Michelle’s ring thing Updated
Update: Not true?
Bling.
I have just a few comments about the Michelle Obama Thank You Ring thing (assuming it’s true), and then I’ll get out of the way and let you have at it.
1) Remember when MichelleO cracked her joke about how women would use the $600 stimulus check to buy earrings?
Man, I thought that was a sign of elitism run amok. But now we’re talking about a $30,000 piece of rhodium just for doing what a supportive spouse should do? Out of this world:
She loves her inexpensive outfits from the mall, but Michelle Obama will soon be sporting something much fancier than anything you’ll find at J. Crew. It is being reported that President-elect Barack Obama is buying his wife a new ring for her support during the election. A spokesperson for top Italian designer Giovanni Bosco allegedly said 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 Michelle. The future First Lady is expected to receive the ring just in time for her husband’s January inauguration ceremony. 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.
2) Is it really a good idea to have let this slip just days after a Wal-Mart temporary worker died in a hyper-consumerist stampede?
3) Speaking of bad timing, is it really a good idea to be crowing about this extravagant present when — as Barack Obama so ably reminded us in campaign infomerical before Election Day — Americans are hurting in the midst of tough economic times that will only get tougher?
4) What is it with some women who feel entitled to receive lavish presents from their husbands for work that should be its own reward? Reminds me of this ridiculous “Push Present” phenomenon involving women who expect big-ticket gifts from their husbands for bearing their children (see Dr. Helen’s column here).
Criminey.
If Michelle thinks she should receive a present for contributing to the successful Obama campaign, what gift is she getting him for winning it?
5) How long before someone screams RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACIST?
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hehe – remember years ago when Kobe Bryant bought his wife that huge Diamond after he got caught doing the nasty with someone else. I guess there are always people who can be bought.
Or…perhaps the Os really aren’t just like me…
Raaaaaaacist. I don’t know why I said it, I just said it because everything is probably racist anyway.
Saving time.
MO is like all liberal hypocrites…what is mine is mine but your wealth is negotiable…kinda like the inauguration flap…they hope that their supporteres have an attention span of 2 weeks and the ability to rationalize evrything on command.
Too bad the Husseins didn’t live in Chcoloate City during Katrina.
She could have gotten FEMA to buy the ring for her… as well as a flat screen, rims, and other bling bling.
I thought President Hussein liked to spread the wealth. Where’s my rodium….where’s my big screen TV…..who will pay my mortgage and gas?
I’ve been left out…
An overly expensive gift such as this will go unnoticed on the finger of a Democratic First Lady, even despite the economic downturn. Had it been a Republican, the cries of “Look how the rich ReTHUGlicas are flaunting their richness in our faces!” would be deafening. Look to the Palin wardrobe hullaballoo for an example.
I thought all rich people were evil Republicans, according to the meme.
Ah, no matter, as WarEagle wisely put it:
“If liberals didn’t have double standards, they’d have no standards at all.”
Just a small fraction the Obama family charitable donations over the past years. /sarc
I wonder how many of Chicago’s poor could be fed for $30,000?
Hypocrite.
I see nothing wrong with one partner in a very successful and enterprising family lavishing the other with gifts well within their means. Yes, the Dems have always been closet hypocrites, but it’s kind of refreshing watching this fine example of what almost anyone can accomplish in this wonderful country.
I wonder how much food President Hussein’s brother could buy in Africa with that kind of dough?
Oh…and you guys are all racists!
Like I always said…B Hussein is an empty suit and his bitter half ‘rings’ hollow as heck. Maybe it’s a nose ring?
ok, 2 things…
1) it’s proof that one can buy PRIDE.
2) the Bitter Half has now been proud of the United States for almost an ENTIRE MONTH.
Now for the truth.
It was HUSH MONEY!!! (deferred payment)
‘Honey shut your radical mouth for a few months and I’ll buy you a nice ring.’
You still can’t buy class. Sorry to say, MO doesn’t have any.
I guess Obama’s just like us “ordinary” folks who eat arugula.
Hey, this is what the ruling class does. Every other euro-socialist, banana republic is led by an extravagantly wealthy, entitled class. Oh wait, this is the United States of America. Or at least it’s supposed to be.
Palani doesn’t get it. What made the country great was the radical success of the industrialists… not the grafters, politicians, slicksters, mobsters who “make” their wealth through elite entitlements paid to them from the sweat of the producers… Capitalism isn’t defined by a “grab wealth by any means necessary” attitude – it’s destroyed by it.
Name one thing BHO has produced except for a “feel good” vibe.
RockyR, you make a good point about who really creates the wealth in America. Lawyers are too often a cost to society rather than a benefit, but they are a necessary evil compensated by a free market. The same can be said for politicians.
I guess we know where the leftover campaign money went.
It’s going to be hard to be festive when you’ve got such a “bad economy” and all the crap going on abroad, with Venezuela and Cuba performing naval exercises together and with all the tragedy we’ve seen in Mumbai these last few weeks. Indeed, a rhodium ring seems rather trivial at this point.
Palani, at least we can agree that lawyers don’t create wealth… at least not when they are practicing law.
I don’t care what precious metal that ring is made of, or that it’s “diamond-encrusted.” $30,000.00 for that unattractive ring is a waste of money. To me, it looks like a man’s wedding band…not a ladies’ ring. Rhodium, schmodium. If someone were going to buy me a $30,000.00 ring, you can bet it would look like it cost that much…and there would be a sizeable, quality diamond attached to it!!
Wow, with that money I wonder
~how many animals could be spayed or neutered
~how many school tuition it would pay for
~vaccines could be given
~mosquito nets it could buy
~how much food that would buy for starving children
~wells could be dug
~HIV/AIDS treatments could be purchased
~children could be bought from slavery
So, “spread the wealth” ring probably just helped 2 maybe 3 people. Didn’t go very far.
If things are sooooo bad under the Bush Administration, then how did he afford the big house and the big ring?
Hypocrite in so many ways.
The moral to the story is that when you give a whopping 2% of your income to charity (averaged over the past 5 years), and you don’t send your half brother in Kenya a single soletary nickel, you have a lot of dough left over to buy bling-bling.
My collie says:
Exit question: Was fear a motivating factor?
Who knew Michelle was so catty?
A little OT, but I’m sorry, since when is J. Crew inexpensive? I mean, they don’t carry hand-made couture gowns, but that doesn’t mean that you can get a sweater there for less than $50. And that’s more than I can spend on a sweater right now…
Exit question: Was complete ignorance a contributing factor?
Did you really expect “hope and change” from the Hypocritical Husseins?
Which side was mocking the other for $150,000 in new clothes?
So let me get this straight… 150K for a candidate’s campaign clothing is pure evil, but 30K for a candidate’s wife to get designer bling is a heartfelt touching moment.
Riiiiiight.
This isn’t where my wealth was supposed to be spread… but I can definitely see how this is helping Michelle’s kids.
First off:
One would think she would be happy just with his accomplishment, but this suggests: YOU got to be $h!tting me!
I guess we know who has whose bag.
RAAAAACCCCCIIIISSSST!
I’m sure in the Urkel voters minds, the Wal-Mart worker deserved it just for working there.
Thugs. All of them!
I wonder how many Obama relatives could be properly housed for a year for half that? They guy in Kenya? His Aunt in the slums?
Lots of nitwits who are convinced they are entitled to a large part of my wage.
I wonder why the left hasn’t been clamoring for canceling the coronation because of this?
Hey Obama, Mr. Citizen of the world, didn’t you learn anything from your liberal Hollywood friends who did the movie, “Blood Diamond” of Africans being tortured and work in captivity and slavish conditions in mining those diamonds?! The nerve! What does Leo DiCaprio have to say about this?
I know a woman like that. She has four children and has demanded of her husband jewelry in pmt. for each one. Women like that disgust me.
Well no, at least not with his own money.
2,500 years…
But it’s only one year of high school at Sidwell Friends so it’s a good deal.
Hey buy your wife what you like – just stay way from our money.
I have cranked up my lgm artificial intelligence engine and this remark came out. “Sarah Palin wears jewelry.”
According to the ASM handbook:
Hell, if he was worried about corrosion he could have just spent $3.49 on a can of RustOleum.
MO could have came out a whole new color.
Pardon me, that was so RAAAAAACIST of me.
I couldn’t care less how President-Elect Obama spends his money. I’m much more concerned how he intends to spend mine.
I guess he lost the bet. Must have thought he couldn’t pull it off.
The story will be denounced. But it is believable because Ms Obama is so shallow. And blacks revel in it, and their white apologists do also. Because she is happy.
How cute.
He’s just trying to take the attention off her mug.
IMHO
But you didn’t complain when Paliin spent $250,000 of RNC money on clothes? Please, your absurd double standards make clear how absolutely contrived these kinds of posts are. You can’t just pretend this isn’t an outrageous double standard and hope no one will notice …
If McCain was elected and he decided to buy his wife that ring, there would be nothing else on the news, except “special reports” and “interviews” with every celebrity they could find, in order to condemn him.
Two words – Vera Baker!
Honestly, the phony outrage in this thread is ridiculous.
As a conservative capitalist I have to say if that’s how he wants to spend his money, I can’t fault him.
And keep in mind being a Dem candidate’s wife is pretty tough. You have to act like he’s the boss in the family, keep your mouth shut, and play the part of a devoted mom who had to take a 6-figure job to pay for your student loans and kids’ dance lessons and is happily walking away from it all without a second thought to put your family first.
It couldn’t have been easy to keep up that pretense for months on end.
Just imagine what he’d have to buy her if she had done all that and he lost…hehe
So Rhodium is the new Gold? Who knew.
How much you wanna bet Whacky Baracky is getting a kickback from people who hold big ol’ stockpiles of Rhodium, and are interested in promoting use of the metal for jewelry. Or maybe he’s just getting the ring for free.
‘Cause you just know the Obamabots are going to make this ugly-ass metal the next big thing. You can’t support The One unless you sport at least one item of jewelry that looks like it is made out of old lead pipes.
OK…NOW she’s proud of her country. The daughters should be miffed, all they got was a #$%&ing puppy.
That was my thought.
Joy, I’m with you. My husband got me some very tasteful small hoop earrings when I had our 2 year old, and he volunteers to wash the dishes now that we have our newborn (without nagging). It is shocking how some women demand so much of their husbands.
1. That ring is fugly.
2. Why was this story leaked? It is meaningless. If the man has the money and wants to buy that fugly ring for the woman he loves, more power to him.
I’m not nearly as worried about what they do with their own money as I am about what they want to do with mine.
Damn, that ring is ugly!!
I disagree with you MM on this one. What’s the big deal? So he is buying his wife a ring. Are we now going to play the have vs have nots game?
Instead of a ring thats a 10, I’m giving something that allows her to put 10 in the 10 ring. Thats what she wanted, a AR-15 with pink furniture to match her .38 Taurus revolver with pink grips.
If Michelle is getting aring that cost so much, then what kind of expensive present is Barack giving McCain for helping him win the Presidency? It must be something worth at least a million.
The “problem” is not that he bought his wife an expensive ring. If he has the money he is free to spend it on whatever he wants.
However, 1) it is something he should not flaunt. It is in poor taste for someone in his position to do. It is in a word; snobish.
Further, 2) It is a tough sell for him to get us to make sacrifices while he openly flaunts this gift.
He could have quietly bought the ring and she could have worn it with little or no fanfare. He brought this on himself. It shows ONCE AGAIN how woefully ill-prepared he is for this position.
P.S. Has anyone ever seen Obama show any humility on any occasion? I have not. That is probably the most disturbing personal trait that man has. People who are not huimble are or become arrogant. Arrogance is NOT a trait a leader should have, IMHO.
The ring looks a bit like the core in an electrical motor. Maybe she’s the Skynet to the Obamabots?
I’m certain he is familiar with the term. Recall: that we must show humility when dealing with terrorists. However, that’s about as far as it goes. Humility for thee…and all that jazz.
Omu,
I don’t believe people are really upset that Obama bought his wife a $30k ring. He can do what he likes. However, he categorizes people who make $200k or so as “rich” and wants to tax them more and “spread the wealth.” Consider this, before taxes, that ring he just bought his wife is worth over 25% of the income BEFORE TAXES of someone making $200k/year.
You’re accusing people on this site of double standards, but everyone is sticking to what we’ve said for months. We don’t care what people do w/their own money, we just want the same opportunity to spend our money freely and lavishly.
The point is, Obama has absolutely no credibility and continues to prove it on a daily basis. This is just proof positive of his inability to match up his personal beliefs with his so called political ideals.
He called McCain “out of touch” with America. Do you honestly believe that Americans are going out buying $30k rings? How out of touch is that? What could that $30k have done in local schools? He should be leading by example and donating that type of cash in Michelle’s name to charitable organizations, which is want he wants Americans to do.
Of course, we saw how out of touch Obama is when he appointed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.
Obama’s a joke.
I’ve always wondered how My Belle rationalized the white half of Barry Hussein?
After reading her thesis and hearing some of her ignorant remarks aimed at THE WHITE DEVILS here in the USA I think it is a valid question. Maybe its due to things like this ring? I’m just askin…..
Isn’t most Rhodium mined in South Africa?
I have no quarrel with BHO spending his money on a garish ring.
However, if it had been George W. Bush who’d bought the ring, the NY Times would have run a story above the fold on page one the next morning about the plight of South African miners.
That’s the double standard that makes me nuts.
If this is any indicator of Obama’s shopping ability, we’re all in trouble. I could pick up that piece for $8,000. What’s next? A $500 basketball hoop.
Do we guys really want to go there? While I too think an AR-15 with pink furniture is nice my wife’s Christmas, Birthday and Anniversary list always includes:
No diamond is too big or too gaudy”.
The Os are indeed elitist hypocrites-but Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend-I saw it in a movie. For a 10 in 10 she prefers a Smith & Wesson Model 10 and a LadySmith 36 when discretion counts.
It’ll probably give her a rash.
Rhodium? Why not Iridium or Plutonium?
Question: where did he get the money for that? Good grief, I don’t see how he can afford that on a Senator’s salary, or a President’s. I mean, first that sweet-heart deal on a house in Chicago, and now a pretty pricey piece of bling for Michelle. Makes you kinda wonder.
Thanks for linking the Dr. Helen article, Mrs. Malkin. This whole thing reminds me of the bumper sticker I saw on a new Land Rover the other day: “I’m not spoiled, my husband loves me.”
It’s stories like these that make me appreciate my wife all the more.
You would know ridiculous, your posts are the very definition.
You proved your point by pointing out Palin’s wardrobe while neglecting to mention the outfits would be sold to charity.
Speaking of charity, someone brought up the orphanage named after Obama that Obingo promised to take care of.
You also forget to mention officers at the DNC didn’t get paid for their overtime. I am sure the DNC agreed to pay it and left them hanging for $150,000.
So Obingo spends $30,000 on a RING and we are feeling a little too outraged? I am sure we are felling you are an idiot.
Hey, who’s gonna care? It’s bling!
Next comes 24″ rims on the executive limo.
sold AND THE BENEFITS GIVEN to charity.
UGH
Uh, where do you think he gets his paycheck? Never worked a job producing anything, providing honest services, etc.
The Audacity
of HopeYou ain’t seen nothing yet when it comes to the arrogance this woman will display while “First” Lady.
It might be a bit premature though… we can only hope.
Technically, BO has no job. He resigned from his Senate job. The Electoral College hasn’t convened yet. January 20th hasn’t arrived yet. And there is no “office of the president-elect”. Right now BO is just a book author. /sarc
It’s called “payola” where my wife is from, jangar.
On a thread yesterday, MM criticized a commenter for not reading the post he/she was commenting on. Now MM has shown the same reading power. She writes:
But nothing in what she posted says anything about Mrs. Obama wanting anything, let alone beign entitled. In fact, it says the future First Lady (First Lady Elect?) enjoys being frugal.
I agree with the others that it’s more important to me what Obama tries to do with my money, I don’t care about his (though most of it is probably taken from the citizens in the first place).
As for the ring, it is a beautifully designed ring and would be suitable for any man to wear. Key word “man”.
As for it’s makeup, Rhodium is fine to make a ring with, but who’s going to know it’s made of Rhodium unless you are showing it off and bragging about it? Most people would assume it was made of steel if they didn’t have the info to reference.
Rhodium
Rhodium, an odoriferous essential oil, obtained from the wood of a species of the Aspalathus, or African Broom; and which has received its name from the Island Of Rhodes, whence it is said to be imported.
Oil of Rhodium was formerly in great repute as an astringent and corroborant; but, at present, it is chiefly employed in perfuming pomatums; and forms an ingredient in rat-powders composed of poisonous substances; as these noxious vermin are uncommonly partial to the agreeable scent of the drug.
Source: http://chestofbooks.com/reference/The-Domestic-Encyclopaedia-Vol3/Rhodium.html
Purchasing items with money that is not yet made…just like Government.
Add that ring to the pile.
Whadya expect from a couple of Chicago thugs….dey doin wat dey all do!
Yes, there certainly is a strong “ewww” sleaziness factor in this. Besides that, Obama could have saved taxpayers $29,980 if he had just left $20 on the dresser on his way out instead.
It’s the Kobe Bryant Syndrome!
He’s just paying her off for the affair he’s been having with Hillary! (gag! retch! hurl!)
Kare11.com got it wrong – Rhodium is currently at $760 per ounce, not $7600. I would imagine the bulk of the cost of that ring is the diamonds.
And yes I double checked, the spot price is for 1 ounce, not 1/10 ounce.
But, I agree, for someone who was a community activist for the poor and underprivileged, this seems a little excessive.
Relax folks, this is only one in a long list of trends to come. We’ll have at least 4 years (not counting the two we’ve already endured…thank you Oprah) of spectacle after spectacle to comment on.
To answer the questions posed above…
1. Yeah, I remember that. If a guy had said that he would’ve gotten SLAMMED, and justifiably.
2. I don’t think it has anything whatsoever to do with the Wal-Mart stampede. If Sen. Obama has the money and the desire to purchase the ring, who are we to question it? This IS still America, after all.
3. So, all purchases over a certain dollar amount should stop until the tough economic times have passed? That will help the economy! Also, who sets the dollar amount on the “inappropriate purchase in tough economic times”-ometer?
4. I don’t see anything here about Michelle Obama feeling entitled to receive this lavish present (I have done no reading outside this post about this topic). Sounds to me like the president-elect just wanted to thank her. I have no problem with this. If there were a feeling of entitlement it’s selfish on her part, but it’s also none of my freakin’ business.
5. Not long, I’m sure. I have no idea what race has to do with this, but it’s ALWAYS only a matter of time before that card gets played by someone.
Quite frankly, I’m a little disappointed in Michelle here. This is the sort of thing for which we get annoyed with liberals. Who really cares if Barack Obama bought his wife a ring? I don’t. Can we get substantive again, please?
This has nothing to do with anything political. This has nothing to do with current events. This has nothing to do with anything except a guy buying his wife a ring.
Should be a cigar band ring, but that might be too Clintonesque…
So why does it manage to make news?
Hey purple. You must be really old. I think inflation would make that $200.
You do realize that the “guy” who made this an international news story is the presumptive President-elect of the United States and self-proclaimed champion of the poverty-stricken, no?
I have no idea. Welcome to celebrity-obsession in America. I didn’t report it. I just never thought it would invade MM.com. That’s what consumers want these days, I guess, but I don’t think that’s true among MM.com readers.
A chicken in every pot! A ring on every finger!
I don’t except that it exposes his hypocracy. shurg, good for a chuckle and thats about it.
I stand firm on the $20. Afterall we are talkin’ Michelle Obama here, not a trophy supermodel.
Yes, I had heard that. That news did in fact reach the remote area of the DC suburb that I live in.
The point is: WHO CARES?
Oh yeah and mrs malkin is rrrrraccciiissttt or something like that for some vague reason. This story will disappear in about 1 news cycle.
Meanwhile, Colorado State Police do not get paid for services rendered during the DNC. Who else will get stiffed?
Exactly! What makes this news is, it isn’t just a guy buying his wife a ring. If it was, it wouldn’t be from someone who rushes to get his mug and that of his wife’s on every publication out there touting every movement he makes including his “work-outs” (give me a break). He and his wife are simply about the “bling” and the power it represents (in a thugish sort of way). I doubt anyone cares about the act of buying your wife a gift. But it’s the hypocrosy of it all. D’ohbama is a hypocrite to the core, and it’s evident in every public display he makes.
…and if the peasants don’t have rhodium rings encrusted with diamonds, then let them have plastic rings encrusted with cubic zirconium…
jangar said (#77):
You are making it up, as usual. Obama is well off, as conservatives reminded us during the campaign (though not as well off as McCain, but that’s another story). He wrote two books that have been on the bestseller list for years.
Your right. Make that $1.25.
Which is why this is only mildly amusing to me.
This is a new trend I see in politics. You get your
sheepsupporters to pay for the propoganda instead of having to pay for it yourself. You even make money off of it.I have never heard of Rhodium before.
While that sets her apart from us, and what I am about to say doesn’t in any way negate the post … that’s nothing compared to what the celebrities parade around with … hello? Remember J-Lo’s pink diamond that cost around 1.2 million?