"A spokesman for top Italian designer Giovanni Bosco has confirmed that President-Elect Barack Obama is looking to purchase a $30,000 Harmony ring made of rhodium and encrusted with diamonds as a thank you gift to his wife Michelle. We expect the future First Lady to receive the ring in time for her husband's January inauguration ceremony. The gift is a thank you for her support throughout the last two years of campaigning."
"One of the world's rarest and most precious metals, only about 25 tons of rhodium are mined each year, setting the price at over $7,660 per ounce -- or about ten times the cost of gold."
The DailyMail asked: "Are our elected politicians mature enough to face a recession?" Does it not seem in bad taste to buy a piece of bling for his wife in a gesture so over the top in a hard recession? And contrary to his own words uttered just a few DAYS ago?
"Obama vows line-by-line budget review"
President-elect Barack Obama vowed today to get rid of federal programs that no longer make sense and run others in a more frugal way to make Washington work in tough economic times.
Obama said that to make the needed investments to create jobs, "we also have to shed the spending we don't need."
Rhodium and diamonds apparently don't qualify as unnecessary spending...
8 comments:
The logic doesn't follow here. Obama's words were regarding the state of our nation. This is a personal expenditure that he apparently can afford. There is absolutely no reason he shouldn't buy a nice piece of jewelry for his wife as a thank you for her support.
Now if Obama were to green light the use of rhodium to plate the chairs they sit in while in session... This would be an example of unncessary spending.
It's a "do as I say, not as I do" thing. He tells Washington to cut unnecessary spending, then goes out and spends unnecessarily.
Worse timing, he does this on the heels of his infomerical before Election Day —when he reminded us Americans are hurting in the midst of tough economic times that will only get tougher? Why not st an example of donating to charity in these times?
Is it really a good idea to be such crass consumers just days after a Wal-Mart temporary worker died in a hyper-consumerist stampede?
It's nice to buy your wife a present (though for being supportive, which is what a spouse should do, is kinda misguided, looks like he is buying her support). But the extreme extravagance of the type of gift in the face of severe economic hardship, is bad timing and a slap in the face to voters who ponied up their last $5 to support him.
"The truth is... someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more." ---Michelle Obama
I guess that meant so Michelle could have more.
It's crass, it's hypocritical, it's poor judgment, it's not leadership.
If Barack Obama cared for the people of this country, then he would never buy such an ostentatious gift for his wife. People are losing their jobs, falling further into debt and despair, and struggling to feed their families. But the Obamas require the ultimate luxuries that our depleted country has to offer.
And diamonds? From blood Africa? If Obama cared for the people of Africa, the continent of his father, then he would never consider buying such an abhorrent piece of jewelry. The killing that has ensued over the past centuries for the control of these meaningless stones is being ignored by men and women alike who find no better way to express their love. This is the materialistic world that has been created to enslave his brothers and sisters.
Lsst, buying love is never a good idea. We are a people who have become so disconnected with our spiritual nature that we have forgotten what is important.
more here from Ferdinand
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=11002
this does show the hypocrisy of the democrats regarding frivolous spending. It exemplifies the elitist arguments about Obama.
He didn't even buy American
I don't mind if he purchased his wife an expensive ring. I am more concerned about how he "earned" his money than how he spends it.
Chuck
FYI- not related to this thread.
Selectmen welcome new town manager
By Ellie Fellers , Special to the Sun Journal
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
NEW GLOUCESTER - Selectmen on Monday introduced former Budget Committee member Sumner M. Field III of Gray as the new town manager.
He begins his first stint as a manager Dec. 8 at a salary of $65,000 and will not be required to live in town as others have been.
Field moved to New Gloucester 21 years ago and served on the budget panel and Capital Improvement Planning Committee. He worked for Casco Bank for 23 years, then TD Banknorth and more recently for the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices.
He and his wife Diane live in Gray and own property in New Gloucester. They are the parents of Justin, Zachary and Caitlin.
Maine Municipal Association assisted in the search for a manager. Field was among 75 applicants.
In other business, the board approved having all town facilities open Dec. 26, rather than closing them and staff using a personal or vacation day. The board said employees who want the day after Christmas off should make a request to the town manager.
An agreement to allow the New Gloucester Historical Society to use town land at the municipal complex to erect a history barn is being developed by Selectman Steve Libby, society member Steve Chandler and town attorney Pat Scully of Portland. Libby said he hopes to have final documents by the Dec. 8 board meeting then go to a special town meeting in January for approval.
For 2007, Obama's tax returns show he gave $240,370 in charitable contributions. I'd say this sets a pretty good example.
It's not "do as I say, not as I do". In one instance, you have someone using personal funds to buy a personal item. In the other you have a government using tax dollars to fund programs. It is prudent, since tax dollars are at stake, to ensure that the money that is being used to fund those programs is well spent, and that those programs are effective. If it is determined they are not and that money is being wasted, we stop funding the ineffective program.
Washington needs to cut spending because Washington has done a poor job of budgeting. Obama, on the other hand, has managed his finances in a way that allowed him to have discretionary funds to use. He is well within his right to use his own money.
Is it an ostentatious present to his wife? Absolutely. (I don't even think the ring looks nice.) I guess my main point is that HE CAN AFFORD IT. It is awful that so many are out of work or have jobs with stagnant salaries. It is awful that folks are losing their homes. I feel for every one of them. But I don't expect every person who is doing okay financially to stop all purchases because it makes those who can't shop feel even worse.
Unless you can prove that this particular ring is made with blood diamonds, I don't think that's a fair conclusion to make. Some stores work to ensure the diamonds they buy are from legitimate miners and are conflict-free.
thank you for the NG news, Anonymous. Interesting about Sumner Field. I wish him the best. Thanks again for letting me know!
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