Saturday, May 8, 2010

In Honor of ALL Mothers


i thought i'd take this opportunity to say Happy Mothers Day early to all you mum's we all know & love!  (since i'm always late, i figured i'd jump the gun on this one!  ;-)

in honor of all mothers, being how mom's look out for all their children and things related to their future, i thought i'd share this little note i sent to my NC Senators, asking them a very specific question.  i know it's certainly a question my mom would have asked her Senators as well, if she were alive today.

every day is a blessing, so don't postpone joy... and don't forget to do something special for your mom this weekend!  ;-)

love & liberty,

8-)

bbc

———

Oppose Sanders' Senate Floor Sell Out!


dear Senator Burr & Hagan,

please watch this short 2.5 minute update regarding the Sanders Amendment to the S 604 "Audit the Fed" bill:


this is a beyond-partisan issue, affecting all American individuals.  do we not have the right to always know how our tax dollars are spent with full transparency?

i believe so.

perhaps others throughout this country will contact their State Senators and ask of them the same question.  for now is the time for all those who champion transparency to step up to the plate, in and out of Congress.

in liberty,

8-)

bernard baruch carman
* * *
- seeker of truth / seeder of truth • SeedsOfTruth.org • ∞Liberty 
- infinity games ∞ infinity solutions ∞ audio/Mac specialist
∞∞∞

Monday, March 1, 2010

545 People



i believe this journalist makes a very valid point.  lately, i've been leaning more towards the notion of firing Congress.

it seems that regardless of so called "partisanship", the overwhelming majority of Congress simply doesn't care about obeying its Constitutional boundaries.  it continues to steal from this and future American generations at insane orders of magnitude, while continuing to do so through the use of a deceptive, fraudulent, and illegal monetary system.

however, due to the horrid plurality voting system as well as overly restrictive ballot access legislation (created by the political duopoly which enjoys its power), it appears nearly impossible to break this stranglehold.

i was very happy to hear The Who play "We Won't Get Fooled Again" at the Super Bowl halftime show this year!  however, it seems that the American people continue to get fooled again... and again, etc.  it seems that many Americans continue to fall for the deceptive "liberal vs. conservative" trap, while the powers that be continue to erode and/or usurp various unalienable individual rights.  typically, each new Congress never addresses bad legislation from the previous!

i've looked a bit into the non-partisan GOOOH strategy, which focuses solely on replacing the entire House of Representatives with common Americans from each district of the 50 States who are not seeking political careers.  from what i've discovered thus far, the strategy has potential and is worth a look.

regardless of which strategies might have potential to minimize our country's various problems, as this author says, it is ultimately up to We the People to manage our own employees.

in liberty,


8-)

bernard baruch carman
* * *
* * *
- seeker of truth / seeder of truth • SeedsOfTruth.org • ∞Liberty 
- infinity games ∞ infinity solutions ∞ audio/Mac specialist
∞∞∞



545  PEOPLE
By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world  who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever  wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if  all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have  inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget.  The president does.

You and I don't have the  Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of  Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress  does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You  and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve  Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one  president, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human  beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally,  and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague  this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve  Board because that problem was created by the  Congress.  In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty  to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central  bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason.  They have no legal authority.  They have no  ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one  cotton-picking  thing.  I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.  The  politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what  the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility  to determine  how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy  convincing you that what they did is not their fault.   They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What  separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall?  No normal  human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating  deficits.  The president can only propose a budget.   He cannot force the Congress to accept  it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the  land, gives sole responsibility to the House of  Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.  Who is the speaker of the House?   Nancy Pelosi.  She is  the leader of the majority party.  She and  fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want.  If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if  they agree  to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can  not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of  incompetence and irresponsibility.  I can't think of a  single domestic problem  that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.  When you fully  grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal  government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to  exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it  unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in  the red ..

If the Army & Marines are in  IRAQ ,  it's because they want them in IRAQ

If they do not  receive social security  but are on an elite retirement plan not available  to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems..

Do not let these 545 people shift  the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can  abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to  regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can  take this power.  Above all, do not let them con you into  the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the  economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing  what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they  alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the  people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the  gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of  them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper, and has been a journalist for 49 years.  

What you do with this article now that you have read it, is up to you.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Articles of Freedom - Pledge for Constitutionally Limited & Accountable government



dear friends, family and government representatives:

the Articles of Freedom website is now launched!  the Articles of Freedom is the product of the 2009 Continental Congress.

all we have to do now is follow the advice of the founding fathers by peacefully and legally demanding Constitutionally Limited and Accountable government through our unalienable right to Petition for Redress of Grievances over Constitutional violations.

the US Federal Government has thus far ignored the mandate of We the People to obey the limitations set forth within the US Constitution, therefore, on various counts it continues to violate the law of the land.  this has all been documented throughout the last decade or so, and through the efforts of the 2009 Continental Congress.

besides arrogantly saying the First Amendment "Accountability Clause" does not mandate Redress for Grievances (even though that's what it says), the Supreme Court has even refused to perform its function in officially defining the clause, as stated in the last 10 words of the First Amendment: "... and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

... yet many Americans continue to believe we are somehow not living in a state of tyranny?

as a reminder, let us once more contemplate what the founders said within an act of the 1774 Continental Congress regarding Petitioning for Redress of Grievances (aka: First Amendment "Accountability Clause"):

"If money is wanted by Rulers who have in any manner oppressed the People, [the People] may retain [their money] until their grievances are redressed, and thus peaceably procure relief, without trusting to despised petitions or disturbing the public tranquility."

Founders' Advice:  No Redress, NO TAXES!


pretty simple, no?  even a child can understand this.  only a fool would argue against this simple principle rooted in our American history.

and it really doesn't matter what kind of legislation the government has created over the years to usurp our unalienable individual rights, because it doesn't have the power to do so -- it only has the power We the People give it, or allow it to exert!

so Americans are now left with no excuse.  the question is simple: do We the People desire Constitutionally Limited and Accountable government... or not?

if you ARE happy with living in a nation where the government refuses to obey the law, then do nothing, or keep complaining if it makes you happy.  and keep supporting the same old authoritarian "liberals" and "conservatives" who hold allegiance to their political party and benefactors, rather than holding allegiance to LIBERTY in taking their Oaths of Office to protect our unalienable individual rights in defending the Constitution.

if you ARE NOT happy with living in a nation where the government refuses to obey the law, we simply need millions of Americans to sign the Pledge of support for the Articles of Freedom, and then follow through in de-funding the federal government (as according to the law of the land) once we have enough supporters.


so, stop complaining about unlimited government, continued Constitutional violations, and your once favorite authoritarian duopoly political party -- sign the Pledge of support for Constitutionally Limited and Accountable government NOW!


the Revolution is now.  the Revolution is peaceful.  the Revolution is legal.

if you think legal American government is important to the future of your own children, then share this with everyone you know.


in liberty...




8-)

bernard baruch carman
* * *
* * *
- seeker of truth / seeder of truth • SeedsOfTruth.org • ∞Liberty 
- infinity games ∞ infinity solutions ∞ audio/Mac specialist
∞∞∞

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Isn't it finally time to focus on LIBERTY?

excerpts from a recent email notification of a genuinely concerned American:

It is necessary that we come together and decide how to proceed, and encumber ourselves with appropriate goals to better ensure success...  This year, we will lay the groundwork for conservative community organization...  This will be the skeleton necessary to build a community organization effort into solid existence here in Asheville...  This is your opportunity to become a part of something larger than all of us combined...the very fight for freedom itself.


for the life of me, i continue to be perplexed with how the "fight for freedom itself" can be advanced by trying to rally "conservatives".  after all, have the myriad of Constitutional violations and actions usurping various unalienable rights of the individual not been by the hands of both "liberals" and "conservatives" at all levels of American government?

i'm really trying to be encouraging of these various new non-partisan grassroots groups who seem to be getting on board the American Liberty Movement, but i just don't see there being a drive for unity and inclusion around the same old partisan polarization deception which has been sold to the masses for so very long -- at least, not enough unity to make any real effective difference in the fight for freedom and against tyranny.

i guess it's so very difficult to break out of this deeply rooted deception that so many will just continue along the lines of "liberals" vs. "conservatives".  while both "sides" in power continue to advance tyranny through authoritarian government, many Americans don't seem to recognize that there IS an alternative battle plan, so they fall back and punt, hoping that this time things will be different and change is somehow possible by doing the same thing, over and over again.

need i remind ourselves of Albert Einstein's popular definition of insanity?  8-)

as i see the passion and drive of various fellow concerned Americans in these new groups, i don't know what else i can do when i see them take a misdirected course, except to continue sharing my thoughts on the subject with as many who will listen and take heed that the real battle is not "left" vs. "right", but rather liberty vs. tyranny.

i do not write this email to merely be critical of those attempting to fight tyranny under a "conservative" yet non-partisan banner.  my intent is to continue to advance the idea that rather than continuing along the same repetitive and fruitless efforts in advancing liberty, perhaps trying a different philosophical focus might be in order.

please consider which of the following statements is true and which is false:

1. the American founding fathers gained much support in opposing tyranny in their day by rallying around the philosophy of a conservative form of government.

2. the American founding fathers gained much support in opposing tyranny in their day by rallying around the philosophy of a Constitutionally Limited & Accountable form of government.

to the same leaders who are advocating that the "fight for freedom itself" can be advanced around a "conservative" agenda, please also consider which effort of the following they would be more willing to support if McCain had been elected and continued more the same un-Constitutional actions of the Bush administration, as has the Obama administration (along with the previous ones):

1. in hopes of reforming America to be OF, BY, and FOR the People, we have organized this new liberal grassroots group and we want you to join!

2. in hopes of reforming America to be OF, BY, and FOR the People, we have organized this new Constitutional grassroots group and we want you to join!

between the two, you wouldn't think twice about it, eh?  8-)

so therefore, what kind of political-philosophical positioning do you think would have a better opportunity of gaining major growth among a much broader political tent of Americans, and thus also have the potential of actually changing the growing tide of tyranny in America?

i'm definitely not suggesting the forming of a new political party, at least not at this time.  i am suggesting that all non-partisan grassroots groups who identify with being part of the American Liberty Movement work within the current political and social structures, but unify around a bigger tent liberty message and philosophy than has been exemplified since the founding of America.

to answer one of my energetic local leaders among the various non-partisan grassroots groups new to the American Liberty Movement, i do not wish to debate "liberal" vs. "conservative" -- to the contrary, i'm advocating that we all dispense with such terms which have been woven into the partisan polarization deception and begin to re-focus around the same, true and uniting philosophy as did the American founding fathers:

Constitutionally Limited & Accountable government!

let us therefore seek to inspire Constitutionalists among us to engage in the various areas of liberty activism!

remember the true principle, United We Stand – Divided We Fall!  therefore, let us stand and not fall so we might better work together to thwart tyranny in our day as best we can, as did the American founding fathers.

in liberty,

8-)

bernard baruch carman
* * *
* * *
- seeker of truth / seeder of truth • SeedsOfTruth.org • ∞Liberty 
- infinity games ∞ infinity solutions ∞ audio/Mac specialist
∞∞∞


Thursday, December 17, 2009

Third Parties Don’t Work In America


i thought i'd share this article, "Third Parties Don’t Work In America", by Mark Metzger from the blog A Constitutional Right, along with my thoughts on the subject.

the writer, Mark Metzger, makes a good point about not trying to create a political party out of the non-partisan and grassroots Tea Party, which would potentially split the 2010 vote.  however, i believe he is somewhat off base on a couple of areas, which seems to be a common error among many Americans, according to what i've recently been hearing.

———

i agree with Mark's article in part.

  however, the primary reason why "third" parties in America are unsuccessful is not because they don't represent the mainstream ideal -- that's certainly an issue, but not the primary one.



after being involved in political activism within the LP for a while (i am no longer), i discovered that it is the Plurality Voting system which is mostly to blame for only allowing for a 2-party political system.



if America changed its voting system to Range Voting (aka: Score Voting), it would allow for multiple parties and/or independents to compete on a ballot, because there would no longer be a "wasted vote syndrome" which coerces people to vote for the "lesser of two evils".



on another note, i feel strongly that if the Tea Party focuses merely on "conservatizing" the Republican Party, the movement will turn out to be a complete failure.



the "left/liberal - right/conservative" political landscape is a complete deception: being ALWAYS liberal or ALWAYS conservative does NOT maximize liberty.



i believe the Tea Party should rather concentrate on attracting more activists who seek Constitutionally limited and accountable government.



in the effort of reforming government in that way through the legislature, the Tea Party should encourage those activists who wish to run for a political office to do so strategically in whatever race makes sense, regardless of the "political banner" under which they run.



if over time the Tea Party becomes large enough to potentially displace one of the duopoly parties, then it should consider not converting to a political party, but spin off a political party so that the heartbeat of the "Tea Party" remains non-partisan and grassroots.

however, if the Tea Party decides to continue playing the "left/liberal-right/conservative" political polarization game which has been played now for perhaps a century, then we can look forward to more of the same of what we have grown to expect in "Neo-American" government by the Neo-Cons AND Neo-Libs.

elaborating slightly...



because of Plurality Voting which leads to a 2-Party system, Mark is correct in saying that "Third Parties Don't Work In America".



the ONLY way to make such a massive change in the political landscape is to grow a new party large enough to DISPLACE one of the current duopoly parties and then take the place of it.  

i believe this CAN happen, but i doubt it can happen very soon, or by the 2010 election.

right now, the Tea Party seems to be fractured into camps which differ a bit too much in not only direction, but perhaps more importantly, focus.



in one faction, we have folks who are longing for more "Conservatives" to rally and reform the GOP.  in another we have what i might call "Constitutionists" or "BIG TENT Libertarians" who want to do the same.  then in yet another we have these Constitutionists who don't play the political polarization game and long to start a new party.



whichever strategy the movement decides to take, it has first got some serious decisions to make about its focus.  

it's going to take a LOT of Americans to drastically alter the political landscape, and therefore in order to do so we must find a common denominator of general consensus which WILL reach the mainstream ideal (as Mark put it).



does the Tea Party want to play the same political polarization game which has been going on in America for far too long?

seems to me, the real heart of the movement belongs NOT to "Conservatives", but to "BIG TENT Libertarians" who seek Constitutionally limited and accountable government.



keeping the Tea Party non-partisan keeps the message of liberty in focus.  as soon as the movement decides to play the political polarization game, it loses its focus, and therefore loses its heart -- a cause with no heart is no cause at all.



by now we should all know this to be true.  most of us have seen the difference between a REAL Tea Party and one which has been usurped by partisans.



so before the Tea Party decides it has enough solidarity of focus to step into the American political duopoly system, it had better come to a consensus on what its focus really is.

8-)

bernard baruch carman
* * *
* * *
- seeker of truth / seeder of truth • SeedsOfTruth.org • ∞Liberty 
- infinity games ∞ infinity solutions ∞ audio/Mac specialist
∞∞∞

Sunday, November 15, 2009

April 15th Tax Day STRIKE!




i just created a NEW NON-Partisan Facebook group in hopes of helping to better organize an annual April 15th Tax Day STRIKE which will get MORE mainstream media attention NATIONALLY!


i've already invited all my Facebook friends and posted a link to download the most recent version of the Tax Day STRIKE flier i created, along with my, i think excellent, idea for getting MAJOR mainstream media attention NATIONALLY next April 15th, in hopes of educating more Americans about our rights and powers, according to the founding fathers:


"V" Across America!


if we could get the Tea Party on board with this, along with all the other non-partisan groups who are part of the PEACEFUL American Liberty Revolution, i think it would be a MAJOR pivotal point in the overall movement.


as the American Founding Fathers emphasized, in order to maintain LIBERTY the Federal Government NEEDS to FEAR We the People!  by using the V costume, it sends a STRONG message about this truth while remaining peaceful in our protests, and simultaneously reminds government of the potential future civil war ahead if it continues along the course of tyranny.


ALSO, not everybody need be dressed as V.  the mere fact that some Americans will attend this NATIONAL event all across America as V and others won't is perfect -- it shows that "normal" Americans also support the mandate for LIMITED government according to the Constitution!


so if you fancy the idea, please join the Facebook group and invite all your Facebook friends to do likewise and let's go VIRAL!  and while we're being liberty advocates, let's have FUN with this! in liberty,


8-)


bernard baruch carman
* * *
* * *
- seeker of truth / seeder of truth • SeedsOfTruth.org • ∞Liberty
- infinity games ∞ infinity solutions ∞ audio/Mac specialist
∞∞∞

Friday, October 30, 2009

No Change - Just More of the Same!


i'm sure everyone will be getting copies of the following emails being distributed around the internet. well, you guessed it folks, they are simply more lies, part of the greater deception which is tearing America to shreds in a system designed to perpetuate a false dichotomy of the "political right & left".

it's RUBBISH folks -- it's a DECEPTION -- WAKE UP! the real battle is not over the X axis, but the Y:



if the People are going to be truly active against tyranny, we have to stop falling into the trap of "political partisan folly" and simply address the real problem. paramount is the complete lack of a Constitutionally limited government and accountability when government violates the LAW!

rather than attempting to blame the new First Lady for following the apparent precedent of having an unreasonably large number of attendants, these emails should point out that the new administration is continuing in the footsteps of the previous ones in bureaucracy, waste, and corruption.

for details on sources regarding the apparent modus operandi:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/firstlady.asp

so again, no change, but more of the same: Republican & Democrat bureaucrats alike -- all authoritarian destroyers of America.

too bad these emails are created and then propagated without being confirmed, for they merely serve to decease the credibility of the non-partisan American patriots who opposes government waste and corruption and are striving to do something about it.

the assertion that Democrats are foolish and Republicans are wise is such a deception among Americans. when will We the People wake up? based on our track record, apparently never!

if you are one who favors an increase of liberty in America, then consider dispensing with advocating one anti-American political party over the other anti-American political party and begin advocating LIBERTY itself!

8-)

bernard baruch carman
* * *
* * *
- seeker of truth / seeder of truth • SeedsOfTruth.org • ∞Liberty 
- infinity games ∞ infinity solutions ∞ audio/Mac specialist
∞∞∞

two erroneous emails:


Talk about change!

First Ladies do have assistants.

Michelle Obama : twenty-two !!!!!!!!!!!!
Laura Bush : one
Hillary Clinton : three
Jackie Kennedy : one

First Lady Requires More Than Twenty Attendants! July 7, 2009 Dr. Paul L. Williams

"In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much," she said. "See, that's why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service, " Michelle Obama

No, Michele Obama does not get paid to serve as the First Lady and she doesn't perform any official duties. But this hasn't deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession.

Just think Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china for the White House during the Civil War. And Mamie Eisenhower had to shell out the salary for her personal secretary. How things have changed!

If you're one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Ms Michelle are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by John Q. Public

1. $172,200 Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)
2. $140,000 Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy And Projects for the First Lady)
3. $113,000 Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary)
4. $102,000 Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)
5. $100,000 Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff to the First Lady)
6. $90,000 Medina , David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
7. $84,000 Lelyveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady)
8. $75,000 Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)
9. $70,000 Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
10. $65,000 Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deput y Social Secretary)
11. $64,000 Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000 Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator for the First Lady)
13. $60,000 Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady)
14. $57,500 Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady)
15. $52,500 Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary to The First Lady)
16. $50,000 Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide to the First Lady)
17. $45,000 Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
18. $43,000 Tubman, Samantha (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000 Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
20. $36,000 Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)
21. $35,000 Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. $35,000 Jackson, Deilia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)

(total = $1,591,200 in annual salaries)

There has NEVER been anyone in the White House at any time who has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady's social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense, when even;

• Hillary Clinton only had three;
• Jackie Kennedy one;
• Laura Bush one; and
prior to Mamie Eisenhower, social help came from the President's own pocket.

Note: This does not include makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and "First Hairstylist" Johnny Wright, 31, both of whom traveled aboard Air Force One to Europe .

Copyright 2009 Canada Free Press.Com
canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/12652

Yes, I know, The Canadian Free Press has to publish this because the USA media is too scared they might be considered racist. Sorry America SICKENING.........ISN'T IT?

— — —

Subject: Why does Michele Obama need 24 people working for her?

Is she abusing her power? How many are White? How many are Black? Any of Obama's relatives working for her? Is this a FORM OF WELFARE?

Does it really cost American Tax Payers about $1,750,000?

Does Michele Obama know that Americans are losing their Jobs and Homes? I know people that can not afford to buy food. I always thought that the White House looked after The American people!

Soon after the minor brouhaha erupted, Factcheck.org looked into the matter and discovered that there are 16 White House staffers with the term "first lady" in their job title, along with eight additional staffers who also provide support to Michelle Obama, bringing the total number of paid first lady aides to 24, two more staffers than the number noted in the aforementioned chain email circulated by Obama critics. Michelle Obama's press secretary, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, confirmed that 24 was an accurate count of staffers working for the current first lady.

So just what does a staff of 24 do for Michelle Obama? Well, for starters there are the 32,000 pieces of mail that have flooded the East Wing since Michelle Obama took occupancy in January, but the main official duty of the first lady is to tend to the care and maintenance of the White House and its seemingly endless social functions. Of course some first ladies, like Michelle Obama, maintain a higher profile than others, and with that comes the need for people to help write speeches, arrange travel and security details, handle media inquiries, etc. About the myriad tasks and responsibilities handled by White House staffers, Anita McBride, Laura Bush's former chief of staff, recently said, "There's never enough people to do the amount of work that has to get done."

The Patriot from Florida.....October 30, 2009.


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