Saturday, March 17, 2012

Dinner With Obama: First Class for One Percenters, Coach for the 'Average Folks'

March 17, 2012
Jeannie DeAngelis - American Thinker:

Whenever an opportunity is presented to live the values he professes, rather than do something nice for the 'less fortunate among us,' President Barack Obama chooses instead to cater directly to the very 1% he claims already have more than they need. Listening to him speak, one would never guess that a man who often criticizes the wealthy for not sharing enough would then turn around and warmly embrace those he disparages.

Oftentimes, struggling lower- and middle-class people contribute to causes they believe in even though money is tight, which according to Jesus is a sacrifice deserving of a greater reward. Unfortunately for the poor widow who supports Obama's reelection out of her Social Security check, the President believes the bigger the bundle, the better the bonus.

Recently, three middle-class donors from Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts contributed $3 to the President's reelection fund and were entered into a sweepstakes. After a few spins of the raffle drum, three star-struck Obama admirers were selected, and each was allowed to bring along one guest for the grand prize of "Dinner with Barack" and Michelle -- not in the elegant White House, mind you, but at a "comfortable convivial" Washington DC restaurant with a menu that features grilled hangar steak. In airline terms, the ended up with a coach dinner, not the fancy fare served up in the front cabin to the one percenters.

The excited winners dined with the first couple far from the "dramatically lit pavilion at the bottom of the South Lawn," that soon after hosted the British Prime Minister, three dozen of the President's mega-fundraisers, and a First Lady in turquoise Marchesa seated for dinner beside Hollywood heartthrob/Savior of the South Sudan George Clooney.

The truth is that despite his incessant, purely political populist rhetoric, when he's offstage Barack Obama keeps the 99% percent at arms' length. The White House doors that Michelle Obama promised would swing open wide to welcome everyone really only open just enough for Hollywood heavyweights, pop stars, and big money bundlers to quietly slip through.

Judging solely by how Obama treats "grass roots" donors as compared to coffer-cramming cash cows, one would think America's first black president fosters his own brand of segregation.

Recently, dressed in formal attire, the President merrily clinked glasses with $500K and $45,000-a-plate fundraisers, but the "average folks out there" -- as Joe Biden referred to them at a $10,000-a-plate fundraiser -- after winning dinner were greeted off-campus by a President in rolled-up shirtsleeves.

What do the affluent do to earn such favorable treatment from a President who preaches impartiality? Well, if it's evil money we're talking about, apparently quite a lot: "Thirteen of the dinner attendees raised more than a half a million dollars ... 24 raised between $200,000 and $500,000, eight raised between $100,000 and $200,000 and three between $50,000 and $100,000."

All told, the guests who got to meet Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and dine on "Kitchen Garden 'Winter Harvest,' Bison Wellington, Crisped Halibut with Potato Crust, [dessert]...and mystery wines," amassed $10.7 million of the $250 million donated thus far.

Following this year's State of the Union address, Stanley Fish commented in the New York Times on "President Obama's choice to emphasize fairness rather than equality." Fish said that rather than 'equality,' which stirs up images of income redistribution, the fairness Obama promotes is a "better mantra ...[because]... it rests on a notion of formal equality -- everyone should be treated alike -- rather than a notion of substantive equality -- everyone should have the same stuff."

Yet, apart from what he advocates when revving up his base, it seems that instead of treating everyone alike, Obama lavishes luxury upon "the more fortunate among us" -- also known as those with the most stuff -- and merely placates those who have thus far helped him raise money a few bucks at a time.

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