Poor, Poor, Pitiful Michelle
So, Barack Obama has released the tax returns of the Obamas from 200 through 2006. Byron York takes a rather jaundiced look at the figures and wonders exactly what Michelle Obama was on about when she was whimpering about how hard the Obama's have had it making ends meet.
Something else that strikes me about the returns is their relation to Michelle Obama's tales of her and her husband's struggle. When I saw Mrs. Obama at an appearance in Zanesville, Ohio last month, she was telling a group of low-income women — the median household income in the county in which Zanesville is located was $37,192 in 2004, well below the state and national medians — about how hard it can be to keep things together. Her talk often touched on money. "I know we're spending — I added it up for the first time — we spend between the two kids, on extracurriculars outside the classroom, we're spending about $10,000 a year on piano and dance and sports supplements and so on and so forth," she told the women of her own household expenses. "And summer programs. That's the other huge cost. Barack is saying, 'Whyyyyyy are we spending that?' And I'm saying, 'Do you know what summer camp costs?'"
The women nodded in agreement, although the Obamas were spending what amounted to nearly a third of a Zanesville resident's annual income on piano and dance lessons. Nevertheless, Michelle Obama portrayed herself and her husband as going through a lot of the same struggles as the women and their families. She conceded that she was doing fine financially, but only after Barack Obama hit it big with his books.
In the seven year period, Barack and Michelle Obama cleared $3,857,564 in adjusted gross income. They gave away $148,392 in charitable contributions in that same period. Somewhat less than 4% of their substantial income. Yet Michelle Obama sang the money blues to people in Ohio who, on average, clear less in salary than one quarter of the Obama's worst year in their best year.
Carriage trade liberal pandering at its worst.
By Dean, Tuesday, 25 March , 2008 @ 11:28 pm
Good lord…. the onions on that woman to bemoan dance and piano lesson costs. Are there calipers large enough to measure them?
By TKelso, Tuesday, 25 March , 2008 @ 11:29 pm
That’s a pitiful contribution to charity. But then, Barry (as he was known throughout his youth in Hawaii) & Michelle don’t need to give to charity out of their own pockets; that’s the government’s job. Right?
By kidrob, Wednesday, 26 March , 2008 @ 6:18 am
have you ever tried to live on550.000 a year? its not easy, pheeew!
By Neo, Wednesday, 26 March , 2008 @ 6:50 am
<a href="http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_03_23-2008_03_29.shtml#1206496543">Did Barack Obama Violate the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act?</a><blockquote>The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (apparently last changed in 1995) provides: (5 ILCS 420/2-110) Sec. 2-110. Honoraria. (a) No member of the General Assembly shall accept any honorarium. </blockquote>.. but on his 2000 Schedule C-EZ, Barack reported that he received $16,500 as a “Foundation director/Educational speaker" and on his 2002 Schedule C, Barack reported $34,491 for “LEGAL SERVCES / SPEAKING FEES."There’s some splain to do.
By Anthony (Los Angeles), Wednesday, 26 March , 2008 @ 7:45 am
I wish I had her troubles.
By martian, Wednesday, 26 March , 2008 @ 1:37 pm
To be fair, it’s possible the Obama’s did struggle financially when they were first married and starting out. However, I doubt it took long for practicing attorneys, who were not on the government payroll as either prosecutors or public defenders, to start making some real bucks. If they did struggle, it wasn’t for long and it wasn’t the type of struggle those people she was talking to endure.
I’m just shocked that these women were nodding in agreement and not biting her head off about her "dance lessons, piano lessons, sports supplements and stuff" not to mention the "summer camp" costs most of which anyone making the median income for that county could never aford and still have food on the table. Abd these women are described as "low-income". How does a "low-income" wage earner nod in sympathy with statements like these?
By Maggie, Wednesday, 26 March , 2008 @ 3:23 pm
I’m … sorry … is my popcorn chomping … very distracting to … yunz??