Michelle Obama's Lavish Spain Vacation Sparking Criticism

Subscribe :While First Lady Michelle Obama continues sightseeing and shopping in southern Spain with daughter Sasha and friends as "private" tourists, questions are being raised about the cost to taxpayers and whether a lavish vacation sends the right message during tough economic times in the U.S.
Mrs. Obama also has a "public" part of the vacation, but its hardly heavy lifting and without any formal agenda. On Sunday, Mrs. Obama and 9-year-old Sasha will have lunch with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia at their summer palace on the island of Majorca.
This trip is sparking the first controversy Mrs. Obama has faced since becoming first lady. While Mrs. Obama covers her personal expenses, taxpayers pay for security and support staffers, plus most costs associated with her Air Force plane.
CBS News has run two stories -- on its Thursday evening newscast and on Friday morning -- examining the public costs of Mrs. Obama's travels. ABC did a piece Friday morning about Mrs. Obama and Sasha buying matching sundresses, the ritzy resort they visited, and the heavy coverage of the visit by Spanish media. NBC ran a story about the trip as well, and more network coverage is in the works.
Contributing to the developing narrative: A column by Andrea Tantaros in the Thursday New York Daily News headlined, "Material girl Michelle Obama is a modern-day Marie Antoinette on a glitzy Spanish vacation."

"It is very difficult to lead a private life when you are a public figure. No one would deny an official the need for a vacation. But the more expensive or lavish the trip, the greater the risk of criticism," Anita McBride, the chief of staff for former First Lady Laura Bush, told me.
The First Lady arrived in the Mediterranean coastal city of Marbella on Wednesday, checking in to the super-posh Villa Padierna, along with her daughter, friends, a small number of staffers -- the East Wing would not say how many -- and a security force. (Daughter Malia, 12, is at overnight camp.)
On Thursday, Mrs. Obama's entourage arrived in the historic city of Granada, also in southern Spain. According to a story in El Pais, before visiting the landmark cathedral in the city, Mrs. Obama's group stopped for ice cream, and didn't mind people snapping pictures on their cell phones. The day also included viewing a flamenco performance and in the evening a visit to the Alhambra palace.
When the trip was first announced, it was billed as "private mother-daughter trip with longtime family friends." On Wednesday in Politics Daily, I wrote that Mrs. Obama may well take some criticism for the Spain vacation. While First Ladies always stay at high-class hotels -- security is a big part of the reason -- a five star resort on Spain's coast creates a potential perception problem. The U.S. jobless rate is still high -- 9.5 percent on Friday. And while Mrs. Obama and President Obama have tried to encourage tourism in Gulf Coast areas not impacted by the BP oil spill, she is highlighting the beauty of Spain's Mediterranean beaches before the First Family travels to Florida's Gulf Coast on Aug. 14 for a weekend stay.
During the Wednesday afternoon briefing, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked about the "appearance" of Mrs. Obama's trip. "The first lady is on a private trip. She is a private citizen and is the mother of a daughter on a private trip. And I think I'd leave it at that," Gibbs said.
While the White House has emphasized that Mrs. Obama pays her personal costs, as do her friends who flew to Spain on their own, taxpayers pick up a big chunk of the tab.
According to CBS News, the tax dollar part of the vacation include an estimated $146,000 round trip cost for the U.S. Air Force 757 aircraft, not counting ground time; about $95,000 in hotel costs for an estimated 70 security -- Secret Service and military -- who get a $273 per day government per diem, plus costs for the dozen or so cars in her motorcade. I'm told that three shifts of agents are needed for a trip of this magnitude.
While the trip may not be "politically smart," said Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus on CBS, "it was not a let them eat cake moment."
The East Wing argues that Mrs. Obama is a private citizen, not an elected official, and she wants to focus on her friends and family. While taking August off, she plans to ramp up her schedule after Labor Day. I'm also told the East Wing is not going to react to these stories about Mrs. Obama's travels.
From Spain, Mrs. Obama did keep tabs on the Senate's passage of child nutrition legislation. On Thursday night, the East Wing told me, she called four senators who played a role in passing a bill that is central to her signature child anti-obesity issue, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.); Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)
I don't think anyone is begrudging Mrs. Obama vacations or sharing with her kids and pals some incredible opportunities she has from her unique perch to see the world. Some of this just has to do with the scale of a trip without some official substance.
While former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled with Chelsea and former First Lady Laura Bush took Barbara and Jenna with her on trips, the overseas travel was in connection with "official" business that was more than lunch with royalty at their summer palace. And it's not like Mrs. Obama is lacking a diplomatic agenda. Her April visit to Mexico City was the kick off of her "international agenda" with a focus on developing youth leadership
Mrs. Bush's true personal trips were hiking vacations in national parks with female pals.
Politics Daily readers who weighed in after my Wednesday piece summed up Mrs. Obama's situation.
"redrage727" wrote, "A little restraint would be appropriate in these tough economic times. It would mean a lot to the American people who pay for all these vacations and outings and would go a long way towards better relations with the people of the U.S. "
Replied "melonart," "I believe I detect a bit of envy and jealously in the comments I am reading. I am of the opinion that a public person can't win regardless of his or her choices in their private life..they are dammed if they do and dammed if they don't. Let a mutha show her daughter a bit of the world."

There dinner costs more than my car THAT IS BS

She and her husband are both walking national embarrassments. Their sense of 'entitlement' comes before anything else.

Every day they're in office is like a rectal exam gone bad ...

Aint that the truth

Um, did you even read the article?

You read my comment. You decide. Your question indicates you're probably in favor of this walking spend-a-thon - which is fine with me if she's spending YOUR money ...

are her servants white?
i'm guessing yes.

Okay, why don't you exaggerate just a little more please.

You do realize that the money spent on security would be spent no matter where the presidential family are staying, right? That's how it's always been. Not just those gosh darn embarrassing good for nothing Obamas.

"Obama covers her personal expenses, taxpayers pay for security and support staffers, plus most costs associated with her Air Force plane. "

Oh yeah, they bought matching mother daughter SUN DRESSES! Oh my god! With their own money! How extravagant! How dare you, Michelle!

See? I was right ...

no american hotels could have used that money. her vacations can't be somewhere here in america that need the money. her 5000 a night hotel, she is not paying for it, they always get a presidential suite for security reasons. so what is she paying for with her money? is she paying the tips? maybe when michele jr. is hungry, she pick up the tab at mcdonalds.

Ah, so it's about her going out of the country and the money being spent somewhere else. Are you saying you'd be fine with it had they stayed in the US?

do you think our tax dollars are well spent overseas?
she is supposed to be setting an example for everyone.
with all the money issues, businesses closing down, people losing their jobs, i think any money spent in America is a good thing.
i do think it is poor taste for her to do this.
her and her husband do not understand the concept of America first.

Are you saying now that the President's family should not be able to travel outside of the country because you don't think it's a good example for others?

Ooooooh looky! She can't even use an AMERICAN designer for her clothes ...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23864323-white-house-calling-please-will-you-make-a-coat-for-michelle-obama.do

The national embarrassments continue to mock the country that put them into the highest office in the land ...

Be proud, Hopey-McChangey-ites ...

since you didn't seem to understand what i wrote before, i'll say it agian....AMERICA FIRST.
when they want to solve some problems here, like getting jobs for the people, i won't have any problem with anything they do. millions of people here have lost their homes in last 5 years, and she needs to run off to float her status. she doesn't care about anyone here, as long as she can be a "princess", shes happy.

Reminds me of the Reagan years..That Missy Nancy, she do love to spend, spend, spend....

I disagree, I traveled outside of America during a bad economy and Im not part of the first family. Its a VACATION, people often pick places they WANT to see or havent seen before or places they have enjoyed in the past. This is no different than the vacation any 'lawyers' family might choose to take, the only difference is there is going to be added expense attached to the entourage that personal security requires.


I think its another case american negativity, peopel actually just SEARCHING for things to complain about. Americans take vacations, wherever they WANT to take vacations. This is as it should be for any family who has budgeted their money properly. The first family is no exception.

Mais non, ma chér ... MEEEEEshell COULD have 'vacationed' in AMERICA ... She COULD have spent those dollars in OUR economy ... she COULD have been less HYPOCRITICAL with her MENU choices (remember, she's the one in our faces telling us WE have to 'eat healthy' while she stuffs HER face with ice cream and sea bass) ... There are LOTS of reasons this is the WRONG thing to do. There are LOTS of reasons why this sends precisely the WRONG message to the citizens of this nation. There are LOTS of reasons why, in a POOR ECONOMY (caused by her husband's policies, btw) she SHOULD have stayed HOME.

I repeat, its a matter of personal opinion...and I personally DONT care where people want to spend their vacation, whatever the economy.....so long as they have taken care of their families needs first.

and what she eats? really? lol,, fish is actually a pretty healthy choice and ice cream in moderation is not bad for anyone...


A vacation is supposed to be enjoyable and noone else is supposed to determine what places are enjoyable for you or for me.


at the beginning of this economy I chose to go to the UK,,guess that makes me a terribly unpatriotic american,,,and to that I say

OH WELL

I understand ... you support their hypocrisy. I expected no less and I wasn't disappointed ...