OH CRAP, HERE COMES THE "ENTOURAGE" CANARD

Drudge right now:

PAPER: White House entourage of 500+ staff to Europe... Developing...

The link goes to a story from The Guardian, which is not a right-wing paper, but I fear it's going to be righties who aren't going to let this die -- we're going to get days of yammering from them about wasteful rock star Barack Obama and the huge crew that's accompanying him.

Er, I take you back to the November 19, 2003, issue of, um, The Guardian;

George Bush was safely installed behind the high walls of Buckingham Palace last night at the start of a controversial state visit...

Mr Bush, his wife, Laura, and a 700-strong entourage worthy of a travelling medieval monarch, flew into Heathrow airport....

Oh, and here's a New Zealand Herald story from September 5, 2007:

...The United States President, who arrived in Sydney last night, brought not one Jumbo jet, but three, as well as another two aircraft that carry aircraft. The President's Jumbo has a back-up, and the back-up has a back-up....

The Jumbos are carrying 700 of the President's closest friends, including a doctor, nurse, personal chef and four cooks....

His entourage includes 50 White House political aides, 150 national security advisers and 200 specialists from other government departments.

POTUS, as he is known in Secret Service jargon (President Of The United States), is getting by with a mere 250 protective agents....

So please, righties -- don't start with this nonsense. This is simply how presidents travel -- regardless of party.