Michelle Obama, Stealth FLOTUS
Her hubby, the POTUS, may suffer from "narcissistic personality disorder" based on an analysis by Ben Shapiro of CNS.com, but America's FLOTUS Michelle Obama has her own little quirks. She shares Barack's penchant for secretiveness approaching paranoia.
The president loves partying and posing and mincing for the camera even as he detests his buddies in the press when he is expected to answer unrehearsed responses to unanticipated questions. (See "The Stealth Presidency," to which a new wrinkle was added today when the Associated Press reported that, after promising to answer "a few questions" during the Obama/Calderon presser, he answered one-on a possible NFL lockout.)
The first lady almost outdoes him in the opaque department. As Obama has given new meaning to his professed drive for transparency, Mrs. Obama has given new meaning to the terms "conferences" and "press briefings." Like her multiple vacations and her kids, she likes to keep them private. Her office calls them "listen only" conference calls.
She talks, reporters listen.
According to CNSNews.com, on February 8th, she conducted one of those charades on her favorite topic, obesity. The next day, she held an "invitation only" call with unidentified "online media." Her office refused to identify the which "online media" had been invited.
Yesterday's exercise in controlling the media was devoted to the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge program, as well as devoted to the admistration's line. Ably assisted this time with backup hacks, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, as always, they talked while the other conferees dutifully listened.
Lest anyone contend Michelle's command performances were just sprung on the media, notice was furnished via email the previous day to The Daybook which provides heads-ups on politico schedules.
"Tuesday's Daybook said the First Lady would be joined by Duncan and Vilsack today in 'a conference call briefing, beginning at 3 p.m., to discuss ways to help schools join the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge program,' " adding, "Note: Media are invited to this call in a listen-only capacity to hear the remarks" and "reporters could RSVP for a listen-only spot on the telephone line."
As CNS points out, "When public figures in Washington, D.C., hold telephone briefings for the press... they routinely allow reporters listening to the briefing to ask at least a few questions."
Not so with Michelle. She has learned well Barack's lessons in propagandazing which he, in turn, no doubt learned from Saul Alinsky and/or Moammar Khadafy: Always put on a show of public transparency but never actually be transparent by carefully rehearsing your talking points and denying any possible rebuttal or challenges.
Otherwise, people may come to think we live in a free and open republic
The president loves partying and posing and mincing for the camera even as he detests his buddies in the press when he is expected to answer unrehearsed responses to unanticipated questions. (See "The Stealth Presidency," to which a new wrinkle was added today when the Associated Press reported that, after promising to answer "a few questions" during the Obama/Calderon presser, he answered one-on a possible NFL lockout.)
The first lady almost outdoes him in the opaque department. As Obama has given new meaning to his professed drive for transparency, Mrs. Obama has given new meaning to the terms "conferences" and "press briefings." Like her multiple vacations and her kids, she likes to keep them private. Her office calls them "listen only" conference calls.
She talks, reporters listen.
According to CNSNews.com, on February 8th, she conducted one of those charades on her favorite topic, obesity. The next day, she held an "invitation only" call with unidentified "online media." Her office refused to identify the which "online media" had been invited.
Yesterday's exercise in controlling the media was devoted to the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge program, as well as devoted to the admistration's line. Ably assisted this time with backup hacks, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, as always, they talked while the other conferees dutifully listened.
Lest anyone contend Michelle's command performances were just sprung on the media, notice was furnished via email the previous day to The Daybook which provides heads-ups on politico schedules.
"Tuesday's Daybook said the First Lady would be joined by Duncan and Vilsack today in 'a conference call briefing, beginning at 3 p.m., to discuss ways to help schools join the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge program,' " adding, "Note: Media are invited to this call in a listen-only capacity to hear the remarks" and "reporters could RSVP for a listen-only spot on the telephone line."
As CNS points out, "When public figures in Washington, D.C., hold telephone briefings for the press... they routinely allow reporters listening to the briefing to ask at least a few questions."
Not so with Michelle. She has learned well Barack's lessons in propagandazing which he, in turn, no doubt learned from Saul Alinsky and/or Moammar Khadafy: Always put on a show of public transparency but never actually be transparent by carefully rehearsing your talking points and denying any possible rebuttal or challenges.
Otherwise, people may come to think we live in a free and open republic
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