If Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Herman Cain or any of the other presidential challengers were to embark on a three-day bus trip like the one now underway by President Obama, it would cost their campaigns tens of thousands of dollars. Perhaps more.

 

 

 

 

 

They would have to pay a variety of expenses, including:

• air travel to their first destination
• leasing of one or more buses appropriate to the journey
• rental for halls or meeting rooms for their candidates' appearances
• the cost of lodging and meals for their candidate and staff

 

But not the Obama campaign. The White House declared that Mr. Obama's three-day trip through North Carolina and Virginia are official events and not campaign appearances, even though the two states are known to be political objectives of his re-election bid.

 

 

 

So Mr. Obama's expenses are borne by taxpayers, including:

• the pro-rated costs of his flights aboard Marine One and Air Force One that brought him to his first stop yesterday in Asheville, NC
• the two buses used by him and his staff, owned and operated by the United States Secret Service
• costs associated with setting up speech sites including microphones, speakers, amplifiers, teleprompters and TV lights
• lodging and meals for the president and his political staff