The focus of the hate-stirrers and Obama Derangement Syndrome sufferers on the right for the better part of this week has been on Michelle Obama's vacation trip to Spain. It started with this hit-piece by Andrea Tantaros in the New York Daily News in which the First Lady is referred to as "Material girl Michelle Obama" and compared to "Marie Antoinette."
Tantaros whined about the "millionaires playground" at which the First Lady and her daughter stayed, the cost of the rooms, the transportation, and the security, and the size of the group that went along. She also wrote that while most of the country is pinching pennies, downsizing, and sacrificing:
Adding this:
Then yesterday the ODS-afflicted jumped on this story about a Spanish beach being closed off so that the First Lady, her daughter, and their "entourage" could go for a swim. As you would expect, the Great Gasbag, Rush Limbaugh, chimed in during his daily 3-hour radio hate-fest saying, "the Obamas have not done a days worth of work in their lives to generate this kind of lifestyle for themselves. They are living off of you, and every one of us."
As usual, Limbaugh and the other right-wing crazies don't bother to look into the facts before spewing their venom. From the LA Times:
Also from the Times (emphasis mine) :
"The same rules as have applied to any previous first family travel." So why the uproar now? What's the difference between this first family and all the others before them? I think you know the answer to that question.
Tantaros whined about the "millionaires playground" at which the First Lady and her daughter stayed, the cost of the rooms, the transportation, and the security, and the size of the group that went along. She also wrote that while most of the country is pinching pennies, downsizing, and sacrificing:
"...the Obamas, who seem to fancy themselves more along the lines of international celebrities than actual leaders, espouse a different view of sacrifice."
Adding this:
"I don't begrudge anyone rest and relaxation when they work hard. We all need downtime - the First Family included. It's the extravagance of Michelle Obama's trip and glitzy destination contrasted with President Obama's demonization of the rich that smacks of hypocrisy and perpetuates a disconnect between the country and its leaders. Toning down the flash would humanize the Obamas and signify that they sympathize with the setbacks of the people they were elected to serve."
Then yesterday the ODS-afflicted jumped on this story about a Spanish beach being closed off so that the First Lady, her daughter, and their "entourage" could go for a swim. As you would expect, the Great Gasbag, Rush Limbaugh, chimed in during his daily 3-hour radio hate-fest saying, "the Obamas have not done a days worth of work in their lives to generate this kind of lifestyle for themselves. They are living off of you, and every one of us."
As usual, Limbaugh and the other right-wing crazies don't bother to look into the facts before spewing their venom. From the LA Times:
"First Lady Michelle Obama is in the midst of a five-day trip to a luxury resort along with a few friends [not an "entourage"], her youngest daughter, aides and Secret Service personnel. Her office said the family will pay for personal expenses...The Obama family will reimburse the government an amount equal to two first-class tickets, Air Force officials said. A round-trip first-class flight to Malaga costs about $7,400, without discounts or restrictions...her friends arrived in Spain on their own."
Also from the Times (emphasis mine) :
"...one White House official said Obama had a "small" group of friends and "minimal" staff on the trip, and said personal expenses, such as hotel rooms and meals, were being paid for by the Obamas.
"Any additional footprint, including rooms needed for security support and transportation, falls under the same rules as have applied to any previous first family travel," the official said. That is, private expenses are paid for privately and government expenses are picked up by Uncle Sam."
"The same rules as have applied to any previous first family travel." So why the uproar now? What's the difference between this first family and all the others before them? I think you know the answer to that question.
These people are haters and exploiters. Rush Limbaugh has never done an honest day's work in his life; however, he lives a lavish lifestyle and is paid a king's ransom. I just returned today from a niece's wedding on Half Moon Bay at the Ritz. I spent about two grand just to attend. So, First Lady Michelle Obama surely can afford to vacation periodically with her daughter.
"it would have been better in the current economic situation if Michelle Obama had chosen to visit, and promote, a deserving US destination that needs help"
What is the next PC bs to come? She should have stayed home and donnated her vacation budget to an orphanage?
agree with ya - the most outrageous attack the doofus made.
even if we disregard everything else the Obamas did to somehow survive in their 47 years previous to moving to the White House, we've darn well gotten more than our money's worth over just the last 19 months compared to what's been paid to support the Regressive GOBP'ers and their staffs to do absolutely nothing.
in fact, I want a rebate of all compensation based on what the Regressive GOBP'ers, their staffs and executives did from 2001-2009 based on gross incompetence, malfeasance, lying, willful failure to perform constitutional oversight duties, political mal-practice which gravely harmed the country, and downright personal embarrassment at their antics.
guess doofus Rushbo thinks his new contract from Clear Channel trumps Obama being elected leader of the U.S.; a promotion up from Senator - just confirms how out of touch Rushbo is, along with the clip of his 37-second 'what recession ?' let them eat cake remarks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxYUyr2AALc
really have to be careful what you are filmed saying.
yeah....they've already BEEN THERE.
Your next point?
In April, the Obama's filed a joint return showing income of about $5.5mm and paid $1.79mm in income tax.
The majority of the income was derived from royalties on book sales.
Right. I bet you said the same thing about Laura Bush taking her daughters on safari in 2007 during GWBs diastrous Iraq war.
Not.
I don't care if the First Family takes a vacation or not, and don't really care where. However, it would have been better in the current economic situation if Michelle Obama had chosen to visit, and promote, a deserving US destination that needs help. The Florida Panhandle for instance, or New Orleans, both of which are struggling.
One correction Shortstuff. They're living in the land of "lezgobacktoeighteenfiftyfive".
"...the Obamas have not done a days worth of work in their lives to generate this kind of lifestyle for themselves. They are living off of you, and every one of us"
Is this bloated, pill-poppin' gasbag freaking KIDDIN' ME? Rush "The Face That Lunched A Thousand Shrimps" Limbaugh actually had the temerity to say that? A man who makes a living sitting on his flabby arse telling fibs? A worthless radio hack who lives like Scarface in Florida shouldn't be making smarmy comments about anyone else's lifestyle...
considering the ABC News reports of behaviour of GOBP kids on vacation in Buenos Aires, which lots of us would consider as exotic as Marbella:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/11/update_one_bush.html
it's amazing Rushbo wants to have this discussion, but if so, let's re-visit just this one little incident, how much the Secret Service costs were for extended birthday celebrations, yada yada blah blah; and um, Rushbo doesn't want to get into wealth comparisons or who 'worked for' what they have - LOL - the Right would be well-served to sit down and shut up; very quickly.
but on the subject of wealth, let's all remember the $1.4 million cash that comes with the Nobel Prize has already been donated to charity by the Obamas - as a percentage of total wealth, yes, please, let's have a discussion Rushbo :)
considering all the week-end trips the Obamas do NOT take compared to the previous 8 years, it's hard to believe the country is paying more for security/travel then previously - it is also a fact they are raising a family, and part of kids' education is travel, just like other U.S. kids on summer vacation.
anyway, it's far more objectionable to me that we are having to pay the exhorbitant medical costs for multiple draft deferred ex-office holders whose corporate CEO pension plan should be paying instead of us tax-payers.
Maybe these haters are just jealous they can't afford a nice European vacation? Personally, I don't see the big frackin deal. The First Family paid for the trip with their own money and if the First Lady wants to take a short trip with her daughter and friends, so what? She deserves it. The righties will grab onto anything the First Family does and blow it up into a major issue. The average person could really care less.
Rush Limpballs seems to have forgotten than both Pres. and Mrs. Obama are attorneys and have, indeed, worked in their lives. They earned the money they have. They were both quite successful prior to living in the White House.
He has made his millions by fomenting hatred and increasing the ignorance among the braindead.
Laura Bush took some pretty high-powered vacations along with her daughters...AND an entourage. So did Barbara Bush. So, for that matter, did Nancy Reagan, Betty Ford and Patricia Nixon. Were these wingnuts bitching then? No....probably because it's ok for "white people" to travel like that.
Michelle Malkin is a complete goofball and Rush Lardbutt has no brain, no soul, no heart....just a big mouth.
And hey, wasn't Rush going to move to Costa Rica? Why the hell hasn't he gone? Because he LIED, that's why. That's what he does. He lies.
I despise those rightwing whacktards. They are living in the land of "Lezgobacktonineteenfiftyfive".
I think there is a smidgeon of legitimacy to the complaints. She could have been more 'aware' of the political rams of this kind of behavior. On the other hand, since I'm always looking for the high road I would suggest that she is doing it for her kids...it is summer vacation after all.
Rush Limbaugh is a brain dead asshole minion of the illuminati reptilian shapeshifters!
In addition, Michelle Obama is visiting the King and Queen of Spain in her official capacity as First Lady. Let me make it clearer for the irrational wingnuts: she is paying her own way for a combined vacation AND her official duties. Now tell the truth wingnuts, when have YOU footed the entire bill for a combined business and personal trip? I'm guessing it was more likely the opposite, using a business trip to have your company pay for your vacation in full.
Oh and guess what? Your Saint Laura Bush took vacation trips with an "entourage" during her tenure as First Lady. No word if she paid out of pocket for anything or performed any official duties during her vacations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/us/politics/08vacation.html?_r=2&hp