CADILLAC ONE

The Beast that bears the American leader

The Nation

Obama

BANGKOK: -- The Beast is as much a symbol of the US presidency as Air Force One - and the present fleet of presidential limousines has been in service since 2009 and is readily identified as the transport of the Barack Obama administration.

Obama's Beast is heavily armoured to shield from gun, bomb, missile and improvised-explosive-device attacks. It has the latest in satellite-link communications, including anti-eavesdropping equipment. It is also equipped for protection from biochemical warfare.

Drivers can activate night-vision gear to help repel and counter any assault. Should safety fall short of being foolproof, a blood bank with Obama's blood type is always ready in the trunk for emergency medical services.

The Secret Service has nicknamed the vehicles as The Beast, reflecting the weight of the armour plate and the massive installation of security devices. The present Beast has a Cadillac badge without a specific model. The estimated cost of each armoured vehicle before furnishing is Bt9 million.

For land transportation outside the White House, the presidential limousines are practically a fortified and mobile Oval Office. On foreign trips, the Beast is transported by a US Air Force C-17 aircraft.

For yesterday and today, the Beast is flying the Thai flag honouring the Kingdom as the official host of President Obama.

-- The Nation 2012-11-19

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

Security is a higher concern...

It's really heavy.

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

What do you suggest? A locally made Ford Fiesta hatchback from Rayong?

TATA 1

Edited November 19, 201213 yr by FOODLOVER

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

What do you suggest? A locally made Ford Fiesta hatchback from Rayong?

I read here that a Cruze does all that and more, for less.

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

In a peaceful utopia of course you do net need this sort of thing. No doubt you live in one, but the rest of us do not.

even fb that is crawling here is call facebook1

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

I am sure, whoever you support, would have taken a taxi from the airport!

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

I am sure, whoever you support, would have taken a taxi from the airport!

Romney would have ridden "Rifalca".

Remember when Fox News said Obama's Asia trip (in 2010) was costing $200 million per day. Yeah, right.

George W. Bush made an Asia swing in Oct. 2003, incl. Thailand. He got a brand new Caddy when he was sworn in! He made a ton of trips, amazingly, but no one was questioning the cost then? I wonder why not? Oh right, he hadn't run up the deficit to record highs, yet.

Edited November 19, 201213 yr by lomatopo

It's really heavy.

Impressive too is the incapacity of (one of the supposedly best) drivers in the world to correctly estimate the practicability of the alley. Looks like a gross mistake

Edited November 19, 201213 yr by Scott

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

I am sure, whoever you support, would have taken a taxi from the airport!

Romney would have ridden "Rifalca".

Remember when Fox News said Obama's Asia trip (in 2010) was costing $200 million per day. Yeah, right.

George W. Bush made an Asia swing in Oct. 2003, incl. Thailand. He got a brand new Caddy when he was sworn in! He made a ton of trips, amazingly, but no one was questioning the cost then? I wonder why not? Oh right, he hadn't run up the deficit to record highs, yet.

Yes and lets not forget all those aircraft carriers that were also used, not sure what for but it must have been true as Glenn Beck told us.

The estimated cost of each armoured vehicle before furnishing is Bt9 million.

Cost to import into Thailand 30 Million Baht, that is if customs officers don't take a fancy to it and decide to keep it.

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

I am sure, whoever you support, would have taken a taxi from the airport!

Romney would have ridden "Rifalca".

Remember when Fox News said Obama's Asia trip (in 2010) was costing $200 million per day. Yeah, right.

George W. Bush made an Asia swing in Oct. 2003, incl. Thailand. He got a brand new Caddy when he was sworn in! He made a ton of trips, amazingly, but no one was questioning the cost then? I wonder why not? Oh right, he hadn't run up the deficit to record highs, yet.

Bush is the one who maxed out the credit card, so much so, leaving Obama only being able to afford to make the interest payments.

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

do you realize how much wealth would be destroyed if the leader of the free world was to be attacked?

the costs of security are a tiny drop in the bucket.

use your brain, kid.

What a huge cost to have to carry your own car everywhere you go, 2nd plane, flight crew, avgas et al, but I guess that is not of concern to the Govt.

do you realize how much wealth would be destroyed if the leader of the free world was to be attacked?

the costs of security are a tiny drop in the bucket.

use your brain, kid.

Nah, won't happen. He is just too bitter for some reason.

Gentleman, that's funny and true. The problem with Bush's card is it is still getting swipped today and will be for years. Too bad we cannot cancel that mothu's credit card.

Impressive too is the incapacity of (one of the supposedly best) drivers in the world to correctly estimate the practicability of the alley. Looks like a gross mistake

There are, undoubtedly, a couple of Secret Service guys looking for new assignments. This sort of situation is exactly what they are sent ahead to scout out and avoid. The driver would expect sufficient ground clearance had been observed.

It's really heavy.

Lol! You'd have thought that for $300,000 they'd design the suspension to be able to drive over a small hump without getting grounded...

Something to be said about European cars, Big Citroen no problem, just set the ride height higher,Big Benz also had ride height control on there air suspension models.... Range Rover ?

Being an American President, maybe a Hummer would have been a better option keep it all American ?

It's really heavy.

Impressive too is the incapacity of (one of the supposedly best) drivers in the world to correctly estimate the practicability of the alley. Looks like a gross mistake

Clearly someone on the advance team screwed up majorly.

A head rolled, or at least got demoted or reprimanded.

Edited November 19, 201213 yr by Scott

Something to be said about European cars, Big Citroen no problem, just set the ride height higher,Big Benz also had ride height control on there air suspension models.... Range Rover ?

Being an American President, maybe a Hummer would have been a better option keep it all American ?

I think not. The Hummer brand ended in 2010.

BTW, I love that our presidents fly in their own limos! They are our elected emperors. Let them show off a bit.

Edited November 19, 201213 yr by Jingthing

Love it! The Caddy Canardly.

Canardly go anywhere cos its too long and heavy!

Something to be said about European cars, Big Citroen no problem, just set the ride height higher,Big Benz also had ride height control on there air suspension models.... Range Rover ?

Being an American President, maybe a Hummer would have been a better option keep it all American ?

I think not. The Hummer brand ended in 2010.

BTW, I love that our presidents fly in their own limos! They are our elected emperors. Let them show off a bit.

Why is there lots of spy shots of the new 2013 Hummer all over the web ?

Has this 2013 model not got the right image for a American President ?

I love that our presidents fly in their own limos!

Are you sure ? I thought the cars arrived before the President ? but then what do I know I am not American, never to old to learn something new

Edited November 19, 201213 yr by ignis

The Hummer might have worked for G.W. Bush.

do you realize how much wealth would be destroyed if the leader of the free world was to be attacked?

The job of US President doesn't make you, in any sense, the leader of the free world. It's a position that has been held by a series of buffoons and war criminals whom are held in utter contempt by all right-thinking people (i.e. not Americans whose brains are addled from childhood by all that ludicrous saluting to the American flag and farcical nationalism. Shock revelation: America is not the greatest country in the world - not by far). Does any rational person have any respect for the likes of Bush, Bush Mk. II, Reagan, Nixon, Ford?

As for the destruction of wealth, well America doesn't actually have much wealth left to destroy. It's ludicrously indebted to the rest of the world - particularly China.

It's about time the USA learned its position in the world and stopped throwing its weight about internationally. It should out sort its own economic and social problems before trying to impose its "values" and its conception of "democracy" upon the rest of the world.

Edited November 19, 201213 yr by AyG

The Hummer might have worked for G.W. Bush.

Actually Clinton enjoyed the hummers.

The job of US President doesn't make you, in any sense, the leader of the free world.

...

That's a matter of opinion. Most Americans, including me, think that it DOES. Just so you know.

The job of US President doesn't make you, in any sense, the leader of the free world.

...

That's a matter of opinion. Most Americans, including me, think that it DOES. Just so you know.

Agreed Jingthing ir certainly DOES.

It's about time the USA learned its position in the world and stopped throwing its weight about internationally. It should out sort its own economic and social problems before trying to impose its "values" and its conception of "democracy" upon the rest of the world.

Hope you speak Russian or Chinese. You'll need it if the USA quits "throwing its weight around"...

You think America needs anything Thailand has? You think the bases in Japan are to impose the US will on their Japanese Colony? You figure the USA spent all the money on bases all over Europe the last 70 years because they want to get all tangled up in Euro politics?

And where should the USA send the bill for the $$$ trillions spent to keep oil flowing out of the Middle East? The majority of which does not end up in the USA? Tankers hauling oil (being produced by Royal Dutch Shell, British Petroleum, China National Oil Company, and dozens of other non-American companies) couldn't get insurance if it weren't for the Americans "throwing their weight around".

Be careful what you wish for. One day America will stop throwing its weight around, and you will long for the good ole' days when they did.

Edited November 19, 201213 yr by impulse