President Obama's food desert
Since President Barack Obama (D) and wife Michelle temporarily moved from their convicted mobster financed mansion, the neighborhood's supposed food desert seems to have spread, forcing residents to eat the limited unhealthy, calorie laden food available in greasy spoon restaurants. And thus, two days before the election, on a swing through his neighborhood begging voters to back his candidates, Obama
made a surprise stop this morning at the Valois cafeteria, a storied Hyde Park diner that advertises the slogan "See Your Food."The president, who was joined by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Democatic Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias, shook hands and ordered pancakes, eggs and turkey sausage to go after arriving at the restaurant about 10:01 a.m. Giannoulias ordered French toast and Quinn asked for some scrambled eggs and sausage, all to go.
Apparently Obama and friends couldn't pick the vegetables from Michelle's storied Chicago vegetable garden because of the cold and so were forced into this unhealthy option. Oh wait, she never had one while busy as a Senator's wife.
The candidates ordered all their foot to go so as to graciously distribute it to some other starving residents of this parched food desert Obama neighborhood, this intellectual enclave, home of the University of Chicago.
Missions accomplished but still famished after even more campaigning around the country and not finding any healthy food locally,
Obama went to River North, where he dined at Rick Bayless' upscale Mexican restaurant Topolobampo with friends Marty Nesbitt and Eric Whitaker. The dinner lasted nearly three hours, and the president got back to his home just before midnight.
Upscale. That means expensive; that means because of the food desert the president was once again forced to leave his neighborhood and travel long distances to find nourishing food, which was oh so expensive, devouring more of his income.
Weakened from the lack of nourishing food, Giannoulias, campaigning for Obama's vacated Senate seat, lost the election. Yes, Obama's Senate seat will now be filled by a Republican, Mark Kirk, from an affluent area filled with markets selling fruits and vegetables; a Republican who dutifully serves his country with an annual stint in the Naval Reserves, feasting on their renowned cuisine while in Afghanistan. Quinn, the probable gubernatorial victor in a squeaker, will certainly fulfill his campaign promise to raise taxes and certainly help Michelle water the food desert as only an Illinois politician can do.