OPINION:
Liberals love to tell other people what to do. America’s First Nanny, Michelle Obama, is no exception. Though she admits she can’t stay away from French fries herself, that doesn’t stop her from lecturing everyone else on what to eat. Now she wants us to spend our money to buy her new book on tips from the White House garden.
“American Grown: How the White House Kitchen Garden Inspires Families, Schools and Communities,” is scheduled to hit the bookshelves April 10, just in time for spring planting - and the 2012 campaign season. With her husband’s approval ratings underground, Mrs. Obama must be hoping that her food tips will make this out-of-touch White House appear more normal come Election Day.
Crown Publishing served up this appetizer for prospective buyers: “Through telling the story of the White House kitchen garden, Mrs. Obama will explore in ’American Grown’ how increased access to healthy, affordable food can promote better eating habits and improve the health of families and communities across America.”
Michelle was the talk of the town when she started her South Lawn garden in 2009. Since then, she has made a tradition of inviting local schoolchildren - with TV cameras rolling - to help her farm her spinach, peas, lettuce, broccoli, blueberries, raspberries and arugula. Given the commander in chief’s expressed concern over the price of arugula these days, this is a sensible move.
Mrs. Obama, the de-facto national food czar, is backing the effort to redesign the traditional food pyramid. With the help of $2 million from the Department of Agriculture, she converted the pyramid into a food circle. Dubbed “My Plate,” the revamped bureaucratic diet regime is supposed to help the hungry eater select correct portions of the various food groups by arranging them as they would appear on a plate just before digging in.
The first lady does lead by example with her crusade for exercise called “Let’s Move!” Hitting the road, she visited Chicago on Oct. 25 to warn residents of the dangers of dessert and attend a fundraiser for the Obama Victory Fund. Supporters were offered the opportunity to have their photos taken with Michelle for $10,000.
As Mrs. Obama barnstorms the country for her husband’s re-election in the coming year, taxpayers have found her weakness for pricey vacations, costing them $10 million in 2010 alone, a little hard to swallow. While Michelle puts the finishing touches on “American Grown,” Americans groan. Meanwhile, the Census Bureau reports 46.2 million Americans are living below the poverty line - the most in 52 years.
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