodham Clinton, for example, a potential Democratic candidate for president, is known for her dependence on private planes often paid for by others.

Oh, nope.

Notice, the majority of the complaint is about the use of private money for luxurious travel. It’s apparently OK in NY Times World to take luxurious travel at the expense of the American Public, otherwise they’d have to mention Barack Obama. Nancy Pelosi and most elected politicians play the same free luxury travel game whether it is paid for by billionaires or the tax payer. It doesn’t make it right, but, they all do it.

It is interesting that the Times chooses to take a shot at Christie over this, while completely ignoring Obama and his travel. That’s the point, and highlights what Conservatives mean by media bias.

Crossed at Right Wing News.