Woman Who Can't Afford Her Own Birth Control Scrapes Up Money For Congressional Run

[kentonio]

That's not even remotely true:

I doubt the total holdings of all former Presidents + Obama would break $100 million.

I'm not talking about wealth, I'm talking about how they're treated. The royalty obviously have security teams and suchlike, and on public occasions are treated like, well royalty of course, but a lot of the time they're just rattling around in their palaces minding their own business. they're also not elected of course. We don't treat our Prime Ministers anything even remotely like you treat your Presidents.

And Presidential libraries are actual, functional libraries. They just are named after Presidents. They don't own them. They don't personally benefit from them (aside from the fame/infamy).

It's the fame part that I was talking about. Being President means you end up with a library in your honour that can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and stores all their papers etc. Here being Prime Minister generally means you end up the butt of endless jokes on late night panel shows. I fully realize that last part applies to your presidents too.

[Sava]

I'm not talking about wealth, I'm talking about how they're treated. The royalty obviously have security teams and suchlike, and on public occasions are treated like, well royalty of course, but a lot of the time they're just rattling around in their palaces minding their own business. they're also not elected of course. We don't treat our Prime Ministers anything even remotely like you treat your Presidents.

Giving people money they didn't earn is a way to "treat" people. English royals get better "treatment" than any President ever has.

It's the fame part that I was talking about. Being President means you end up with a library in your honour that can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and stores all their papers etc. Here being Prime Minister generally means you end up the butt of endless jokes on late night panel shows. I fully realize that last part applies to your presidents too.

There is an inherent level of "fame" with being the leader of the free world. Don't be butthurt about losing your empire. You had a good run. You should feel honored (without the unnecessary 'u') that we pretend you are equal partners in our "special relationship".

[Hauldren Collider]

I actually agree with Kentonio here and think the pomp and ceremony surrounding the president is excessive and bordering on royal. That said, it is not even close to the amount of ceremony surrounding European monarchs.

An important difference is also that a lot of the respect (which again I think is excessive) is to the office itself and not the actual officeholder. They lose all of it except for the bodyguards (for a time) as soon as they leave office. People still listen to what they have to say, hence the libraries, but that isn't the same as being treated like a king.

[Sava]

the pomp and ceremony surrounding the president is excessive and bordering on royal

I agree with this too.

But such criticism coming from a brit is like Justin Bieber getting upset at the antics of young pop stars.

[kentonio]

I actually agree with Kentonio here and think the pomp and ceremony surrounding the president is excessive and bordering on royal. That said, it is not even close to the amount of ceremony surrounding European monarchs.

Most European monarchs don't have anything like the pomp and ceremony of the UK ones.

An important difference is also that a lot of the respect (which again I think is excessive) is to the office itself and not the actual officeholder. They lose all of it except for the bodyguards (for a time) as soon as they leave office. People still listen to what they have to say, hence the libraries, but that isn't the same as being treated like a king.

SS protection is for life isn't it?

[Hauldren Collider]

I am okay with the President getting a house. That's fine. Governors usually get houses too. The guy needs a place to live in DC that he can govern from. I am also okay with the president getting a plane, and a car, and so on. He needs to get around. Security team--obviously. He's orders of magnitude more valuable as a target of kidnapping or assassination than any other public figure in the US or even the world. And high salary comes with the territory. He's the top member of the executive branch.

I think things like Camp David and the honor guards are pushing it a bit. I don't think he deserves any more special respect in social settings than a Senator. The exception being from the military; he is their commander in chief, they should treat him like any other superior officer.

[Hauldren Collider]

SS protection is for life isn't it?

I don't remember. I don't think so. The president can extend it for his predecessor. Basically, if you are likely to need it, you'll get it. Bush may not be super popular, but I'd bet that if he was assassinated after leaving office opinion polls would show that well over 90% of Americans would be very angry. Same for Obama.

[Sava]

I don't remember. I don't think so. The president can extend it for his predecessor. Basically, if you are likely to need it, you'll get it. Bush may not be super popular, but I'd bet that if he was assassinated after leaving office opinion polls would show that well over 90% of Americans would be very angry. Same for Obama.

Secret Service protection is for life.

http://www.secretservice.gov/protection.shtml

[Hauldren Collider]

Ah. I read somewhere that Obama had extended secret service protection for someone; it must have been Cheney then.

[Ben Kenobi]

That said, it is not even close to the amount of ceremony surrounding European monarchs.

Maybe not in ceremony, but in cost - Obama and his family charged taxpayers 1.4 billion dollars last year.

The Queen cost England about 60 million a year. It's not even close.

[Ben Kenobi]

Sava, prior to the Obama Administration that was the case. Things have changed. He'll be the first president to exceed that margin with the Queen, and by a not inconsiderable margin either.

[pchang]

President salary is not high. I've made more than $400,000 a year. The thing I wonder about is how a person on a public official's salary all their career manages to get a net worth over $5 million.

[DinoDoc]

The thing I wonder about is how a person on a public official's salary all their career manages to get a net worth over $5 million.

Guess.

[Kidlicious]

President salary is not high. I've made more than $400,000 a year. The thing I wonder about is how a person on a public official's salary all their career manages to get a net worth over $5 million.

Why do they get a high salary if they make so much money from other sources? It's not like people don't want to be the president.

[Guynemer]

President salary is not high. I've made more than $400,000 a year. The thing I wonder about is how a person on a public official's salary all their career manages to get a net worth over $5 million.

Well, I imagine the advances and royalties for his books were rather high.