Opinion

King and Queen Obama: America’s royal couple

Jeff Crouere Contributor
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The last time I checked, the United States of America was a constitutional republic with three co-equal branches of government. Obviously, the president and his wife missed civics class and believe we are living in a monarchy. What else can explain their outrageous behavior? They think they are the King and Queen of America, to hell with the U.S. Constitution.

During his tenure as president, the First Couple has enjoyed lavish parties, state dinners, luxurious vacations, concerts, golfing trips and expensive Broadway dates. It has been one non-stop party at our expense. Over the last 19 months, the First Couple has been living as monarchs instead of public servants. This opulent lifestyle has not been earned, but is being financed by suffering American taxpayers.

The latest outrage occurred last week in Spain, where Michelle Obama vacationed with her daughter and forty of her closest friends. The trip included use of Air Force Two and a security team of Secret Service agents and featured lavish five star hotel accommodations.

As this country deals with the long term ramifications of Obama’s policies, Mrs. Obama was dining with the King of Spain, Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Princess Letizia. On the resort island of Mallorca, the First Lady munched on gazpacho, turbot, veal escalopes, rice, a vegetable ratatouille and fruit with ice cream. How nice to dine with royalty as millions of average Americans are looking for a job and trying to provide food for their families.

This five-day jaunt cost taxpayers a scandalous amount of money. While the exact cost will never be revealed, it will surely exceed one million dollars. What an outrage, just the latest example of a tone deaf administration. In good economic times, this type of outlandish travel is inappropriate, but especially in this horrible economy, it sends the wrong message.

If Mrs. Herbert Hoover took a trip on the Queen Elizabeth luxury liner with dozens of her friends and charged the taxpayers of this country, the media of the early 1930’s would have vigorously complained. Today, the only criticism of this trip has come from the new media world of the Internet and talk radio. The lap dog lame stream media thinks it is just great for the First Couple to act like royalty.

Average Americans think much differently from the lame stream media. Among the media elite, Barack and Michelle Obama are still very popular; however, in real America, the popularity of Obama style politics is plummeting.  While the media constantly bombards us with stories of his accomplishments or her great fashion, the American public is not listening. In fact, as the media reports the president playing basketball with NBA stars or Mrs. Obama lunching with monarchs, the American people are becoming angrier.

Ironically, the media is making it worse for their heroes by exposing their exploits. At this point, the only thing that will help Obama reverse his poor standing is a turnaround in the economy and his policies are preventing a true recovery from ever starting.

In the meantime, there is an ongoing political disconnect with the American people.  The Obamas continue playing the role of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” while Americans live paycheck to paycheck, if they can even find a job. As Americans suffer financially, they know that the bad economy has been made worse by the president’s policies.

If the First Couple were truly concerned about the plight of their constituents, they would be more mindful of their actions. In contrast, the Obamas don’t consider the American public their bosses, but really their subjects.

They rule over us with their feel good liberalism, espousing unworkable pie-in-the-sky policies for a variety of problems. Unfortunately, none of the Obama agenda is working as the stimulus package was a dismal failure and the health care bill is incredibly unpopular in this country.

It seems the administration is purposely pursuing an agenda that is at odds with the wishes of the American public. When media cheerleaders show the president playing basketball or his wife jet setting across the globe, the popularity of the Obama administration only declines more.

The American people have had enough of this presidential partying. The Obamas should understand what they are creating, a climate for the type of political revolution that has not been seen in this country for many years. Of course a revolution is the last thing any real or phony monarch wants to see from his loyal subjects. It certainly did not help the career of King George III.

Jeff Crouere is the Host of “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. He is the Political Analyst for WGNO-TV ABC26 and a Columnist for selected publications. For more information, visit his web site at RingsidePolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.