The President’s bus tour through the Midwest has raised a few eyebrows for having all the hallmarks of a campaign swing. But far more interesting than whatever Mr. Obama is saying about jobs and the economy is the massive black bus that’s ferrying him across the plains. Yes, its was paid for out of taxpayer funds, and the cost was upwards of $1.1 million. The Secret Service brushes off concerns about the price tag of these behemoths (or their carbon footprint, or even whether they are running on traditional diesel or some fancy blend of biofuels). The men in black say they’ve always intended to have such vehicles in the fleet and plan to use these particular models again “…for future candidates and officials.”
It’s safe to assume, then, we won’t be seeing it on a Spinal tap reunion tour. Though, come to think of it, renting the bus for itinerant bands, wedding parties and the occasional Star Wars convention could be a debt reducer.
However, I think the Secret Service has missed the…well, bus…on this one. Rather than encasing sundry candidates, officials and hangers-on in a forbidding slab of metal, they should have consulted the lads from Top Gear about how to travel by bus in style and comfort:
Now that’s a bus.
