Don't Blame the President for His Wayward Uncle

COMMENTARY | President Obama's 67-year-old uncle, Onyango Obama, was arrested Wednesday for suspicion of drunk driving in Massachusetts. He was detained when it was discovered that a warrant was out for his arrest because he had ignored a deportation order. With slurred speech the suspect told the arresting officer, "I think I will call the White House," reports The Guardian.

Uncle Obama pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, and his employer of five years said he believed all of his immigration paperwork was in order, according to The Boston Channel.

It sounds like a bad movie, maybe something right out of Chevy Chase's "National Lampoon's Vacation," but this is real. For the president it's got to be an embarrassing nightmare, but unless he had some shady inside dealings that we don't know about, and that's highly unlikely, Barack should not be blamed for his uncle's actions.

How many of us have horror stories of relatives who have caused the ultimate humiliation? They don't escape many families.

Even members of the royalty can become victims; in fact, they often are. Kate Middleton, duchess of Cambridge and new bride of Prince William, has her Uncle Gary. Gary Goldsmith is widely known for his affection for both prostitutes and cocaine, and royalty had been concerned about his embarrassment to the family.

Goldsmith won himself an invitation to the wedding by proving he had become sober and, fortunately for Middleton, he has at least kept clean enough to stay out of the media spotlight.

Do you remember President Jimmy Carter's infamous brother Billy? Billy became well known for promoting his Billy Beer, as well as outlandish, drunken public behavior. He might just take the prize for the most shameful relative in White House history.

Then there's Roger Clinton, the brother Bill would like us all to forget. He was arrested for drunk driving and served time in prison during the 1980s on cocaine charges. He has had serious legal troubles throughout most of his life.

Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida and brother of President George W. Bush, has daughter Noelle Bush to thank for shaming his family (though she certainly isn't the only one). In 2002, Noelle was arrested on prescription fraud when she tried to fill a fake prescription for Xanax.

It seems there always has to be a least one member in everyone's family who causes chagrin. You can't blame the president for his wayward uncle; as the saying goes, you can chose your friends, but you cannot, unfortunately, choose your relatives.