Message of Obama's Extravagant Asia Trip Up for Debate

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," November 4, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And this is a Fox News alert. Now moments ago in the state of Washington Republican Senate candidate Dino Rossi conceded to incumbent Patty Murray. Until now this race has been too close to call. But we can now confirm that Washington Senator Patty Murray will return to Washington in January for a fourth term.

Now despite that win, the president was dealt a serious blow on Tuesday and so, well, he decided to pay a visit to his original fan base, the international community. Now he kicks off a multi-country Asian tour tomorrow headed for India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.

Now details about the outrageous accommodations being made for the president are beginning to emerge including this. Now according to the Wall Street Journal all of the coconuts hanging from the palm trees around Gandhi's memorial house were removed from the trees in advance of the president's visit, presumably so they wouldn't fall on his head.

Now from India, the president heads to Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country and a hub of international terrorism. Now the president extended a hand of friendship to the Muslim world in his Cairo speech last year. But according to the AP his charm has worn off.

Quote, "His star power among Muslims, a focus of his international outreach, is fading."

And now the president of Indonesia is calling into question the White House's claim that while in Indonesia, the president would visit the Southeast Asia's largest mosque. A spokesman for the Indonesian president said, quote, "It is still tentative he plans to go there. But we heard that it is not yet confirmed."

And joining me now with reaction to this and the anointed one's upcoming world wind tour, Fox News contributor Juan Williams, who's smiling, and the vice president of the Young America Foundation, Kate Obenshain.

Well, let me be very clear, Juan. President -- any president in the United States going into any environment where there is any danger, any risk, he needs the best security available. I don't begrudge that at all.

JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: You mean from coconuts?

HANNITY: Well, I'm not -- well, you know, I would assume that the car is pretty well protected. I'm not that worried about the coconuts falling on the car and the president's head.

WILLIAMS: I think that's -- I think that's pretty ridiculous right there.

HANNITY: Well, I don't -- if it happened they'll probably -- they'd blame Hannity. Hannity is responsible, the coconut fell.

WILLIAMS: I'm sure they will.

HANNITY: But here's what is bothersome to me there. There were reports. The initial report came out of the -- I think it was Press Trust of India reporting that it was upwards of $200 million a day. And that there were thousands of people involved.

That they were taken over at least a big portion if not all the Taj -- hotel, Mahal Hotel. And they asked the question, they say it has no basis in reality.

Our own Mike Emanuel, less consoling, asked the question, say, why can't we get a straight answer?

WILLIAMS: Yes, I think they're embarrassed about it. Look, all these world leaders travel in such splendid style, Sean. But it's embarrassing -- I think especially embarrassing given the economic situation here in this country.

And after the last -- the election, I think the president wants to make this trip, and the White House emphasis is, this is a trip that will look at expanding business opportunities, investment, bring jobs to the United States. And the idea that it costs so much, that doesn't run with their spin.

HANNITY: All right, but you know, Kate, if you're going to do something controversial, explain it to the American people. He promised transparency, didn't he?

KATE OBENSHAIN, YOUNG AMERICA'S FOUNDATION: Yes, we haven't seen any transparency. Where are those C-SPAN hearings being televised live?

No, this is a perfect illustration of what the voters expressed such disgust with on Tuesday. Just this massive excess. Something like 3,000 people are reportedly in his entourage.

HANNITY: But wait, that's what the report is. We can't get any confirmation. That's the point.

OBENSHAIN: No, you can't get any confirmation but there's no -- even if it's -- you know, 3,000, 2,500, this is what the voters are disgusted with. The carbon footprint of this trip is going to be somewhere around the size of Memphis.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: I didn't think of that.

OBENSHAIN: So it's --

HANNITY: That's a good point.

OBENSHAIN: But you know you look at -- you look at $2.5 trillion in health care spending, $800 billion in stimulus, just money after money being thrown around recklessly. And this is just another illustration. What horrible timing.

HANNITY: All right, but here's --

WILLIAMS: Wait, hang on, hang on. Keep in mind --

HANNITY: Juan, here's --

WILLIAMS: Go ahead. Yes.

HANNITY: Here's the prism in which we've got to see this or the context.

WILLIAMS: OK.

HANNITY: He's going to come back in town and the American people and American business doesn't know what our tax bill is going to be in January. So now he's going to come back and do what, raise taxes?

OBENSHAIN: Yes.

WILLIAMS: No. In fact when he comes back I think one of the first things that Republicans and Democrats in this town agree on is that they're going to extend the Bush tax cuts and likely for everybody.

HANNITY: For everybody?

WILLIAMS: Yes. So I mean the White House's positioning is, you know, let's look at 750 or million, but I think ultimately everybody is going to get --

HANNITY: Why didn't they do it before the election?

WILLIAMS: Let me just get back to what Kate was saying for a minute.

HANNITY: Why didn't they do it before the election?

WILLIAMS: You know the answer. You are just asking me that to pick on me.

HANNITY: I am actually.

WILLIAMS: You know that the Conservative Democrats didn't want to vote on that. But let me just get back to something Kate was saying. I think Kate is piling on because the fact is every world leader has to travel, it is important for America, important for our international image and this helps. We want America's president to present American power to the world.

OBENSHAIN: Juan, I agree with you that we want our presidents traveling around the world. But he's a president not a king. He's traveling with this massive entourage.

Look, this is a president who regularly chastises CEOs for what they choose to do with private jets, with corporate jets. Yet he's jetting around the world with 40 planes, 3,000 people! This is courtiers.

WILLIAMS: You think it's any different for any other president?

HANNITY: Juan, hang on a second, that's a checkmate. I think that was the strongest argument I've heard. They have been so critical of corporate America and their extravagance.

WILLIAMS: Are you kidding me?

OBENSHAIN: It's hypocritical.

WILLIAMS: Any president, Republican or Democrat would have the same entourage and you are just loading on the president at this point.

The fact is, you know what, he's having trouble, I think the more interesting thing is, I think he's losing popularity in a lot of the Muslim world because of the drone attacks, because he hasn't changed American foreign policy.

(CROSSTALK)

OBENSHAIN: No president with an ounce of sense would rent out the entire Taj Mahal and take 3,000 people around the world with him.

WILLIAMS: He's taking American businessmen over there to develop American investments, that's a good thing.

OBENSHAIN: It's irresponsible -- he is tone-deaf to the sufferings of the American people, 10 percent of whom are out of work. He needs to show some understanding --

HANNITY: Kate Obenshain --

WILLIAMS: You are kicking him while he's down, Kate. You're kicking him while he's down.

OBENSHAIN: I am not. He is being a fool not to listen to the American people.

WILLIAMS: I think he is. He's working for the American people.

OBENSHAIN: I'm trying to help him out, Juan. Leave half of the people home at least.

WILLIAMS: He's working for the American folks.

HANNITY: All right, guys. We got to go, good to see. Great arguments tonight.

OBENSHAIN: It would be nice if he realized that.

Content and Programming Copyright 2010 Fox News Network, Inc. Copyright 2010 Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.