Is It Okay for First Lady Michelle Obama and Sasha to Go on Lavish Vacation in Hard Times?
Apparently it’s not easy to travel light if you’re the First Lady! Michelle Obama and her youngest daughter Sasha, 9, arrived on Spain’s Costa del Sol today for a short summer break on the same day as her husband’s 49th birthday. They are staying for four days in the luxurious five-star Hotel Villa Padierna in Marbella, rated as one of the world’s top 30 hotels, where they have reserved 60 rooms to cater to family and friends who plan to join them.
President Obama is not expected in Spain, and eldest daughter Malia, 12, is at summer camp. Michelle Obama and Sasha are also expected to visit Spain’s King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at their summer palace on the island of Majorca, and are being protected by 250 spanish personnel and about 70 U.S. Secret Service agents, some of them dressed undercover as tourists. Incidentally, is this costing the U.S. tax-payers any money? According to Politics Daily: “The first lady is traveling with a small number of friends, who arrived on their own. While Mrs. Obama pays for her personal expenses, taxpayers pick up the costs of three shifts of Secret Service details and other security and support staffers, plus most costs associated with her Air Force plane.” According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Obamas will spend 10 days in Martha’s Vineyard starting August 19.
Is this a well-deserved holiday or an unnecessary luxury during hard times? Tell us what you think.
Photo: Pacific Coast News
This would be laughable, except for the hypocrisy Michelle Obama exhibits: Does anyone remember Michelle Obama commenting before she came to the White House that she wanted to avoid significant changes to her daughters life-style. The girls would still make their own beds, do their chores and pour their own cereal and milk. I guess I would not be as offended by their lavish living except for the fact that Michelle was so condescending with these remarks before she entered the White House. My question is, do the girls make their own bed and do their own chores. I think this question is fair, since Michelle brought the subject up herself before she entered the White House.
Michelle Obama has asked evryone to give up a piece of their pie so she could go out and spend a fortune on such extravagances especially in these desperately difficult times. This woman is greedy, ugly and insensitive – she does not care about other people – only her children and the opportunities afforded to her by her husband. Incidentally, what message is she sending to him by purposely spending ime away on his birthday. I don’t really care, but it is odd that she created this spectacle/fanfare on his birthday. Is there some osrt of rift between them? I hope people remember this around election time.
Did everyone forget that Michelle made plenty of her own money before her husband became president? Who says that the money she is spending aside from the diplomatic visit isn’t her OWN?
Thank you, Holly!Your comments are laughable! For crying out loud, she is the First Lady. She has made her own money. She has the right to meet up with friends and even if her daughters are making their own beds and doing their chores, they can also travel internationally. I know plenty of kids who live “regular” lives but travel extensively throughout the world. Michelle Obama is no where near greedy, ugly or insensitive! And the fact is, President Obama’s birthday is not a significant one and so they planned a vacation around it?! My son and I were travelling last year for my husband and my 15 year anniversary– a significant one, mind you– does that make me greedy, ugly and insensitive too?! Probably, in Martin’s eyes, but guess what? I’m not married to him so I don’t give a f#@%!!
After Thank you Holly!, the next sentence should be addressed to Martin! Holly, your comments aren’t laughable, Martin’s are!
Why can’t America embrace their BLACK PRESIDENT? George Bush screwed up this economy with his made up war. A white president with his family never stopped traveling and living the way they wanted.The President’s wife seems to be frugel. She doesn’t seem to be spending out of control but let’s face it she is BLACK. Yes America choose a Black President but you just don’t want to see his image. America is angry at the wrong family. Racism is still alive and well. You white people need to stop. You are the reason why things aren’t changing and can’t move forward. White folk’s hatred has literally continued to hold us back as a nation. In the state where I live white people have taken out parts of history to save face. When will there be change? You hide your hate just under the surface. I don’t think you will ever change. Evil is as Evil has always done. Killed, and Destroyed anyone who goes against their plans for DOMINATION. STOP!
You would think Republicans would be happy that a couple of “blacks” where out of the “WHITE” House for a while.
I can’t believe some of the comments made about the First Lady. The “black” comments and calling the First Lady “ugly” comments. Bottom line, this president is disrespected due to his race. I’m embarrassed. Have some damn respect whether you voted for him or not. By the way, I’m Republican Okay?
Hopefully, Michelle Obama will achieve the same fate as Marie Antoinette … off with her head !!!
Well said Barbara! Those of you spewing your hate should really take a look at yourselves. The hypocrisy comment about Michelle saying she wanted to avoid significant changes to the lives of her children is so very ignorant. Why do you assume the Obama children were not international travelers prior to their dad becoming president. You all should at least try to make intelligent arguments and speak from a place of knowledge and factual information. The Obamas did not come from the ghetto to the White House. Poor people are not elected to the position of President of the United States. The question is about the cost of her trip to Spain vs the state of the American economy. What does any of the other rantings you all posted have to do with that? No weapons formed against us shall prosper.
How about a nice big vacation with friends and family somewhere on the Gulf Coast to stimulate the tourist economy down there. Renting 60 rooms would go a long way to help some of the hotels down there, and they would draw even more people down there to gawk at them.
THE SPENDING, DINING AND VACATIONS ARE EXCESSIVE. LET THEM EAT CAKE? WELL WITH THE TOTAL CONTROL GOVERNMENT IS IMPLEMENTING — WE WOULD HAVE TO GET AN OKAY FROM MICHELE TO EAT CAKE…. MAYBE SHE MAY ONLY ALLOW US TO LOOK AT THE CAKE
LESS GOVERNMENT CONTROL IS BETTER
DUMP THE RACE CARD — THE PRESIDENT WAS VOTED IN SO THE NOBODY LIKES ME BECAUSE OF MY SKIN COLOR DOESN’T WORK!
I AM SHOCKED THAT SHE HAS OVER 40 ROOMS
WOW THIS IS TOOO EXCESSIVE FOR A CIVIL SERVANT TO SPEND ON THEIR FREQUENT VACTIONS! they need to get a walking card notice ASAP!
$379.00 (EUR) per night Rate rules
1 Bedroom Junior Suite,
$459.00 (EUR) per night
1 Bedroom Larger Suite, 1 King or 2 Twin/Single
$900.00 (EUR) per night The Theather Suite,
$1,540.00 (EUR) per night
2 Bedroom Villa,
Obamas has been working hard and deserve to enjoy life. Start work hard yourself and spend next summer in Marbella. For ex rent a house http://www.casaagnes.com Less expensive and still lovely.
Why is is that the black folk seem to want to interject race into the conversation? When people were bashing Bush about the war, did any white folk say to the black populace “you’re just angry that you don’t have a black president, that’s why you’re bashing Bush?”… No, they didn’t… because that would have been absurd and childish… the topic was the WAR, not the man’s born color.
Same thing applies here… the topic is the SPENDING, not the woman’s born color. Please don’t interject race into a financial conversation. Keep race in race conversations, and finances in financial conversations. Thank you.
Why is there controversy for the Obamas and there was none for the Bush family? l
AFTER 9-11-01 On 5-13-2002, Laura Bush and daughter Jenna went on a private trip to Europe.
“…Though Mrs. Bush will meet in Prague with Czech President Vaclav Havel, a spokesman for Havel said it is a private — not official — visit. And the Hungarian newspaper Nepszabadsag has written about her visit to Budapest as mostly a reunion with lifelong Dallas friend Nancy Brinker, whom Bush appointed U.S. ambassador to Hungary…”
“…. Mrs Bush also plans to do some private sightseeing….”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,52667,00.htm
According to what I have read, even if the first lady and friends pay for their own expenses, the tax payer costs are exceding $500,000, including the per diem, lodging, meals and transport of the entourage such as secret agents, i.e.
Air Force 2 round trip 180,000
Air Force 2 on the Ground for 5 days $250,000+
Hotel & meals 300,000
Per diem 75,000
limo cars 70,000
Overtime pay 150,000
Miscelleneous +
total $1,025,000 ++
This does seem a lot for a few days when the country is going through this.
Such hypocrits in the political arena. The Obamas had money before they went to the white house. People won’t comment on Sara Payless who is milking the country with her racial behind , and taking elaborate trips on the Alaskians tax dollars. Surley you can see the diferrence between how people think about blacks in the white house verses whites.
A Democrat was president for 8 years and everything got better. A Republican was president for 8 years and everything got worse. This is why Republicans come up with ridiculous lies like 60 rooms in Spain paid for by our taxes: they have no good policy ideas and their record in office stinks.