Reporter Incensed Over 'Uppity' Obama's Expensive New Year's Dinner

[big_dog]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Rhiannon12866 (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Crooks and Liars.com

It was surprising to see that a president supposedly mindful of the theatre of the job decided that dining with the First Lady at a restaurant reserved for the richest one-percent of the richest one-percent last night was somehow a good idea. Just how expensive is this joint? Well, at the low-low price of $500,000, you can join as a member. Here’s how the restaurant describes some of the benefits on its website:

At Vintage Cave Honolulu, one can enjoy exceptional food and wine at the hands of gifted masters of the culinary arts. ‘Chef’s recommendation’ commands a gravitas guaranteed to satisfy the most discerning palate. Seasoned sommelier’s conduct the process of pairing wine and food with true finesse and style. Secure in the natural embrace of the cave-like environment, guests are encouraged to relax, ‘hit reset’ and escape the ordinary.

Of course, the president didn’t buy a membership, but did proceed with the price fix menu at $295.00 per person. According to Honolulu Magazine, “The total bill for two (at the restaurant), with wine, will approach $1000.00.” To provide context around what a grand gets those in the African-American community these days, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average black man earns $679.00 per week in the U.S., while black women earn $608.00 weekly (BLS reports white men and white women earn an average of $896.00 and $733.00, respectively). But remember, only Republican candidates looking to protect their wealthy friends with tax breaks are rich and self-absorbed…

I looked all over the internets for that article Joe Concha wrote criticizing any Republican for having a nice dinner out with his spouse on New Year's Day and couldn't find one. Pssssst, Joe. It's prix fixe, not Nixon's wage and price freeze. Geez, you made it sound like a conspiracy instead of a dinner. And hey--I don't have to eat there to know these details. Uncle Google can be your friend, too. The whole article oozes resentment and annoyance that the President would dare to eat dinner with his wife in an expensive restaurant. He's a Democrat, dammit!! A black Democrat, at that.

Read more: http://crooksandliars.com/2015/01/mediaite-reporter-incensed-over-uppity

[McCamy Taylor]

1. It's GOP divide and conquer politics.

[jalan48]

2. He's the President

He's got a tough job. If he wants to blow a $1000 on a dinner for his family that's his business.

[big_dog]

3. i'm hoping the meal was comped, just the publicity alone is worth 250k of business

Last edited Sat Jan 3, 2015, 06:47 PM - Edit history (1)

or more...

[7962]

13. I kinda doubt the Pres would LET them comp the meal.

I would think he would insist on paying

[Cleita]

4. There is a certain class of people according to another class of epople

who aren't supposed to enjoy nice things. Back in LBJ's day he was criticized for liking barbecue and serving it to visiting dignitaries. So you are damned if you do and damned if you don't if you are a Democrat and because President Obama is a black man as well, I guess he should be feeding his family at McD's. The racism is so obvious.

[big_dog]

6. the GOP has to keep attacking on something, while the President is getting things done

the optics are just fine, POTUS is in Harry Truman mode--the one actually doing something right now (closing Gitmo slowly, immigration reform, Cuba etc.)

[vkkv]

5. No, Obama is a moderate Republican,

far to the right of Eisenhower.

[jwirr]

12. Oh, really. I was living in poverty during the Eisenhower years and while he was a genious on

foreign policy as we know he was NOT to the left of President Obama. Small farmers were going broke left and right, families were hungry, there were no education grants and loans so that the poor could get ahead etc. As one of the few Democratic families back then we did not see him as such a great bargain. We were hungry.

[bobclark86]

20. But, but, but!

The OUTRAGE!

[randys1]

26. Your comment shows you know nothing about the subject

[elleng]

7. and I suspect POTUS' dinner didn't cost $1,000.

This sounds hypothetical or maybe average to me: “The total bill for two (at the restaurant), with wine, will approach $1000.00.”

[MiniMe]

8. He pays for his own food, so what does it matter to this reporter?

Find another complaint

[Kingofalldems]

9. Do you post every single republican complaint or meme?

Or does it just seem that way?

[BeyondGeography]

10. +1

Took the words right offa my keyboard.

[procon]

14. Give me strength

Without the hard work of DUers who post these gleeful little nuggets, I'd miss out on most of the delightful headbangers that pass for erudite Republican logic. Sorry if they ain't your cup of tea, but I likes 'em just fine and encourages the OP to post as many of these nasty Republican gems as possible... strictly for me own amusement doncha know!

[big_dog]

17. thanks, so much easier to win the news cycle when we know what is coming

they are so easy to predict!

[Andy823]

22. Kind of seems that way

I ask myself the same question for not only this poster, but many others here on DU.

[jwirr]

11. My first thought - who and the hell cares? I don't even care that there are people richer than most

of us. What I care about is that they are concerned about my wellbeing. That I have enough food to eat, that I have a roof over my head and medical care etc. If our President has enough money to show his wife that kind of love why would I care?

The problem with our country is not that some people have more than others - it is that some people have too little. What I need to fix that is not a plan to tell the rich they cannot spend their money as they want but one that taxes them enough so that I and people like me do not have to go without.

That reporter needs to grow up.

[rosesaylavee]

15. Yawn.

[Xolodno]

16. If he's upset over that....

...damn. He would have a melt down during the era and presidency of James Monroe.

[Igel]

21. He's not really upset over it.

It's this funny game that people play, right and left. Fake concern and outrage at non-hypocrisy.

In this case, Obama is against the rich and in favor of the little man. He rails against the perks and privilege of the 1%ers. He is a self-billed progressive and full of empathy and sympathy for the bottom 10% of American society, and expects others to feel their pain--and participate by helping them.

Yet here he is dining the the creme of the creme, at a private, exclusive, prestigious club with a bill greater than a week's wages for those he argues for. He *is* the rich and relishes the perks and privileges of the movers and shakers. He is part of the problem that he says he fights. He is a hypocrite, and should be viewed as his supporters and detractors both as a hypocrite.

That's the game. By this guy's interpretation of what he thinks Obama's standards are, Obama is a hypocrite. Obama's standards are likely not what this guy says they are. After all, you're a hypocrite when you have one standard for yourself and another for others.

"We" do the same thing when we claim some conservative/(R)/religious figure we despise has a set of standards they don't really have and then call them out for violating the standards they don't really profess to hold.

The problem with all politicians is that they overstate their case for their audience. As a class warrior, Obama isn't among the best and it's not always clear when his actions are symbolic of ideology or what he'd be doing anyway if the cameras and press releases were entirely absent.

[sendero]

18. I have my share of complaints about Obama..

.... where he eats dinner is not in the top 1000.

[Kalidurga]

19. He sounds jealous

[freshwest]

25. Because Medialite didn't spring a grand for his own dinner, perhaps... Or did they?

[Kelvin Mace]

23. Kind of tone deaf

I really don't care what people do with their money, but spending a $1000 for a meal when you are the president (or other public official), is kind of stupid from a PR point of view. Certainly, if Bush had done this people on this board would be all over his ass for it (and rightly so, in my opinion).

Also, did not see the word "uppity" anywhere in the article. Concha definitely has scorn for Obama, but the president kind of made this a self-inflicted wound. I don't care how many billions I had, I would never spend that kind of money on a meal, no matter how elaborate.

If you are spending more than $30 a person for a meal and you are a public official, you are kind of rubbing it in the faces of the poor and you deserve the resentment, but only from the poor, not from six figure political pundits.

[Lucky Luciano]

24. The president makes about $500K per year with free housing and security.

If he splurges $1000 once or twice a year on dinner, it is not insane.

Besides $30 per person?! That is hard to do. Is he only allowed to go to Olive Garden or something?!!?

[INdemo]

29. He also has as do all Congressmen

Inside trading info that is perfectly legal. So if he invests 25% of his income in those inside info stock trades he went from a President that owed college student loans when he took office to a multi-millionaire as he leaves office. Pretty good trade off don't you think?

[1monster]

27. It's his money, isn't? Then it's his business how he spends it and no one

elsea, except, maybe, Michelle's.

I really don't get the absolute nerve of some of these critics.

[oberliner]

28. This is a BS headline

The word "uppity" was not used.

[lunasun]

30. Hit the link. The word -Uppity - was used in the headline. Click on the link

[oberliner]

32. That is my point

The headline was BS (the one on the article).

[lunasun]

31. He is not sharing a cold can of beans with his family on New Years Eve??

Horrors ! Anything more and it is an outrage fest from the haters

[Rhiannon12866]

33. Locking, sorry, this is an opinion piece rather than breaking news.

Please consider reposting in GD or Good Reads. Thanks!

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