Michelle Obama Watch

Sounds as if the British tabloids are as active as ours. These are tough economic times in the US as well as in Britain. We do not need to be giving extravagant gifts to anyone. What happened to “It’s the thought that counts?” I am sure PM Brown’s sons would much rather have model helicopters than clothes any day. Consider the source. You go girl.

Keep in mind that the Telegraph is a conservative newspaper like the NY Post or Fox news. The UK loves Michelle.

they are little boys for crying out loud, what on earth are you supposed to give them? i would imagine that most little boys would love nothing more than a toy helicopter with all the cool features of marine 1, to pretend fly around the house. from the feigned outrage you’d think that giving small kids anything less than personalized ipods, was a vicious personal affront. they also gifted the family a $500 set of classic american movies, that they can enjoy together. are they the most spectacular gifts on the planet? maybe not, but they sure beat the personalized fur trimmed bomber jacket, emblazoned with the presidential seal that W gave gordon, something he immediately proceeded to gift to charity rather than be caught dead in it.
one thing these harpies are rather pointedly ignoring, is that the obamas will be visiting the UK before the end of the month, and i imagine that as the guests, that is actually the more appropriate time to give a more personalized or extravagant gift as a thank you for hosting them.

as for this all supposedly being some grand plan to get back at whitey, somehow i imagine the author of the piece believes in a number of other equally stupid conspiracy theories.

OT- the First Lady is on the cover of ‘O’ Magazine

http://55secretstreet.typepad.com/55secretstreet/2009/03/michelle-obama-on-the-cover-of-o-the-oprah-magazine-with-oprah.html

I am confused about the behavior of this journalist. I was under the impression that the purpose of the trip for the Prime Minister Brown was to visit with President Obama to discuss geopolitical concerns. Expensive tokens for their respective children are always nice, but this was a business trip for the U.K . and the U.S. to discuss the economic crisis and globalization.

I guess it is all a matter of interpretation and values about what is really important regarding the world economic crisis.

Well, this Brit has absolutely no problems with the gift picked out for the Browns’s two little boys.

Picking out expensive, exclusive toys would have held no guarantee that the children would appreciate them more. How many of us have watched bemused and amused as little ones spend as much time if not more playing with a toy’s box as the contents of the box itself?

Undoubtedly generous though the gesture was, the gifts picked out by our Prime Minister and his wife smacked a bit of trying too hard to impress. The Top Shop dresses for the Obama daughters along with a book or 2 (rather than 6!) would have been plenty, and to me the presents that Mr. Brown gave to the President were more along the lines of what he himself would be pleased to receive…..

(When the bust of Winston Churchill has been removed from the Oval office, and packed away in safe storage, who came up with the not so bright idea of giving a set of books on Mr. Churchill to the President?! We have many fine, British authors, and with a little imagination and guidance Mr. Brown could have showcased some of our talent, and chosen something a little fresh and different.

As for the commissioned print, and the ornamental desk pen holder, I appreciate the historical association of the latter with the White House desk, but it all hearkens back to an era that’s long since gone. How about taking along something relevant and easy to appreciate from modern Britain?

Given that the Obamas’ love of organics is well known, couldn’t the Browns have packed something from one of our fab’ and unique chocalatiers, or even picked up some of the delicious biscuits/cakes from Prince Charles’s organic Duchy Originals range, say?

How about heading down to Mayfair and picking out a couple of elegant yet price savvy ties that would have gone nicely with Barack’s suits, and with all the brilliant contemporary jewellers we have, something one off, beautiful and eyecatching could have been neatly packed up ready to give to Michelle. Talk about a missed opportunity!

P.S. As for Sandra Rose, I have no idea who this lady is, but, given the sheer absurdity and stupidity of her comments – and I’m reigning my own comments by way of response in here! – it’s no loss.

The Obamas do not buy their children christmas gifts, and their allowance is like nothing. So, why would Mrs. Obama buy someone else’s children expensive toys and not her own? It’s ridiculous. I don’t blame Mrs. Obama a toy helicopter is good enough for a child. Why try to impress someone , the whole idea of the trip is to discuss the two nations economic situations.

BTW: I just read that Mrs. Obama will travel with Pres. Obama. Great. Can’t wait to see her wardrobe.

This is just another contrived attack designed to take the sheen off the Obama’s-

Awful racists abound and they stand united beyond America’s shore in their shared horror and jealousy at the Obama’s success and popularity which is seriously driving them insane!

Determined to take Obama down, they are scrambling, desperately grasping at straws, taking issue with and faking outrage at the silliest, pettiest and most mundane made-up crap…And hoping no one catches on!

It’s all mind games and pseudo psychological warfare folks…

If they can manipulatively “embarrass” enough people into not publicly liking and respecting the Obama’s – which they constantly deride in silly and ’scary’ apocalyptic terms such as “swooning and gushing” of the “messiah”;

And if they can by this derision cause people to feel negatively “self conscious” for what they insist is “over the top adulation” of the Obama’s;

If they can succeed in muting the public outpouring of support and enthusiasm for the Obama’s;

They will have in their racist minds made considerable head way in their attempt at discrediting and destroying our president and his far reaching influence-

Let’s not give these awful racists the pleasure people…let’s make sure their jealousy inspired shenanigans blow up in their faces…and soon too!

Are you all 12 years old? There are protocols in this world. There are ways to do things. And ways not to do things. Certain cultures depend on it. I wonder how you guys would feel if, let’s say, Obama served pork to the Israeli President? There are things you do…and the fact they didn’t do it right says one of three things. Either they are 1) totally inept and the people they have chosen to help them are equally as clueless or 2) they just don’t care or 3) are going out of their way to be rude. If you take into consideration their urgent need to return the bust of Churchill two weeks after taking office into consideration, I’d say it’s somewhere between option one and option 2.

Oops!

My thoughts were racing ahead of my typing fingers, and, I should have said, “chocolatiers” and “reining in” in my earlier post.

To be fair, ferocious though our tabloids can be at times, only a few pundits have been critical. On the flip side, others have shared their embarrassment at the apparent over eagerness of our Prime Minister and his wife to please. It really wasn’t necessary for them to spend “hundreds of British pounds”…..

P.S. Who on earth is Greg Garrison? Well, it’s no loss that I’m not familiar with htim, either!

Being a Black Brit myself I was very surprised to read this silly article about Michelle Obama and trying to blame her for why Gordan Brown was not given royal treatment such as a state dinner by the Obamas.The writer was clearly trying to hold someone responsible and in such an insulting manner that is not being taken seriously here as most of the press adore her is trying to claim that she is uppity. Most people agree that there will always be those people who want tof ind fault with the Obamas and hide behind petty falsehoods,he is a sad fool who is clearly just a bored hack.

The article was so silly that it prompted me to read the responses. I enjoyed the responses more than the article. I am so glad that other folk thought that it was silly too. The toys were a good choice for the boys. I am sure they like the little helicopters. Thank-you first Lady Obama for being thrifty and thoughtful. The lady who took the time to write this article and the newspaper editor who chose to print it is probably the reason why newspares are going belly up!

Cindy, why don’t you research facts before you talk. According to British newspapers, it was Obama who returned the bust:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4623148/Barack-Obama-sends-bust-of-Winston-Churchill-on-its-way-back-to-Britain.html.

The truth hurts, doesn’t it? And by the way, I am a Jewish Conservative. Yes, we’re out here. But nice job of stereotyping there…

Now “Linn” is quoting the conservative gossip rag the Telegraph!

No, Linn you do your research!

The bust was loaned to President Bush and returned BEFORE President Obama’s inaugural…It now sits at the British Consulate in Washington D.C…But the truth isn’t really that important to you is it dear miserable Linn…?!

“Jewish” or “Christian” “conservative” : Same difference!

Simply code for “mindblowing, hypocritical, rabidly obsessed and possessed racist!” -

And all together now positively losing their collective minds…

I recommend restraints Linn and a reservation at your closest psychiatric facility…You’ll be needing it sooner than later!

Can you people ever be happy and accept a differing of opinoin? YOU CONTROL EVERYTHING…the presidency, Congress…but yet, you’re still hateful, bitter and mean spirited. You know why? The left hates themselves..Godless people usually do and they want to bring everyone down to the gutter with them. Enjoy the power you have right now…it’ll come to an end. Either when the American people see where socialism takes them or..by the hand of God…If you don’t believe in it, you should be concerned…or should you?

Ray quoted SKYE:
“These are tough economic times in the US as well as in Britain. We do not need to be giving extravagant gifts to anyone.”

Ray responded to SKYE:
That economy did not stop the Wednesday nights blow out with $100.00 LB steaks imported from Japan, live music from Earth, Wind and Fire, and 55 gal drums of the most expensive champagne on the planet. It has been nothing but expensive blow outs for these two since the record breaking and foolish inauguration. The hoops the Obama worshipers jump through to defend these elitist Marxists is comical and absurdly pathetic.

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And the bad economy hasn’t stopped Obama from flying around on Air Force One all over the country for photo ops… Even after telling us that we all need to learn to conserve.

Obama also told us that we can not keep our thermostats turned all the way up to 72 degrees anymore, but not long after that statement, David Axelrod (An Obama advisor) said that Obama doesn’t like the cold so he (Obama) keeps the Oval Office so warm “You could grow orchids in there”. It’s a “Do as I say, not as I do” situation.

I can’t believe that so many people think this is no big deal. You would think Obama and Michell would have had more respect for the British then to give plastic gifts. What were they thinking ? Oh well I guess they don’t have a clue the World is watching . They spend a lot of money having parties at the White House you would think they would have treated their visitors better. I feel this was distasteful ….

To follow up a little on Ray’s message about Obama and the extravagant parties that he and Michelle are having… It’s interesting that while Obama’s lavish parties are becoming common place in the White House, Senator John Kerry has announced plans to “introduce legislation to end the extravagant spending practices of U.S. banks that received taxpayer dollars from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).”

Senator Kerry is quoted as saying, “I’m sick and tired of picking up the newspaper and reading about another idiotic abuse of taxpayer money while our country is on the brink”. Kerry also said, “During these difficult economic times, we need to send a message to the American people that we are responsible stewards of public funds”.

Senator Kerry is referring to the financial institutions that have received bailout money from the taxpayer but it seems that his statements could also apply to Barack and Michelle Obama. After all, it’s the taxpayer who is contributing to the lifestyle that Barack and Michelle are becoming accustomed to.

The quoted portions of this message can be found on Senator Kerry’s government website:
http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=308559

Why is it that if anyone dare criticize Barry or Michelle they are automatically labeled, RACIST?

HaHa – All the crying about any criticism of His Imperialness Great Leader Obama (Praise His Mighty Name!). One poster lamented that had the gifts been expensive, then criticism would’ve followed that as well. Ha – welcome to Bush’s world! And what I love is that Obama the NonCitizen is as much as retard as “was” Bush. He Without Birth Certification has tried to enter the White House through a WINDOW and then brained himself on the helicopter hatchway. Without his ‘prompter he hems n’ haws n’ umms with the best of them. The “Obamination of Economic Desolation” is here. The USA will be a shambles, but we will survive. Too bad it’s taking what is coming to finally deal with the gimmee-class bred by the Democrats as their voting base. You reap what you sow!

Sounds to me like neither the first lady or the president, or their staff, for that matter, are up to the job of international politics. Everything they’ve touched has been a horrid mess or a lie so far…r

Oooooohhh!!!

The faux outrage of the seriously obsessed, depressed and possessed, multi posting under various user names…

I wonder if they wear their white hoods over their heads while they brilliantly articulate the best envious rage and hate they gleaned from their hick schools…?!

Picture it now, white hood over the head, Rush Limbaugh on the radio and bible in one hand, while they furiously type away inspired and egged on by the inbred buffoon Limbaugh…

“God” fearing and “conservative” now code for seriously deranged, brazenly racist, decidedly ignorant and pitifully and embarrassingly idle!

One has to wonder what small letter “god” these hate-filled people claim to worship and invoke, because it clearly isn’t The Lord God…

What is the point or purpose in giving gifts to each other’s children anyway? Hard to believe that either set of children needs anymore items. Gifts for either set of offspring seem a ridiculous and unnecessary piece of pomp. Out of curiosity, I am wondering what gifts the First Lady’s detractor would deem appropriate. and what dollar amount do they recommend to be sufficient?

Apparently, Brown gave the Obama’s gifts fashioned from rare wood of famous Brittish ships, and he in return gave Brown 25 DVD’s in the American format. Also, the buts of WInston Churchill given to the American people when Bush was president was returned BACK to Brown. Crazy!

corrected:
I sent this to the embassy:

To whom it may concern,

As an American citizen, and Texan, I would like to most sincerely apologize for the way our President and his staff recently treated Prime Minister Brown on his visit to the White House. PM Brown’s gifts to the President were most generous. As a history buff, I could not have more appreciation for the meaningfulness of these treasures. As a lover of liberty, I also cannot help but be disgusted that the bust of Winston Churchill was “re-gifted”, when it was given to the American people as a token of solidarity against a true enemy of the cause of freedom, that enemy being terrorism & Islamic Fascism. Please do not think that all Americans feel like treating England in this manner is appropriate, as it is one of the few nations to take a stand for what is right in this world today, and, indeed, the greatest ally our nation has found. The United Kingdom has always been most gracious when hosting our nation’s leaders, and I hope this hospitality will continue despite the inappropriateness of this White house when it came to welcoming Prime Minister Brown. Although I have many disagreements with this administration, I am not writing this as a conservative, but as a proud American who is not proud of these recent events, and who hopes England will continue to be confident that our nations can work together for good whether in war or peace.

Now, there’s just a few other comments that I feel a need to address.

Thanks must be given first of all to the White House Historical Association for the sterling work they’ve done in making so much information available on how former Presidents entertained.

Judging from the bellyaching from some here, about “lavish parties” and “expensive blowouts” if it wasn’t for this source, I could be forgiven, I think, for imagining that President Obama’s predecessors dished up the equivalent for their times of tinned tomato soup followed by a main course of spam sandwiches….

I don’t believe for a moment that no other President had imported food items on the menu for the various dinners/soirees/get togethers/lunches that they presided over.

It’s interesting to have learned that Franklin Roosevelt held over 300 parties at the White House throughout the 1930s/40s; that Abraham Lincoln was criticised at the time for indulging his passion for attending the opera when the Civil War was still a sensitive topic; that at one of Andrew Jackson’s parties in the 1880s, if I remember correctly, hungry guests devoured a 1,400 pound “Mammoth Cheese” and that under President Chester Arthur, the tradition of inviting special guests to perform in the East Wing of the White House, began. There is truly nothing new under the sun.

As for the Seriously Disgruntled complaining about President Obama using Air Force One for “photo ops”, I wonder what they’d have to say about President(s) Bush use of the same, for tooling around in, on the way to and from various jaunts. Perhaps, they’d be happier if the current Commander-in-Chief somehow managed to locate and purchase a flying carpet…

Next. The Churchill bust. President Obama is well within his rights to return this to Britain, if that is what he chooses to do. It was on loan, and he may well have decided that it had served its purpose as a sign of solidarity and good will at a trying time, and he’s now going to make a break with the past and have room made available for something that will fortify him and give him strength as he goes about his incredibly difficult duties and responsibilities. Maybe, a bust of Lincoln or another leader that he admires will come to occupy the newly vacant spot that has been left. Once again, I feel a need to say to those expressing concern that this hasn’t been a hot topic of conversation over here, in London, among ordinary citizens. It simply isn’t on the radar!

Finally.

To the business of the not at all bright “writer” who chose to tag the First Lady, Lady Macbeth. Oh, how some people’s insecurities are showing…

Some are very clearly struggling with the novel notion of a competent, capable, intelligent Black woman being in a such an unprecedented position of power. All the old myths and notions of White superiority are so thoroughly decimated by the wonder that is Michelle Obama, that the terminally insecure have got to find a way to try and undermine her. Fat, blinkin’ chance of that happening and well the critics know it!

What has Wilberforce, Brits and “the wicked white global hegemony” etc. got to do with the First Lady?! I’ve never known her to offer her opinion on such matters, and can’t imagine that any of this has occupied so much as a micro second of her precious time. I don’t know how anyone could even dare to presume that her view of history and (White) Britis is broad brush, thin brush or no brush when she has never divulged her views, publically.

What ignorance and presumptuousness on the part of the article writer.

Such people and their ilk have got 4 years of the First Lady to deal with. Yet again, I’m left wondering how they are going to manage….

It’s funny when racists can’t spell.

It’s hilarious to see the wingnutters driving themselves crazy.

Ah, Mr. Smith, I’m with you on an apology to “Gord” if “Gord” admits he made a bit of a boo boo with the let’s-set-the-timer-to-20-mins-for-our meeting lark….

Nah. Can’t give it to you on the bust of Churchill, though. It was on loan, and Mr. Obama chose to return it. End of.

I think its a sign of class for the Obamas that they didn’t have an international screaming hissy over Gordon Brown’s previous diss of in only allocating 20 minutes to meet with Obama.

Back when Barack Obama was Senator Obama, Brown didn’t think he was important enough to give him the time of day.

Now that he’s President Obama, Brown decided it was time to “impress” and then went overboard.

Now the British papers have resorted to throwing tantrums and calling the First Lady names (warning** attacking Michelle doesn’t go over well with President Obama) to cover Brown’s embarrassment.

This is the lesson that snobbery teaches.

Looks like this thread got infested, but trolls. I think it is funny that the same people harping on the gifts don’t give a damn about real diplomacy. The same people would be complaining about expesive gifts if the President gave them something more expensive. For the comment to who called the people who don’t think the gift situation is a big deal, all the ones who called the ones who called the Obama’s classeless, and those of you who are pushing the Messiah meme, you are all full of crap. I’m tired of people saying that they can’t criticized the Obamas, do you pay attention to the media, it is full of criticism. You all complain about ad hominiam attacks against you when you use the same attacks.

I think the Telegraph think they are slick by using the Lady Macbeth analogy. They think they can get away with it because they think all Americans are stupid. Let me tell you tell you there are Americans who know Shakespeare, I know what it means, and it was totally uncalled for.

On a related not, I don’t seem this hissy fit going well for Gordon Brown in relations to the US. Obama will not look kindly on those attacking his wife at the same time asking for favors. In mind my mind the bailout of AIG, some of that money went to British banks, that should be viewed as the gift.

Why should Mr. Obama be proud to see Churchill everyday, if its because of him that his gradfather was tortured. and who knows, maybe if that didnt happen then maybe he would have grown up a rich kind. Its amazing what those colonizer deprived us of, and its even more amazing that you except us to worship them…