Free Republic

"Uncomfortable" was the word of the day at Morning Joe when it came to discussing Michelle Obama's decision to go on a luxurious vacation to Spain in the midst of a recession—and to miss celebrating her husband's birthday with him to boot. Chuck Todd didn't go into details, but NBC's clearly ill-at-ease political director suggested: that this was a "private decision" by the First Lady; that it wouldn't have made any difference what the Pres. Obama's political advisors would have said; and that "you get the sense here that there was something more to this" than pure politics. Joe Scarborough...

The first lady's well-publi cized, expensive vacation in southern Spain last week was a PR gift to her husband's opposition. After all, we're in the middle of a major recession, with many Americans suffering terribly. President Obama himself, in discussing American economic woes with George Stephanopolous in January, said, "Everybody's going to have to [sacrifice]. Everybody's going to have to have some skin in the game." "Sacrifice for thee but not for me" is not a great campaign slogan. Plus, Obama's worst political weakness has been with white-working class voters, who've viewed him with suspicion at least since the 2008...