How the Obamas Managed To Scrape By

[autigeremt 6,716]

Typical, typical, typical........

Left leaners deflecting truth with babbling. Just another day in America

[RunInRed 16,492]

I remember a quote from Obama where he said at one point they were paying more in student loan payments than their mortgage.

When all is said and done...neither of these two came from money and both seemed to work their way up through hard work, education, and more hard work. Sounds a bit like the American dream to me...

[BamaGrad03 0]

I remember a quote from Obama where he said at one point they were paying more in student loan payments than their mortgage.

When all is said and done...neither of these two came from money and both seemed to work their way up through hard work, education, and more hard work. Sounds a bit like the American dream to me...

When you go to Harvard law and columbia undergrad...YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A HIGH STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT.

But your salary post graduation is also commensurate with your high priced education. They didn't HAVE to go to a school that costs 50k/year. That's another thing I find hilarious. They are trying to relate to the average American...and compare their student loan situation to the average....what a joke.

I spent 5 years at Bama, and got tons of student loans. Loans well in excess of my tuition that I lived off of. My student loan payment is 500 a month. A far cry from my mortgage payment.

Going to Columbia and Harvard law is a choice. Spare me the pity party.

His wife went to Princeton undergrad and Harvard Law.

[RunInRed 16,492]

So now you are blaming them for wanting to go to the best schools the country has to offer? No one is throwing a pity party for any one. But I do find it humorous that the Obama haters want to use his earnings now as a way to take a shot at him.

Quick recap: Obama grew up with very little and was raised by a single parent mother. His mother and grandparents gave him love, an education and "hope" ... and he's made the most of it... what a terrible thing! ::sigh::

Of course this contrast to most of our politicians who "were born on third base and think they hit a triple"

[BamaGrad03 0]

So now you are blaming them for wanting to go to the best schools the country has to offer? No one is throwing a pity party for any one. But I do find it humorous that the Obama haters want to use his earnings now as a way to take a shot at him.

Quick recap: Obama grew up with very little and was raised by a single parent mother. His mother and grandparents gave him love, an education and "hope" ... and he's made the most of it... what a terrible thing! ::sigh::

Of course this contrast to most of our politicians who "were born on third base and think they hit a triple"

I'm not blaming them for getting an education. I'm blaming them for seeking the BEST IN THE WORLD...then trying to use those incurred costs as a way to "relate" to the everyday guy who makes 30k a year.

And then leave out the fact that while paying for their 500k in student loan debt...they were also dragging back 250k a year...and now are millionaires.

I don't care if you're rich. Just don't try to speak of your "plight" when your kids are in private school and you went to Harvard.

[AUTiger1 0]

So now you are blaming them for wanting to go to the best schools the country has to offer? No one is throwing a pity party for any one. But I do find it humorous that the Obama haters want to use his earnings now as a way to take a shot at him.

Quick recap: Obama grew up with very little and was raised by a single parent mother. His mother and grandparents gave him love, an education and "hope" ... and he's made the most of it... what a terrible thing! ::sigh::

Of course this contrast to most of our politicians who "were born on third base and think they hit a triple"

No, I don't think that is what anyone is doing. Personally I am saying that it was stupid of her to say that they were spending 1/3 of those peoples incomes on dance lessons and piano lessons for their kids when they were knocking down $250,000+ a year and her trying to connect with them by saying they were struggling. If they were struggling so bad that their college loans were more than their mortgage then why in the heck were they sending there kids to piano and dance lessons?

I have more reasons that him "struggling" with his earnings, to take shots at him.

[bojack34 2]

I feel so bad for Obama that I think we should all take up a love offering for his struggling family.

[RunInRed 16,492]

Agh...so only if you are poor or an average income earner are you allowed to talk about "working folks" ... regardless of where you came from or how you got there (your "plight")...I got it. I guess every politicians will have to spend their time with all their "buddies" ... who now will ever speak to the common guy? I guess we'll all have to tune into Fox News to find out

Last thing I'll say about this... the even bigger irony is that the only reason we all know what Obama earned was because he has been adament about transparency in public life and government and therefore has released his tax returns. Where are Clinton's, McCain's, etc. ? Anyways...there are too many more important issues to be discussing IMO.

[TexasTiger 13,028]

Mrs. Obama complains about the lasting burden of student loans dating from her days at Princeton and Harvard Law School. She talks about people who end up taking years and years, until middle age, to pay off their debts. “The salaries don’t keep up with the cost of paying off the debt, so you’re in your 40s, still paying off your debt at a time when you have to save for your kids,” she says.

Okay, somewhere along the line this got distorted into Mrs. Obama claiming they were "struggling" or "scraping by". Not what she said. The fact is, they did get expensive educations. She spent 7 years at Ivy league schools and he spent 5 years. They could easily come out of that owing six figures each. Obama could have gotten most any legal job in the country as editor of the Harvard Law review, but he sought a job paying considerably yes. I've never heard him actually complain about that. They both came from modest beginnings, were very bright and hard-working and sought the best educational experience they could. Okay. The fact is, as she said, they were in their 40s still paying off college loans at the time they felt they needed to be saving for their daughters' education. I assume they would like to give their daughters similar educational experiences to what they had and would like to be able to have them be able to go to college and not worry about the debts that they had to incur. Nothing particularly whiney about that. And although they are making more than most people, the broad circumstance they may find themselves in is not unlike many other peoples. My educational opportunities were much greater than my parents. I still incurred debt from college loans that took years to pay off at a time when I felt I should be saving for my kids education.

I think we really picking at nits here. And I think we should stop using articles from Bammer grads.

[Tigermike 3,055]

Agh...so only if you are poor or an average income earner are you allowed to talk about "working folks" ... regardless of where you came from or how you got there (your "plight")...I got it. I guess every politicians will have to spend their time with all their "buddies" ... who now will ever speak to the common guy? I guess we'll all have to tune into Fox News to find out

Last thing I'll say about this... the even bigger irony is that the only reason we all know what Obama earned was because he has been adament about transparency in public life and government and therefore has released his tax returns. Where are Clinton's, McCain's, etc. ? Anyways...there are too many more important issues to be discussing IMO.

That's basically the same defense you used when it became known that Michelle got a big fat raise after BO earmarked $1 million in two consecutive years for the hospital where she worked.

Your are right they were working the American dream to pay off all those student loans.

[RunInRed 16,492]

No excuses..just fact. Still don't understand the uproar over him going to good schools, having big debts and making lots of money. Anywho...

[channonc 466]

Yeah, but there are very few places in the country that cost as much as it costs to live in DC or anywhere surrounding it in Virginia.

NYC, DC, San Fran are all head and shoulders above the rest in terms of cost of living. You have to pay a premium to live there...but it's not news to people living there.

Just like people who live in NYC and make 70 grand a year. They live like poor people...terrible/nasty apartments, build no equity etc. But that's the price you pay for living in that city.

I have found that most major cities cost about the same to live in. I pointed it out to only say that $250K is not that much money in a big city. Especially if you have a mortgage, student loan payments, etc. I don't think the Obama's were poor, but I can imagine that the $250K goes by really quick with those type of expenses. Also, both of them are taking a considerable paycut working in the fields they are considering their education. Most major law firms start associates out at $125k, if you have an ivy league education, you will likely get more. Plus, assume they would have been promoted all along the way at their firm. They could easily be bringing in $500K or more if they both worked at a law firm.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Mrs. Obama complains about the lasting burden of student loans dating from her days at Princeton and Harvard Law School. She talks about people who end up taking years and years, until middle age, to pay off their debts. “The salaries don’t keep up with the cost of paying off the debt, so you’re in your 40s, still paying off your debt at a time when you have to save for your kids,” she says.

Okay, somewhere along the line this got distorted into Mrs. Obama claiming they were "struggling" or "scraping by". Not what she said. The fact is, they did get expensive educations. She spent 7 years at Ivy league schools and he spent 5 years. They could easily come out of that owing six figures each. Obama could have gotten most any legal job in the country as editor of the Harvard Law review, but he sought a job paying considerably yes. I've never heard him actually complain about that. They both came from modest beginnings, were very bright and hard-working and sought the best educational experience they could. Okay. The fact is, as she said, they were in their 40s still paying off college loans at the time they felt they needed to be saving for their daughters' education. I assume they would like to give their daughters similar educational experiences to what they had and would like to be able to have them be able to go to college and not worry about the debts that they had to incur. Nothing particularly whiney about that. And although they are making more than most people, the broad circumstance they may find themselves in is not unlike many other peoples. My educational opportunities were much greater than my parents. I still incurred debt from college loans that took years to pay off at a time when I felt I should be saving for my kids education.

I think we really picking at nits here. And I think we should stop using articles from Bammer grads.

But the thing is, they didn't HAVE to pay on student loans when they were in their 40s. If you go get a $250,000 education, and decide not to take the financial fruits that come with that post college, that's not the "education system's" fault...and that's not relative to the average american's education loan woes. MOST people who drop a quarter million on education, go out and get high paying jobs after college.

And I guarantee you, if they were making 250k/year for all the years we have on record...they weren't making 50k per year in the years preceeding it. Which means they did have a good amount of surplus cash to spend on paying back student loans. People talk about them basically struggling until he sold a book and made a million...because they want you to think you HAVE to be a millionaire to be able to afford life in America. That falls right in line with Democrat scare tactics. "The financial situation in America is so bad, you have to make a million before you can even make a student loan payment"

[autiger4life 3]

But the thing is, they didn't HAVE to pay on student loans when they were in their 40s. If you go get a $250,000 education, and decide not to take the financial fruits that come with that post college, that's not the "education system's" fault...and that's not relative to the average american's education loan woes. MOST people who drop a quarter million on education, go out and get high paying jobs after college.

Yes DAMN YOU OBAMA for not taking the highest paying job. And this guy wants to be our President. How can you be president if you don't taking the high paying job you can and try to make as much money as possible.

I tell you, for a bunch of folks who always gripe that you shouldn't be punished for making more money, you guys sure seem to be killing Obama for making money.

As far as struggling, I think she was talking about before the books and all that, when they did not make much money.

[BamaGrad03 0]

But the thing is, they didn't HAVE to pay on student loans when they were in their 40s. If you go get a $250,000 education, and decide not to take the financial fruits that come with that post college, that's not the "education system's" fault...and that's not relative to the average american's education loan woes. MOST people who drop a quarter million on education, go out and get high paying jobs after college.

Yes DAMN YOU OBAMA for not taking the highest paying job. And this guy wants to be our President. How can you be president if you don't taking the high paying job you can and try to make as much money as possible.

I tell you, for a bunch of folks who always gripe that you shouldn't be punished for making more money, you guys sure seem to be killing Obama for making money.

As far as struggling, I think she was talking about before the books and all that, when they did not make much money.

Way to ignore my entire post.

[autiger4life 3]

Yes DAMN YOU OBAMA for not taking the highest paying job. And this guy wants to be our President. How can you be president if you don't taking the high paying job you can and try to make as much money as possible.

I tell you, for a bunch of folks who always gripe that you shouldn't be punished for making more money, you guys sure seem to be killing Obama for making money.

As far as struggling, I think she was talking about before the books and all that, when they did not make much money.

Oh yeah, I wasn't even close to the topic, except talking about what Michelle said about them struggling, which is the name of the topic.