Politico: No Conflict of Interest In Marriage of MSNBC's Alex Wagner To Exec. Dir. of Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move'

September 28th, 2013 8:02 AM

To imitate the inimitable James Taranto: HA HA HA HA. Politico has cleared MSNBC host Alex Wagner of any conflict of interest stemming from her impending marriage to Sam Kaas, the Executive Director of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let’s Move!" initiative.

According to Politico's Dylan Byers [emphasis added], "We won't call this a conflict of interest because who doesn't love a man who can cook, and really, the White House Chef and Let's Move! role is arguably rather apolitical. Many a White House chef has served multiple administrations from either side of the spectrum."  Uh, yeah, but Kaas is a former White House chef.  He now works directly for the First Lady on her signature initiative.  Is there anyone out there naive enough to believe that Wagner won't be even less apt than previously to criticize anything relating to her husband's boss—or her husband's boss's husband?  More after the jump.



With the MSM-Obama admin merryground continuing to spin—Time editor Rick Stengel recently took a job as a State Department official--perhaps Byers has become so inured to the Washington revolving door that he can't—or won't—call a conflict when he sees one.

Then again, Byers chose to attend Bard College, a place so liberal it has a chaired professorship honoring, yes, Alger Hiss.  Wonder if Hiss might have had any conflict of interest, spying as he did for the Soviet Union while serving in the United States government?  We'll have to ask Byers.

PS: by coincidence, as a loyal member of the Democrats's email list, I received a message from Michelle Obama this morning.  In addition to asking for a donation, the First Lady said that "Barack is in a tough negotiation with Republicans in Congress, he needs to know that his supporters are with him -- that you're ready to do whatever it takes . . . You're showing Barack that you're in his corner -- that you've got his back."

Bottom line: this is a highly-partisan First Lady, and the notion that someone as close to her as the Executive Director of her signature initiative is not similarly down with the struggle is a joke.