Michelle Obama To Enjoy Yet Another Tax Payer Funded European Vacation…

[mountaineer]

It's vacation season, and the Mooch doesn't have to worry about "high season" air fares like most would-be tourists.

Chicago Tribune

|WASHINGTON

First lady Michelle Obama, her mother and two daughters are bound for London, Milan and Venice, Italy, the White House announced Thursday.

The weeklong trip will run June 15-21. Also on tap is a visit with U.S. military personnel and their families in Vicenza, Italy.

In London, the first lady will meet with students and discuss how the United Kingdom and the U.S. are working together to expand access to girls' education around the world, the announcement said.

In Milan, she will lead a presidential delegation to the World's Fair, Milan Expo 2015, and tout a commitment to a healthier U.S. Plans call for her to tour the USA Pavilion, "American Food 2.0: United to Feed the Planet," and take part in activities to hike efforts to support healthier families and communities, the announcement said.

In Vicenza, the visit with U.S. troops is on her schedule. Visits to cultural sites in Venice also are part of the trip.

Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, and daughters Malia, 16, and Sasha, 13, will accompany her on her travels.

Keith Koffler, of White House Dossier, explains:

Mrs. Obama to Take a Week-Long Trip to Europe
Posted on June 4, 2015, 6:54 pm by Keith Koffler • 26 Comments


Really?

Just three months after hitting Japan and Cambodia to talk about girls’ education, Mrs. Obama will travel to London to promote the same thing and to attend the Milan Expo 2015, where she will tour the USA Pavilion – “American Food 2.0: United to Feed the Planet” – and “participate in activities to lift up efforts to support healthier families and communities,” according to the White House. And she’ll make it to Venice too.

I know that the topic of education in Great Britain has been much on your mind the last several years, as it has mine. FINALLY, the first lady is doing something about it.

From the White House:

As part of the Let Girls Learn initiative and following her recent visits to Japan and Cambodia, the First Lady will visit London where she will meet with students and discuss how the UK and the U.S. are working together to expand access to girls education around the world – supporting adolescent girls in completing their education.

Mrs. Obama will also meet with U.S. military stationed in Vicenza, Italy, which is fine, though undoubtably these are not the service members most in need of the first lady’s care and comfort.

Her mother, Mrs. Marian Robinson, and Malia and Sasha will be along for the trip. No word on if the cousins are coming too, as they have in the past.

You don’t need to be a foxhound to perceive that this smells a lot like a vacation. And a very expensive one for taxpayers, given the security and staff that will be involved. But I gather, with no more elections to be won, that Mrs. Obama figures she can do whatever she wants.

“The First Lady will also visit cultural sites in Venice before returning to Washington, DC,” the White House noted.

That, she will.

[mountaineer]

From the Telegraph (UK):

...
Mrs Obama will meet with students while in London to discuss expanding access to education for girls around the world, one of the First Lady's major focuses.

It was at a London girls school during a visit in April 2009 that Mrs Obama "found her proper role" as First Lady, according to Jodi Kantor, author of "The Obamas".

“She saw the responsibility, the impact, the potential, of her role", writes Ms Kantor. "Her time in the White House had been isolating, yet now across the Atlantic she felt so connected."

Mrs Obama identified with the students at the Elizabeth Anderson Language School in Islington, who come from diverse backgrounds and the majority of whom speak English as a second language. She also made headlines on that trip for her fashion sense and for breaking from protocol in putting her arm around the Queen, who briefly returned the favour.

When asked in April who the most interesting person she had met as First Lady was Mrs Obama said, “I’ve met a lot of cool people- I met the Queen of England.” Those competing with the Queen for the title of “most interesting” were the Pope, Nelson Mandela and George Clooney.

Mrs Obama returned to the school during a visit to the UK in May 2011. A year later she travelled to London with Malia and Sasha for the Olympic games.  ...

Cool.

[mystery-ak]

http://ulstermanbooks.com/michelle-obama-to-enjoy-yet-another-tax-payer-funded-european-vacation/

What’s another million+ dollars or so when it’s on the taxpayers’ dime, right?



Just a few months after returning from an Asia jaunt, the First Lady is preparing for a lengthy foray into Europe while leaving her husband back at the White House. The trip reportedly includes a few “official” duties, like discussing women’s education and family health so as to allow her vacation to be entirely taxpayer funded.

Mrs. Obama will be making stops in London and Italy, and bringing along her mother and two daughters.

Guess it will be something of an all girls kind of vacation before the First Family then makes their way once again to Martha’s Vineyard for another multi-million dollar rest period.

To date, the Obamas have tallied up nearly forty vacations at a cost of over $40 million dollars or to put it another way, the First Family vacation fund is nearly $600,000 for every month they have occupied the White House.

The president has also managed to find time to play 219 rounds of golf – nearly a thousand hours worth!



Remember, these are the same folks elected on the premise they cared about all us, “little people.”


Posted byulsterman
June 5, 2015

[mountaineer]

Because we all know what a critical issue "women's education" is in Italy and England.

[kevindavis007]

Yet her doofus husband wants to put more restrictions on airlines to make the planes more 'green'.

[raml]

Yes and the media will say nothing instead pick on people like the Duggars or the gop contenders for president.

[Paladin]

OTOH, perhaps these trips help make up for the slights, the suffering the FLOTUS has endured through the years.

And believe me, I understand that kind of pressure.  (Applause.)  I’ve experienced a little bit of it myself.  You see, graduates, I didn’t start out as the fully-formed First Lady who stands before you today.  No, no, I had my share of bumps along the way.

Back when my husband first started campaigning for President, folks had all sorts of questions of me:  What kind of First Lady would I be?  What kinds of issues would I take on?  Would I be more like Laura Bush, or Hillary Clinton, or Nancy Reagan?  And the truth is, those same questions would have been posed to any candidate’s spouse.  That’s just the way the process works.  But, as potentially the first African American First Lady, I was also the focus of another set of questions and speculations; conversations sometimes rooted in the fears and misperceptions of others.  Was I too loud, or too angry, or too emasculating?  (Applause.) Or was I too soft, too much of a mom, not enough of a career woman?

Then there was the first time I was on a magazine cover -- it was a cartoon drawing of me with a huge afro and machine gun. Now, yeah, it was satire, but if I’m really being honest, it knocked me back a bit.  It made me wonder, just how are people seeing me

I weep when I think about it. Bon voyage, Michelle (and mom Marian, and daughter Malia, and daughter Sasha, and any other hanger-ons and family members  who get to go and who I am sure have also suffered).

[mountaineer]

She arrives in Europe, looking like "trans-Barbie"

And now Lady M bravely goes where no other FLOTUS has gone before: arriving in Great Britain yesterday as a trans-Barbie.
Oh yes, Trans-Barbieism; it’s a real thing. ...

More at Michelle's Mirror

[mountaineer]

Just so you know:

Sasha & Malia Obama Are the Coolest American Girls in Italy
Lauren Tuck
News Editor, Yahoo Style
‎June‎ ‎18‎, ‎2015

Sure, Michelle Obama might dress in local designer duds wherever she travels, most recently wearing a multicolor knit Missoni dress in Italy, but it’s her daughters that truly capture the culture in their clothes choices. Sasha and Malia Obama landed in Milan on Wednesday with Sasha leading the way down the air-stairs in a sweet seersucker mini dress and cognac leather gladiator sandals. Her sister, on the other hand wore an illusion two-piece heather gray jersey dress with white Mary Janes.

And while FLOTUS went off with Chef Mario Batali, who wore his signature orange crocs even in front of the first lady, to preach to Italians that maybe so many carbs and wine without at least a little exercise might not be the greatest lifestyle choice, the teenagers went off to explore the European city on their own (aka with secret service, paparazzi, and an entire posse of other people). Sasha was summer ready in white shorts with blue flowers, a chambray top, white quilted slip-on sneakers, and blue tinted wayfarers. Her sister, Malia, was in a more understated ensemble, wearing tailored black trouser shorts, a white crop top lined with frills, and leather lace-up gladiator sandals.

While the sisters are technically in Milan supporting their mother’s efforts to promote “Let Girls Learn” and ”Let’s Move” internationally, meeting with dignitaries such as Prince Harry and the Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, they’re still girls and girls love to shop. On Thursday, they took a break from their busy schedule to visit 10 Corso Como, Carla Sozzani’s concept store in Piazza 25 Aprile. Sasha,14, went for head-to-toe white in cropped, distressed skinny jeans, a very trendy off-the-shoulder blouse and slip-on sneakers. Malia, 17, wore a black and white romper and the same sandals her sister had on when she disembarked the plane.

Yet their Italian street style, while certainly cool, makes a bigger statement than just that. Unlike their mother, who wears designer pieces from Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Isabel Toledo, and Jason Wu to name a few, and even has many of her dresses custom made, her daughters wear Zara, Brandi Melville, and Vans. Their fashion’s not on a pedestal above the rest of their demographic and despite their home address, their perks and privileges don’t stand out as special. They’re the Kate Middleton in ASOS, and Prince George in Crocs of the United States. It’s like when Diane Kruger opts for Forever21 over Fendi or Beyoncé’s in TopShop on beyonce.com. Since they stepped on the style scene in J. Crew at their father’s inauguration in 2009, they haven’t inspired girls to grab for their parents’ credit cards, instead they’ve encapsulated the current market and put it on a national scale. They’re not icons, they’re just a representation of the masses — and isn’t that what everyone wants in a first family?

 

[Paladin]

How dare he?

And while FLOTUS went off with Chef Mario Batali, who wore his signature orange crocs even in front of the first lady

I wonder if there are any drones in the area which can show this "Chef" how we Americans view anyone, anyone, not showing the proper reverence to the Moose.

[olde north church]

Lady Obama
hoppin' on the plane
last week it was Hawaii,
this week it's Spain,

Munchin' on a burger
drippin fat and grease
all the kids in local school
chokin' down kale and peas

Friday night a private little concert,
Sunday morning spinach in your quiche
Monday dresses from designers
A princess has less in her reach ...

[Right_in_Virginia]

I hope the Obama girls are aware that this gravy train and all its perks are coming to an end.

[andy58-in-nh]

Lady Obama
hoppin' on the plane
last week it was Hawaii,
this week it's Spain,

Munchin' on a burger
drippin fat and grease
all the kids in local school
chokin' down kale and peas

Friday night a private little concert,
Sunday morning spinach in your quiche
Monday dresses from designers
A princess has less in her reach ...

 
She's got a ticket to ride
 And she don't care...