Can anyone explain to me why Michelle Obama isn’t?
Besides, that is, the fact that she’ll not only be allowed to keep her head, but probably continue this lavish lifestyle not available to the peasants into a ripe old age?
Also, as a bonus, can anyone explain to me why I should worry about my carbon footprint, when they obviously don’t give a damn about theirs?
A better analogy might be Mary Todd Lincoln, who spent lavishly on herself.
The difference is that her husband was so embarrassed that he chose to pay for the overages personally, rather than billing them to the taxpayers.
Yet another way that the supposed heir to Lincoln is no Lincoln.
I think people are missing the point with respect to Mrs. Obama.
Remember how early in the campaign Mrs. Obama was sounding off — first time she was ever proud to be an American and so on? The full Michelle Obama probably makes the Reverend Jeremiah Wright sound meek and timid. Mr. Obama can easily push the Reverend “under the bus” as was the phrase for distancing himself from the oratory of his one-time pastor. Not so easy to do with your lawfully wedded wife and mother to your two children.
Have you heard much from Michelle Obama expressing her opinions about much of anything these days? I didn’t think so. We have heard volumes from the President, but that is his job, to lead by expressing his opinions on matters of state and many other things. Do you suppose those jets are the price of marital harmony, the price payed for public silence.
If those jets an all of the fuel to operate them are the arrangement on which Mr. Obama can carry out the duties of President of the United States with his wife carrying out the traditional role of First Lady and not being a co-President in the style of Bill and Hillary Clinton, I don’t care how bad global warming is and how much extra sacrifice I need to make by using less, it is a sacrifice I gladly make as an American, to cut down on my own driving as the price for preserving the Constitution and not having his and hers co-Presidents.
Simply put, the Obamas have no shame. They also have little to none of other things that George and Laura had (and have) like humility, graciousness, and respect for the nation and office of the president. Michelle seems to have little respect for her husband either.
Paul Milenkovic: your theory about the jets and vacations being the price of keeping Michelle silent seems like a good one, but I’d differ with you in whether or not it is desirable.
Don’t get me wrong: I have no desire for Michelle to think she’s a co-president in the style of Hillary!–though I do wish she’d feel free to sound off more so my fellow Americans would get an even better idea of exactly what they did in voting for Obama as President. In fact, now that you mention it, I rather relish the idea of the thought of Michelle out on the campaign trail, as I imagine all the things she will say that the campaign will secretly wish she didn’t.
You know what’s going to happen. The progressive talking points will note that Bush vacationed a lot and that the secret service costs go for all Presidents and candidates for that matter.
However, this President has too often chided corporation for having private jets for their executives. These are corporations that have kindly placed factories, office buildings, and various infrastructure in multiple states. The jets are to allow the executives to see many of their facilities as often as they can. It’s also why our chief political executive has a jet. What corporate executives can’t do is use their company jets for personal use, at least not without creative accounting on the taxes.
And the real problem here is the frequent tendency for Michelle not to travel with her husband. Their personal relationship is theirs. But if she can’t wait for her husband, then she needs to provide her own transportation. There simply isn’t any reason the taxpayers should pay for her desire to leave early. She gets to enjoy Air Force One, or any other military transport, because it is customary to allow her to travel with her husband. It may even be understandable, when he isn’t travelling at all, for her to visit variation locations as a sort of ambassador. But if he’s going, then she can wait. There is no good excuse for not waiting.
As for Michelle popping off and making comments of the kind more familiar with her Pastor, I agree. And I’m with Kurt, let her pop off.
I never pictured Michelle as a French aristocrat or courtier, but more as a member of the Klingon high council.
You’ve just insulted honorable Klingons everywhere.
I’d be willing to bet that this stuff plays well among most African Americans. It seems that they like to see their “own” living the good life, and many either don’t care or just don’t know where the money comes from.
I think both of them have massive cases of narcissism and are blind to how this extravagence appears to others. “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for” says a lot. So does, “I won” and his idea that compromise means doing whatever he wants.
this President has too often chided corporation for having private jets for their executives
No, he has chided the GOP for insisting that corporate jets continue to receive special tax breaks.
he has chided the GOP for insisting that corporate jets continue to receive special tax breaks.
There is nothing “special” about them. They are a legitimate cost of doing business. If the president doesn’t agree, he should fly commercial himself. This is nothing but focus-group-tested class-warfare demagoguery. Which is all he’s capable of.
Jim,
Michelle just got a military jet to take her and her daughters to Martha Vineyards because she couldn’t wait 4 hours to fly with her husband. If you think you’re response to me is what will motivate people to vote for Obama, good luck with that.
The obvious hypocrisy of her eat what I say not what I eat seems lost on so many
zealotssupporters that I wonder if they pay any attention at all. We sure aren’t hearing much about her fabulous arms lately.No, he has chided the GOP for insisting that corporate jets continue to receive special tax breaks.
Those special tax breaks were put in by the Democrats. Using static scoring, they “cost” $3 billion over 10 years which is about the same as what Obama blew in 3 weeks with his stupid “Cash for Clunkers” boondoggle.
Of course, reality doesn’t use static scoring. If you eliminate the tax credit, how many jobs will be lost as fewer people buy business jets? Remember the 1990s luxury tax on expensive cars and boats that the Democrats pushed through? It ended up creating new additional revenue and may in fact have cost money due to the number of boat-building jobs lost.
$3 billion over 10 years is a lot of money, but the federal government is spending over $9 billion each and every day. We can argue about the merits of eliminating this and other special incentives in the tax code (and for the record, I’m in favor of a massive simplification of the tax code to eliminate stuff like this), but to suggest this one thing is what is driving up the deficeits is fundamentally dishonest and ignorant.
It ended up creating new additional revenue and may in fact have cost money due to the number of boat-building jobs lost.
Damned fingers. It should’ve read:
It ended up creating little if any new additional revenue and may in fact have cost money due to the number of boat-building jobs lost.
“No, he has chided the GOP for insisting that corporate jets continue to receive special tax breaks.”
…for which Senator Obama voted. But it’s racist to point that out, isn’t it?
Being the President of the U.S of A, I imagine does isolate an individual a great deal from the everyday life they probably enjoyed before getting office. That’s why I don’t generally have a problem providing the President with a lavish house, a big private jet, AND their very own vacation retreat location: Camp David. Bush would take a lot of days off in Crawford, TX — at his OWN ranch! I might not begrudge Obama so much for going to his home state of Hawaii, if he had his own house down there. But renting farms for $50,000 a week and villas for 38,000 is just completely absurd. Trips he takes as “diplomatic visits” really just turn into stealth vacations. The trip to Rio De Janeiro in particular sticks out in my mind. His recent bus tour, so exhausting that he needed 2 weeks off, would be considered a vacation road trip in most people’s book. Not to mention they rented out entire floors of hotels so he didn’t have to sleep in a shabby million $ bus. I’m utterly appalled at this Presidents feckless spending.
He knows he’s done after one term. He’s just gouging as much luxury and life style out of his time in office until the people kick him out — welfare President indeed he is.
Re: corporate jets. It’s worth pointing out that the aircraft industry supports some of the few remaining manufacturing jobs we have in the U.S. American companies like Cessna and Gulfstream already took a broadside when Obama began demagoguing the issue.
But why worry about killing jobs when the real issue is that we have to go after all of those terrible rich people?
They also have little to none of other things that George and Laura had (and have) like humility
How did George W. Bush demonstrate that “humility”? By growing government faster than any President since JFK, or by using eminent domain to seize private property around SMU some could build a $250 million monument to himself?
Edward Wright Says:
August 25th, 2011 at 8:53 am
I see you’re not clear on the concept of humility. I know he didn’t get a contribution from the wife of a fugitive financier he pardoned.
No, I’m not clear on the concept at all.
Building a $250 million monument to yourself constitutes “humility” on planet Maron?
Not to mention a huge increase in Presidential power?
I don’t know about financiers, but his brother keeps sending me junk mail asking for donations to his shrine.
It’s funny how Bush leaguers who claim to be so upset with Obama still worship Obama 0.1. 🙂
“Building a $250 million monument to yourself constitutes “humility” on planet Maron?…It’s funny how Bush leaguers who claim to be so upset with Obama still worship Obama 0.1.”
Arrogance is the handmaiden of ignorance
It is hard to both be seen as the Paris Hilton of the political world sporting all the latest in high end fashion and as relating to the masses.
Bill, I have no idea what point you’re trying to make.
Your link shows an SMU press release with George and Laura boasting about the magnificence of the shrine they are building for themselves.
That might constitute “humility” on your planet, but not in any dictionary known to our world.
Speaking of ignorance — in Texas, SMU is commonly referred to as “Small Mediocre University.” The fact that George W. Bush chose it as the site for his personal shrine is ironically appropriate.
I don’t know if you’re being this obtuse on purpose or you just can’t read. It’s not just a library. It is a multifunction space for SMU. If the design was your run of the mill office space, it would have been cheaper but this is state of the art green, which is more expensive than your standard HVAC. I guarantee if it wasn’t, people like you would complain about the energy costs. Looks like he’s damned either way. You do realize he lives in Dallas, where SMU is located, don’t you? Also, I’ve lived in Texas for over 20 years and I’ve never heard it called that. Perhaps at UT, this happens but not Houston or Dallas. BTW, the joke is SMU is neither southern nor Methodist nor a university. I’ll put this library up against saying “…this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal…” ANY day.
It’s not just a library. It is a multifunction space for SMU.
Having a lot of expensive functions does not make a building “humble.” I do not believe that word does not mean what you think it means.
this is state of the art green, which is more expensive than your standard HVAC.
You’re talking about political correctness (as one would expect from a Bush). That is not the same as humility.
BTW, “start of the art green” buildings are largely a fraud.
I guarantee if it wasn’t, people like you would complain about the energy costs.
Why would “people like me” care about the energy costs?
“People like me” — libertarians? conservatives? Tea Party members? — don’t care about your costs unless people you like force them on us through taxes. You’re are welcome to spend as much as you like on monuments to your great leader, as long as you’re spending your own money and not ours.
You do realize he lives in Dallas, where SMU is located, don’t you? Also, I’ve lived in Texas for over 20 years and I’ve never heard it called that.
I didn’t realize that, and I don’t believe it’s true, either. SMU is located in University Park, not Dallas. It seems there are some things about Texas you’ve missed for the last 20 years. 🙂
I’ll put this library up against saying “…this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal…” ANY day.
Sigh. You don’t get it, Bill.
Those are NOT our only two choices. The American people should not be forced to choose between reckless big-spending tweedle dee and reckless big-spending tweedle dum. If the country club tries to force such a choice on the American people again, it will be punished at the polls.
“I didn’t realize that, and I don’t believe it’s true, either. SMU is located in University Park, not Dallas.”
Go look at a map. Dallas surrounds University Park. You’re entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts. Let’s look at this a different way. What would you consider the appropriate cost for a “humble” presidential library not funded by the public? Let’s look at humble, period. Is Bush more humble than the Obamas? Absolutely. Clinton? Undoubtedly. Carter? Most certainly. This privately funded library is not just for him but for the SMU and Dallas community also. It has state of the art conservation technology and public use space. Sounds pretty generous to me. Providing an expensive project to a city and university and not crowing about would be humble. I didn’t agree with his spending either. But that is in no way an indication of humility.
Speaking of ignorance — in Texas, SMU is commonly referred to as “Small Mediocre University.”
I lived in Texas all my life, been a rival of SMU, and have visited the campus many times. I have never heard anyone refer to SMU that way. Now, that could be because I’m ignorant, but since a quick search finds exactly 2 uses of the term (one is Wright’s above); I suspect it is because SMU has never been “commonly” referenced in such a way.
But hey, when you’re unable to defend your argument on merit: make up bullshit and use it as ad-hominem attacks against your opponents. It’s what arrogant people do.
There is nothing “special” about them. They are a legitimate cost of doing business.
There is nothing special about the jets, they are a legitimate cost of doing business, which is why their cost should be be given the same tax treatment as other purchases. But they aren’t — they benefit from accelerated depreciation. That’s the tax loophole, dating to 1987, that Obama has criticized.
The question for the GOP is: why should a business buying a corporate jet get a tax break that is not available to businesses spending their money on more mundane things?
Go look at a map. Dallas surrounds University Park. You’re entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts.
Maryland and Virginia surround the District of Columbia. That doesn’t make DC part of Maryland or Virginia. The “Park Cities” (University Park and Highland Park) are quite proud of their independence.
What would you consider the appropriate cost for a “humble” presidential library not funded by the public?
Wrong question. A humble man would offer to donate his papers to whatever library wanted them. He would not be building a monument to honor himself regardless of the cost. That’s what humility means. (And as you yourself acknowledge, these so-called “Presidential libraries” are much more than mere libraries.)
Let’s look at humble, period. Is Bush more humble than the Obamas? Absolutely. Clinton? Undoubtedly. Carter? Most certainly.
Politicians (especially modern politicians) are hardly the gold standard for humility? You might as well throw in Tom Cruise and Paris Hilton, while you’re at it.
When most people talk about humility, they’re more likely to think of Mother Theresa than Bill Clinton.
This privately funded library is not just for him but for the SMU and Dallas community also.
And yet, he’s naming it after himself. Again, I think you need to look up the definition of humility.
I don’t know what part of Texas you’re from, but I don’t know anyone in the Dallas area who’s planning to hang out in the center for the study and worship of George W. Bush.
It has state of the art conservation technology and public use space. Sounds pretty generous to me.
Sending out thousands (millions?) of fundraising letters, asking people to spend generously on a building to honor yourself is NOT “humble.”
Even George Washington never built himself a monument like that, and he had a lot more to crow about than George W. Bush.
Providing an expensive project to a city and university and not crowing about would be humble.
Exactly, Bill — but Bush *is* crowing about it. If he had said, “I’ll raise the money for a building, but please name it after someone else and don’t include any statues of me,” then you would have a valid point. But again, I can’t think of any modern politician who would do that.
I didn’t agree with his spending either. But that is in no way an indication of humility.
When Democrats spend other people’s money lavishly, it means they’re profligate, but when Republicans do it, they’re humble???
And you wonder why Obama got elected?