MRC’s Graham Melts Down Over Obamas Making Money

The Obamas are living rent-free inside Media Research Center executive Tim Graham’s head, and they’ve been gone from the White House for three years. He huffed in a Jan. 17 post:

The same media elites are are eternally suspicious of all Trump business activities — a fair topic for investigation — have generally demonstrated a dramatic incuriosity about the Barack and Michelle Obama wealth boom. Whatever coverage bubbles up comes with a You-Go-Guys tone. Last August, TMZ reported the Obamas were buying a $15 million mansion on Martha’s Vineyard. Non-Fox network coverage? Zero. In December, they actually bought said mansion for $11.75 million. Non-Fox network coverage? Again, zero. 

Graham conveniently ignores the fact that Trump is currently president, which even he concedes is “a fair topic for investigation,” while the Obamas hold no political office and have, as noted above, been gone from the White House for three years. And, really, shouldn’t Graham be praising the Obamas’ savvy in negotiating down the price of the Martha’s Vineyard. 

Graham, though, really seems to be mad that the Obamas are doing well post-presidency, citing a reported $65 million publishing deal, an allegedly similarly lucrative development deal with Netflix and another deal with Spotify. Graham sneered: “Maybe the press could ask for a tax return?”

Graham’s spotty partisan memory fails him again: Unlike Trump’s current status, the Obamas are private citizens and their tax returns have ceased to be the public’s business. Graham also omits the fact that the Obamas are earning that money, at least when it comes to the book deal; Michelle Obama’s book has sold 10 million copies so far. 

As far as cashing in on the presidency goes, the Obamas are arguably following in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan, who made $2 million giving a couple of speeches in Japan after he left office. We don’t recall Graham ever getting upset about that.

Graham concluded by complaining that the “spin” that the Obamas remain engaged in civil life “always works with the media elites that eagerly voted for Obama twice, and seem to promote the Obamas at any moment the Obamas wish to be promoted.” By contrast, Graham would never accuse Reagan of being a post-presidency money-grubber because the spin that he’s a right-wing saint always works on conservative elites like him.