First lady taking heat for vacation to Spain

WASHINGTON – It sounded simple enough: a mother-daughter getaway during the dogs days of August.

But it’s not so simple when Mom is the first lady of the United States. And the trip is to a luxury resort on Spain’s Costa del Sol. During tough economic times at home.

Michelle Obama’s five-day trip to the south of Spain with daughter Sasha touched off a mini-firestorm stoked by questions about the wisdom of such a glamorous trip and over-the-top speculation about who was footing the bill and how many friends were along for the ride.

Suddenly, the popular first lady was being compared to Marie Antoinette and labeled a “material girl” sponging off taxpayers.

A day after her Air Force plane returned home, the White House and its defenders still were trying to tamp down the flames Monday.

Obama aides scurried to fact-check over-the-top speculation about trip: The first lady traveled with a “minimal” number of friends, not 40, though no exact number was given. The friends got to Spain on their own, not flying on government aircraft. Michelle Obama and her friends paid for their own meals and hotel rooms. She did not attend a fancy gala. And so on.

But the first lady does travel with Secret Service protection – at taxpayer expense, cost unannounced – and the expense of flying her military jet to Europe and back must have been considerable. Her entourage did book 60 rooms at one posh hotel, where the average room price is about $660, and claimed more rooms elsewhere. And police did shut down a 100-meter section of Mediterranean beach for the Obamas during a Friday visit to Estepona.

In a time of nearly double-digit unemployment and economic uncertainty, that sounded more than a little off-key to many in the U.S.

And although the White House seemed blindsided by the criticism, perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise.

“Obviously, this was a risk,” said Anita McBride, who served as chief of staff to former first lady Laura Bush. “The more expensive a trip, the more criticism it invites. And yet that has to be balanced against the fact that the first lady, like anybody else, is in need of a vacation and a change of scenery.”

Longtime presidential friend Marty Nesbitt said in an interview that the idea for the trip originated with his wife, Anita Blanchard. Blanchard, a doctor who delivered both of the Obamas’ daughters, suggested that Michelle Obama and Sasha accompany her and her daughters on a trip to Spain. Another Obama friend joined the two women, he said.

Noting that his wife’s father had recently died, he said, “They’re good friends and that’s a tough time.” He added, “When someone delivers your children, that’s kind of an important bond, I think.”

White House adviser David Axelrod said Monday on CNN, “Yes, she is the first lady of the United States. She’s also a mom. She wanted to take her daughter on a trip. They went with some friends of the family to celebrate another little girl’s birthday. There aren’t all that many places to go where you get privacy. Wherever you go, security is going to come, not because she asked for it, but because that is a nature of her – of her position in life.”

While in Spain, Michelle Obama and her daughter also paid an official visit to King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia. And the first lady kept up on issues back home, issuing a statement praising congressional approval of child nutrition legislation.

Democrats said any criticism of her personal travels was out of bounds.

“It’s wrong to talk about the first lady’s family vacation as a politician,” Democratic Party Chairman Tim Kaine said Monday on NBC’s “Today” show. “She’s a mom.”

For the most part, Michelle Obama has managed to avoid controversy during her time as first lady, sticking to a handful of relatively safe issues such as fighting childhood obesity, helping military families and promoting national service and mentoring.