All must be forgiven. Right?

Inside story of Michelle's trip

WASHINGTON--Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha returned from Spain on Sunday, a vacation at a lavish hotel on the Mediterranean coast that triggered her first controversy since becoming first lady. I'm told she made the trip because she promised one of her closest friends, a longtime Chicago pal who just lost her father, she would spend time with her.

Mrs. Obama is the most popular figure in the Obama orbit -- and turned around her image from the 2008 presidential campaign by adamantly staying away from any kind of controversy, focusing on safe issues: combating childhood obesity and helping military families.

All is forgiven Michelle. Come on home and just tell us what we owe you. We didn't know that this was a feel good mission to make one of your Chicago home girls feel better. And after all, it was a promise right?

Get a grip people!

Of all the audacious bull chips that I have ever heard used as justification? This has to take the cake. Her friend recently lost her father? So Michelle's answer is to load up the entourage and head to Spain compliments of the American taxpayer. So her friend will what? Feel better about their relationship? Or is it the demonstrated concern for the loss of her father? I get so confused when Marxist liberals put on their emoticons and begin babbling about how they truly feel about things.

The bottom line, this piece of tripe was floated to the Oprah element of the press corps in an attempt to shed some of the responsibility for what she has done. I dare say guilt, but this woman has no guilt. Neither does her husband.

While his wife was off gallivanting around Spain on the American taxpayer's dime, our little buddy Barack was getting in his usual and customary golf game back here at home.

I sincerely hope the American people are taking notes and remember come this November and again in 2012. By the way, that bit of hand kissing by the king? Priceless. I can now easily see and understand how that would have a significant impact on the emotions of your dear friend. What say we call her "promise keeper Michelle?" from here on out...

And then as Paul Harvey would say....the rest of the story......

The Spain trip generated coverage on the networks and cable news shows and other national outlets -- including columns and posts I wrote -- raising questions about public perception and taxpayer costs.

A ritzy vacation in Spain while the U.S. faces tough economic times was off-message -- as was highlighting the beaches in Spain after urging Americans to head to Florida's Gulf Coast to help out the tourism industry impacted by the BP oil spill. (The first family flies to Florida this weekend.) But the reason

Mrs. Obama made the trip -- and other facts, not rumors about the travel -- are important in knowing the whole story and understanding why she made the call to go. First, some numbers. Mrs. Obama did not travel with 40 friends, a number used by some news outlets.

She vacationed with two women, one of them a longtime Chicago pal, Anita Blanchard, who is the obstetrician who delivered Sasha and Malia. Blanchard is married to Marty Nesbitt -- President Obama's buddy and the treasurer of Obama's presidential campaign fund. There was one other woman. Total: four daughters among the three women.

They paid for their hotel rooms and other personal and travel expenses. The trip involved six White House advance staffers and two East Wing staffers, deputy Chief of Staff Melissa Winter and Mrs. Obama's personal assistant, Kristen Jarvis, according to Mrs. Obama's spokeswoman Catherine McCormick Lelyveld.

Mrs. Obama does travel with significant security -- and in a trip like this, three shifts of uniformed and plain-clothes agents and military personnel flew with her on a big Air Force 757. No matter where she goes -- domestic or international -- any first lady gets protection and she does not decide how many agents are needed.

So why did Mrs. Obama go to Spain at this time? She's not tone-deaf politically. What was behind the "mother-daughter" vacation? A White House source told me that Blanchard's father passed away and Mrs. Obama was not able to make the funeral at the beginning of July. Blanchard had promised her daughter she would take her to Spain for her birthday. She asked Mrs. Obama and Sasha to come with. (Malia is at overnight camp.)

There is just too much there for me to dissect. What's going on, is as plain as the nose on the face. Go and read the entire article and try not to wretch.