Carr: China the last place to send first lady

By Howie CarrYesterday 0:00 AM

They could make a movie out of Moochelle Obama's trip to China, except they already have: "The Ugly American."

It was bad enough when the first lady and her posse of 70 or so coat-holders took off on yet another globe-trotting adventure, but then she said it was "rare" that she got out of the United States.

And now they're holed up in an $8,350-a-night "presidential suite" at the Westin Hotel in Beijing. Aren't presidential suites supposed to be reserved for, oh I don't know, presidents?

Now we learn that the grandmother, Marian Robinson, "is barking at the staff."

Barking? Surely Comrade Chris Matthews will tell us that this is yet another "dog whistle."

The best quote last night came from one of the hotel staffers, "We can't wait for this to be over, to tell you the truth."

Brother, the American people feel your pain. We can't wait for it to be over either, to tell you the truth.

Before Moochelle left, she said that like all American parents, she wanted her kids to see foreign lands. The difference is, the rest of us have to pay our own children's ways.

But surely no one is surprised by this woman's breathtaking sense of entitlement. Moochelle is the woman who said she'd never been "proud" of the United States until her husband started winning Democrat primaries in 2008.

Now she's comporting herself like Marie Antoinette. Let the bitter clingers eat Ramen noodles. Apparently the Obamas have appropriated the Kennedy family motto: "Do you know who I am?"

As a second-generation member of a hotel family, I can tell you that one sure way to judge a person's character is by how he or she treats "the help." The fact that Granma is throwing her not-inconsiderable weight around tells you everything you need to know about this crowd. A lot of people arrive at hotels with security, and when you are surrounded by men in black, it tends to inconvenience the regular guests. When they find the elevators blocked, or the revolving front door of the hotel closed, it irritates them.

An irritated guest is a lousy tipper. Which is why when, say, your average Arab potentate takes over a hotel floor or two, he spreads tips around to the entire staff. I'm guessing the Obamas think their august presence alone is reward enough for the servants.

As terrifying a thought as it is, it's been suggested that Moochelle may one day want to run for president. Like the earlier "rare" trips to Spain, and Africa (twice) and God knows where else, maybe this is another of her foreign tutorials in living large on the arm.

And when it's over, she'll be Moochelle Obama, the Moocharian Candidate.

See Howie's "Night of Crime" in Marlboro tonight. For tickets to the dinner and the show, go to goal.org.