Politically grumpy

My intention has never been to turn InsomniMom into a political commentary blog. There are enough of those. Of course, I think it could be argued that there are a lot of mommy blogs out there, too, but nevermind all that. There are just some times when I feel particularly motivated to make a political statement and this is one of them.

I don't want to get started on the national health care fiasco, the stimulus plan, or the massive insanity that my husband has been enduring, "Cash for Clunkers." Although I will say -- briefly!-- if the average citizen knew the bureaucratic hoops that U.S. auto dealerships have been forced to jump through in the past few weeks by the government, there is NO WAY they'd want this same entity to be overseeing their health care.

My beef today is this: My husband and I, because of tight finances, had to forego the family vacation to Florida back in July. He couldn't take the time away from work, and even if he had been, the money wouldn't have been available because of the gasping, suffering economy.

But the Obama family, well! They went on a taxpayer-funded vacation to Paris back at the beginning of June, just about a week after Barack flew Michelle to New York City on Air Force One for a dinner-and-theater date night. Now the frisky First Family is out in the great American west, visiting Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon and other sites of interest. Supposedly, they're all going to head back east for a jaunt to Martha's Vineyard at the end of this month.

Gee, all this, and only seven months after his inauguration!

With our country's economy in such financial disarray -- foreclosure rates rose at a startling 7% from June to July, and July also found consumer spending flat -- Barack Obama's decisions to treat his family to multiple vacations at home and abroad make absolutely no sense to me. They're part of what I consider to be his political tin ear. He is CLUELESS. With so many people in the country teetering on the edge of ruin, with the Labor Department citing a rise in initial jobless claims, with businesses closing and with cities and entire states poised on the edge of bankruptcy, for the Obamas to be whisking off here and there on the taxpayers' money is just outrageous to me. Especially considering that a "family vacation" for the president's family includes an entourage of Secret Service personnel and costly special arrangements needed for security.

Here's a thought: Why doesn't Barack just STAY HOME AND WORK like so many other fathers have done this summer? Maybe Melia and Sasha could get some use out of that swingset that was constructed near the Oval Office. Michelle and her mother could enjoy each other's company and sit outdoors with some iced tea to watch the girls playing. It should have been a fairly relaxing summer for all of them, considering how they don't have to worry about losing their jobs or their house.

Until 2012, that is.