It Must Be Nice To Be Queen

Michele Obama, although not paid anything to be first lady nor does she perform any duties she can attest to the perks of the title. She's hired more than 20 attendants to cater to her every whim.

“In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much,” she said. “See, that’s why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service, “ Michelle Obama

There has never been anyone in the White House at any time that has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady's social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense, when even Hillary, only had three; Jackie Kennedy one; Laura Bush one; and prior to Mamie Eisenhower social help came from the President's own pocket. Sickening glut and arrogance. remind me again how this is change?



1. $172,2000 - Sher, Susan (CHIEF OF STAFF)



2. $140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
AND DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FOR THE FIRST LADY)

Jocelyn Frye serves as General Counsel at the National Partnership for Women & Families in Washington, DC. She directs the National Partnership’s Workplace Fairness Program and, in that capacity, focuses primarily on a wide range of employment and gender discrimination issues, with a particular emphasis on employment barriers facing women of color and low-income women.

Frye has extensive experience working on issues related to equal employment opportunity and workplace fairness. Her work includes monitoring and analyzing the effectiveness of federal equal employment enforcement efforts. She has testified before Congress and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on federal enforcement of employment discrimination laws. Ms. Frye received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 1985 with a double major in Political Science and English, and her law degree from Harvard Law School in 1988. After graduating from law school, she worked as an associate at Crowell & Moring, a Washington, DC law firm, concentrating in the white-collar crime and labor law practice areas. Ms. Frye is a native of Washington, DC, and is involved in a number of community and volunteer activities.

3. $113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND WHITE HOUSE SOCIAL SECRETARY)





4. $102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE FIRST LADY)






5. Winter, Melissa E. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)





6. $90,000 - Medina, David S. (DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)David Medina currently works for the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, a national coalition which promotes increased U.S. investments in development and diplomacy. Mr. Medina previously served as the political director of Senator John Edwards’ presidential campaign and as a legislative representative for the AFL-CIO. David has also served as the Deputy CEO of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, policy director for the Democratic National Committee, and legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Carol Moseley-Braun. David received his B.A. from the University of Chicago and M.P.P. from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.


7. $84,000 - Lelyveld, Catherine M. (DIRECTOR AND PRESS SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LADY)






8. $75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND ADVANCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)Franny Starkey Sanguin joined the Obama campaign in February of 2007 as the Iowa Trip Director, where she oversaw all principal and surrogate travel in the state. She took a brief absence from the campaign to serve as the Director of the Colorado Convention Center, headquarters for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in her hometown of Denver, Colorado. Prior to the Obama 2008 presidential cycle, Sanguin worked in Minnesota as Director of Scheduling and Advance for Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s successful U.S. Senate campaign and as Communications Director for Terri Bonoff’s campaign for Congress in the3rd District. Sanguin’s experience includes stints as Director of Scheduling and Advance for Howard Dean’s 2003 Iowa Caucus campaign, for Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack’s 2002 reelection campaign and as the Deputy Director of Communications in Vilsack’s administration. Sanguin graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She is married to Ken Sanguin.


9. $70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FOR THE FIRST LADY)

Trooper Sanders was a White House policy advisor and speechwriter to Tipper Gore, and a policy aide to former Vice President Al Gore. He most recently served as domestic policy advisor at the William J. Clinton Foundation. Trooper has served in a variety of program, communications and leadership positions for leading U.S. and international organizations advancing social progress ranging from the American Constitution Society to The Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he has lived in the United Kingdom and, as a Robert Bosch Foundation fellow, Germany. Trooper has an A.B., in Global Political Economy from the University of Michigan and an MSc., in Regulation (Financial and

Commercial) from the London School of Economics. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Forum for Youth Investment and the Northeast Regional Board of Operation HOPE.

10. $65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY SOCIAL SECRETARY)
Prior to joining Mrs. Obama’s team, Ebs Burnough served as the Political Director for 1199SEIU in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Ebs has also worked for SEIU as a political analyst and director of operations in the New York office. During the 2004 Presidential Election, Ebs served as the Deputy Communications Director in Missouri, for America Coming Together. In addition, Ebs was the Executive Director of Congressman Jerry Nadler’s Political Action Committee.

11. Reinstein, Joseph B. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY SOCIAL SECRETARY)

Joe Reinstein has been marketing products, environmental awareness and social justice for 21 years. Among other achievements, Joe helped change perceptions of the United Way by redefining its brand from charity clearinghouse to community impact organization. Before joining the White House Social Secretary staff, Joe was VP Marketing at Medline Industries, the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products. Joe was a founding board member of Cool Globes, a non-profit organization established to raise awareness of global warming and inspire individuals and community leaders to embrace solutions. Launched in Chicago, Cool Globes’ public art exhibit has traveled to San Diego and Washington DC and will appear in Houston, Los Angeles and London in 2009. Joe is also a board member and marketing committee chair of the Anti-Defamation League Midwest Region. Joe and his wife Hannah Higgins are proud parents of Zoe (age 13) and Nathalie (age 9).

12. $62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND EVENTS COORDINATOR FOR THE FIRST LADY)Jennifer Goodman served as Michelle Obama’s Director of Scheduling on the Obama campaign and the Obama-Biden Transition Team. Prior to joining the campaign, Jennifer worked for Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) for more than five years, serving as Scheduler in his Senate office and Trip Director and Director of Scheduling on his 2007 presidential campaign. She has also worked on the media team for the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton. A native of New Hampshire, Jennifer began her career with the 2002 U.S. Senate campaign of Governor Jeanne Shaheen. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in international affairs from the George Washington University.

13. $60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ADVANCE AND TRIP DIRECTOR FOR THE FIRST LADY)


14. Lewis, Dana M. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT AND PERSONAL AIDE TO THE FIRST LADY) Dana M. Lewis came to Washington, DC in 1993 to pursue a career in politics. Hailing from Weston, Connecticut, Ms. Lewis graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. Ms. Lewis began her career as an intern with the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. Since then, she has worked for Members of both the House and the Senate, including Representative Bobby Scott, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Senator Barbara Boxer, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Her issue areas of expertise ranged from education, labor, civil rights, and criminal justice policy.

In May 2007, Ms. Lewis was hired by Obama for America to work on the advance team for presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama. After the President-elect’s victory in November 2008, Ms. Lewis was hired by the Presidential Inaugural Committee to work on the Congressional Relations team. In January 2009, she will serve as future First Lady Michelle Obama’s personal aide.

15. $52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LADY)






16. $50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR SCHEDULING AND TRAVELING AIDE TO THE FIRST LADY) After graduating from Spelman College, Kristen began her political career working on the leadership staff of former Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Tom Daschle. Kristen then served as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Barack Obama in the United States Senate from 2004-2007. When Senator Obama announced his Presidential Bid, Kristen was tapped by the campaign to relocate to Nevada where she served as the State Scheduler for both Senator and Mrs. Obama, and Surrogate Scheduler for elected officials and celebrities traveling to Nevada on behalf of Senator Obama. When the Nevada caucuses concluded, Kristen joined the National Advance team as a Press Lead, coordinating press logistics for campaign town halls and rallies across the country. Kristen spent the remaining months on the campaign trail as the Body Person/Special Assistant to Michelle Obama where it was her responsibility to take care of all personal needs for Mrs. Obama.

17. $45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE FIRST LADY) Tyler was a field organizer in Iowa during the campaign. Tyler Lechtenberg currently serves as Deputy Director of Volunteers for the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Prior to this, he worked on the Obama campaign as a Regional Field Director in Central Iowa for the General Election, proceeded by primary-season stops in Louisville, Kentucky; Youngstown, Ohio; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Marshalltown, Iowa. He spent three years working as an award-winning sports writer for The Cedar Rapids (IA) Gazette and has worked as a writer for the Marketing Department at Portland (OR) Community College.





18. Tubman, Samantha (DEPUTY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR,SOCIAL OFFICE)




19. $40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)Joe Boswell spent the last year and half working on the Obama Campaign most recently as Regional Field Director on the Campaign for Change in Ohio during the General Election. Joe began on the campaign as a Field Organizer in the Iowa Caucus before going on to organize in Texas, organize youth outreach at Arizona State University, and become a regional director Pennsylvania during the primary election. Before the campaign, Joe worked at Robinson, Lerer, and Montgomery, a strategic communications firm in New York. There he worked closely with the firm's senior management to develop communications strategy and learn about media consulting. Joe attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where he studied government and played rugby. He grew up in Northern California.

20. $36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (STAFF ASSISTANT TO THE SOCIAL SECRETARY) Sally Armbruster has 10 years of experience working in event planning and design. She recently founded a personal assistance and event management company with a special focus in charitable organizations. Sally received a Bachelor of Science in Art from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2006. Sally hails from Lake Bluff, Illinois.

21. Bookey, Natalie (STAFF ASSISTANT)Natalie Bookey – Staff Assistant Natalie currently serves as the Managing Director of the Inaugural Finance Committee at the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Prior to this, she worked on the Obama campaign’s finance team in Chicago. Natalie is a native of Des Moines, Iowa and studied Journalism, Spanish Language and Women’s Studies at George Washington University. After graduating Natalie traveled to South America and returned to the U.S. to work at WGN News in Chicago where she researched, wrote, and edited video for news stories as well as conducted interviews and produced packages for broadcast.


22. Jackson, Deilia A. (DEPUTY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)

Note most are already employed so they are double dipping while they collect tax dollars.