I'm starting a thread in the politics section but I really hope this doesn't start another pissing match. I actually want to know what both sides think about this issue.

George W was in town (Billings) stumping for the incumbent Republican Senator today, and on the local newscast they mentioned that he was going to make like 13 stops in the next week or so to campaign for various candidates.

Well, it got me to thinking...who's paying for this bullshit? If a politician wants to go to a dozen states on a whirlwind tour that's fine with me, but why the fuck am I paying for it? It's expensive enough to fly the prez and his entourage around when they're actually on official business, but the incredible amount of money being burned while he's stumping for candidates seems kinda unethical in my book.

And before anyone on the left starts salivating about Bush's wasteful ways; Bill did it, too. I don't think this is a party issue, I think it's just another way the gov't is blowing our tax dollars.