On this morning’s 10:30 ET segment of CNN Newsroom, anchor Carol Costello reported on resistance to Federal mandates requiring healthier food be served to students. She ran a video clip of First Lady Michelle Obama.
Then, a gaffe: she claimed Mrs. Obama signed a nutrition bill into law in 2010 [See video below. Click here for MP3 audio]
OBAMA: We can all agree that in the wealthiest nation on earth all children should have the basic nutrition they need to learn and grow and to pursue their dreams because in the end nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children. Nothing. And our hopes for their future should drive every single decision that we make.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That was Mrs. Obama back in 2010 when she signed the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act into law. Well now some members of Congress and the food industry want to roll back that initiative and loosen requirements to cut costs. Today the First Lady takes the unusual step of delivering White House remarks speaking out against that House measure and in another twist, a one-time ally of Mrs. Obama's initiative is now a critic.
Sorry, Carol. No cookie for that quality of reporting. Mrs. Obama undoubtedly exerts some influence on President Barack Obama’s initiatives, but she doesn’t yet have the authority to sign bills into law.
Then again, given her husband’s serial incompetence, maybe that’s an idea worthy of consideration. Could she be any worse?