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2009-09-18 Home Front: Politix

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Posted by CrazyFool 2009-09-18 08:34|| || Front Page|| [11133 views ] Top

#1 I'm no fan of this administration, but I think the veggie thing is actually a positive move on their part. There are a whole lot of inner city people who have no model for healthy choices and who don't have easy access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Mrs. Obama is respected there and can serve as a good role model and educator. Nutrition is tied to health status, which in turn enables people to be more productive and less reliant.

Moreover this is a savvy move politically, because the urban farming / apartment container garden theme resonates with a lot of urban professionals. Whether it's for health, to lower costs or to have a bit of self-reliance in the case of emergencies, urban farming is starting to be a real trend ... there are a couple buildings in NY whose roofs have been turned into commercial herb/vegetable farms, for instance.

Posted by lotp 2009-09-18 09:35|| 2009-09-18 09:35|| Front Page Top

#2 how about sending "the help" to buy it, and avoid the waste of staff time, disturbance of the neighborhood, and yeti-sized carbon footprint? Oh, but then "several hundred people" wouldn't get the opportunity to watch those excellently toned arms squeeze the veggies. Typical Milbank tongue-bath. We can agree to disagree, Lotp

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2009-09-18 10:02|| 2009-09-18 10:02|| Front Page Top

#3 So ... the defense agency I work at has a big push on right now re: obesity, nutrition and physical fitness for employees and family, too.

I'd rather there were rah rah awareness campaigns on such health issues than that we start seeing very intrusive ~~fines~~ health care directives with financial penalties for noncompliance. Or, as in the UK, the food police checking refrigerators of families deemed not to be feeding their children correctly ....

So yeah, this was a photo-op with more than a hint of overdoing it. But not totally indefensible IMO and a far better approach than some alternatives.

Posted by lotp 2009-09-18 10:08|| 2009-09-18 10:08|| Front Page Top

#4 how about sending "the help" to buy it, and avoid the waste of staff time, disturbance of the neighborhood, and yeti-sized carbon footprint?

Then it's not a 'Teaching Moment'. (So what if it cost the taxpayers thousand and thousands of dollars and screwed up the businesses and people on H Street, Vermont Avenue, I Street and the McPherson Square Metro station.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2009-09-18 10:44|| 2009-09-18 10:44|| Front Page Top

#5 All heil your new royalty!

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2009-09-18 10:48|| 2009-09-18 10:48|| Front Page Top

#6 Hopefully in another 3.5 years she can put that arugula - food stamp theory to the test herself. Nicely done Michelle. I hope we see more of this kind of buggering public extravagance again very soon.

Posted by Besoeker 2009-09-18 11:12|| 2009-09-18 11:12|| Front Page Top

#7 tooo funny.

Posted by newc">newc 2009-09-18 11:15|| 2009-09-18 11:15|| Front Page Top

#8 I seem to be missing a bet. "organic dandelion greens for $12/lb?"
contemplates his yard ...

Posted by James">James 2009-09-18 11:21|| http://idontknowbut.blogspot.com]">[http://idontknowbut.blogspot.com] 2009-09-18 11:21|| Front Page Top

#9 Conservations can use this kind of thing in a comparable way that liberals blast them oversexual indiscretions. THOU SHALT ONLY EAT ORGANIC FOODS AND THOU MUST DISPLAY THY PURITY AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. That, or something like it is one of their sacred commandments like not fooling around is one of the Christian commandments. If they get verbally challenged on these things they wont be able to ignore it like they do when charged with infidelities. If you worship Gaia then what Michelle did was a moral sin.

Posted by Richard of Oregon 2009-09-18 11:27|| 2009-09-18 11:27|| Front Page Top

#10 I have never seen a grocery store where the greeter has a cowbell and lei just sitting around ready.

Know what - tumbleweeds are very nuitritous and quite tasty; strengthens the colon. Let me know, I only have a limited supply but call now and I'll get you one for only $20 plus shipping.

This reminds me of that article which came out a while ago where the writer seemed starstruck that yes, you too could prepare a homecooked meal for less than $200.

Posted by swksvolFF 2009-09-18 11:35|| 2009-09-18 11:35|| Front Page Top

#11 Yeah...dandelions as in the weeds that I find in my back yard? You mean I should be eating those things instead of spraying them with RoundUp?

Posted by Abu Uluque 2009-09-18 13:13|| 2009-09-18 13:13|| Front Page Top

#12 This administration is starstruck.

With itself.

No matter the message, they are more than ready to step out into the SPOTLIGHT and ham it up for the camera.

Never miss an opportunity.

Posted by Jame Retief 2009-09-18 13:56|| 2009-09-18 13:56|| Front Page Top

#13 Ok so the Economy is in the tank. More and more people are 'scraping by' on unemployment and food stamps.

So Mrs. Obama gives they all a 'They can eat ~~cake~~ Tuscan kale' by shopping at (what seems to me by the description) a yuppie 'farmer's market who's prices are 3-4 times that in a regular grocery (even for organic).

If she wanted to have a 'teachable moment' she should have went to a regular supermaket or better yet a 'whole foods'.

She didn't even pay for it herself.

Posted by CrazyFool 2009-09-18 13:59|| 2009-09-18 13:59|| Front Page Top

#14 Sooo, you would have her shop at Aldi's?

Posted by badanov 2009-09-18 14:25|| http://www.freefirezone.org]">[http://www.freefirezone.org] 2009-09-18 14:25|| Front Page Top

#15 She could have sent some flunkie over to get the certified organic Tuscan kale.

Alternatively, she and a low-impact security detail (3-4 people) and one press pool camera could have hoofed it over, bought the certified organic Tuscan kale, gotten a nice photo op out of it, and displayed the "common touch" that politicians so like to claim.

The bull-in-a-china-shop approach only reinforces the negative (but accurate! oh, so accurate!) impression that these people are full of themselves and think they're better than the rest of us.

IIRC, the Clintons would occasionally go out to DC restaurants for dinner with close friends--under the radar, small footprint security detail, no cameras--just to get out of the spotlight for a few hours. I hold no brief for the Clintons, either one of them, but I give them props on this point for showing some restraint.

Posted by Mike 2009-09-18 14:47|| 2009-09-18 14:47|| Front Page Top

#16 Easy on her, she has to look after her old man. Using that Jedi sword sure uses up a lot of energy.

Posted by tipper 2009-09-18 16:20|| 2009-09-18 16:20|| Front Page Top

#17 More cowbell.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2009-09-18 17:28|| 2009-09-18 17:28|| Front Page Top

#18 Was she wearing her $540 sneakers? Of course, everyone knows you can't serve $100/lb. kobe beef (a Wednesday night tradition at the Obama White House) without organic Tuscan kale (we should be happy she didn't have it flown in).

I'd been wondering where that stimulus money had gotten to.

Posted by Woozle Uneter9007 2009-09-18 17:45|| 2009-09-18 17:45|| Front Page Top

#19 LOL tipper - I saw that earlier today - link by Insty, I think. That was her weightlifting belt

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2009-09-18 18:53|| 2009-09-18 18:53|| Front Page Top

#20 I hope this thread doesn't descend to the level of Palin-style stereotyping. For the most part, it hasn't.

"We can do better."

/Actually, arugula is good. Try it.

// Fever. Prescription.

Posted by Mizzou Mafia 2009-09-18 19:05|| 2009-09-18 19:05|| Front Page Top

#21 They shut down several streets for the bitch to shop.

Sickening. Basically...

"Fuck you, peasants! Get out of my holy way!"

Our political elite are about to be taught a very valuable lesson on who they work for.

Posted by DarthVader 2009-09-18 19:21|| 2009-09-18 19:21|| Front Page Top

#22 Dead is about the only way I'd be caught shopping for Tuscan kale. Just not part of my diet.

More of a bok choy man myself anyways...

If Mrs. Obama shoves a buncha yuppies and hippies out of her holy way to shop at a place none of us would part our hard earned money to shop, what skin is it off my ass?

Posted by badanov 2009-09-18 19:55|| http://www.freefirezone.org]">[http://www.freefirezone.org] 2009-09-18 19:55|| Front Page Top

#23 badanov, to me the point isn't that she went shopping at some yuppie place,it is that in order to do it, she took along a platoon of Secret Service agents and a company of DC police just to go a block from the White House.
She has servants to do that - and they don't need secret service, police, bomb squad et al. to do it. It was all about the image. And trying to impress the peasants.
Me, if I worked in the District, and got delayed just because Her Majesty wanted to show off, I would be royally pissed.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia">Rambler in Virginia 2009-09-18 20:12|| 2009-09-18 20:12|| Front Page Top

#24 Understand.

I guess I am speaking out of turn then. Forgive me.

But ultimately we are talking different lifestyles.

Posted by badanov 2009-09-18 20:26|| http://www.freefirezone.org]">[http://www.freefirezone.org] 2009-09-18 20:26|| Front Page Top

#25 They truly are "Legends in their own minds."

Posted by James Carville 2009-09-18 20:29|| 2009-09-18 20:29|| Front Page Top

#26 James, you nailed it.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2009-09-18 21:33|| 2009-09-18 21:33|| Front Page Top

#27 So if the first lady went to Von's and bought ribs and greens folks would be screaming the bitch needs to act and eat like a president's wife. Good lord, she is a captive in the white house, self inflicted, but captive the same. I'm just glad the woman cooks for her kids. Her desire to go to the store is her right and the store seems to do business in DC, I say so what.

As for the secret service, if any of the last five first ladies decided to go shopping, and it not be scheduled three weeks out, the same crazyness would happen. She does not decide the threat levels, the precautionary measures, or how the secret service manages the event, she is along for the ride. I'm sure after the kaos of short notice trips she will learn to plan ahead or send an aid out. As much as I cant stand this woman, she is the the wife of the president, one that a large segment of our population hate, and the other think they are rock stars, the secret service acted according to protocol.

Posted by 49 Pan 2009-09-18 23:52|| 2009-09-18 23:52|| Front Page Top

#28 I'm wearing body armor, and remember we're all friends here... LOL

Posted by 49 Pan 2009-09-18 23:55|| 2009-09-18 23:55|| Front Page Top

23:57 trailing wife
23:55 49 Pan
23:52 49 Pan
23:49 JosephMendiola
23:37 trailing wife
23:28 JosephMendiola
23:28 LeighG
23:23 JosephMendiola
23:18 JosephMendiola
23:14 Redneck Jim
23:04 Anonymoose
22:42 Zhang Fei
22:36 Mike N.
22:34 Frank G
22:29 abu do you love
22:24 Hank
22:13 lotp
21:58 notascrename
21:47 KBK
21:35 Barbara Skolaut
21:33 Barbara Skolaut
20:59 phil_b
20:56 .5MT
20:55 .5MT