Daily French Roast

Anne is reading …

We are loathe to criticize First Lady Michelle Obama in any way but now she has us pretty confused about her portrayal in Jodi Kantor’s new book ‘The Obamas’. From everything that we have read in reviews (not having read the book yet), Michelle Obama emerges as a strong, smart, devoted-wife woman with an independent spirit and a whole lotta smarts.

For the First Lady to reintroduce the subject of her being portrayed as an angry black woman, wasn’t appropriate from all we’ve read. Speaking of FOX News and Rush Limbaugh, ‘yes’ this characterization continues to ring true. About Jodi Kantor’s new book — we don’t think Mrs. Obama should have played the race card.

The country adores Michelle Obama for the most part, with strong supporters far exceeding detractors or people who judge her by her skin color. We regret that she chose to reintroduce this theme into her comments on CBS News with Gayle King.

The New Yorker writes that Jodi Kantor produced six high-level witness who confirmed Robert Gibbs’ fury over a moment with Valerie Jarrett concerning the First Lady’s alleged remarks about living in the White House, quickly retracted by the French government. They agree verbatim with Gibbs’ words, and it only confirms what we already know about the boys club.

The White House news this week is the necessity of protecting Vice President Joe Biden’s ego and not discussing whether Hillary Clinton has a better chance of guaranteeing President Obama’s 2012 win for a second term. American women can lose our right to contraception but Joe’s ego will remain protected.

Nancy Regan and Hillary Clinton, along with Eleanor Roosevelt — to name three strong women — proceeded Michelle Obama in being forceful, articulate First Ladies. Yes, Nancy Regan wouldn’t comment on her husband’s morning breath, but Michelle is her own person. The First Lady has been a great success to most Americans, if somewhat disappointing to those of us who support her moral compass and goals for the country and want even stronger leadership from her on women’s issues.

Playing the race card is regrettable at this moment in our national turmoil. Anne

More DFR

Quilts and Cuisine

Natalie Chanin is devoted to preserving the textile traditions of Florence, Ala. with her clothing line Alabama Chanin. Now the designer has turned her attention to the Southern Foodways Alliance, equally committed to preserving the culinary traditions of the American South through the Southern Foodways Alliance.

SFA is holding a silent auction with Blackberry Farm at the University of Mississippi’s annual Taste of the South gathering. via T Magazine

More on Alabama Chanin

J’Adore: Alabama Chanin’s “Slow Design”

Unanimous Supreme Court Decision

Conservative religious groups have long predicted that church freedom would perish at the hands of “activist judges.” But the Supreme Court’s new exemption of religious groups from discrimination laws should silence the false alarms, writes The Daily Beast.

All nine judges sided with The Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Luther School in Pennsylvania, confirming that churches have the right to discriminate in hiring.

Alcohol and Endorphins

For the first time, scientists have actually confirmed that drinking alcohol leads to the release of endorphins in areas of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward, making people feel good. via Science Daily