"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" … “Let them eat cake”, honey.

It’s one thing for perception not to match up to reality but quite another for “stick it in your face” hypocrisy. Just try to ask Marie Antoinette.

While some 23 million Americans remain unemployed struggling to pay bills and provide shelter and food for their families witness the latest Michelle Obama extravaganza - this one in sunny, chic Costa del Sol, Spain with an entourage of 40 close, personal friends in tow, staying in a posh 5 star villa.

US Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, though, is quick to point out that some of the travel costs will be borne personally by Obama friends rather than by US taxpayers. But since Michelle Obama will be meeting with the King of Spain, on the last day of her vacation, presumably to discuss vital matters of high import to America, that alone will justify the US taxpayer footing “official” trip expenses.

Hopefully, in return, we’ll see both a detailed listing of the matters discussed by the two and a breakdown of all of the expenses borne by the taxpayer so we can make an independent judgment of how well Michelle’s tete a’ tete served our nation’s interests – or, Good Golly, could it be, the entire p/r ruse is just another excuse to take a junket vacation befitting her station as First Lady?

Seems like it was only, … when was it again, oh yeah – just July when she packed up the family for the 7th summer vacation.

Days before leaving on that trip in nationwide media coverage she exhorted Americans should travel to the beleaguered Gulf Coast despite the oil stained beaches to help financially support the communities there.

“There are still thousands of miles of beaches that have not been touched by the spill,” the First Lady said. “And there are communities that thrive on tourism and on the economic power of beaches that have not been damaged.”

Mrs. Obama said that her husband’s administration is “doing our best” to rectify the situation in the region and take this opportunity to “really build and preserve and make the Gulf the prize of this country that it has been and should continue to be.”

Four days later she and the Family were doing their level best to help those Gulf Region communities – from the picturesque, oil free seaside of Maine!




Postscript – after news reporters asked whether or not the Obama’s should practice what they preach, the White House hastily announced the family will indeed vacation on Florida’s Gulf coast for a few days in August. It will be vacation number 9., just before summer vacation number 10 which follows immediately afterwards up north in the fresh, clean air of Martha’s Vineyard....... to help get rid of all of those noxious oil fumes.