Posted on 01/11/2012 7:41:26 AM PST by SeekAndFind
President Obama is learning what Nancy Reagan already knows: When it comes to White House glamour - and the spending that comes with it - it’s not so much what you do as when you do it.
Decades ago, the former first lady was criticized for wearing expensive designer clothing and buying a pricey new White House china set - paid for by private donations, by the way - during a recession.
In the here and now, Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, have prompted similar complaints for hosting a lavish, unpublicized “Alice in Wonderland” White House Halloween party in 2009 featuring director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp, all while the country struggled with high unemployment and the lingering economic fallout of the Great Recession.
Of course, this isn’t the fist time the Obamas have drawn such scrutiny. Herein, the first couple’s top “Let Them Eat Cake” moments:
1. The Pain in Spain
Incident:The first lady and daughter Sasha took a five-day trip to southern Spain, shopping, visiting coastal towns and lunching with the nation’s king and queen.
Criticism:Mrs. Obama and her daughter stayed at a five-star coastal resort where rooms run from $400 to almost $7,000 per night and the first lady was photographed wearing an off-the-shoulder top from pricey designer Jean Paul Gaultier, causing critics to blast the seeming show of extravagance during a period of 9.5 percent unemployment.
Infuriating fact: While the Obamas paid their own way for the trip, American taxpayers picked up the estimated $250,000 security tab.
Infuriating fact II:The White House had dubbed it “Recovery Summer.” D’oh!
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
If it was, they should just say so, and I will stop criticizing the Obamas for it.
(I shan't be holding my breath)
“Mrs. Obama reportedly went to Spain to comfort a friend whose father had recently died and whose daughter, a friend of Sasha‘s, always had wanted to celebrate her birthday in the country.”
WTHeck?? Sasha’s FRIEND always wanted to spend her birthday in Spain so Moochelle forced the taxpayers to fork over $250k to pay for it?? This only gets worse.
On that trip to Spain, Mrs. Obama took a whole planeload of friends and assorted hangers-on with her. It wasn’t just her and her daughter. I’m dying to know who paid for all of those others.
ML/NJ
PS- the article should have a barf alert.... all it does it make excuses as to why the zero’s shouldn’t be criticized for their extravagance. Barf.
Michelle has been given a platinum EBT card.
She be foolish not to ‘tear it up’.
tru dat
The Obamas did NOT pay their own way to Spain! How do you charge 40 “intimate friends” for carraige on AF2? How were these 40 “intimate friends” taxed? How did they even pay for it? It is not like a private citizens can go to a website to purchase government travel!
You little people need to shut the hell up and pay your taxes.
Your government is broke.
The article states that the zero’s paid for the Spain trip themselves and the taxpayers were “only” charged for security measures at $250k.
Is the Washington Times lying? Couldn’t be. /sarc
Wasn’t the Spain trip the one where the Obama children were identified in government paperwork as “advisors” or some such thing? I seem to remember some flap about that awhile back.
I always wondered about that entourage traveling with Michelle Obama to Spain.
I’m still waiting for the news hounds in the MSM to investigate who paid for everything associated with that trip. We know the MSM likes investigative journalism, and this sort of thing is a good opportunity for them to investigate possible improper spending of taxpayer money.
Think about it, how do you charge some one for travel on government metal? Tax them? Insure them? How do you determine cost? Class of service? Lies, it was all lies and sickening ones, to boot..
...but certainly a top ten "disgusting and arrogantly callous" moment.
In January of 2011 Barack Obama and his PR team rushed to Tucson, Arizona to turn the memorial behind held for the six people killed by Gerald Loughner into a campaign rally:
mooch-elle (the “Worst Lady”) is obviously such an angry black woman. Has she ever done an honest day’s work???? Ever??? What a loser.
I read the entire article. I could not believe my eyes. WashTimes actually DEFENDING the Kenyan Muslim and his bigoted beard??
When did they rename themselves Washington Times-Obama?
Its going to be worse after Obama’s re election —I bet he will start to build palaces and be asked to be called Excellency and your highness. (at least his wife will)— The America we all once knew is dead—it died in the snows of New Hampshire. We are back to the FDR monarchy of the late 1930s.
The MSM has built up Mitt Romney—now they will tear him down—its McCain all over again and the RNC is behind it all. To ensure the re-election, look to see a 3rd Party come into being With Ron Paul (his nuttyness in chief) or Donald Trump (His royal egoship) leading the ticket—At this point I might even voter for them.
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