Michelle Obama – some twisting of her use of the sacrifice word

I read this story earlier today, then I read the transcript of what the first lady actually said. She did not say that her trip was a sacrifice, but she mentioned others said it was a sacrifice. Now that Drudge picked it up, let’s take a quick look.

Here is the current Drudge Report headline…

Michelle Obama: It’s a ‘sacrifice’ to travel to Europe to pitch for Olympics. But I’m doing it for the kids…

Here is the relevant paragraph in the story Drudge links to in a Washington Examiner opinion piece.

In her speech in Copenhagen today, First Lady Michelle Obama said her trip to Denmark, along with the travel of her “dear friend” and “chit-chat buddy” Oprah Winfrey, as well as tomorrow’s visit by President Obama, is a “sacrifice” on behalf of the children of Chicago and the United States. “As much of a sacrifice as people say this is for me or Oprah or the president to come for these few days,” the first lady told a crowd of people involved in the Chicago project, “so many of you in this room have been working for years to bring this bid home.”

Uhh, no… She actually said the following, from the White House Press Office Web page, with my emphasis added.

And I know that’s what all of you have been working for for these past few months. As much of a sacrifice as people say this is for me or Oprah or the President to come for these few days, so many of you in this room have been working for years to bring this bid home, and you have put together a phenomenal set of ideas that, no matter what the outcome is, we should be proud of as a city.

Now, we probably should discuss this particular paragraph from her statement at Mayor Daley’s welcome reception, with my emphasis again added.

We need all of our children to be exposed to the Olympic ideals that athletes from around the world represent, particularly this time in our nation’s history, where athletics is becoming more of a fleeting opportunity. Funds dry up so it becomes harder for kids to engage in sports, to learn how to swim, to even ride a bike. When we’re seeing rates of childhood obesity increase, it is so important for us to raise up the platform of fitness and competition and fair play; to teach kids to cheer on the victors and empathize with those in defeat, but most importantly, to recognize that all the hard work that is required to do something special.

When the first lady refers to funds drying up, is she referring to city, state or federal budget dollars, or personal income?

I guess in an off-the-wall kind of way, someone may turn that statement into Mrs. Obama suggesting the federal government needs to fund a program to teach kids how to ride a bike!

Standing up for the first lady is, well, a first for me so someone mark the calendar. Now, my exit question… Who mentioned to the first lady or The Oprah their trip to Copenhagen was some sort of sacrifice? Neither had to book their flight and fly coach ya know?

Now having to move to France for a couple of decades … that’s a sacrifice!