Michelle's African vacation cost taxpayers over $424,000

I wasn't aware the First Lady position had a salary.

 

Idiots can post info on Wikipedia. Of course, it usually gets deleted. However, intelligent people can post on Wikipedia as well since intelligent people source their additions. But hey, if you don't want to read several paragraphs with specific accomplishments brought forth by Michelle Obama, I'll understand...

 

Re Nancy Reagan's trip to Canada. It was an "official" visit, the president met with the then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. That would be a justified expense just like Owebama's recent trip to Ireland, England and France, the fact that he screwed up the toast notwithstanding.

Michelle Owebama's trip to Africa was not an official visit, but a vacation. And, when you get done with the air fare, $424,000, and the hotel bills, meals, security and clothes shopping for 25 the cost has to be closer to $2 million.

 

Cake, anyone?

 

Is this your attempt at backtracking? It sure is working...

 

I kinda knew that.

 

Nobody's mentioned secret service but you, dear. The point is, IN ADDITION to the staff required for security, the Obama's often take staff who have nothing to do with safety. Like Valerie Jarrett. And Ben Finkenberger. And many, MANY others. Check Barack's golf partners at Martha's Vineyard. What do press assistants have to do with family vacations? Why should we have to foot the bill for them to tag along???

Your accusation of our wishing harm on the Obama's is just so much liberal drama.

 

Did you condemn Laura Bush's FIVE trips to Africa, too? Or where you busy listenning to Rush Limbaugh?

http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/firstlady/

 

Exactly!!!!............

 

If you actually did look at her wikipedia you would see that there aren't any accomplishments listed.

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

Unless being the first lady counts as one.

 

Then why does the White House call it a vacation? Two meetings with the wives of world leaders isn't exactly taxing and represents a small fraction of the time. So, why did she have to take an entourage of 21 with her?

She did not fly Air Force One, as she is not entitled to do so unless she is with the President. She flew a US Air Force transport plane.

If the safari was paid for with private funds, who paid? Who is in line for favors from the first lady as a result of that?

And, even if all you say is correct, the optics are atrocious. Where's the cake?

 

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Maybe her overpaid part time job in Chicago....LOL

 

It rather seems to me that people are commenting negatively on her frivolous spending. Security doesn't fall under that category. I'm not even sure that's the same budget.
Does anyone know?

 

Your logic escapes me. Because Laura Bush went to Africa we give Michelle a pass?

And did Laura Bush take 21 friends and relatives with her?

 

Right wing hypocrisy, selective outrage and phony controversy escapes me. Oh wait, it doesn't. Without fake outrage, right wing base has nothing to feed on.

Laura Bush made five trips to Africa

 

C'mon Jonelyn, I figured you as literate...

 

Michelle Obama marks Let's Move! anniversary



First lady Michelle Obama today marks the first anniversary of her Let's Move! campaign aimed at ending obesity within a generation. Today, she'll meet with reporters at the White House who have covered the effort; tomorrow morning, look for her on NBC's Today show and on ABC's Live with Regis & Kelly.The White House is heralding a host of accomplishments over the past year, since the first lady launched the national campaign. From the White House fact sheet, they include:

• Passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation, was signed into law so all kids have healthier food in school and even more have access to a healthy lunch.
• Three of the largest food service providers have committed to improving the food they provide to schools to meet recommended levels of fat, sugar and whole grains over the next five years, and to double the fruits and vegetables they serve over the next 10 years.
• A series of new PSAs were released to help parents and caregivers make healthy food choices and increase physical activity. Check them out online: http://www.letsmove.gov/moms.php.
• More and more families are seeing food and beverage packages with clear calorie information on grocery store shelves through a commitment from the American Beverage Association, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute to place clear calorie information on beverage and food packaging.
• A coalition of the Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, the Food, Family and Farming Foundation and the United Fresh Produce Association has committed over the next three years to put 6,000 salad bars in schools across the country, making fresh vegetables a more accessible choice for children.
• Let's Move! is working towards the goal of 1 million Americans earning the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) by September 2011. Organizations across the country are helping meet the goal: the National Football League (NFL) alone is signing up 200,000 kids.
• Teaming up with Let's Move!, Disney, the National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) are spreading the word through public service announcements (PSAs) airing nationwide, through this outreach, kids are inspired by their favorite actors and athletes to play sports and get active.

 

Whoops! Might want to give it a few minutes next time Rapunzel. Or else you might get one of these (like you did this time).

 

Are you sure those 21 people were staff?

Were they all necessary on a vacation?

You have to admit, $424,000 for a vacation when most people in the US have lost their retirement, 20 per cent are under employed and another 9 per cent are on unemployment and we haven't even begun to count the unemployed whose benefits have run out.

I would defend that kind of spending is she had "vacationed" in the US which would have kept the money in the economy. But then her husband set the stage by buying a freaking bus made in Canada....

 

I had a lot of issues with "Appointed in Chief". First lady Lura Bush trips to Africa to promote humanitarian causes were not any of them.

 

I doubt it.

 

And this is why you were asked to point out accomplishments. What is considered an accomplishment to you is not so much to me.

Cliche

Done before.

First time probably doing it since the War on Terror started.

Well I have to admit, that is something.

 

The $424,000 figure is the TOTAL amount for that trip. That includes Air Force One, boarding, food, and yes, security.

 

So let me get this straight...

There weren't any kids in America getting active and in shape before Michelle Obama became First Lady? There weren't any parents taking the initiative to make sure their children were eating healthy?

 

IT WASN'T A VACATION!

Michelle Obama, while in Africa:
-Met with the South African president's wife, Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma
-Spoke to the Young African Women Leaders Forum
-Participated in community service events in Johannesburg
-Visited U.S. embassies and consulates
-Spoke at the University of Cape Town and met with students from poor communities
-Held a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu
-Met with Botswanan president Ian Khama

The only part of this "vacation" was the safari with her children. And that was paid with her PRIVATE FUNDS.