So, Who Is Paying For The Obama South Asian Victory Lap?

In great part, the US military, that's who.

Isn't it funny how libs who run for office declaring their undying hostility toward 'the military-industrial complex' discover, upon entering office, that Gee-Wally it's neat to be Commander-in-Chief, with alllll those toys to play with and people to order around. One begins to feel, well, god-like. Suits Mr. Obama's ego like a tailored outfit from Savile Row

James Corum continues:

...the president is travelling with an entourage that would dwarf the armed forces of even large nations (US Navy ships deployed, a fleet of aircraft and vehicles, hundreds of advisors) and displaying a level of pomp and ceremony that would have impressed the old Raj, some American newspapers have been noting the cost of $200 million a day. For a president that runs up new spending in the trillions, this is small change. But he will be coming back to face a new Congress. And, after a two-year spending binge, he is asking it to make some major cuts – in the defence budget.

As it happens, the defence budget is the main source of President Obama’s lavish travel budget. When the Congressional committees – after January to be controlled by conservative Republicans – look at his wish to cut defence, they may note that the cost of this latest trip could have paid for a squadron of new F-35 fighters for the US Air Force, or a destroyer for the US Navy, or a whole new brigade for the US Army, complete with personnel and armoured vehicles. Republican Congressmen may note that America could have bought itself some real security in the form of men and equipment for a military worn down by a decade of conflict.

There is a story, repeated often, so it likely has some truth to it, about the unlamented President Lyndon Johnson. This guy was a Texas Democrat machine politician from Day 1, and assiduously avoided military service in the 1940's, even though his colleagues in Congress were resigning and joining the military. He did discover the joys of free air travel and nice billetings in the Pacific theatre, though.

Later, he loved being President, 'cuz it gave him his own army to play with. Hells-bells, this guy was personally calling in airstrikes on Vietnam from the oval office.
Don't get much better than that ya'll--pick up the phone, and the carriers launch the planes, things go BOOM and pilots and people on the ground die horrible deaths. All before lunch.

So, one fine day, President Johnson is ambling toward his waiting Marine helicopter, when the the sentry on the stairs attempts to direct him to the other chopper in the pair that was about to take off. Sez the sentry: 'Mr. President, this isn't helicopter, sir. It's that one over there!'

Johnson doesn't miss a beat. He leans over to the sentry and exclaims over the prop wash: The're allllll my helicopters, Corporal!

Come January, TheOne will hopefully have some-splainin-to-do-Lucy...like what his views are about the Taxpayers owning all that stuff.

Those choppers aren't his toys, and those people operating them aren't his chattel.