"Sweet Sasha" & "Marvelous Malia" dead ringers for the Obama girls

Tania Lundeen, representing Ty, Inc., producer of "Sweet Sasha" and "Marvelous Malia" dolls, told the AP that the names were chosen, because "they are beautiful names," not because of any resemblance to first kids Malia and Sasha Obama.

It's absurd when business leaders can't just "tell it like it is."

The hypocrisy of this statement flies directly in the face of the promise of O-Power: transparency in the Oval Office.

"We believe it is inappropriate to use young, private citizens for marketing purposes,'' Katie McCormick Lelyveld, the first lady's press spokeswomen said in an e-mail to the Sun-Times.

Of course, the success of the dolls remains in the hands of consumers, not doll manufacturer H. Ty Warner.

When all is said and done, the economic success of using the First Daughters for economic profit, lies in our hands.

To buy, or not to buy . . . that is the question. Wanna bet?

Tip via Chicago Sun Times

Anne