RUSH: Melissa in Houston, it’s great to have you on Open Line Friday. Hi.
CALLER: Yes. I’ve read that something like 800 people are going on this Indian trip with the president. And I was just wondering: Who are these people? Why are they all leaving the country, and what is gonna be the cost of all this, too.
RUSH: Well, we know this. We know that 40 airplanes are being utilized, including both Air Force Ones. Both Marine Ones are being disassembled and flown over there on cargo planes, as is the Obamamobile, the official presidential limousine. I think there are two or three of those. You gotta know that a lot of Secret Service are going, White House staff. I hadn’t seen the number 800.
CALLER: Okay. I read that, I guess, on Politico. But you said something like 500. Well, they’re taking the whole Taj Mahal.
RUSH: Yeah, 520 rooms in the Taj Mahal.
CALLER: Mmm-hmm. And then there were additional hotels, I think, too.
RUSH: Yeah. Basically it sounds like a government in exile. Like I said, the question to me is: Are they coming back?
CALLER: (giggles)
RUSH: I mean, this is —
CALLER: It’s not being covered. It’s very curious.
RUSH: Well, to an extent. It’s being reported, otherwise we wouldn’t know. Maybe they’re more afraid of November it had than we thought, ’cause this trip starts, what? Two or three days after the election.
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: Clear the president doesn’t want to be anywhere near the scene of the disaster.
CALLER: But it would be good to know who these people are.
RUSH: Yeah. Well, they booked 500 rooms, you’re right. So… (sigh) Look, this regime has a lot of people in it that we don’t know. All of these czars, none of them have to go through confirmation hearings. One thing for sure though, folks: It wouldn’t take a whole lot of work to round up 800 government people. I mean, we’re infested with them. They’re like cockroaches. They’re all over the place. You know, finding 800 of them to take on a trip would not be hard. Forty, 40 aircraft, 40. I’m sure that includes the press contingent, too, but still 40 aircraft — and the teleprompter! For the first time ever, a teleprompter is gonna be used in the Indian parliament building.