Michelle Obama

Political Attacks On First Ladies: Nothing New!

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The new book that claims that First Lady Michelle Obama has had problems with White House staff, that she interferes with their agenda in defense of her husband, has led to denials by her, and bitter attacks by conservative media.

Is criticism of the First Lady, whoever she is, anything new? History tells us otherwise.

First Lady Dolly Madison was always more outspoken in all ways than her taciturn husband, James Madison. She was known as the “party giver”, but that included her willingness to speak her mind!

First Lady Mary Lincoln was controversial over her expenditures, her clothes, and her mouth, and came under a lot of political attacks during the Civil War, including the fact that her brothers were part of the enemy, fighting for the Confederacy against the American government led by Abraham Lincoln.

Lucy Hayes came to be known as “Lemonade Lucy”, due to the fact that she prevented the serving of liquor at White House gatherings, and believed in women’s rights, including the right to vote, and spoke her mind regularly, causing problems therefore for her husband, Rutherford Hayes.

Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, the second Mrs. Wilson, led cabinet meetings after Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919, and often was considered the “first woman President” during his last 18 months in office.

Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, was the most controversial First Lady, speaking up regularly on all kinds of issues and topics, and labeled by her critics as a Communist and a Socialist. After her husband died, she remained part of the political controversies in the era of McCarthyism and the Cold War, always speaking her mind and being a political activist.

Betty Ford became a lightning rod under President Gerald Ford, speaking out as a feminist for the Equal Rights Amendment, and endorsing abortion rights, and speaking about her alcohol and breast cancer problems openly.

Rosalyn Carter attended cabinet meeting of her husband, Jimmy Carter, and also spoke out for feminist causes openly.

Nancy Reagan was criticized for her spending on White House China, and defended her husband, Ronald Reagan, against his own White House Chief of Staff, Donald Regan, who she was able to arrange to fire. She had no problem stating that she was there to help and defend her husband.

Hillary Clinton was the most involved and outspoken First Lady since Eleanor Roosevelt, and became a lightning rod particularly when she promoted a failed health care plan in the first term of Bill Clinton.

And now, Michelle Obama is making clear that she is there as an advocate of her husband, while claiming no problem in getting along with the White House staff.

So this is all nothing new!

Focus On Bullying: Schools, State Governors, Tea Party Congressional Republicans, And A Supreme Court Justice!

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It is very sad that this nation is witnessing so many examples of bullying as a method of taking advantage of others.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama held a White House Conference on Bullying Prevention today to draw attention and concern to the growing bullying problem faced by young children, teenagers and early 20s youths in schools and colleges, either because of social pressures, or their sexuality, physical characteristics, or ethnic or religious heritage, often leading tragically to suicides. President Obama even said he had been bullied as a child because of his big ears. A lot of this bullying also occurs on the internet.

But it is not just an issue of young people being bullied. It manifests itself in so many other ways in our political system today, with bad manners and rudeness becoming endemic!

We have Governors such as Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida, Chris Christie of New Jersey, and John Kasich of Ohio, among others, who are bullying public servants who have dedicated their lives to working for their communities as teachers, nurses, firefighters, police officers, prison guards, social workers, librarians and other fields of public service, and now are facing the loss of basic labor rights to collective bargaining that have been long held.

Workers having basic rights of organizing is a human rights issue for anyone in a democracy, and for Wisconsin to bypass the Democrats in their State Senate and strip workers of their basic rights in an unethical and slimy way is despicable beyond belief! Scott Walker is clearly a bully and a political thug, and the other Governors are no better, as they all proclaim, as do Republicans nationally, that we all have to “share the pain”, with the wealthy and corporations however not part of that equation, just the middle class and the poor. There is no sense of morality or decency in these men and their party as they take us back to the Gilded Age of the late 19th century, when labor was first trying to organize to protect the rights of workers.

One hundred fifty years of progress is being wiped out by these right wing fanatics who will stop at nothing to give tax breaks to the rich and the corporations and harm the masses of the nation, who are facing attacks both on their homes and their employment, and being expected to pay more and get less, squeezing the middle class down into poverty!

But the same tactics of confrontation, arrogance and belligerence are also demonstrating themselves in Congress, as the Tea Party freshmen in the House and a small band of Tea Party supporters in the Senate are showing their disdain for civility and rational thought!

And even the Supreme Court is witnessing bullying, primarily by Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, becoming more contemptuous of his fellow Justices when they go against his views. As he nears the 25th anniversary of his elevation to the Court, he is becoming more obnoxious and insufferable than ever!

When will civility and decency return to America in its schools, its government leaders, and even the Supreme Court? Unfortunately, it seems not anytime soon!

Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Obama, And Nutritional Standards

Ronald 1 Comment

Rush Limbaugh, the much overweight and pill popping radio talk show host, has been on a rampage lately in criticizing First Lady Michelle Obama for advocating good nutritional habits. He has also criticized her figure, comparing her to a beauty contest contestant who would be at least 20 years younger!

He and other conservatives have stated that her advocacy is interfering with family control over their children, and pushing for government intervention through “food police”!

They also contend that Michelle Obama is a hypocrite, as hamburgers and fries were served at the White House Super Bowl Party, and ribs were consumed by her and her daughters on a skiing vacation in Vail, Colorado.

Why is it that if someone wishes to promote good habits among children, who in larger numbers than ever before are overweight and liable to have diabetes someday, is seen as engaged in a conspiracy? Why is it bad to advocate proper eating when so many parents do not realize the importance of that factor in the bringing up of their children? And why is it that an occasional straying from ideal food habits is not seen as perfectly normal, as long as it is occasional in nature?

It is preposterous that conservatives have to attack something like this, when a half century ago, John F. Kennedy could advocate physical fitness, and no one protested that it was interference by government.

Every First Lady takes on a cause, and this one for nutritional eating is something that in the long run will be applauded, no matter what Rush Limbaugh does to criticize it at this time in history! What pettiness and demagoguery on the part of someone who has no limit to his own hypocrisy! And yes, Rush, you NEED to lose weight, eat better, and stay away from your addiction to prescription medicine!

The Conservative Attack On Michelle Obama’s Anti Obesity And Breast Feeding Campaign: The Accusation Of A “Nanny State”! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

Fifty years ago, President John F. Kennedy promoted Physical Fitness as a national goal, and no one complained that it was inappropriate intervention in the life of American families to do so.

Now, however, the Tea Party Movement and conservative “family” groups are condemning First Lady Michelle Obama for promoting good eating habits and encouraging breast feeding for new mothers as ways to promote good health in children. She is being accused of promoting a “nanny” state, having the government tell citizens what to do with their bodies, and what to ingest. To suggest vegetables, and to avoid sugar and fatty food, is seen as interfering with the rights of parents to bring up their children in the way they see fit.

Interesting, the word “fit” being used here, when one considers that a large percentage of American children are likely to have diabetes and other diseases, and are right now overweight in larger percentages than ever before. If children are not encouraged to eat well, and exercise, the health care bill in the future will be astronomical because of poor parenting, as it is parents who should be held responsible for insuring that their children are fed well and get exercise.

What it comes down to is whatever the President or the First Lady advocate, they will be attacked, and a lot of it has to do, sadly, with the refusal of many to accept that we have an intelligent, educated, attractive First Couple, who happen to be African American! 🙁

It is hilarious to think that a pill drug addict and overweight (tremendously) talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, and an alcoholic and drug addicted talk show host, Glenn Beck, are the leading critics of the First Lady promoting good health habits! 🙁

But even Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, both of whom are mothers, would rather ridicule and criticize on this matter, than join in promoting good eating and exercise habits! 🙁

What a sad commentary on the political scene in 2011! 🙁

The “Nanny State” Attacks Of Sarah Palin And Other Conservatives: Promoting Hatred And Suspicion Of Government! :(

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Sarah Palin is on a tear, seemingly now attacking some prominent figure on a daily basis, or showing her total stupidity and lack of knowledge about what a candidate for President needs, to take on the burden of that office! 🙁

No sooner than attacking former First Lady Barbara Bush and being unable to distinguish North Korea from South Korea, the former half term Governor of Alaska and Vice Presidential nominee of the GOP in 2008 now is on the attack against our present First Lady, Michelle Obama, who has the highest approval rating of any public figure with 65 percent!

Why is this? It is because Michelle Obama is promoting an anti obesity campaign among the children of America, many of whom are overweight, make poor choices in what they consume, and are in danger of becoming diabetic in alarming numbers in the future! It is also a major problem among adults in this country who fail to consider that what you put in your mouth affects long term health!

This campaign comes after Nancy Reagan’s campaign against drugs in the 1980s and John F. Kennedy’s crusade for physical fitness in the 1960s!

Is it wrong of the national government to promote an anti obesity campaign, a war against drugs, and a physical fitness agenda? Any sane person would say, of course not, but not Sarah Palin, who accuses Michelle Obama of promoting a “nanny state”, a charge also leveled by conservative talk show hosts on radio and on Fox News Channel! 🙁

Under the same thought, it apparently is improper of state and local government officials, such as in California and New York City and elsewhere, to ban smoking in public places, and for the US government to be planning new, explicit pictures on cigarette packages of the damages of smoking! But is it such? NO, because it is obvious that human beings often make wrong choices which affect their health and well being, and the government is intervening to attempt to promote different behavior through the leadership of public figures who carry weight among our citizens!

Instead of applauding Michelle Obama, Nancy Reagan, John F. Kennedy, the California state government, the New York City government, and the Department of Health and Human Services for their promotion of good health, instead we are told that the “Know Nothings” who think parents always know what is best, should rule the day!

The answer is NO, as many adults make WRONG choices that affect the health and well being of their children for the rest of their lives! There is nothing wrong with promoting good health and good habits!

And, by the way, if Sarah Palin is such a good parent, then why is it she cannot teach the values in her children to avoid becoming pregnant when still teenagers and unmarried? And realize that if young women, less fortunate in their family assets than Bristol Palin, become pregnant, it often condemns them to a lifetime of poverty!

Should not the national government do everything it can through advocacy and example to avoid promoting poverty and bad health? Of course!

So what it comes down to is that Sarah Palin and other conservatives are simply promoting hatred and suspicion of government, as the Tea Party Movement has been doing! 🙁

That could be called libertarianism by many, or maybe it is actually anarchism in hiding? 🙁

Newsweek Poll Shows Turnaround On Support Of Obama And Democrats!

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With nine days to go to the midterm elections of 2010, suddenly a Newsweek poll shows a revival of support for Barack Obama and newly emerging enthusiasm for the Democrats! 🙂

Obama’s public opinion ratings have surged to 54 percent from the low 40s, and the generic congressional ballot shows a lead of 48 to 42 for Democrats over Republicans!

Among those who have voted early, the Democrats lead the GOP 52-42, and is evidence that Democrats may have finally reacted to the message of President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and former President Bill Clinton–that this is not an election to sit out, and allow those who brought us the Great Recession to regain control of the national government!

There are increasing signs of women, Latinos, African Americans, and young people–all of whom made a difference in 2008–starting to commit themselves to vote this year, and those are good signs for the Democrats in a very difficult economic climate!

While anything is possible next week, it may be that Yogi Berra, the Hall of Fame Yankee catcher, may be correct when he uttered: “It ain’t over till it’s over!”

The Democrats’ “Secret Weapon” For The Midterm Election: First Lady Michelle Obama! :)

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With only a couple of weeks left until the midterm elections, the Democrats are bringing out their “big guns”–President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama!

The President is becoming effective as he finally becomes deeply involved in the campaign to help keep the Senate Democratic controlled, and to help gubernatorial candidates or office holders around the nation!

But First Lady Michelle Obama is much more the “secret weapon” than her husband, considering her public opinion ratings are 20 points higher–65 to 45! 🙂

If the Democrats keep control and win races that many thought were unlikely, it will be due to the Obamas, and particularly, Michelle, visiting key states!

Yesterday, in Columbus, Ohio, the husband and wife drew 35,000 people, including many young people, and minorities, which are crucial to the Democrats’ hopes!

If the Obama coalition of 2008 comes out, the Democrats will stop the Tea Party Movement and the GOP from taking the country backward in so many ways!

Pettiness To The Extreme: Michelle Obama Vacation In Spain! :(

Ronald 3 Comments

It seems impossible for Barack Obama to do anything that will not come under attack, no matter how petty it is!

The fact that First Lady Michelle Obama decided to have some personal vacation time with daughter Sasha, 9 years old, in Spain, and with a few friends and their children, is coming under attack!

The New York Daily News, a true “rag”, compared what Michelle Obama is doing to Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France during the French Revolution, who supposedly said about the masses: “Let them eat cake!”. Marie Antoinette was later executed, along with her husband, King Louis XVI!

What a preposterous, ridiculous comparison! 🙁 Michelle Obama is paying her own way, as are her friends! The only expense for the government is Air Force Two and the secret service detail, but that is unavoidable anywhere the First Lady and children go !

The Daily News has exaggerated the facts and details of the trip, and supposedly, because many people are unemployed, the First Lady is not entitled to a vacation!

Well, then why is Congress taking time off, and why do any Americans take off time in the summer break? This is totally ridiculous, and NO ONE needs to apologize going on vacation, because others are unemployed and cannot go on vacation!

We have reached the point of being preposterous to the extreme, and this is not the first time a First Lady has taken vacations away from the President!

And considering the burdens the President has, more than any since Franklin D. Roosevelt, he need not apologize for any time off he takes, since it would never match the time taken by George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan!

The answer is that there should be no response to such outrageous, petty attacks, and let the critics stew in their poisonous venom! 🙁

Michelle Obama: Role Model, Good Will Ambassador, And Elegant First Lady! :)

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Probably the greatest asset President Barack Obama has is not his cabinet officers or advisers, but his elegant, highly intelligent and articulate First Lady! 🙂

Michelle Obama has already demonstrated that she is one of the greatest First Ladies in American History in just a little over a year in office!

Not only has she become a role model for women and young girls and promoted “family values” and the work ethic, but she has also become the leading advocate of her husband as he faces the most massive series of problems of any President since Franklin D. Roosevelt!

On her recent trip to earthquake torn Haiti and to Mexico, she showed her talent as a good will ambassador and spokesperson for every decent human trait to help those less fortunate!

She always knows the right thing to say and do, and she possesses great charm and presence!

It is such a delight to have an intelligent and accomplished First Lady, as the job description has become much more upgraded by her qualifications, which rival, and in some ways, surpass all First Ladies except, possibly, Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton!

Michelle Obama will continue to be a tremendous asset to her husband and to America in the coming years, and this can be seen in a way to follow what Bill Clinton said when he was elected, regarding his wife: You elect me, you gain my wife as a dividend! 🙂

That is certainly the case with Michelle Obama!

Conflicting Poll On Obama After Nine Months In The Presidency

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Today marks nine months of the Obama Presidency, and a new CNN poll shows conflicting results.

It shows that 55 percent approve of Obama’s handling of his job, but only 48 percent agree with him on the important issues at hand. Two out of three think Obama has the qualities to make a good President, but only a third think he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize,although more than two thirds are proud that an American won the prize.

Hillary Clinton ranks higher than the President in personal appeal, as does Michelle Obama. The fact that Hillary is considered more popular must be a very happy consolation prize for her, but of course, she is not being forced to make tough decisions that a President has to make.

In many ways, the poll shows conflict and confusion, probably because the President is taking on many tough issues at once, and as always, change tends to cause insecurity and doubts, but still it can be said that Obama is in quite good shape after nine months in office.