the low-down

At the top right hand corner of Page 17

of the New York Post of January 24, 2009,
was a short column entitled

"Replacing Michelle" in the National Review’s

"The Week" column.

Here it is, word for word, as it appeared:

Some employees are simply irreplaceable.

Take Michelle Obama:

The University of Chicago Medical center

hired her in 2002 to run "programs for
community relations, neighborhood
outreach, volunteer recruitment, staff diversity, and
minority contracting."

In 2005, the hospital raised her salary from
$120,000 to $317,000, nearly twice what her husband made
as a U.S. Senator...

Oh, did we mention that her husband had just become a
US senator? He sure had. And that immediately after he was
elected he requested a $1 million earmark for the UC Medical
Center...You betcha, by golly. He surely did. Way to go Michelle...

But now that Mrs. Obama has resigned, the hospital says her
position will remain unfilled. How can that possibly be?

Especially if the work she did was vital enough to be worth $317,000?

Oh, by the way, let me add that Michelle's position was a part
time, 20-hour-a-week job at $317,000.00 per year.
And to think they were critical of Blagoyovich's wife for taking
$100,000 in fuzzy real estate commission.

The real question is:

How did this bit of quid pro quo corruption
escape the sharp reporters that dug through Sarah Palin's

garbage and kindergarten files?