Yes I agree Richard..let them eat cake or whatever and do they pay when they eat in restaurant or is that more taxpayer money gone gone gone?

Scoutmoss - I recall reading that Presidents pay for the food that the WH chefs prepare and they pay for their dinners out as well.

After a few days at home every night for dinner, I need to get out for a change of pace. Why can't the Pres do that too???

It's taxpayer money gone gone gone in the same way that every time a cop, a teacher, a sanitation worker, a public university professor, etc. eats in a restaurant, it's taxpayer money gone gone gone.

FYI: "The president earns a $400,000 annual salary, along with a $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 non-taxable travel account and $19,000 for entertainment. The most recent raise in salary was approved by Congress and President Bill Clinton in 1999 and went into effect in 2001.”

Pleas to isolate the President away from the people. Interesting.

I'm not sure about the motorcade rule. That would pretty much prohibit any local travel by the POTUS. My office is near where the kids go to school. On parent-teacher meetings days, we see whole line of limos, secret service SUVs, police cars, police motorcycles and the ambulance all whiz by and wreak havoc for a few minutes. Surely you don't object to that, even if it is a violation of the motorcade rule?

It's really just par for the course in DC. The POTUS and other big wigs cause a ruckus when they are out and about. I think folks in DC are more used to it that you all up in Baltimore. It's not as big of a deal as you might think, after a while.

Another anti-business fusillade from the liberal elite media. The message you wish the Leader of the World to convey? Stay inside your bunker, have a private chef come to the castle to cook your meals. Raise your children like dauphines.

Have any of you lefty knuckleheads considered the economic wake that a visit by the President would have on the economy of Baltimore. Wherever he eats becomes a landmark and destination for tourists and business travelers, which adds to the value of Baltimore as an economic destination.

Secondly, what do you think the Secret Secret would be doing if he ate at home? It's not like a Secret Service driver is hanging out at the fillin' station with Gomer and Goober waiting for The Call. Most likely they are waterboarding suspicious White House lawn crickets. Plus the 17 year attack by sleeper insect cells known as Al Cicada is approaching rapidly.

Everybody's got to be somewhere, including the President. Why not make that place Baltimore? It's a short drive and local businesses could use the boost.

Think of all the ripe rube bucks straining to free themselves of their Velcro™ sports wallets in Muncey and Des Moines, from Tucson to Tucumcari, Tehachapi to Tonpah.

Hezekiah, have you heard about a place in Baltimore called Claws & Paws? You can get live crabs steamed and your dog can sit outside with you and chase pigeons. The President of Kenya went there.

This is no time for crypto-pinko isolation. Open up the borders of your mind and let laissez-manger-faire capitalism fill our collective empty bellies with free marketing and economic synergy.

Liberal turncoats trade your threadbare mourning coats for the garb of optimism and economic opportunity. Embrace the world, discard your League of Nations TGIF flair and get down and dirty with real democracy – the democracy of the dollar.

Please come to Baltimore, President Obama. A rising appetite lifts all restaurants.

What is the deal with people who can turn any topic weird by using "Dumbocrat, liberal elite, communist, socialist, spendocrat, leftist media" et al ad nauseum. Your tinfoil hat is on crooked.

I don't think motorcading the president to 7-11 or whatever every day is a good use of money but I think he should be allowed to go out to a resturant every once-in-a-while.

When Jenna brought her mother to our place this past summer, it was a little odd to see 2 ss inside the dining room alerting the 2 ss who were outside on our patio evertime someone went outside.

It was also a little funny to see how long and who realized who was eating at our place.

No motorcade though for a former first lady.

Chef Bill
Mr. Rains Fun House

Yes indeedy, all of us should simply stick to our official duties and stay in the house unless it's absolutely necessary for the performance of our jobs. Sounds good to me.