Do you think the taxpayers should be sending Michelle on luxury vacations with friends?

Only if they never return to the U.S.

No, she can damn well pay for her own vacations...

Would you be as upset if this was a different first family? Or just because it's the Obamas? I'm really curious about this. Thank you.

I don't like it no matter who does it. Obama made fun of this when campaigning way back when. but as soon as he was elected he quickly proved that all he said was lies, and reverted to being a pig with our money, just like all the rest. So yes, I am upset no matter who does it. Why, do you think she should get a pass for some reason?

Like I've tried to explain. I don't mind the first family having it good while they are in the Whitehouse. There's a lot of things my tax money goes for that I do mind and have no say so over; this just doesn't happen to be one of them. And I do think that President Obama has done a lot of good and could do a lot more if he had a congress that worked with him. But you actually did answer my question whether or not you meant to. Thank you.

Sorry, but you don't get to say that ALL Americans must pay extra taxes so that,
because you happen to like the Obamas, they can take luxury vacationsI

Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound....you are telling me that YOU are deciding that it's okay to spend my tax dime on MO's vacation sprees!

You are totally clueless....I have done my best to be polite and civil, but you are just too weird and really stupid, if you think you can tell tax payers to spend their hard earned cash to send your 'friends" on luxury vacations!!

Please, please, please, don't waste my time with your insipid comments!
Go away!

Excuse me, but I think I have been kind and patient towards you. You are calling me stupid and clueless. No, I don't get to say how your taxes are spent. I don't even get to say how mine are spent. What I am saying is that there are things I do mind my tax money being spent on, but this just isn't a biggie to me. It is a huge resentment to you and I understand that, so please don't say I'm clueless. I have the right to disagree and say how I feel. You disagree, and that is your right. You have tried my patience to the nth degree, but I have refrained from talking to you like you have to me. I feel you have wasted my time with the same old stuff over and over that I have patiently tried to answer as nicely as I can. Do not tell me to go away. I will when I feel like it, which is about now, but I felt like it about 10 posts ago and kept coming back to answer you. We disagree. We are Americans. It's our right. Ain't it great?!

I can't tell if you've read this or not, Marylou5. Somehow my last few posts don't seem to be showing up. I do wish you peace, and I have tried very hard not to resort to name calling with you, even though you have called me stupid, ridiculous, clueless and told me to go away. And really, I'm just an unknown person who has a difference in opinion with you and appearently most of the board, but it shouldn't get you this upset, there's always bound to be someone somewhere that sees things differently than you do. And I bet if we met in real-life, we'd probably even find we have lots of things in common and possibly even like each other. . .as long as we didn't discuss politics, and I do steer clear of politics and religions with all my relatives and many of my friends. This is just a place where I can state my views anonymously, and I try to do so without stooping to name calling, as I think it makes the person doing it look ignorant. And I truly do wish you peace, and I hope that maybe on a different subject we can come to agreement with each other on something. Bye now. . .

Great comment.. I need say nothing more!

Thank you!

Thank you for your common sense comment!

I don't understand the controversey. Haven't all first ladies had the same privileges? I love the Obamas and I think they deserve the best, as do all presidents and their families. If they have done something the others have not in regard to vacations, then I'm sorry, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary with any first family doing this.

If Obama's tax return claims he made $900,000+..... and just TWO of the trips cost almost a million dollars....do the math...she did not pay for those luxury vacation...tax payers did.
Do you think a luxury Safari and tour of Spain with "girl" friends is properly paid for by taxpayers?? It was paid for by my tax dollars and was not a "family" vacation per se!

Good then you pay for it!

It sounds like I already did. But haven't other first families done the same? Are you upset because it's the Obamas, or would you be the same if it were any other first family. Seriously asking. Thanks.

No, no other "wife" has spent tax payer money like it was her own private slush fund and took luxury vacations with her "girlfriends"!

I don't know where you are going with this but I can guess you think tax payers are mad because of skin color, right?

If that is your thought, you really need help with your racist personality.

In case you are wondering, I am a white woman, but I have a multi-racial family, so being racist just can't exist in my world. I have found the comments on here decidely hateful, and I just wondered if it's because of who she is or just because it's a president's wife spending "tax payer" money. Some of the comments, not saying yours, with things like sending them a one way ticket to Kenya seem racist to me. Thanks for your answer. I hope in the future perhaps we can share some intelligent discussions on here. ;o)

I wasn't wondering about your skin color at all...not a priority for me!
There are racist loonies everywhere! I choose not to be one of them.

No president's wife has my permission to spend my tax payer money on luxury vacations...and I don't care if they are black, white, pink striped or polka dotted.
I really can't be any clearer than that!

Of course we can have a dialogue, but I don't condone racism or racist remarks, persecuting candidates children, smutty language, trolls and socks, or personal attacks! Other than that you're on! Thank you;-)

Not upset just because it is the Obama's.. do not like it period.. why do you think the Obamas should get a pass for some reason?

I've already explained that as far as I can see, all first ladies have spent money and while there are things that do bother me, this just isn't one that I'd choose to make a big deal out of. If it weren't for the remarks I've already mentioned, I probably wouldn't have said much. There's always been gripes about the First Lady and what she spends money on, going clear back to Jackie Kennedy and her designer clothes and hair, Nancy Reagan loved through fancy parties with famous people entertaining and so on. I just kind of see it as one of those things. I do love the Obamas, but I'm not saying a free pass, only that it does seem like the haters are all over this in a way I haven't noticed before about other administrations. Everyone else gets to have their say so, so I thought I'd just have mine as well. Peace!

Sounds good to me..thank you!

Sounds like I already have, or at least contributed my tax payer share, huh? But I don't resent my taxes going to that as much as I do for other things I have no say so about, so I'm in the same boat as everyone else. I just wanted to know if it was just because it's her or for other reasons, and comments like "send them a one way ticket to Kenya" do cause me to think that way. If you are one of those who would feel the same way if it was Mrs. Romney don't take my comments to heart, as they are not directed at those who think that way.

... and if Mrs. Romney does it, then they can send her a one way ticket back to whereever i hell she came from too...

Okay fine. Got it. Peace!

So paying for any first ladies, and her pals, and her relatives to take a great big polluting plane on holiday ON YOUR DIME.. makes you happy. Are you nuts? None of them should do this.. we did not elect her!

Okay, you made your point. Like my grandma used to say, you have it your way and I'll have it mine. Peace!

Lol.. I like your grandma!

I'm very surprised by this. The Obama's can certainly afford to pay for their private vacations.

Not half a million dollars per trip...or a million for two trips...
The tax payers are being used and abused......!

Would you be just as upset if this were perhaps the Bush family?

I am upset with every public servant who is supposed to do the voters bidding and be a servant to the masters who voted for them, and then scams the tax payer for their own greed and selfishness and turn into wannabee royalty!

I do hope that answers that loaded question once and for all and you can stop repeating it :-)

Point well taken. Peace!

Oh for God's sake.. sto trying to make a race thing of it! No first lady should be sepnding our money unless actually doing work for this country.. and no relatives or friends need go along for that. she can stay the hell home!

Understood. Peace!

Yeah, just like those "occupiers" who are wasting tax dollars to pick up after them and watch over them while Wall Street bigwigs are laughing all the way to the bank.

What does this have to do with Michelle's luxury vacations on my dime???

They both waste the taxpayers dollars. When you add up across the country, from Oakland to Boston the bill the taxpayers have had to pay in every city, trust me it's getting close to being equal in dollars.
I want to see Wall Street big wigs really hurt and not at our expense, but hurt THEIR POCKETS, not ours!!

Your point about the OWS is right on!

I don't consider Wall St as the enemy..it is the present administration that is the enemy.

Wth!? Now I know where all my tax money is going. Damn Obama

lets get to the Truth.White RWNJs just love the concept of worshiping Royalty and all the pomp that goes with it.their Racist View of the World prevents them from Ever Accepting the Idea that a Black American decedent of a Slave could Ever represent Royalty.Look how they Gush over Kate Middleton.And she represents Everyting,they supposedly disliked and left for America to escape.S U R E ,THEY DID.they only left because THEY WERE NOT Part of the Privileged Aristocracy.ever just kind of talk about the Old Country with Europeans? Have I ever.America is a temporary stop .the intent is to Make their Fortune and return to the Old country as part of the Aristocracy.numerous times I have been told about returning to the Old Country for a vacation.only to return to the U S.WHY?because indoor toilets,running water,All those Welfare Programs THEY Complain about Paying for,Afforded them a better Life Style than the European Aristocracy had.their words not mine.