George W. Bush arrives for APEC

[Maggie_May]

Air Force One, a specially converted Boeing 747-200B costing $400 million, was escorted by two other Jumbo jets, acting as back-up, and two giant C17 Globemaster III air transports carrying other aircraft.

On board the planes were 50 White House political aides, 150 national security advisers, 200 specialists from other government departments and more than 250 Secret Service agents.

The President's men were even believed to be bringing their own sniffer dogs.
Mr Bush's motorcade of 30 vehicles drove to his city harbourside hotel, the Intercontinental, where he is booked into a seven-room suite at a cost of $4300 a night.

The President arrived shortly after the release of a new poll showing 52 percent of all Australians believe he is the worst president in American history.

He has drawn criticism for his plans to leave the summit a day before its official end to rush back home to prepare for a crucial progress report on Iraq.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22365266-2,00.html

Talk about being paranoid asshole!
Has anyone seen anything about protesters there yet?

[leftchick]

1. this is embarassing

<snip>

A couple of minutes later, Mr Bush and Dr Rice got into Cadillac One to join the security motorcade that is now leaving the airport, headed into the CBD.
Dozens of police motorbikes and cars, with lights flashing red and blue in the dark; Secret Service vans mixed in with four-wheel drives; and buses and ambulances made up the long motorcade.

Police and military helicopters, some with spotlights blazing, buzzed overhead in an air space that had been cleared of all traffic before the president's arrival in bitter cold and rain.

Mr Bush arrived at his CBD hotel, approximately 17km away, just 15 minutes after his enormous motorcade started rolling off the Sydney airport tarmac.

[Maggie_May]

3. I know I thought this was a little much

Whats the problem Mr. Bush not liked much? WOW he had all this Australia what the hell did he have in Iraq.

Sorry I really have a potty mouth.

[spanone]

6. HE is embarassing.

[napi21]

2. HEY! I thought we didn't HAVE a King?

And gee, only 30 vehicles! If there are 650 people traveling with him, even at 6 per vehicle those 30 will only transport 180 people! What do the rest of 'em have to do...WALK????

And at $4,300 a night, what IS the WH expense budget....really?

[Buns_of_Fire]

5. $4,300 a night PLUS...

The cost of the rooms for chucklenuts' SS people and other assorted sycophants. Plus the cost of cordoning off a few floors. Plus the cost of displaced business.

All that for the "privilege" of hanging a plaque saying "The 'President' Slept Here" and calling the room the "Presidential Suite". The cost of fumigation probably pretty well cancels that out.

[partylessinOhio]

4. This was posted on Rosie's Blog:

irene writes:

Ro,
Bush is here in Sydney NOW whole city in lock down the leader of the land of the free has the largest city in Aust in locked down no portest allowed where is our freedom only fear,fear of freedom?

And * thinks he is impressing the world.

:eyes: