Making a Big Splash, Spending Lots of Cash

Is it really necessary for the President of the United States to travel with an entourage of 500 people, a huge tank-like limo and several helicopters?

President Obama's European visit this week has strained Air Force heavy-airlift capabilities and obliged the military to hire more foreign contractors to help resupply U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, according to military sources.

The large delegation traveling with the president in Europe required moving several transports, including jumbo C-5s and C-17s, from sorties ferrying supplies to Afghanistan to European bases for the presidential visit, said two military officials familiar with the issue. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid any misunderstanding with White House officials.

The Air Mobility Command, part of the U.S. Transportation Command, was ordered to provide airlift for the president's entourage of nearly 500 people, including senior officials, staff, support personnel, news reporters and some 200 Secret Service agents for the European visit, which began Tuesday in London.

Airlift for the traveling entourage also was used to move the president's new heavy-armored limousine and several presidential helicopters used for short transits.

I guess when you are committed to spend more money than all previous 43 American presidents combined, setting new records for entourage logistics is small potatoes. Can you imagine the carbon footprint of this operation?

And is it really "smart diplomacy" to impress Europeans with such a display, especially considering our status as the world's biggest debtor?