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BYRON YORK: As economic worries worsen, White House puts on the glitz
Appealdemocrat ^ | June 01, 2010 | Byron York

Posted on 06/01/2010 3:09:50 PM PDT by Nasher

You know the basics. The unemployment rate is 9.9 percent. Jobs are still being lost. Worries about the global economy are causing breathtaking volatility on Wall Street. And millions of Americans who still have jobs are worrying more than ever about the safety of their retirement savings.

What you may not know is that, during this moment of terrible economic anxiety, the Obama White House found the time -- and the money -- to turn itself, at least for a night, into a showcase of glitzy extravagance.

On May 19, the White House held a state dinner for Mexican President Felipe Calderon. The dinner itself was sumptuous; the East Room was an elegant setting, and first lady Michelle Obama brought in a favored Chicago chef to put together a lavish menu. “The main course of Oregon wagyu beef came with a Oaxacan black mole sauce with more than 20 ingredients that takes days to come together,” reported the Associated Press...

BYRON YORK: As economic worries worsen, White House puts on the glitz

(Excerpt) Read more at appeal-democrat.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: barackobama; byronyork; calderon; dinner; economic; felipecalderon; glitz; house; mexican; mexico; michelleobama; obama; president; rickbayless; state; statedinner; wagyu; white; whitehouse; worries; worsen; york
Wecome to The White House Club 1600:


1 posted on 06/01/2010 3:09:51 PM PDT by Nasher
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To: Nasher
November 6, 2012 seems so far away. . .
2 posted on 06/01/2010 3:20:16 PM PDT by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only hope for Western Civilization.)
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To: Nasher

Nero fiddles ...


3 posted on 06/01/2010 3:21:41 PM PDT by The Duke
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To: Nasher
Since the only cuts of beef I buy are arm roast and hamburger, I've never heard of wagyu before this man became president...what is it?
4 posted on 06/01/2010 3:23:47 PM PDT by Spudx7
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To: Nasher

I hope we get to see an accounting of this whitehouse’s budget compared with previous administrations’ budgets—especially regarding first lady staff and entertaining. I think it is shameful.


5 posted on 06/01/2010 3:29:39 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 ("If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait till it is free"--PJ O'rourke)
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To: The Duke
Nero fiddles ...

No comparison.

Give Nero more credit than that.

6 posted on 06/01/2010 3:30:24 PM PDT by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: Nasher
this is what happens when the gov’t can take our money and use it to fund a lavish lifestyle for themselves with impunity.
7 posted on 06/01/2010 3:34:57 PM PDT by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: Nasher
When the defenders of Bill Clinton tried the line that being President is a very stressful job, so why begrudge the man a few pleasures, I didn't know that the idea that the President gets to lavish himself in extreme gluttony was a benefit of the job.

Why does any President deserve to have the most expensive beef, the rarest wine, choose a chef from anywhere, etc.? Are there no limits on what a President is allowed to have for his comfort?

Are there no local chefs the White House can call on? Is filet mignon from the local grocery store not good enough anymore?

-PJ

8 posted on 06/01/2010 3:42:16 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too ("Comprehensive" reform bills only end up as incomprehensible messes.)
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To: Spudx7
I've never heard of wagyu before this man became president...what is it?

Expensive!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagyu

From the link: "These different breeds produce beef that range from expensive (by any measure) to extremely expensive (about $500 USD per 150 grams of filet steak sold retail in Japan)." You can bet that Zero got the pricey stuff. I did a quick conversion: 150 grams = 5.3 ounces. So basically $100 per ounce.

But who cares when this guy is creating new entitlements in the trillions.

9 posted on 06/01/2010 3:42:48 PM PDT by Nasher ("0bama: On the job since Day 1" - Malia & Sasha)
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To: Nasher

Glad to hear that my tax dollars are being used responsibly. $100 an ounce?! I’m sure I’ll be thinking of that the next time I’m at the grocery store trying my best to be extremely frugal.


10 posted on 06/01/2010 3:51:20 PM PDT by Spudx7
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To: Nasher

And another thing...I feed my family of 6 for about $150 per week. He makes me sick.


11 posted on 06/01/2010 3:53:47 PM PDT by Spudx7
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To: Spudx7

Can you imagine if McCain or Palin did this as president? There would be hell to pay. Mr and Mrs 0 are very wealthy. If they want to put on the glitz they should pay for it out of their own pocket.

The media aren’t going to play this up so I wonder if the Republicans will have the nerve to make it an issue in this year’s campaign. I say they should go for it but then they risk getting tagged as racists, whining-carping negativists, etc. The other side will scream this is a personal attack on the president and first lady, etc. But it is an outrage too great to ignore.


12 posted on 06/01/2010 4:02:25 PM PDT by TNCMAXQ
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To: Spudx7

No worries! Queen Michelle will give you cake!


13 posted on 06/01/2010 4:30:49 PM PDT by griswold3 (Barack Obama’s First Law of Leadership: “I just work here.”)
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To: The Duke

Zero diddles.


14 posted on 06/01/2010 5:03:43 PM PDT by RipSawyer (Trying to reason with a leftist is like trying to catch sunshine in a fish net at midnight.)
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To: Spudx7

A hyper-expensive version of USDA prime in various cuts. The most recent Allen Brothers, a prime meat distributor located in Chicago, catalog yields these sample prices for Wagyu:

Strip. steaks: $75.00/#;

Filets: $116.60/#;

Ribeyes: $75.31/#.

IOW, the most expensive beef they could get.


15 posted on 06/01/2010 5:33:44 PM PDT by libstripper
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