Obama Date Night: Paris, June 6, 2009

Last Saturday, Obama date night took place in New York, and included dinner and a Broadway play.

This Saturday, Obama date night took place in Paris.

The New York date involved three planes to jet the Obamas and aides and the press to the city. It was quite a costly production, though the White House won't release the precise cost to taxpayers.

Naturally, the Paris date was dramatically more costly. However, Obama was already on the road, and Michelle joined him in France to commemorate D-Day. Daughters Malia and Sasha and Michelle's mother also made the trip to do some sight-seeing.

After that bit of D-Day business was over, the Obamas were free to enjoy Paris.

From the Associated Press:

Ah, Paris. The city of love. And the city of this week's presidential date night.

A week after flying to New York for dinner and a Broadway show, President Barack Obama and first lady, Michelle, dined at a cozy neighborhood bistro just a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower.

...La Fontaine de Mars dates back to 1908 and specializes in rustic dishes from France's southwest region of Bordeaux Perigord and the Basque. Foie gras, duck and cassoulet are on the menu, although the White House has not said what the president and first lady chose.

The Obamas shared the restaurant with other diners, and other restaurants on the winding Rue St. Dominique were filled. Police, some in riot gear, lined the street. Crowds pressed behind barriers at the end of the street to glimpse the first couple, and about 100 people gathered there burst into applause as the Obamas left the restaurant. Clusters of people at street corners held up cell phones and cameras to snap pictures.

After dinner and a ride along the quai on the Left Bank of the Seine River, the Obamas returned to the U.S. ambassador's residence, where daughters Sasha and Malia awaited them.

Earlier in the day, Sasha and Malia joined their parents on a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral, where a children's choir sang and the president lit a candle. They climbed the stairs for a view of the city from the roof of the 12th century Gothic church. The cathedral was closed to the public during the first family's visit.

I wonder why Obama lit a candle.

I wonder who suggested that Obama do it. Did he say a prayer or was it an empty gesture, just something to tell reporters?

Closing the cathedral to the public during their visit seems like a dramatic step. Perhaps it was closed to avoid a circus atmosphere in such a holy place.

The restaurant the Obamas chose for their date night dinner wasn't closed to other diners. It doesn't seem that security was the issue for closing Notre Dame, not if they later were sitting eating dinner in an open public place.

Maybe the other diners were all Secret Service or other security types, making it look as if the Obamas didn't shut down an entire restaurant for their date.

Who knows?

It would be tough for me to experience the emotion of the D-Day ceremonies and then switch gears to trot around Paris for personal pleasure just hours later.

It's similar to Obama's Memorial Day golf game.

When he was done with his solemn duties, it was time for fun. The same thing happened in this case.

Obama justified the New York date night as keeping a promise he made to his wife during the campaign -- a Broadway play.

Did Obama promise Michelle dinner in Paris, too?

I'm sick of these date nights. They're cheesy photo ops. They're so staged.

The Obamas really seem out of touch with the American people. I think prancing around like royalty is sending the wrong message.

It was less than a week ago that Obama was delivering the bad news about the auto industry.

But I want to be honest with you. Building a leaner GM will come at a cost. It will take a painful toll on many Americans who have relied on General Motors throughout the generations. So I want to say a word directly to all the men and women watching today, wondering what all of this will mean as far as their own lives are concerned.

I know you've already seen more than your fair share of hard times. We saw 400,000 jobs lost in the auto industry in the year before this restructuring even began. I will not pretend the hard times are over. Difficult days lie ahead. More jobs will be lost. More plants will close. More dealerships will shut their doors, and so will many parts suppliers.

But I want you to know that what you're doing is making a sacrifice for the next generation -- a sacrifice you may not have chose to make, but a sacrifice you were nevertheless called to make so that your children and all of our children can grow up in an America that still makes things; that still builds cars; that still strives for a better future.

As our autoworkers and auto communities pass through these difficult times, we, as a nation, must do our part.

Obama keeps saying we have to sacrifice. He warns that there will be a good deal of suffering.

I don't see him making sacrifices. I see Obama flaunting his status.

What sacrifice is Obama making for the next generation?
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The lib media (aka "state-run media") are drooling over the Obamas' Paris photo ops.

No surprise there.

"President Obama now onboard Air Force One, heading home after his trip to the Middle East and Europe. The 4-day visit was marked by big speeches and solemn events, but it ended with a little unscripted playtime."

UNSCRIPTED PLAYTIME?

Give me a break.

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