Uh BS - That's Before Spain.   

It was surprising to learn that a recent poll indicated the First Lady's favorability ratings had soared past her husband's and that for some reason she remained above water with the American public.  http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0810/Michelles_numbers.html  Although, her recent trip to Spain may cost her some points because of the elite manner in which she seems to rub the nose of the American public in the mud.  As we suffer with high unemployment and a stagnant economy, she vacations largely at the taxpayer expense.   

Memories are short in American politics and people must not remember her first gaff on the campaign trail where she told her audience that for the first time in her adult life she was proud to be an American.  Why?  Because her husband's campaign was going well.   http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/michelle-obam-1.html

Politics is a game where people must be constantly reminded of who people like the Obamas really are.    For example, Mrs. Obama took a position, Vice President for Community and External Affairs, with the University of Chicago Medical Center for which she was richly compensated.   Her compensation increased from $121,910 in 2004 to $316,962 in 2005.   Now understand that the larger amount does include a performance bonus.   What isn't really clear is whether it was her performance or that of her husband as he voted to enrich the medical center with a $1 million grant as a US Senator.   Of course the position important.  So important that the NY Post disclosed that the position has not been filled since it was left behind by Michelle.  The link below makes a couple of salient points.   Michelle received her initial position at the medical center in 2004, prior to Barack becoming a US Senator.   Assume this to be true, however, he was already in the Illinois legislature and her husband already had his connections to Illinois saints like Tony Rezko.   The article also states that she was reasonably compensated to other Vice Presidents working for the medical center.   Assume this also be true but then the article does not state why that position remains open or whether that vice president was a necessary part of their organization.   The article goes on to indicate that the reference to Barrack's vote on a $1 Million grant to the medical center is a claim that is unsubstantiated.    Does anyone think they would have placed this in writing or openly admitted to such influence peddling?   http://www.factcheck.org/2009/05/michelle-obamas-salary/

The media regularly question executive salaries in the private sector as though we as free consumers are somehow forced to pay the exorbitant salaries of these leaders of multi-billion corporations.   Yet, in doing so, the media seldom question the salaries of executives of public entities where we as taxpayers are forced to participate in the enrichment of people who serve with the benefit of the public's trust.  

It is usually long after the fact that we learn of the means that public servants like Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters have historically enriched themselves.   If there is justice in this country Rangel's 40 year career in the House of Representatives will end this year but does anyone believe he, the Obamas and Maxine Waters to be alone? 

·       Dan Rostenkowski went to jail because of the House Post Office scandal.  Representatives were cashing in their postal budgets in the form of US Postage Stamps and selling the stamps back to the Post Office for cash.  

·       Jim Wright was forced to resign his position as Speaker of the House because of gross violations of House Rules regarding speaking honoraria. 

·       James Trafacant went to jail on federal corruption charges.   Beam me up Scottie.   Wayne Hays only lost his job for hiring a personal secretary that didn't type, file or answer phones but who instead was his recreational assistant while on the public dole.  

·       Then there was William Jefferson.   Don't we all have $90,000 cash in our freezer?  Leftovers we guess.   He was known to have been given $100,000 in cash by those wishing to buy him.  He had apparently already eaten $10K of the bribe.   He was sentenced to 13 years.  

·       Bill Clinton certainly benefitted from the sale of national security to the Red Chinese. http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/loral.html Did his wife, you will remember her, Hillary Clinton, earn that partner's job and partner's salary at the Rose Law Firm or was it a reward recognizing the influence she might have with husband Bill the recently elected Arkansas Governor?   

·       Was Tom Daschle's wife properly compensated as a lobbyist while he ran the Senate?   As a powerful lobbying influence in Washington was Mrs. Daschle effective for her creativity, her charm and her strategic prowess or was she successful for her closeness to a very powerful man in Congress?  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestigations/2008/11/daschles_lobbyist_wife_might_c.html  

·       Chris Dodd got a sweetheart deal from the groups he was hired to oversee.    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/13/chris-dodd-kent-conrad-ti_n_106925.html

·       Barney Frank got the love and attention of his own significant other who was an executive of Fannie Mae.  Barney and other democrats received significant political contributions from that Government Sponsored Enterprise and all they had to do was look the other way and tell their colleagues in the House and Senate that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were healthy, prosperous GSE organizations.   http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20080924145932.aspx 

·       Why do we seldom see the media criticize the executive salaries  of Franklin Raines, Clinton's former budget director who led the Fannie Mae organization and was compensated more than $90 million while overstating profits, the very profits that were used to calculate his incentive compensation?   He did give $24.7 million back as a settlement but his lifestyle in all likelihood has not changed as a result of that payment.  Ken Lay's wife had to give up the house and the furs.   Raines got to keep more than $60 million.  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004358433_webraines18.html

·       What about his deputy Jamie Gorelick?   She had no  training in finance but she was appointed to a vice chair position with Fannie Mae where she earned more than $26 million in six years.  http://www.slate.com/id/2200160   While there she was found to have improperly recorded, excuse me, hidden more than $9 Billion in bad loans.   You may also remember Jamie Gorelick as the incompetent Assistant Attorney General who was responsible for the "wall" that made communications between the CIA and the FBI verboten thus preventing the agencies from assisting each other prior to 9/11.  

The list goes on and on.   What someone earns leading a private corporation in which we hold stock is really none of our business.   As consumers we are free to shop someplace else if we believe the senior executives overhead unreasonably drives up the prices of what we seek.   But at the very least if that corporation is run well and is profitable the emphasis can be on the word 'earn'.   It is our business when members of the Congress, government bureaucrats or candidates for public office are rewarded by private industry through spousal salaries, bribes, or other charades as a means of influencing votes.   Michelle Obama and her husband Barack on the surface appear guilty of influence peddling but instead of prosecuting that we are intent on waiting for him to first destroy this nation.