The "bare arms controversy" has little, if anything, to do with Mrs. Obama’s arms, which most people agree, are lovely. The real issue is her assertiveness and refusal to be a subservient First Lady, trotting two paces behind her husband. For those writers who say that Michelle Obama is "just an average woman" who would make no mark on history were it not for the fact that her husband is President, please check her biographical information. Michelle Obama is a powerful, educated, accomplished woman, a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School.

In 1993, Michelle Obama became founding executive director of Public Allies Chicago, an Americorps National Service Program. There she provided internships and leadership training for young adults pursuing public-service careers. Obama became executive director of community affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals in 2002. She initiated neighborhood-outreach programs, recruited volunteers, and increased staff diversity and minority contracting. She established a collaboration with physicians and clinics to provide primary care to low-income residents who would otherwise use the hospital emergency room.

These are credentials and accomplishments that most of us, including many former First Ladies, could only aspire to.

Source: http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/whm/bio/obama_m.htm

MIchelle Obama is the kind of role model I want for my granddaughters - a woman who respects herself and who is strong, generous of heart and talented.

Yes, Kay, the Chinese do own our debt. The real question is how did that happen? Certainly now during the six weeks of President Obama’s administration.

The Brits have always made me laugh out loud. Dawn French as The Vicar of Dibley, the Ab Fab cast - all of them, including Edina,Patsy, Saffy, Gran and Bubbles-  Red Dwarf, anything at all with John Cleese (remember A Fish Called Wanda?), the incomparable Judi Dench (et al) in As Time Goes By - every one of these witty, funny Brits have brought me hours of laughter.

Also, I’m lucky to have very funny kids and grand-kids. When we’re all together we love playing board and card games and that usually leads to joke- and story-telling. Here’s one of the most recent tales.  A couple of weeks ago, my five-year-old grandson was given a fish, a tank, and all the accoutrement’s. He was thrilled when my daughter set the fish up in his room and left to cook dinner. After half an hour she realized he was very quiet - too quiet. She went to check, and saw the fish swimming on its side, covered with fuzz. When she asked my grandson what had happened his eyes widened and filled with tears. "How", she asked," did your fish get all fuzzy?" He reluctantly answered, "Uhm… I took him out for some air…but just for a little bit. I wanted to play with him, so I put him on my blanket." She was incredulous. "How many times did you take the fish out?"  "I’m being honest, Mama," was his brave answer, and my grandson started counting on his fingers, "One, two, three, four, five."  He got a Time Out and my daughter removed the fish and cleaned its tank. My grandson avoids the subject.  Oh, and the fish is just fine. I’m still laughing.

This is the most ridiculous attempt to stretch a comparison I’ve read in ages! Do you think Michelle Obama suddenly began wearing sleeveless dresses last year? Have you ever considered that sleeveless is her personal style? Don’t insult our First Lady by reducing her to an imitation of Jackie Kennedy. Status symbol? Muscle? What superficial nonsense!

Oh, deber, I wouldn’t open up that conversation unless you want to discuss why "Johnny-come-lately-McCain" did not sign onto the bill until a year and a half after it was introduced, and why, aside from agreeing to co-sponsor, he subsequently did little to promote it. All McCain ever talked about then was the potential fallout of accounting troubles in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He didn’t say anything about a free-wheeling climate among creditors that had major financial institutions becoming badly leveraged on bad loans.

Also, for years, his campaign manager, Rick Davis, (who was head of the Homeownership Alliance, a lobbying association that included Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, homebuilders, real estate agents,and non-profits), collected a hefty monthly paycheck- from Freddie Mac from 2003-August 2008.