Grasping At Straws!

There is an unwritten rule among politicians and pundits. You don’t go after the family!

Say what you want about “my good friend the esteemed senator from Cheeserville…” but lay off the spouse and the kids.

Never in our convoluted political history has this rule been violated to the degree that it has when it comes to Michelle Obama. The right wing chattering class simply cannot stand her; and they are not shy about expressing their feelings.

As most people know the First Lady is all about living a healthy lifestyle. Eat right and exercise…that’s her thing. It is a cause she is passionate about.

Her primary focus is eliminating childhood obesity in our nation. She just celebrated the third anniversary of her “Let’s Move” childhood anti-obesity program. Once reserved and tentative about expressing her views; the First Lady has shrugged off her shyness and taken her passion for this issue to the American people.

It seems that no matter where you look, there you’ll find Michelle Obama advocating for better food choices and more exercise for our children; both in our homes and in our schools. There’s Michelle on Sesame Street chatting up Big Bird on the benefits of eating healthy snacks. Here’s Michelle debating Miss Piggy on the subject of fruit versus potato chips. At a Brooklyn elementary school we find Michelle doing jumping jacks with an enthusiastic bunch of third graders.

The First Lady does not confine her message to only the youngest among us. She lays it on the adults as well. If she is not appearing in an SNL skit about diet she’s trading barbs with Letterman, dancing with Fallon or crushing DeGeneres in a push up contest. No matter the venue, the message stay s the same…healthy diet…more exercise.

Childhood obesity in this country has declined 43% in the last decade. Mrs. Obama’s self proclaimed goal is to continue that progress. Surly this is a bi-partisan message that both sides of the aisle can agree on…right?

Nope!

The right actually sees the First Lady’s campaign as another effort on the part of big government to control our lives. “Now they’re trying to tell us what we can eat and drink.”

The leading spokesman for this latest wacko conspiracy theory is the one and only Rush Limbaugh. While Rush has never won an election, his opinion carries some heavy weight (pun intended) given his 22 million followers. “Now we have Michelle Obama out there advocating, demanding, requiring, whatever you want to call it, that our kids eat tofu and cardboard” said the right wing provocateur.

You know that your party is in trouble when your leaders are so bereft of constructive ideas that all they can do is feign outrage at the First Lady for advocating what doctors in this country have been telling you since the day you were born.