Michelle, Ma Belle des Magasins

Michelle Obama should have taken the girls for a stroll in the Luxemburg Gardens instead. She will never here the end of this now.

Sorry, that should be Luxembourg Gardens.

Was Sarkozy really embarrassed or was this an excuse to introduce the law? I'm thinking it's the latter.

Hmm, sounds to me like this will create jobs, indeed, that is a bad thing.

"Vivre le shopping"--if you're going to write in French, get it right. It's "Vive", not "Vivre".
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"There is a ban in France, a Catholic country, on working the day God rested."
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The maintenance of the Sunday work ban has little to do with France's Catholicism.

I don't want to single out Michelle Obama, but this story is indicative of what I hate so much about (particularly American) politics. Michelle, Sasha, and Malia are family members of a public official. They aren't celebrities or royalty.
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It is bad enough that we allow a President's family to be interjected into politics. But I'm not going to single out the Obamas for that. That is an unfortunate American political tradition. But if Michelle, et al. are going to travel with Barack, on the public's dime, can't they either (a) stay out of the spotlight or (b) conduct themselves in a professional manner that maintains the dignity of an official visit?
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Isn't there anything else to do in Paris on a Sunday than go shopping? Doesn't Paris have any museums or historical locations to visit? Was Michelle running low on clean clothes or something? We've got the Prime Minister of France on the phone directing Parisian shops (apparently in violation of French law) to open especially for Obama's family?

This is news...........why?

I've been to Paris square1. This is plenty to do there on a Sunday outside of shopping. Heck I found it enjoyable just wandering around the streets.

Should have been "there" instead of this. I can't spell worth a d@mn today!

Just one comment and I am out.
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Yeah shame on Michelle Obama for wanting to take her kids shopping in Paris of all places. Do we even know what she was shopping for? Hell no. Could it have been just for some souveniers? Probably considering Sarkozy is talking about stores in "touristy" areas staying open, not in the fashion district. Yet now there will be no shortage of right wing outrage over Michelle Obama for the crime of....being a parent. Nothing in JNS's post suggests that Michelle asked for Sarkozy to open the stores. In fact a fair reading suggests that Sarkozy did so on his own because he was embarrassed. And bigger than that its seems obvious that Sarkozy is simply using the Obamas' popularity to try to push through some legislation he likes. I doubt Michelle and the kids will be travelling to France enough to justify changing the law just for her.
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But wait and see, by mid day the right wing blogs will insinuate that our first lady "demanded" that the stores be opened, that she spent "extravagantly" on herself and her kids during a recession, and I am sure words will be used in more than a few articles that shouldn't be used to talk about our first lady ever. And none of it will be based on facts. Just on trying to defame the Obama family.
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Actually I don't even blame JNS for this. But it doesn't matter because its still gonna happen.

OT, but did anyone her about this on Glenn Beck:
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"Michael Scheuer, on Glenn Beck's show last night:
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Scheuer: The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States. Because it's going to take a grass-roots, bottom-up pressure. Because these politicians prize their office, prize the praise of the media and the Europeans. It's an absurd situation again. Only Osama can execute an attack which will force Americans to demand that their government protect them effectively, consistently, and with as much violence as necessary.
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Beck: Which is why, I was thinking this weekend, if I were him, that would be the last thing I would do right now."
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It's hard to be shocked by what's on Fox anymore but that shocked me.

Isn't there anything else to do in Paris on a Sunday than go shopping? Doesn't Paris have any museums or historical locations to visit?
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square1,
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My main thought to Michelle Obama is to be very aware that, now that you are the First Lady, your words have more power than you may think or intend. A simple statement of "I'd like to go shopping" may be translated into "I'm going shopping and I expect the stores to be open" whether that was your intent or not. They do not want to insult you so the phone calls are made.
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Be very aware of the country you are visiting and their legalities and customs (e.g. Sunday closings). Your staff and your host MAY go overboard to accommodate you - and the result may not be to your (or our) liking.
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As for the statement that "the maintenance of the Sunday work ban has little to do with France's Catholicism" - how do YOU make that determination? Are you native French and intimately familiar with the history of that particular statute?
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You might be correct if saying that this country's "Blue Laws" are not related to Catholicism here but to make that judgement about another country - that's a stretch.

I be thinkin' this story be flung out thar' t' "balance" th' latest revelations regardin' Palin...it be important t' be weighin' th' seriousness o' wantin' t' do a bit o' shoppin' whilst in Paris wi' th' nearly pathological delusions o' th' woman who were thinkin' she should be President!
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Al'ays got t' tilt th' playin' field in favor o' th' wingnuts...they can't be competin' on th' level!
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Arrgh!

Sorry, square1. The last half of my posting was NOT directed toward you but another.

But wait and see, by mid day the right wing blogs will insinuate that our first lady "demanded" that the stores be opened, that she spent "extravagantly" on herself and her kids during a recession, and I am sure words will be used in more than a few articles that shouldn't be used to talk about our first lady ever.
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Funny, you can predict it, I can predict, but the WH seems oblivious to the possiblity of Marie Antoinette comparisons.
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Afguy nails it. This isn't a holiday. This is an official visit. If you say you want something, it will be made to happen. Think about what you say you want.
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Yet now there will be no shortage of right wing outrage over Michelle Obama for the crime of....being a parent
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Spare me. Being the First Lady is not like being any other parent. If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

And if in these tough times you break out laughing while SWAMPing in a public place and your colleagues look at you as if you have finally gone barmy, blame JNS.
[And don't pass the buck, JNS!]

Being the First Lady is not like being any other parent.
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On official visits, she's the First Lady first and foremost. To the kids, she's always Mom. She just needs to remember for ALL of them that there are times she can't be just Mom to them and to remind them at those times.

ohiolib: " .. This is news...........why? .."
Cause you didn't know it before, and you read it avidly.
Isn't it news when a law is introduced and we are, for a change, the agents that bring good things - the American value of consummate consumerism - to those French?

RW Outrage: We boycotted products from France, and now Michelle Obama is demanding to buy them!

And god rested on Sunday - or rather, the seventh day.

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Weird heathens, these Amy Sullivan's people:

? ?? does god know or know how to count? What for????

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?? Anyway, was god's seventh day the same as our seventh day?? The whole day? [ When it is still the seventh day in USA, it may be first day in China ???]

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?? Were there days and nights those days? I mean if god on earth is all over, part of him is night and the other part is day. So who is doing the observer??

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??If I were god, why would I need to rest?? Would I be having the Popeye-type abs that need rest after a workout??

It is enough to make Olive Oyl, the PW, go ArghhhHH(cough!)

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?? Anyway, was god's seventh day then the same as our seventh day?? The whole day? [When it is the seventh day in France or China, it may be still the sixth day in USA ???]

So, shop on, Michelle!

Is there any topic that can't provide "outrage" and "concern"?
This one may be my new litmus test.

?? Anyway, was god's seventh day the same as our seventh day?? The whole day? [ When it is still the seventh day in USA, it may be first day in China ???]
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I have to admit that made me laugh.

@square 1: I agree. If the French government wants to change the law so that business are open on Sunday then change it. Do not make an exception for the First Lady and then try to get the law changed. Not to mention it is a general rule to know the customs and daily going ons before traveling to another country.
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@rose83: two things: If I were Beck, I would have corrected that gentleman and put him in his place. That comment was out of line. I understand the point he was attempting to make but what he said took it to a different place along the lines of Biden's comment. Was Beck saying "If I was him” meaning Osama? If so then Beck's response was all right in the sense, he did not entertain the comment further.
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One should be aware of words said and actions done. Just like flying to South America to see your mistress unbeknownst to anyone and thinking no one would know.
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Some of the celebrity status attributed to the Presidency is due to the rare moments of an individuals shadow overtaking the Presidency...JFK, FDR, TR, Lincoln etc...

However, I would not jump on the fact the First Lady made a faux pas. Just because she was ignorant of the law concerning shops on Sundays, it does not deserve personality shots. If it is shown that, she demanded to have the shops open, which I do not think she did, and then there is an issue.

lostepic: ,i>" .. .. If .. she demanded .. then there is an issue."

Come off your high horse: We, especially the pious Americans and the godly British, do a lot of demanding in third world countries.
[Consider the current thrust to institutionalize English and 'American-ism/European-ism/Caucasian-ism' (in schools) in Iraq and Afghanistan. [Yeah, you have your duplicitous imperial rationalization ready and honed through the ages.]