Obama government in exile?

Rush Limbaugh

Talk-radio titan Rush Limbaugh noted yesterday that President Obama is getting out of "Dodge" – Washington, D.C. – surprisingly soon after the big showdown with the GOP.

"Maybe they're more afraid of November it had than we thought, 'cause this trip starts, what? Two or three days after the election," said Limbaugh. "[It's] clear the president doesn't want to be anywhere near the scene of the disaster."

After discussing the massive number of people traveling with Obama to Mumbai, India, Limbaugh wondered whether the trip would be only one way.

"Basically it sounds like a government in exile. Like I said, the question to me is: 'Are they coming back?'"

Obama's trip to Mumbai reportedly will cost American taxpayers "a whopping $200 million per day" according the Press Trust of India.

President and Mrs. Obama are reportedly bringing along a tremendous entourage of about 3,000 people, ranging from U.S. government officials to journalists to Secret Service agents to private chefs, for a two-day visit beginning Nov. 6.

Two jumbo jets will accompany Air Force One to India, along with security planes, and the president will motor through the city in a 45-car convoy, according to the Economic Times of India.

All 570 rooms and all of the restaurants and banquet halls in the top-flight Taj Mahal Hotel have been booked for the visit, along with rooms in hotels throughout the city, reports the Times.

The U.S. reportedly has already thrown a security blanket over the city, with a Navy warship, helicopters and ground personnel from various U.S. security agencies already in place, according to the Press Trust. Mumbai has suffered repeated terrorist attacks.

The Press Trust report cites a "top official of the Maharashtra Government privy to the arrangements for the high-profile visit."

Mumbai, known until 1995 as Bombay, is located in Maharashtra state on India's west coast. The second largest city in the world with a population of approximately 14 million, Mumbai is known as the entertainment and commercial capital of India.

Mumbai was victimized by a major terrorist attack in November 2008. Islamic terrorists from Pakistan murdered at least 173 people and injured at least 308 in a coordinated series of shootings and bombings spread over four days.

The Maharashtra state government has reportedly requested the Indian air force and navy to step up patrolling in and around Mumbai for the duration of Obama's visit.

Mumbai, with its deep water harbor, handles 70 percent of maritime trade in India. The city is home to numerous major financial institutions as well as Bollywood, the Indian television and movie industry.