On Monday, correspondent Richard Roth gave a glowing report on President and Michelle Obama in Paris: "The big tourist treat in Paris this weekend was for the tourists treated to a sight of the Obamas driving by. For the President and First Lady, the treat may have been a European reprise of their date night in New York a week ago."
Reporting for the Early Show, Roth also emphasized the idea that no one in Paris was "inconvenienced" by the Obamas’ visit: "Other tourists at the Eiffel Tower Friday night were surprised when the First Lady and the Obama girls turned up, but not much inconvenienced...And no whining, at least certainly not in public, though what's to complain about when the Pompidou Center’s been opened, especially for a presidential family viewing of modern art and the day's capped with a bit of shopping at a Left Bank children's boutique."
Following Roth’s report, fill-in co-host Debbye Turner Bell showed how impressed she was with the President’s romantic getaway, remarking: "My husband’s got a lot of explaining to do." Co-host Russ Mitchell jokingly added: "If you’re a guy and your name is not Barack Obama, this is not good news. There’s nothing good about this." Bell agreed: "The bar has been raised." Later, weatherman Dave Price concluded: "No, you know what? I think it's great. I said it before. You know, whether it would be President Bush or another president, I think it's great. You know, you try and have some semblance of a – of a relationship or a family life."
Last week, the Early Show hosts similarly fawned over the Obamas’ having a date night in New York City, while excusing the cost to taxpayers. At that time, Price commented: "No, I mean – no, he's the president. They – he has to have security. That's how he has to travel. And you know what? He's entitled to have a night with his wife."
Here is the full transcript of the Monday segment:
7:13AM TEASE:
DEBBYE TURNER BELL: And the Obamas take on the city of lights. We'll show you where they headed on their latest date night in Paris.
7:24AM TEASE:
HARRY SMITH: Also coming up this morning, we're going to talk about date night, Americans in Paris. The Obamas on a mini holiday.
7:30AM TEASE:
BELL: Also, from New York to Paris, the Obamas take date night overseas and over the top. We'll tell you about their latest night out.
7:36AM TEASE:
BELL: I had a date night last night with my husband. We went to the crab house. But the Obamas went to Paris.
SMITH: The Obamas weren’t at the crab house?
BELL: Go figure.
DAVE PRICE: But you had all you can eat. They didn't.
BELL: I had fun until I heard about this. The Obamas mixing politics and romance in the city of lights.
7:39AM SEGMENT:
DEBBYE TURNER BELL: Ah, romance is always in the air in gay Paris. So the Obamas decided to keep the fires burning by going on another date night. CBS News correspondent Richard Roth is in Paris with more. Richard, good morning.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Another Date Night For The Obamas, First New York, Now Paris]
RICHARD ROTH: Good morning. Well, here's the situation. You've got an opportunity for a weekend family getaway to Paris in the springtime, before the weather turns foul. But there's a lot to squeeze into a very short period of time. So it becomes a trip that demands a few small adjustments. Other tourists at the Eiffel Tower Friday night were surprised when the First Lady and the Obama girls turned up, but not much inconvenienced. By the time the VIP motorcade showed up at Notre Dame cathedral the next day, though, the place had been mostly cleared of crowds. The first family lit a candle, listened to a children's choir and waved from a distance. The big tourist treat in Paris this weekend was for the tourists treated to a sight of the Obamas driving by. For the President and First Lady, the treat may have been a European reprise of their date night in New York a week ago. Here it was an almost quiet dinner at a typical Paris bistro. ‘Lamb and beef for the first couple,’ the waiter said. And to drink, ‘just water,’ he made a point of adding, ‘no wine.’ And no whining, at least certainly not in public, though what's to complain about when the Pompidou Center’s been opened, especially for a presidential family viewing of modern art and the day's capped with a bit of shopping at a Left Bank children's boutique. Did I leave out lunch? That sounded like more of a dress-up affair at Ellysee Palace with President Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni. But President Obama had already left, he was flying back to Washington, in time for a Sunday round of golf. How was your weekend, Debbye?
[LAUGHTER]
BELL: I'm trying not to cry anymore. My husband’s got a lot of explaining to do. Richard Roth on rough duty in Paris. Thanks, Richard.
RUSS MITCHELL: If you’re a guy and your name is not Barack Obama, this is not good news. There’s nothing good about this.
BELL: The bar has been raised. Where’d you take your wife on the last date night?
MITCHELL: Oh gosh, we went to Sizzler, I think.
[LAUGHTER]
MITCHELL: I’m just kidding.
DAVE PRICE: You know what? I like – I like Sizzler, although they’re closing the one on Queens Boulevard.
BELL: This might explain why you’re not married.
PRICE: Probably so, probably so. But ladies, that's what you could have to look forward.
BELL: A foreign language needs to be included in date night-
DAVE PRICE: No, you know what? I think it's great. I said it before. You know, whether it would be President Bush or another president, I think it's great. You know, you try and have some semblance of a – of a relationship or a family life. And I am – I am-
BELL: Are you incredulous, Harry?
PRICE: I am the one who can give advice.
SMITH: That’s right, because he's the authority.
MITCHELL: I know. Wow. Take notes.
—Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.




















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Comments Policy
When can we expect to see BHO and Michelle....
June 9, 2009 - 15:02 ET by Prester John....walking hand-in-hand down the streets of Teheran?
Will Michelle be culturally sensitive and wear a burqa or will she be the Ugly American and show her bare arms?
Will BHO be hailed by the masses as the Twelfth Imam?
Obama freaks out in the street
June 9, 2009 - 14:19 ET by Paul AtreidesObama freaks out in the street
Handing tickets out for their god
I say we should permanently
June 9, 2009 - 14:30 ET by mattmI say we should permanently install Obama as national celebrity of state, send him all over the world to tell everyone how much better their counties are than the U.S.
Meanwhile, we'll have a new election to give us a real president and a congress that will actually represent the people, not just the power-hungry Left.
Then, the idol-worshippers can have their idols and the people can have their government back.
Erstaz Euphoria
June 9, 2009 - 15:20 ET by allanfIf these kinds of reports don't wear thin with the American people very soon, we just may have a new El Presidente for life.
I cannot even fathom how Roth, Chip Reid and their associates can turn out this drivel without being ashamed.
Ah, let 'em eat
June 9, 2009 - 14:43 ET by fitzfongAh, let 'em eat cake.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
WTF is going on here?
June 9, 2009 - 14:45 ET by SickofLibsSo he gets two 'date night' extravaganzas in as many weeks, and he jets home from Paris - TO PLAY GOLF???
All over this country people (those not already laid off outright) are putting in extra hours, working weekends, taking second jobs, working their asses off to make ends meet, and this arrogant SOB gets lauded and romanticized for having the work ethic of a lazy 16-yr-old or Paris Hilton?
WTF is going on here? The USA is crumbling and this is no time for jerking around. Buckle down and do the job you were "elected" to do - he should be working 120 hours a week, not 40.
And I could elaborate on why Dave Price is not married, but it ain't got nothing to do with Sizzler. I'll leave that for another time.
Bush is a devoted family
June 9, 2009 - 14:58 ET by suzycreamcheeseBush is a devoted family man with a solid marriage that survived some turbulent early times. I don't remember any journalist or reporter gushing over their close relationship or the special bond he has with his two girls.
And my husband could wine and dine me in the same show-offy fashion if he were a millionaire. Give me a break. They've got lackeys to answer their phones, wash their clothes, shop for them, cook their meals. WTF do they need an expensive getaway from?
Suzy: Obama mistakenly
June 9, 2009 - 15:27 ET by SickofLibsSuzy: Obama mistakenly thought he was elected to be Louis XVI, so now that he puts in 30-40 hours a week, naturally he believes he's got these lavish getaways coming to him regardless of what's going on in the real world.
Apparently he put in around 20 hours a week [sporadically] while in the Senate, so this new part-time Messiah job is understandably quite a shock to his delicate constitution.
And Bush 1 had been married for 44 years when he took office. But that was an un-noteworthy love story.
So he gets two 'date
June 9, 2009 - 15:28 ET by motherbeltSo he gets two 'date night' extravaganzas in as many weeks, and he jets home from Paris - TO PLAY GOLF???
And don't forget, this is right after he said that he didn't have time for such luxuries!!
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
And let us not forget...
June 9, 2009 - 15:40 ET by Prester John....the rush to get the stimulus package passed because the country couldn't wait for our Congresscritters to read it and when they did pass it it sat on BHO's desk for 3 days while he took Michelle to Chicago for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner at Table-Fifty Two.
Give me a freakin' break
June 9, 2009 - 14:57 ET by bigtimerGive me a freakin' break here you leftist messiah lovin' lemming talking empty-heads...this isn't costing the One a dime, the TAX-Payers are paying for this excursion...
Wake up you slobbering, drooling idiots!
Lord I wished they would just shut the hell up..they are making bigger fools of themselves than they already are.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
If Bush had done stupid crap like this...
June 9, 2009 - 14:59 ET by R D Helm...the SCM would be having a collective conniption over it.
I am currently busting my a$$ 24/7 trying to find a job-at this point, ANY job, but the employment market here is crumbling rapidly, and our goober-cheese, incompetent boob of a fmr. community agitator of a "president" is flying all over and partying like its 2999, when he isn't busy sending our economy into the sh*tter.
I am about sick of this clown.
-Dave
Obama's health care "reform" plan is to blow up the building in order to fix a leak in the roof-Herman Cain
Well good luck Dave
June 9, 2009 - 19:51 ET by general companyHope you find something soon
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Thanks, gc.
June 11, 2009 - 23:13 ET by R D HelmIts ugly out there, and getting worse every day.
-Dave
Obama's health care "reform" plan is to blow up the building in order to fix a leak in the roof-Herman Cain
reagan tells obamma to shut up
June 9, 2009 - 15:30 ET by kangaroojust saw this thought you guys might get a laugh, goes for 15 secs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e6l_qh0Y2Q
kroo... I did get a kick
June 9, 2009 - 15:38 ET by bigtimerkroo...
I did get a kick out of it...and am still chuckling here.
I'm passing that on to others who I know will get more than a kick out of it!
Thanks
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
hey bigtimer your
June 9, 2009 - 15:52 ET by kangaroohey bigtimer
your welcome, thanks for the help last night
You're welcome
June 9, 2009 - 15:54 ET by bigtimerkroo...
No problem.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Duh One does give the
June 9, 2009 - 15:36 ET by Dan The Man 2Duh One does give the impression that he does not work much and plays a lot. But he is playing at being President and I imagine some work is getting done, but I wonder how much? I don't remember the media gushing over President Bush this way or him having many if any special date nights.
President Bush did golf and he did ride bikes and cleared brush from his land. Bush did have his time and remember he read books, lots of books.
I think the media is reporting in such a gushing fashion that it just seems overdone. Perhaps we should be happy Duh One isn't working to screw things up even more?
To be fair, the Prez clears
June 9, 2009 - 15:59 ET by SickofLibsTo be fair, the Prez clears brush in his free time, too...
I'm not gonna say from who or from where.
Clearing Brush
June 9, 2009 - 18:45 ET by slickwillie2001Are you referring to him shaving his own chest? That's real manly work, no?
Another date night...how sweet!
June 9, 2009 - 17:44 ET by Kat Outta the BagBut shouldn't he be back here in the U.S. running the country into the ground or something?
Reporting for the Early
June 9, 2009 - 18:35 ET by Jack BauerSure. Only the American taxpayer was inconvenienced at another jaunt at their expense. Is this glutinous hypocrite ever OFF Airforce One?
Let's see.
Barf bag (again). The
June 9, 2009 - 19:36 ET by Radical1979Barf bag (again). The media's response to Obama is making me anorexic.
Paris, and now Picasso sketches missing!
June 9, 2009 - 21:38 ET by PawpawNI find it very ironic that a PICASSO SKETCHBOOK is now missing in PARIS after the OBAMA ENTOURAGE was just there!! Is it just me or does anyone else think we should check their socks, shoes, pants, etc!! Can we say SANDY BUGLAR!! PawpawN
Another friggin' Obama date
June 10, 2009 - 01:20 ET by RR GOPAnother friggin' Obama date night???
How fondly I remember the days when the MSM reported on the fact that Ron and Nancy liked to hold hands.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).
Get Used To It
June 10, 2009 - 15:24 ET by slickwillie2001Let's get used to this folks. It will probably be happening every two weeks or so. M'chell works so hard at what she does that she needs to get away from it all now and then. (What does she do?) Something tells me that she is extremely high-maintenance.
I find ginger is a good herbal cure for nausea.