Michelle Obama's soup-kitchen duty

Michelle Obama said "we are facing tough times in this country..."

No "tough times" at the Obama White House. They're living like Kings there. From ABC News:
"About 180 guests – House and Senate committee chairs, ranking members, members of Obama's cabinet, senior staff, legislative staff - and all their spouses – sat at elegant tables with white roses, white peonies and green apple centerpieces on a light blue tablecloth.

The dinner that followed – served on gold rimmed china - included Celery Soup, Wild Mushroom Crisps, Steelhead Salmon with Citrus sauce, Crispy Spinach, Toasted Saffron Couscous Pearls, Baby Iceberg lettuce with Maytag Bleu Cheese and Yogurt ranch dressing and for dessert, Milk Chocolate velvet cake."

Again, nothing more than a PR arm of the administration... Colonel McCormick would be ashamed.

Soup, Wild Mushroom Crisps, Steelhead Salmon with Citrus sauce, Crispy Spinach, Toasted Saffron Couscous Pearls, Baby Iceberg lettuce with Maytag Bleu Cheese and Yogurt ranch dressing and for dessert, Milk Chocolate velvet cake."

Posted by: Bruce | March 5, 2009 3:58 PM
....

Gee Brucie, I don't recall you crying about how the Bush and Cheney clans were dining like Kings while they were tanking the economy and people were dying in their trumped up, pre-emptive war on Iraq...

Wow, you Goopers sure do love attacking her, don't you. We just had 8 years of a first lady that was so heavily medicated there was a real fear that if not closely watched she might slip into a coma, and did you hear us complain?

No, you didn't. So zip it you halfwits.

Yes, Jeff. So? Beats running around with "Mission Accomplished" banners. And I'm sure Bruce would have preferred that they treat Gordon Brown to some Chicken McNuggets while he was in town this week.

Have you ever seen anything as pathetic than the "new" compassionate conservatives. Passionately calling for the failure of America. Unpatriotic ankle biters all.

Not to be scrooge or Terry, but isn't that guy taking her picture with a pretty fancy cell phone?

Bruce must have forgotten all about the nearly 500 days Bush took off work to be on vacation at his daddy's ranch in Crawford Texas. You know, those photo ops of George raking brush and mountain biking. Or about the $50,000,000.00 Bush spent on his 2nd Inaugeration party??

Kenny -- fancy? Perhaps. Can't really tell. Could be a refurbished phone which sell for very cheap. Or are donated to shelters. This person could also be one of the thousands of working homeless. And also keep in mind that, not having a permanent address with a land-line phone, their only way to be contacted for jobs is via a cell phone.

She is a doll.

Jackie O, move over.

Thanks for your daily two wrongs make a right justification, Flo. Whatever lets you sleep at night, eh?

My family is fortunate. We have two homes, one which we hardly ever use.
What we have decided to do is to open it to people who have lost their homes. Do you think Mrs. Obama
would have ever considered doing the same?

from the uk, for all the obama haters eat your heart out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXP-OcJzleo

Well, with the stock market tanking since the election of Obama and everyone losing everything they have, soup kitchen duty for the First Lady is very fitting.

Kenny - there are drives to get cell phones for the homeless so they can get calls or work, or for self protection if there is a chance of domestic violence.

SouthSide D and Trudy,

Makes sense; thanks for the explanation.

Thanks for your daily lie Jeff. I don't see that Mrs. Obama is doing anything wrong. She's doing something right, but you choose to call it PR.

Lead by example. Good idea.

Stay out of the White House politics.

My god you people are disgusting. I am talking about posters on both sides of the aisle. Jesus tells us to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Giving your time to others is noble.
Whatever you think of Michelle Obama, at least someone (Miriam's Kitchen) is hepling these people. Whoever caused this is irrelevant for them. Getting them a hand up is the most important thing now.

John D,
The stock market has been tanking since Obama took office? Really? No, Really? That's what you're going to go with? At least give yourself a slight degree of credibility and blame Clinton(since we know the Bush admin has no accountability in your eyes), he was at least there BEFORE this mess started.

Actually, it's great that the guy has a cellphone. How do you expect the homeless to get back on their feet if they don't have a phone? You can't apply for a job if you don't have a number prospective employers can call you back at. You can't do a lot of things-- it's like not having a driver's license or ID. In fact, one of the most innovative and successful programs to help get people off the street has been a program to provide the homeless with voicemail. If anyone is interested, it's called Community Voice Mail (www.cvm.org).

I have not heard even one conservative or Republican state that they want the U.S. to fail. Neither has anyone else heard such utterances. I have hear persons from all side say they hope Obamas programs fail since they are sosocialist in nature and want to take from the producer of wealth in the country and give that wealth to those that hav e not earned it. Those of you out there that ascribe to the notion that everyone should have some of the pie are not the ones paying for the ingredients and labor that went into that pie.

I have not heard even one conservative or Republican state that they want the U.S. to fail. Neither has anyone else heard such utterances. I have hear persons from all side say they hope Obamas programs fail since they are sosocialist in nature and want to take from the producer of wealth in the country and give that wealth to those that hav e not earned it. Those of you out there that ascribe to the notion that everyone should have some of the pie are not the ones paying for the ingredients and labor that went into that pie.

KB,
.
Good observation for flatliner. That was my thought exactly is why does a guy in a soupline have a camera phone? Southside and Trudy have provided very plausible explanations, but I have one question - who pays for their calling plans?

just love it, people on this blog now say we are downtrodden if we don't have a cell phone, and that those who supported defending ourselves against a dictator shooting down our planes in no UN sanctioned no fly zones like Iraq are somehow living beyond our means... People you are loony, where do you get your news from? You cant tell black from white...

How far removed from the lives of ordinary Americans are these people that are unaware of discount cell phone plans? Camera phones can be had for $50 and prepaid time bought for under a buck a month. Some people even donate their used phones to agencies to be distributed to those in need and sim cards with prepaid time can be inserted into them.

How mean and petty do you have to be to begrudge a homeless man the comfort of a simple cell phone? A tool that can be used to contact police in emergencies, an AA sponsor, far away family members, job contacts, some people think is too good for a mere homeless person to possess. I wonder how many cell phones these people have in their families so their kids can text their friends, so they themselves can be in constant touch with their friends and families.

Michele isn't helping anyone. She is dishing out food that she did not pay for, we did. She's just taking the credit and the photo op. Check the Obama's charitable gifts for the past couple of years. Very minimal. They are takers not givers. And she ain't no Jackie O. By the time her hubby and his minions are done, we'll all be in the soup line and I doubt we'll be getting mushroom risotto.

Stacey,
.
It's about making choices. I'm personally not familar with the camera phones, so I'm not sure what a monthly bill might look like for those, but say its $50. Do you think the guy should keep the phone and eat at the shelter or dump the phone and pay for some of his own food?

gee I thought Bush was living like he was the king for 8 long hellish years.

Why didn't Meeee-chele wear an Aunt Jemima costume?

And where's her hair net.?Thanks but no thanks for the risoto. Don't need any of that greasy, jelled hair in my diet.

What a pack of conservative idiots. What's more expensive -- putting a roof over your head or having a cell phone? Feeding your family or having a cell phone (at little more than $1-2 a day)? You people act like a cell phone is an unnecessary luxury when it's a relatively cheap necessity.

Furthermore, no one ever confirmed that the person taking that photo is actually homeless. And if they were, they'd need the phone to get in touch with potential employers, right? Do you think employers go down to the shelter? All of you conservatives talk about people needing to help themselves ... how can they raise themselves "up by their bootstraps" without a phone?

A cell phone is a MUST for everyone in this society. Try finding a pay phone that works these days .. good luck.

I'm also struck by this sentiment that the poor should be so completely destitute that they can't have anything. You not only want the poor to be cold and hungry, apparently ... you want them to deprived of all the cheap electronics you take for granted. Go to hell. This country is so utterly lacking in compassion and it begins with the so-called "compassionate conservatives."

The Obamas care about people, which is an infinite improvement over the last administration which only brought death and destruction.

Jeff - From a chicken in every pot to a picture phone in every pot. How far we have come as a nation.

Do you know how much my "picture phone" costs? $50. For the year, I might pay $650 in fees/taxes. $700 for the year. And some people have plans that are much cheaper and yes, some receive donated phones.

Do you know how much my rent will be in New York? $15,600 for the year ... while living with 3 roommates. Food? Probably close to $4,000 for the year. Do the math ... you guys act like a cell phone is a freaking BMW. Get with the times. The cost of a cell phone is nothing compared to the cost of putting a roof over your head (unless you're in Detroit where you can buy a house for under $10k).

Please give me a break, she is just volunteering time, to help someone, when did you ever read about the first lady in the white house going to a soup kitchen to feed the homeless. You people need to get a LIFE!!!!!!

lol... how is a homeless person who can't feed himself afford such an expensive cell phone? perfect example of lazy people attracted to socialism.

So homeless people use sail-fawns? How is he gonna upload that pic, does he have a computer? Where does the phone bill go? How does it get charged up? wtf?

You dont need a cell phone to work at mcdonalds. I didnt have one till i was 26 years old and i am no way shape or form homeless. What a crock!

i like how the homeless punk has a nice cell phone.... cant get a job to eat or pay taxes but arse has cell phone... give me a break , its the lazy arse folks that are ruining this great nation......

You last three posters need to read the previous posts.

Did it never occur to anyone that the guy with the cell phone could be an employee or another volunteer?

The secret service guy behind her sure doesn't look too happy!

michelle obama needs to save those over-fed homeless people as well as those who have cell phone models that i can't even afford. honestly now, a cell phone is one thing, but THAT cell phone is another.

Hey Jeff was that the "lacking compassion" you showed when you called us "conservative idiots". Don't you think you should practice BEFORE you preach? Secondly, How in the world do you know how The Obamas are? HE HAS ONLY BEEN IN OFFICE FOR 4 MONTHS!

Also, There is nothing Jackie O. about Michelle Obama. How could you even relate the two?! Look at what Jackie O. has endured, the struggles she has had to overcome. What has Michelle Obama had to endure? Serving food in a soup kicthen.... oh my!

That guy with the cellphone is a volunteer. I checked it out. Rach, what do you think Cindy McCain would be doing better than Michelle if she had been elected. Providing free beer for the homeless? You are sooooo jealous of our beautiful, successful, intelligent first lady and all you can do is bash her! Poor you.

Someone explain to me how her presence there helped someone except herself. Give me one example of a homeless person being better off since she showed up.

Dear soup kitchen,
I'm a 12yr old girl who is in girl
scout's and I'm trying to get involed in volunteer work for
my project and I just like to help in places like a soup kitchen.But if I'm not old enough I understand.

This is for the homeless and the poor? Why does this guy have a cell phone? It just goes to show something for nothing will breed more something for nothing. Glad to see my tax dollars hard at work. With these two idiots in the White House I can see this country is in serious trouble.

Yeah right BabyBoomer, that guy is a volunteer, standing in line, in front of those who are waiting for food. The picture caption states it all. Photo ops are there for everyone, and everyone who is important gets one sooner or later. Photo ops are basically lies in themselves, such as a VIP shoveling the first load of dirt on a construction project, while being photographed, then returning to their office (whew!). Why not just have a photo taken shaking the foreman's hand or something. Why do they make it look like they are doing things they don't actually do? It just seems like a lie sometimes from all that talk about "making a change" before the election. It all seems curiously the same to me, but that's just my opinion.

1) If this unidentified meal recipient is too 'poor' to buy his own food, how does he afford a cell phone?

2) And if he is 'homeless,' where do they send the cell phone bills?

hmmm...

After those rich Republican cronies at AIG and GM ran off with millions of "bonus bucks" from the bailout, you people are worried about some guy at a soup kitchen with a friggin' cell phone camera?

Talk about lost priorities. Way to go.

... a guy at a soup kitchen with a friggin' cell phone ...
Its the principle. A clean-cut guy with a cell phone needs a soup kitchen? Maybe Washington has high standards for being homeless? The scene makes it look like some (as usual) are playing the system.

Cost of a bowl of soup at homeless shelter: $0.00 dollars
Having Michelle Obama Serve you your soup: $0.00 dollars
Snapping a picture of a homeless person who is receiving a government funded meal while taking a picture of the first lady using his $500 Black Berry cell phone and $100.00 per month cellular service: Priceless

We're all being played. Of course this is a PR event... what else would it be? Wake up people; stop treating the Obamas as if they have a mandate from God to rule the people. Americans rejected that notion over two hundred years ago. They're POLITICIANS and will say and do whatever necessary in order to manipulate people and situations to their advantage. Question the Obama administration just as strongly as you did the Bush administration.

i think tha you were awsome!

That's a Blackberry Curve - $100 + $50/month= $650/year, or twice the price of mine (a rich white boy)

Laura Bush's charity work both during the presidential years and non-presidential years puts Michelle's charity work to shame.
Better do a little more reading and a pay less attention to what everyone else is saying.

Laura Bush's charity work both during the presidential years and non-presidential years puts Michelle's charity work to shame.
Better do a little more reading and a pay less attention to what everyone else is saying.

Does anyone not see whats wrong with this picture? How is that guy homeless, can't afford food so he goes to the soup kitchen, but yet he still manages to have a blackberry cell phone to take a picture of Michelle Obama?

I love how the coservative morons in this country make issues out of nothing. We are going to be trying to fix problems for at least the next 10 years CAUSED by that half-wit monkey-boy Bush and his evil twin Cheney, and they bash Michelle O for trying to set an example by volunteering? And I'm sick of hearing complaints about the cell phone. $19.00 at 7-11 for a pre-paid phone. Also, a phone does not need service to be able to take a picture. This guy could be a volunteer himself, or a homeless person with a FREE phone trying to maintain contact with potential employers. Of course, he's "black," so he must be a free-loader, eh? Pathetic.

Thank you, Mrs. Obama for providing a good example for the rest of us and reminding us that it feels good and is good to help out in our communities. Also, thank you for planting that organic garden at the White House.