Why does The First Spouse get a Staff?

[NickCole]

Every First Lady will have a staff. It is expected, and probably has been that way since the beginning.

How can you have graduated high school in the United States and come up with that? You have to have virtually no sense of our own history to believe our First Ladies have had a staff of 20+ since the beginning.

Eleanor Roosevelt, who did us very proud, had a staff of two. And although it varied up to then, that was typical up until her time.

Jackie Kennedy was the first to hire a big staff, which happened because she took on the big project of renovating the White House and, socially, made the WH a center of cultural activity.

When the economy is prosperous we all spend a little more and that's fine, but when we have a President who comes into office during an economic crisis and promises to end wasteful spending and cut the deficit in half (while he increases it beyond all other administrations), expecting our First Lady to act a little less like Marie Antoinette and a little more like Eleanor Roosevelt is not unreasonable.

 

[TickTockMan]

You know, this is some real bullshit right here.

I'm not against her or any First Lady having a modest staff to help her with things .But come on ,a staff of 20 people? In the middle of a recession?

Let them eat cake..

Keep in mind those are just some of the staff. The less senior are not on the list.

Who cares? This is typical. And by the way, Alfie, thanks for being the first to make this a Republican gripe. I realize it's chic to be a bigot these days but please!

Who cares about the First Lady's staff? Seriously. The one I'm concerned most about was Hilary's. She extracted far more power from her position as First Lady than anyone. I don't like Obama and could care less about his wife but she does seem to be a decent First Lady.

And by the way, jav, thanks for being the first to make this a Democratic gripe. I realize it's chic to be a bigot these days but please!

Its nice to know we can keep it along party/ideology lines.

 

[Apollo]

How can you have graduated high school in the United States and come up with that? You have to have virtually no sense of our own history to believe our First Ladies have had a staff of 20+ since the beginning.

Eleanor Roosevelt, who did us very proud, had a staff of two. And although it varied up to then, that was typical up until her time.

Jackie Kennedy was the first to hire a big staff, which happened because she took on the big project of renovating the White House and, socially, made the WH a center of cultural activity.

When the economy is prosperous we all spend a little more and that's fine, but when we have a President who comes into office during an economic crisis and promises to end wasteful spending and cut the deficit in half (while he increases it beyond all other administrations), expecting our First Lady to act a little less like Marie Antoinette and a little more like Eleanor Roosevelt is not unreasonable.

Where did you learn your reading comprehension skills? I never said it was normal for a First Lady to have a staff of 20+. I am sure it is common on the last few first ladies, but not an old tradition.

And are you sure her full staff is not in her budget?

But of course, one doesn't think of those things when they are bashing Obama. I can't wait for you to reach the kids.

 

[TickTockMan]

Where did you learn your reading comprehension skills? I never said it was normal for a First Lady to have a staff of 20+. I am sure it is common on the last few first ladies, but not an old tradition.

And are you sure her full staff is not in her budget?

But of course, one doesn't think of those things when they are bashing Obama. I can't wait for you to reach the kids.

I wish I could marry someone with a job and get a budget too.

 

[NickCole]

I wish I could marry someone with a job and get a budget too.

Well if you weren't gay, or Obama kept his promises, you might be able to.

But as it stands only heterosexual spouses get Federal budget money.

 

[Apollo]

I wish I could marry someone with a job and get a budget too.

She made her own millions before he became president. Didn't she make more than him? Or was that McCain?

 

[NickCole]

She made her own millions before he became president. Didn't she make more than him? Or was that McCain?

Now she's spending ours while we're in the middle of an economic crisis that her husband's policy is not improving.

 

[TickTockMan]

Well if you weren't gay, or Obama kept his promises, you might be able to.

But as it stands only heterosexual spouses get Federal budget money.

This is not about parties, why do you guys keep trying to make it that way?

Also I would have to marry a politician that leads a government. That would never happen.

She made her own millions before he became president. Didn't she make more than him? Or was that McCain?

It doesn't matter one way or the other. She doesn't pay her staff on her own. All tax payers do.

 

[letme]

She made her own millions before he became president. Didn't she make more than him? Or was that McCain?

Yes she made more the BHO. Not millions but 300K a year at a hospital.
BHO never had a real paying job , until he started collecting his government welfare check as a State Senator.

 

[Apollo]

This is not about parties, why do you guys keep trying to make it that way.

Also I would have to marry a politician that leads a government. That would never happen.

This isn't about parties. It is about Obama. He still hates Obama for beating Hilary Clinton in the primaries. You just gotta learn to deal with his Obama bashing. He knows nothing else sadly.

It doesn't matter one way or the other. She doesn't pay her staff on her own. All tax payers do.

Tax payers has paid the First Lady staff as it always will. It is most likely well with in the budget for her and her staff.

The First Lady doesn't just sit on her ass and do nothing all day. And 1.1 million is unbelievably cheap compared to what our government spends on other basic stuff.

But the size of the staff is a little sad in the middle of a recession.

 

[letme]

Now she's spending ours while we're in the middle of an economic crisis that her husband's policy is not improving.

But Nick ............

TelePOTUS said that the stimuli will make everything better and put Americans back to work. & unemployment Will Not go over 8%

 

[TickTockMan]

Tax payers has paid the First Lady staff as it always will. It is most likely well with in the budget for her and her staff.

The First Lady doesn't just sit on her ass and do nothing all day. And 1.1 million is unbelievably cheap compared to what our government spends on other basic stuff.

But the size of the staff is a little sad in the middle of a recession.

I don't have a problem with their spouse having a small staff. I understand why they do. They should have a small one if they are going to do "America's work." My problem is they act like it goes POTUS, VPOTUS, FLOTUS. The spouse is not in office, we should not treat them like they are.

 

[Apollo]

I don't have a problem with their spouse having a small staff. I understand why they do. They should have a small one if they are going to do "America's work." My problem is they act like it goes POTUS, VPOTUS, FLOTUS. The spouse is not in office, we should not treat them like they are.

I understand that.

But I just disagree personally. But that is me.

I do understand where you're coming from though.

 

[NickCole]

This is not about parties, why do you guys keep trying to make it that way?

I said nothing about either party.

 

[NickCole]

This isn't about parties. It is about Obama.

About Obama's broken promises and incompetence -- from gay rights to the economy and many places in between.

He still hates Obama for beating Hilary Clinton in the primaries.

That's the pathetic Obamabot response to my knowing, and showing, what he was about and now being proved right.

 

[NickCole]

But Nick ............

TelePOTUS said that the stimuli will make everything better and put Americans back to work. & unemployment Will Not go over 8%

He's incompetent.

And he's using our money to help the guys who got us into this mess get us into another one -- or an extension of the same one.

 

[Yooper]

My math skills may be suspect, but I'm thinking 1 million dollar budget divided by 300 million Americans, that's about 1/3 of one cent per person. Sounds like quite a bargain for someone with one of the most visible unpaid jobs on the Planet.

Back in the day, the FLOTUS was basically the White House Hostess Generally In Charge Of A Lot Of Things; a small staff was sufficient. Over time, the job has developed into a full time ambassador and diplomat, along with a voice of whatever causes the FLOTUS deems important.

An interesting OP-ED piece here:
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/...:Pc:Ug8P:Pc:UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

 

[Apollo]

About Obama's broken promises and incompetence -- from gay rights to the economy and many places in between.





That's the pathetic Obamabot response to my knowing, and showing, what he was about and now being proved right.

Riiiight, 6 months into a presidency.

You would have given Hilary at least a year.

I don't really care though.

 

[Apollo]

My math skills may be suspect, but I'm thinking 1 million dollar budget divided by 300 million Americans, that's about 1/3 of one cent per person. Sounds like quite a bargain for someone with one of the most visible unpaid jobs on the Planet.

Back in the day, the FLOTUS was basically the White House Hostess Generally In Charge Of A Lot Of Things; a small staff was sufficient. Over time, the job has developed into a full time ambassador and diplomat, along with a voice of whatever causes the FLOTUS deems important.

An interesting OP-ED piece here:
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/...:Pc:Ug8P:Pc:UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

I am seriously gonna have to google more. It makes life so much easier when making a point.

 

[I_want_it_free]

I don't think the First Lady should have a PERSONAL staff. There should be someone in charge of protocol that handles all visits/dinners with foreign leaders and of course a staff to maintain the White House. Cooks should only be brought in for state dinners and that is it. I don't know how it works at the moment but I think the President and the First Lady should pay for their own food, clothes, hair and makeup and all the other bullshit that doesn't have to do with the President's job. Shit, I would even charge them rent for living in the White House.