Monday, May 21, 2007

The Obamas: The Audacity of Hypocrisy

"I won't shop there." That's what Sen. Barack Obama says about Wal-Mart.

He took several swipes at the retail giant in his best-selling book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.


But that does not stop his wife Michelle from serving on the board of directors, a paid position, for TreeHouse Foods, a company whose biggest customer is Wal-Mart.

Michelle Obama spoke about that quandary in an ABC News interview, in language that seems straight out of "Coached Answers 101."

When asked if she had considered resigning from her position, Michelle said that ultimately any changes that she made would be based on her own moral and ethical compass.

"I'm going to have to make a range of changes in my life. I've reduced my work hours at work. I will probably have to take a leave at some point. I will probably not be able to maintain my commitments," she said. "But if I make a change, it's going to be based on ... what I think is right."

As for her job being a conflict of interest, she maintains that her husband isn't changing his views based on her job.

"Barack is gonna say what needs to be said, and it's not going to, you know, necessarily matter ... what I'm doing if it's not the right thing," she said. "He's going to do what's right for ... the country. He's going to speak out. And he's going to, you know, implement his views as he sees fit. ... I see no conflict in that."

Blah.

The Obamas are hypocrites in at least one other area. While they choose to motor around Chicago in a gas-guzzling car, the senator sees no problem in telling Detroit to build more hybrid vehicles.

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