President Barack Hussein Obama, First Lady Michelle, and an entourage the size of a small nation arrived in India’s commercial hub of Mumbai on Saturday, getting the heck out of Dodge after Americans issued a Midterm referendum on his failed leadership and socialist policies.

In a display of grandeur not seen since Julius Caesar, the first couple arrived with the following:

• A cadre of 9 accompanying warships off the coast of India
• 45 limousines, including “the Beast”, the nickname for the heavily-armoured limousine that the president will travel in.
• 250 businessmen, who have been instrumental in the announced trade deal with India.
• 600 Secret Service agents, who formed a ring around the president as he entered the Taj Mahal Hotel.

Three very interesting accommodations were made for this 9 day trips.  The first accommodation made was to remove all the coconuts from the trees.  The second was to build a kilometer long above-ground  tunnel in order for the Obamas to visit the Mani Bhvan Museum in Mumbai.  The tunnel will measure 12′ X 12′ , with air conditioning, closed-circuit television cameras, and numerous guards at each point.  It will be constructed so that the president’s motorcade can drive right on through it.

The third accommodation made for  Obama was the installation of TOTUS (the teleprompter of the United States) in the Indian Parliament.  This is the first time a teleprompter has ever been used by a statesman there.  He will be speaking to 780 Ministers of Parliament on Monday.

A official, who did not wish to be identified because of security restrictions, said:

We thought Obama is a trained orator and skilled in the art of mass address with his continuous eye contact.

Imagine how Americans felt after this guy got elected.

Last week, an Indian government source told the NDTV channel of Delhi:

The huge amount of around $200 million would be spent on security, stay and other aspects of the Presidential visit.

 Since then, the White House has denied the accuracy of that figure, saying the cost was wildly inflated.

Yeah, right.

Yesterday, Obama spoke to a meeting of Indian officials and the 250 U.S> businessmen he brought along on his trip.  He announced that Trade agreements had already been struck between the two nations.  He stated that the deals – including the sale of military transport aircraft, civilian airplanes, mining equipment and jet engines – are worth $10 billion and support 54,000 jobs in the United States.  Among the businessmen that Scooter brought along were the CEO of Honeywell, David M. Cote and Obama’s personal advisor, Jeffery Immelt, the CEO of General Electric.

I’m shocked. Aren’t the majority of jobs in those industries that will benefit Union jobs?  Hmmm.

Oh, Scooter also brought along 6 University Presidents, so he would have somebody to talk to.

Later, Scooter and Michelle (ma belle) cut a rug with the children of Holy Name High School in South Mumbai. They also lit ‘diyas’ (earthen lamps), swayed to the traditional Koli folk music and attentively listened to their presentations on environment and global warming.

The Obamas mingled freely with the children signing autographs, posing for pictures with them and their parents.

A student, obviously excited by the first couple being there, said:

This was a golden opportunity for us and the school.

I’m surprised that he didn’t bring Chubby Checker along with him for this photo op.  Heck, he brought everybody else.

This morning, Obama on Sunday spoke to students of St. Xavier’s College. Answering a student’s question about his feelings concerning jihad, he said that he regretted that the “great religion” of Islam has been distorted by a few extremists to justify violence towards innocent people and called for isolating these elements.

Scooter also said that people will have to fundamentally reject the notion that violence is the way to mediate differences among them:

I think all of us have to fundamentally reject the notion that violence is the way to mediate our differences.

I think all of us recognise that this great religion (Islam) in the hands of a few extremists has been distorted to justify violence towards innocent people that is never justified.

So, one of the challenges the world faces is how to “isolate” those who have these distorted notions of religious war…and reaffirm those who see faces of all sorts whether you are a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian and a Jew or any other religion that we can all treat each other with respect and mutual dignity.

Well, gosh. Why don’t Moderate Muslims start speaking against jihad?  If these extremists are as isolated as you say, Scooter.  After all, all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing.

Meanwhile, back in the country that Obama is supposed to serve and protect, over 1/6th of American citizens remain on food stamps.  Our monthly unemployment numbers remain at 9.6 %, and that’s not even counting those who don’t receive unemployment compensation any more and those who have just flat given up trying to look for a job.

Nero fiddled.  Obama danced.