Inside story of Michelle's trip (Damage control)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | August 9, 2010 | Lynn Sweet

[maggief]

WASHINGTON--Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha returned from Spain on Sunday, a vacation at a lavish hotel on the Mediterranean coast that triggered her first controversy since becoming first lady. I'm told she made the trip because she promised one of her closest friends, a longtime Chicago pal who just lost her father, she would spend time with her.

(snip)

So why did Mrs. Obama go to Spain at this time? She's not tone-deaf politically. What was behind the "mother-daughter" vacation?

A White House source told me that Blanchard's father passed away and Mrs. Obama was not able to make the funeral at the beginning of July. Blanchard had promised her daughter she would take her to Spain for her birthday. She asked Mrs. Obama and Sasha to come with. (Malia is at overnight camp.)

"She felt it was important as a dear friend to do this," I was told.

[Reagan69]

Oh please. Are they really using this for an excuse?

Disgusting.

My father passed away 2 years ago, no one took me to Spain, and I certainly would not have expected them to.

Hint to Michelle Antoinette: “most of us, REAL PEOPLE, send sympathy cards.”

[maggief]

Starlite Gala invitation: http://www.thestarlitegala.com/2010/program-en.php

[rj45mis]

these people really know Americans are stupid-and they ALWAYS will be.

Sorry but I had to make a couple of corrections to your post.

[maggief]

Great destination for a ‘mother/daughter getaway.’

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/racism-warning-yanked-as-michelle-obama-hits-spain/19581198

Racism Warning Yanked as Michelle Obama Hits Spain

Hugh Collins Contributor
AOL News
(Aug. 4) — First lady Michelle Obama arrived in Spain today amid an embarrassing discussion about a State Department warning of racism among Spanish police.

Comments on the State Department website warned Americans that there had been cases of African-Americans being victimized by Spanish police.

(snip)

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I'm told she made the trip because she promised one of her closest friends, a longtime Chicago pal who just lost her father, she would spend time with her.

So what about the other 40-60 "friends" that went on that trip?

[hoosiermama]

Lynn Sweet read link at post eight.

[databoss]

$75k?!!! Don’t buy that hogwash...its more like in the millions per day to provide security advance teams, reaction teams, medical teams and state dept support, protocol and liaison officers. Not to mention their transpo, housing, feeding and their equipment needs and support. I would put the support costs to the taxpayers at or near $10 mill. How many c5’s ferried personnel and special equipment to Spain in the last month? Those fuel suckers are expensive to fly not to mention crew times layovers and ground support.
Hell the $75k was probably her entourage room costs only...meals and gratuities extra!

[Broker]

Deepak Chopra is this Michelle my Belle’s spirtual leader? He was Michael Jacksons. Deepak Chopra was featured at the Star Lite Gala.

[Chode]

[ThePatriotsFlag]

The only good news in that article for me was that this was a “private trip” ... thank heavens I didn’t have to pay for it as a taxpayer. /s

[Keith]

How bout vacationing in the fricking US of A, biyotch?

Most people will swallow this bullcrap too...

[avital2]

yes, sure, there’s nothing more “friendly” than arriving with a contingent of 60 of my security/regular staff for an intimate friend on friend comforting session. pathetic to put this out as an excuse. not buying and now even madder.

[Venturer]

I understand Marie Antoinette was good looking.

[maggief]

“Deepak Chopra is this Michelle my Belle’s spirtual leader? He was Michael Jacksons. Deepak Chopra was featured at the Star Lite Gala.”

What luck! Perhaps Oprah’s (Club of Rome) guru was able to offer grief counseling. /sarc.

[erman]

wow, I wonder if they'll mention her meeting with some Saudis?

Nah, just a vacay with the little future Ivy League graduate, Oxford/Cambridge fellow and hedge fund/investment advisor for privately held money in New York or Chicago or Dubai.

[Sacajaweau]

This must be Anita Blanchard...of the Univerity of Chicago Medical Centr where Michelle worked. Anita is an ob and delivered the girls.

In the meantime, her hubby is Martin Nesbitt, Obama's supposed best friend.

This whole thing is "politics" as usual.

Each parent was allowed one child as cover.

[COUNTrecount]

A trip like this, or any trip for our crrent inhabitants of the White House, takes months of planning.

So if M’Antoinette’s best friend’s father passed away a few weeks ago how did they get all the details done so quickly?

And it was a lucky thing that the King of Spain was available for lunch on short notice.

Look for more absurd CYA cover-up stories like this to be released, each one one desperate than the next.

(M’Antoinette’s BFF is her gynecologist. Maybe she needed her annual Pap smear with a touch of paella)

[CitizenM]

And we are supposed to swallow this story because Michelle (supposedly) did such a kind thing by visiting her grieving friend? Tell me, if the man just died in July...how in the world did all the reservations, preparations, etc. get made...and all 40 people become available to travel and meet there in Spain...all so quickly. You know how long it takes to plan something like that...months and months in advance. It is not an overnight whim of a thing to arrange for everyone to be at the same place, at the same time - for a vacation. In an emergency it is hard enough for a few people to make arrangements, let alone take a huge entourage to vacation together. And, I am sure the royals of Spain just happened to be available to meet her, when notified only a few weeks prior? Come on, how dumb does the WH think we are?

This was not what they are "spinning" it as now. This was planned far in advance. About the only thing that was not planned carefully was Michelle's wardrobe. What she wore looks like she just grabbed it from WalMart and threw it in a suitcase on her way to the airport. And wore her clothes sans ironing.

[skimbell]

That's what I was thinking. That $75K doesn't have anything to do with AF2. He11 it probably cost more than that just to have that plane sitting on the ground.

Oh well, send that balloon up and see if it'll fly.

[Sacajaweau]

Martin Nesbitt WAS partying with Oprah and Obama in Chicago. Martin's wife was partying with Michelle in Spain.

Can someone tell me why the husbands and wives are in separate ports?

Wouldn't it make more sense if everyone had gone to Chicago?