I have a new column up at AIP called “You Paid For It: Date Night in NYC”. Here’s an excerpt:

[D]o most American couples fly to New York and back in one night on the taxpayers’ dime? Rather than just going somewhere in Washington, D.C. for their date, Obama made it special. They took a Marine One helicopter to Andrews Air Force Base. Then, they hopped onto Air Force One (a Gulfstream 500, not the famous 747) to fly to New York, accompanied by two planes carrying staff and press. After all, Obama can’t do anything without the media accompanying him, can he? Once they landed in New York, they were escorted by a full motorcade of police, military, and other staff as they drove off in their limo (and also had 6th Avenue blocked off by the NYPD). Barack and Michelle dined in a West Village restaurant, and then saw a Broadway play: “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”. They then took their entourage with them back to the airport where they flew back to D.C., all of this of course at our expense. Let’s assume Obama paid for the dinner and show out of his own pocket; that pales in comparison to how much the transportation for this little trip cost us. (Now, I don’t know for sure that Obama paid for the dinner and show, but I’m just assuming that he didn’t stoop so low as to stick us with the bill.)

In other news, General Motors is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week.

I think it’s wonderful that Barack and Michelle are taking the time to go on dates together. But do they really need to go on dates that undoubtedly cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars? He said in a statement that he just had to do this because he promised during the campaign to take Michelle to see a Broadway show. Fox News also disclosed multiple other theaters with shows currently running in Washington, D.C.. There was “Arcadia” at the Folger Elizabethan theater, “Looped” at the Lincoln Theater, “Rent” at the Warner Theater, “Design for Living” at the Shakespeare Theater Company, or “Rock ‘n Roll” at the Studio Theater. Of course, if there heart was on that particular play, then they still needn’t have left D.C., as it is showing at the Lincoln Center in Washington, D.C. right now. Surely, the Obamas could have stayed in Washington, D.C. for their date night, but they just had to waste our money so they could go to New York. Couldn’t they just have stayed in D.C. and saved us some money?

Make sure to read the whole thing.