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(Image source: The White House / Pete Souza)
BY CHRISTIAN BRYANT
Conservative commentators went after President Barack Obama on Monday after reports Bo, the
first dog, and his trainer took a private flight to join the Obamas on vacation. But
that wasn't the whole story.
The Telegraph reports Bo arrived at Martha's Vineyard separately on a MV-22 Osprey, a hybrid
aircraft that takes off like a helicopter and flies like an airplane. This was the Osprey's
first time in use for a presidential vacation.
Some conservative media outlets felt Bo's Osprey taxi was a little excessive. A writer
for Townhall cites a Government Accountability Report that says the Osprey costs $11,000
per hour to operate.
According to an article by the ACLU, that's enough money to cruise to Antarctica... (Via
Expeditions.com)
...or buy Biff's hoverboard from Back to the Future 2. (Via eBay)
Conservative radio host Glenn Beck responded by encouraging people to mock Obama...
"I want a bit on how he has flown the first dog in a private jet..."
...and actor Nick Searcy, from the TV show Justified, tweeted, "This is the way Presidents
behave during recessions. Right?"
So, Bo, the dog, definitely flew in style on a very expensive aircraft, but, contrary
to many reports, he and his trainer weren't alone. And they certainly weren't the key
cargo on the flight.
According to CNN, along with the dog, the Osprey "shuttled White House staff, media
and Secret Service members from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod."
What's more is that we've done this whole back-and-forth before. In 2010, the president
caught flack for allegedly making lavish travel accommodations just for Bo. (Via The White
House)
An article appearing on conservative commentator Michelle Malkin's website took jabs at the
president after reports the first family's dog arrived separately for a vacation in Bar
Harbor, Maine that year.
But Maine newspaper the Morning Sentinel later issued a clarification saying: "Today's story
about the arrival of the Obamas said the Obama's dog and one aide arrived on a small jet before
the First Family, but there were other occupants on the plane, including several other staffers."
False alarm, folks.
The Obamas are expected to stay on the island through next weekend.