Agreed. But these people are not humanitarians.
Is money being made by selling books or by being paid for speeches and appearances any better? I’d prefer those over the Trumpian way of course but all are using the White House as a means to make money.
Proceeds from first lady efforts like these (while husbands are in office) typically go to foundations or charities. I will bet the farm none of Melania’s gains go anywhere but into Trump’s bank accounts.
Unfortunately that’s the whole idea with lawsuits like this. They pick unsympathetic defendants to bankrupt and send warning shots to other journalists that if they step out of line they can and will be punished.
Championing the public health and well-being is a humanitarian goal. That Barack wrote a book doesn’t lessen the work of his wife.
Michelle and Melanie are not serving equivalent roles in the administration and I don’t get the attempts at equivocation.
I am not trying to equivocate the two. I am just saying that people (first ladys) use the White House for gain. Perhaps where I am failing to communicate is that there is a difference in personal gain for greed and gain for more honorable deeds. Melania is milking or trying to milk the position for greed.
Still morning here… 
Owls kept me up last night.
During the Gawker case:
Journos: “Guys, this isn’t okay, this is pretty fucked. If they succeed they will not stop here. They’ll see this as carte blanche to attack the press. We have to do something about this. We have to defend the press against this shit, even if it’s the sections of the press we’re not so fond of.”
Internet people: “Lol you’re fucking dumb, fuck Gawker, Peter Thiel did nothing wrong, they’ll never do it to anyone else, it’s just because it’s Gawker”
After the case, when they start using the same strategy on other outlets:
Internet people: “OH GOD how could we possibly have known?! How could they do this?! If only someone could have seen this coming!”
Journalists: “…”
On top of that, could you imagine what Fox News would be saying about Michele Obama if she was a plaintiff here?
If I had Trump money (assuming Trump has Trump money) the last thing I’d be doing is creating additional businesses and work for myself. Enjoy life!!!
I can’t imagine he enjoys anything directly versus seeing someone else suffer to get his rocks off.
He doesn’t enjoy “money” so much as having more than his enemies.
Thank you!
I still think that it’s an activity that should be discouraged.
Going to war in Iraq, for example… I don’t think it was the best idea ever.
The Presidential pension was established because Harry S. Truman didn’t have a lot of money. It’s when the whole writing books and making appearances thing took off – he wouldn’t have had an income otherwise.
I’m not sure what exactly you expect a former president to do with themselves after they finish their term(s). Dedicate themselves to poverty and obscurity? Shouldn’t they be sharing their expertise – say, through a publication anyone can buy or borrow from a library?
As for using the White House as a platform – if they made it to president, they already had a platform. The platform continues in the White House and then continues after.
I’d find being a decorative piece of furniture torture, yes.
A gold cage is still a cage.
What I’m saying.
Plus, that is one of the ugliest cages I can imagine.
It’s a question of what’s an honorable and conflict free way for a first lady to use the WH for profit while in office. Melania (Mr Trump) is taking a low litigious road to help secure profiteering of the WH. Trump wants her to be the WH Cover Girl and open doors to personal business opportunities. I think that we’d agree the WH should not be used in that fashion. Hopefully she’s tainted enough already that she’s dead in the water before she starts.
Presidents and first lady’s can do whatever they want for personal profit after leaving office in my opinion. It is my hope that whatever it is it is for good.
Uggggggh
It would be lovely, as, just like Trump, the Mail attacks judges if it doesn’t like the result.
But if only The Sun could attract such a high profile and loaded enemy it would be even better.
What I really want is a repeat of McLibel, but this time with all of them ending up spending vast amounts of money on lawyers and getting lots of negative publicity so that, no matter what the verdict, they all lose.
A Jarndyce and Jarndyce outcome could be good, true.
No, as it is being filed in New York and is against Mail on Line - the tabloid’s international presence which is therefore doing business in the US where it serves up adverts.
It would be interesting if a case was brought in England, as I suspect (IANAL) that a judge would not respond well to the language of the plaintiff. Also, English courts tend not to award absurd sums for libel, but they are one of the most expensive places in the world in which to pursue civil suits of this kind. It tends to be a lose/lose situation.
And it’s your attempt to conflate any WH income during and after with Trump’s grift that gets this response.
They are not the same, and it is not helpful to discount any helpful policy endorsements of the First Lady, whether it be nutrition or education because Trump’s office is uniquely fucking terrible.
This untrue. Also untrue White House renamed tisyacha shestsot Putinskii Prospyekt.
Izvestiya confirms.
Edit: Correction. White House now branch office of FSB, not Kremlin. Also renamed 1 Beria Ulitsa after Soviet-era hero who did so much to investigate attempts at immigration by terrorists.
