Obama orders at Ben's Chili Bowl

For US President Barack Obama, eating in a hamburger joint DOES NOT AT ALL disrespect the presidency.

But President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s son, Congressman Mikey, said it would. In fact, he said, “You want your president to eat in McDonalds or some turo-turo (food stand)? I think there’s more dignity in having your president and her cabinet members and members of the

Lower House to eat in a decent restaurant.”

watch?v=ng7spMHEolE‘ >REP.MIKEY ARROYO – MCDONALD\’S OR TURO-TURO? NO DIGNITY FOR PRES. ARROYO TO EAT IN TURO-TURO

Who is right, do you think? The leader of the mightiest nation on earth? Or the son of an accidental third world president?

Early this year on January 10, 2009, Mr Obama ate at Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington DC, the kind of joint that Congressman Mikey sneers at. Mr Obama was accompanied by the DC mayor.

Mr Obama personally ordered and wolfed down a Chili Half Smoke with fries, placed on waxed paper over a cheap red plastic basket (similar to what the local KFC uses).

So undignified, do you think.

In contrast, President Arroyo and her entourage of freeloading lawmakers ate at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse.

Was it dignified for President Arroyo to eat at Bobby Van’s only hours after she had brought out a large begging bowl at the White House Oval Office and pleaded with President Obama to release nearly a billion dollars worth of grants provided under the Millennium Challenge Account in order to fund her ANTI-POVERTY projects?

Initially, the Filipino public only knew that she and her entourage ate at Le Cirque, in New York which the presidential palace quickly explained away as a celebration of the First Couple’s wedding anniversary.

But what was the excuse for eating their way first class in succeeding days at Bouley Restaurant

and Wolfgang Steakhouse?

Oops, silly me. I forgot.

Dignity.

Dignity is defined as “the quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect.”

It isn’t defined, as President Obama showed, by where or what you eat.