Posted on 08/06/2010 2:00:56 PM PDT by maggief
Let's stipulate: A five-star resort on the Spanish Costa del Sol was probably not the first choice of White House spin-meisters for a mother-daughter getaway. Especially when the getaway included a posse of 40 friends of the first lady staying at the Hotel Villa Padierna, where rooms start at $330 a night, and photos of Michelle Obama strolling in Marbella wearing an off-the-shoulder number by Jean Paul Gaultier.
"The first lady is on a private trip," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. "She is a private citizen and is the mother of a daughter on a private trip. And I think I'd leave it at that."
He wishes.
Technically, the first lady may be a private citizen. In actuality, she isn't. She can't be; see, for example, the Secret Service contingent that accompanies her, private trip or not private trip. This is a simple fact of modern presidential family life.
So as a political matter, the trip to Spain was not a good idea. You don't need Dick Morris -- who famously polled the Clintons' vacation plans and pushed Jackson Hole over Martha's Vineyard -- to tell you it's not going to play well at a time of 9.5 percent unemployment.
(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...
Not to mention that Pres. Bush ‘owned’ the ranch and was not paying nightly rates to stay there on our dime. And he sure as heck wasn’t dressed in designer clothes. It’s a ridiculous comparison.
George W. Bush made 77 visits to his ranch in Crawford
Over eight years, not eighteen months. And I’d bet all 77 trips together cost less than this “party for 40” that MarieAntoinetteMaBelle’s on.
George furnished quarters for the Secret Service, personally prepared BBQ’s for his guards and staying in his own home, and with his wife present, didn’t charge the government any funds for occupying his own quarters.
Can the Clinton’s or Obama’s say that? I didn’t think so
Yep. Looked like Marcus really stirred up a hornets nest. Bet she wishes she had left well enough alone. Reminding folks yet again of the arrogance of Our Royal Family is not good policy for the team.
Ya know, if Journolist was still operational, Marcus may have not made this blunder.
Married to who? KAGAN?? She’s as “alternative lifestyle” as they come; possibly closeted yet has the hots for MEEchelle.
A private citizen eh? Since when? A private citizen on the very public dole.
If she is on a private trip why are we paying for it she will meet with the King of spain and there fore turn it into business and we pay for it you can’t have it both ways girly boy gibs
All that money that has been used to set up security at his Chicago home, and he’s spent maybe 5 to 7 days there over the past 18 months.
What recession? I’m still making my six figures.
Why don’t you crybabies just find a job and lay off the First Lady? It’s only a few hundred thousand dollars of your money. Don’t you think kids should have the experience of a European vacation?
You stupid little people just don’t understand our greatness.
Obamabots are furiouslyy searching for a Barb Bush equivalent.
Diva First Wookie is a winning theme. America already doesn’t like her.
Do you got to look like that to get hired by zer0s people?
“””Robert Gibbs. “She is a private citizen and is the mother of a daughter on a private trip”””
August is usually a slow month for business and government news because so many movers and shakers are taking their summer vacations.
This is another example of Obama’s incompentence. He should be fully aware of the huge cost to fly his anti-American wife to Spain on AF 2 and pay for dozens of Secret Service agents.
Like I said August is a slow news month and I am glad to see Obama getting roasted on the Barby.
Makes my day!!!!
I looked for that comment and it was, indeed, hilarious.
I didn’t see a single comment supporting this column. I guess the WashPo, like the Dallas Morning News, doesn’t care what the readers think.
She most certainly is not a private citizen... she has put herself out there as part of the Obama policy team, a wonk-if-u-will. I’m a private citizen, Joe the Plumber is a private citizen, or was, but she is most certainly not... Gibbs, we used to call chicken gizzards giblets, I see a connection to your name, but you’re really a dusch-bag...
Exactly the image I get everytime I see and hear Michelle. Except Evita was a better dresser.
RE: “George W. Bush made 77 visits to his ranch in Crawford”
and...
“Over eight years, not eighteen months. And I’d bet all 77 trips together cost less than this “party for 40” that MarieAntoinetteMaBelle’s on.”
**************
Crawford ranch is Bush’s personal property - he was not renting luxury rooms — he’d go there and stay awhile, and the place was rigged up with whatever he’d need for WORK, i.e., the Texas White House.
When Bush family went to Maine, again that was utilizing family property.
If Zero and FLOTUS want to vacation in Chicago, in their personal house, that would be fine with me. The rest of this gallivanting around the world is ridiculous and expensive. It’s just so unseemly given the mess we are in; of course, much of that is due to Zero and his buddies so I guess it makes sense!
There were a couple of the expected, “Bush was worse” comments about his trips to the Ranch, but other commentators easily refudiated the comparison.
It's a tradition for women to run around topless on Spain's beaches and swim around in the blue water. Men are used to it and drink beer and go for an occasional swim. There are chairs and beach umbrellas in the middle of tables about 10 meters up from the tanning areas of the beach. That's where men play card games or chess or just talk.
While women are competing over their bodies/titties on the beach and in the ocean. A woman's nipples are UV sensitive and hurt the next day. That's when the men hear complaints the next morning.
I want comparative pics of Mrs. Obama and Spanish women on the beach for fun and laughs. I've been there:))
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