So…with the Coomander-in-Chief galavanting all over the country on the campaign train for the Dems, I began to wonder: Is he traveling in Air Force One for this, and does that constitute using taxpayer-owned property for campaigns? Every President does this, so I’m assuming an exception of some sort, but does anybody have any insight on this?
Campaigns are required to reimburse the government for the expense of operating Air Force One (among other things) when the president uses it for campaign trips.
The Secret Service is not about to let the guy fly coach, either, so the parties foot the bill.
Also I believe Air Force One has a significant set of electronics and no doubt anti-missile systems required for the President to do his job. All Presidents, Republican or Democrat, use it for campaign trips - I have never heard the side out of power complaining. Unless, of course, it is for a campaign trip disguised as an official trip, but I don’t know of any cases where that has been done.
Perhaps the President combines an official trip with a political campaign event? If so, does the government pay the entire cost of sending Air Force One, or do they split the costs (perhaps based on how much time was devoted to official and non-official events)?
Little doubt he is doing the same thing el Busho did, which is mix legitimate presidential-style business with the gladhanding for politicos.
If IOKIYAARP, then IOKIYAADP, dontcha know.
I seem to recall that the campaigns generally reimburse the government the cost of first-class tickets for the travel on Air Force One for the president and all people involved in campaigning. Of course, this doesn’t begin to cover the cost of running AF1, but it is a reasonable way of ensuring at least the appearance of propriety. Anyone in the opposition who bitches about it is generally dismissed as a wanker.
Any aircraft the President is in is AF1, unless it’s the helicopter, which is Marine Corps 1. The President doesn’t travel by commercial aircraft. Ever.
Nixon did (once). See Executive One. But none have done it since then.
Not exactly. Any Air Force craft POTUS flies on is Air Force One, an Army craft would be Army One, Navy is Navy One, Marine Corps is Marine One, and Coast Guard would be Coast Guard One. A civilian craft would be Executive One. Nixon’s the only President to have flown on a commercial airliner and even then the plane that was normally AF1 followed as backup. The Army used to be in charge of flying the President in helicopters before it was switched to the Marines in the '70s. There’s only ever been one Navy One (the fighter that flew Bush to the carrier for his infamous “Mission Accomplished” speech.
Required link
One of the issues is distinguishing between normal activities of the President (he doesn’t always sit in the Oval Office; a part of what he does is the ceremonial aspects of Head of State) and political activities he may be engaged in as leader of his party and candidate for reelection.
If Congressman Niceguy is facing a tough reelection fight, well, the President can decide that he will dedicate the new post office, FBI or Social Security office, or whatever that was built in the Congressman’s district, and there’s nothing preventing him from saying in the body of his dedication speech what a good friend of the Administration and general asset to his district the Congressman is, particularly in having sponsored the legislation to build the new facility. Or maybe it’s Natio0nal Pierogies Week, and the President signs the proclamation designating it as such in the Congresman’s district, which includes the 54% pierogie-eating demographic and two of the country’s three largest pierogie-producing plants. All completely aboveboard – and political as all hell!
Presidents from FDR to Bush did official inspections of military bases across the country in the summer and fall of even-numbered years. That those bases were important to the local economy was purely coincidental, of course.
There are limits to this sort of thing – but more than you’d at first think can be subsumed under official business.
Thanks for elaborating. I was referring back to his question about AF1 and neglected to provide additional details.