THE EMBARRASSMENT, THE ANGUISH – AT 9:53 A.M. ET:  Amazing what a little pull can do.  The nation of Spain, not always regarded as a multicultural paradise, has just been cleansed by our State Department, to avoid a bit of awkwardness.  From London's Daily Mail:

The Obama administration faced an embarrassing diplomatic blunder today after it was forced to pull a warning about racism in Spain - just as the First Lady arrived in the country for a summer holiday.

Staff at the U.S. State Department removed the contentious advice to travellers, which included the phrase 'racist prejudices could lead to the arrest of Afro-Americans who travel to Spain,' on Monday.

Yeah, I could see where that would be embarrassing.  Also true.

The First Lady landed in the Costa del Sol this morning for a break with her youngest daughter Sasha, nine.

She is on a four-day visit and will be staying at the five-star Villa Padierna, rated as one of the world's top 30 hotels, with 40 friends. The party has reserved 60 rooms.

This has raised many eyebrows here.  The Obamas are taking many vacations.  We don't begrudge the first lady anything, but I wonder what the taxpayer tab for this will be.  I hope we learn that the trip is privately funded, but I doubt that it is.

But Mrs Obama's trip now risks being overshadowed by a row about institutionalised racism.
The State Department advice sat alongside information about ETA and Islamist terrorist attacks in the country.

Please note that Prime Minister Zapatero of Spain takes special pleasure in lecturing the United States.  Maybe some of this publicity will silence him, if only for a few moments.

She and Sasha were then transported by car to the seaside resort of Marbella.

Flags welcoming the Obama family were waving in the breeze as Marbella - often associated with reality TV and gangsters - geared up for their arrival.

Look, Michelle is from Chicago.  Gangsters?  In Chicago they call them neighbors...or judges.

COMMENT:  The appearances here are frankly less than ideal.  In a time of deep economic recession, the sight of the first lady on such a gala romp will ruffle feathers.  Feathers are attached to bodies that vote.

August 4, 2010