[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15743]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         PRESIDENTIAL BUS TOUR

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I came to the floor this morning with my 
colleagues to discuss the National Defense Authorization bill. Before I 
do, I wish to mention there has been a lot of talk dominating certainly 
part of the talk radio and television about the bus tour the President 
is on. A lot of it is centered around the bus. I am not going to 
discuss that anymore except to say that in 2008 when I ran for 
President I didn't need a bus to be paid for and billed by the 
government and the taxpayers of the United States. I understand that 
now there has been another bus purchased for who ever the Republican 
nominees are. How do you justify that? The Republican nominee may not 
want a bus.
  The fact is, after having said that, the most important point here is 
that the President is now, on the taxpayers' money, campaigning for 3 
days in North Carolina. It says in today's Washington Post ``On N.C. 
Bus Tour, Obama In Full Campaign Mode.'' I say I have seen other 
Presidents, both Republican and Democrat, who have hedged and come 
right up to the edge, and sometimes crossed over it, charging the 
taxpayers for what has been clearly campaign activities. But never do I 
believe any of us have seen the kind of activity the President is 
engaged in, and all of it being charged to the taxpayers of America. 
That is wrong. That is the wrong thing to do.
  According to recent reports, the President's campaign has raised 
record amounts of money already. The campaign should be paying for this 
North Carolina trip of his. I do not begrudge him beating up on us and 
criticizing us and making all kinds of allegations about not 
understanding his stimulus 2 package, which we understand very well is 
more of the same. But at least his campaign should be paying for this 
kind of campaigning.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to engage in a colloquy with 
my colleagues from Georgia, Senator Chambliss; from New Hampshire, 
Senator Ayotte; and the distinguished Republican leader, Senator 
McConnell, for purposes of a colloquy.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________