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September 18, 2009
Oh dear, no "Tuscan" kale... what to do.
Here's how Michelle Obama handled this very predicament Thursday afternoon: The Secret Service and the D.C. police brought in three dozen vehicles and shut down H Street, Vermont Avenue, two lanes of I Street and an entrance to the McPherson Square Metro station. They swept the area, in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs, with bomb-sniffing dogs and installed magnetometers in the middle of the street, put up barricades to keep pedestrians out, and took positions with binoculars atop trucks. Though the produce stand was only a block or so from the White House, the first lady hopped into her armored limousine and pulled into the market amid the wail of sirens. Then, and only then, could Obama purchase her leafy greens. "Now it's time to buy some food," she told several hundred people who came to watch. "Let's shop!"
....Obama, in her brief speech to the vendors and patrons, handled the affordability issue by pointing out that people who pay with food stamps would get double the coupon value at the market. Even then, though, it's hard to imagine somebody using food stamps to buy what the market offered: $19 bison steak from Gunpowder Bison, organic dandelion greens for $12 per pound from Blueberry Hill Vegetables, the Piedmont Reserve cheese from Everson Dairy at $29 a pound. Rounding out the potential shopping cart: $4 for a piece of "walnut dacquoise" from the Praline Bakery, $9 for a jumbo crab cake at Chris's Marketplace, $8 for a loaf of cranberry-walnut bread and $32 for a bolt of yarn. -- Dana Milbank - Washington Sketch: Michelle Obama Gets Her Farmers Market - washingtonpost.com
Posted by Vanderleun at September 18, 2009 7:56 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
Loved it.
And Dana Milbank ain't no wingnut. This is the establishment talking to us through this column.
Posted by: Roderick Reilly at September 18, 2009 11:32 AM
Must. Comment. Again. Can't. Resist.
This reminds me of the documented accounts of Marie Antoinette and her little "pastoral sheep farm" on the grounds at Versailles -- complete with cottage and sheep pen. She and her girlfriends could dress up as "Shepherdesses," but with the milkmaid costumes made of finest silk and brocade, and "herd" actual sheep that were festooned with bows and stuff. Liveried servants stood about, ready to summon real shepherds should the need arise.
Bah-a-a-a-a-rahk's wife seems to be going down the same path.
Posted by: Roderick Reilly at September 18, 2009 11:39 AM
Life certainly does have repeating themes, doesn't it?
Posted by: Robespierre at September 18, 2009 3:03 PM
We get cake, right?
Posted by: David McKinnis at September 18, 2009 3:12 PM
Yes - We've visited The Hamlet at Versailles. Twelve buildings, but who's counting? We had to rent bicycles to make the trip from the Palace all - the - way - to The Hamlet. My reaction was, "So this is the reason for the French Revolution." Not that I'm trying to give anyone ideas.
Posted by: Western Chauvinist at September 18, 2009 3:13 PM
Dana Milbank is getting absolutely pounded in the comments at WP.
Posted by: Boots at September 18, 2009 4:13 PM
Definitely Marie Antoinette. But without the charm. Tho I have been told in no uncertain terms recently that one is a terrible racist to make allusions to even a specific historical female monarch because of some North American associations to "queen" from the 60s (when I was a kid and oblivious to politics).
As to the veggies? I like arugala. But it's so easy to grow from seed (as is kale) that I don't see why she needs to buy it now we taxpayers are paying to maintain a large patch of dirt for her family. Of course, some people prefer shopping to getting their hands dirty or actually exerting themselves, like weeding, picking off slugs...er....working.
Posted by: retriever at September 18, 2009 6:23 PM
The only salad I will eat is made with fresh spinach.
After all the meat is consumed.
Posted by: Beretta at September 19, 2009 5:12 AM
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Posted by: ringtonezfornetz at November 25, 2009 4:23 AM
Posted on I don't see why anyone would want to have sex with the woman who, every time she oeenpd her mouth in Godfather III, brought the scene to a grinding and painful halt that made me wish Don Altobello would just get on with it and hire that assassin (I should be over it, I know, but I just find it so hard to forgive). And after sitting through her playing dress-up with Kirsten Dunst for two hours, nobody got their head chopped off. I dunno Seems like a choice of Sofia Coppola would be taking one for the team I feel short. 6'5 is over a foot taller than me. A question for tall people: Do you mind when people in stores say Hellooo, you of great height, could you please grab that box of Cheez-its from the top shelf for me?
Posted by: Madhar at July 13, 2012 10:01 AM