I hate to link to anything written by Maureen Dowd, but I must. In her column yesterday, Dowd joined the likes of Chris Matthews in defending President Obama’s taxpayer-funded date with Michelle in New York City.

What a relief to have an urbane, cultivated, curious president who?s out and about, engaged in the world.

Mr. President, please be urbane, cultivated, and curious with your own money, not ours.