Oh, it gets even better. That trip up to New York that the president took -- the one where he raised $4.5 million off his adoring celebrity fanbase -- is partially underwritten by we, the people. A short trip to see the World Trade Center construction site means taxpayers foot some of the bill for his fundraising jag.
However, the President's re-election campaign will not have to pay the full cost of his jaunt to the Big Apple, because he combined the trip with an official event which will be charged to the taxpayer.
Before the fundraisers, one at actress Sarah Jessica Parker's house and one at the five-star Plaza Hotel, Mr Obama scheduled a visit to the World Trade Center site.
For a trip like yesterday's, involving both official duties and campaign events, a formula is applied so that the campaign pays part of the costs - but it still works out cheaper than making a trip purely for campaigning.
It is unclear what prompted the President to return to the site - where he took the chance to hail 'the American spirit' - on this occasion.
Perhaps he dropped by out of a patriotic desire to see the progress, but it does look like he threw in the visit so he'd have an official duty on the trip, and therefore wouldn't have to assume all the costs for it.
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