The Time Magazine cover story on First Lady Michelle Obama includes an interview that reveals some things we didn't know about her.
Get the new PD toolbar!1. AS A KID, SHE HAD A "HARD TIME'' CONNECTING "I had a hard time connecting to people that I didn't know as a young kid. I mean, the people who really moved me were the people that I knew in my life: my mother, the teachers that I had.
2. SHE IS INTO LIVING IN THE WHITE HOUSE "I get so comfortable here that I forget that there are thousands of people coming in and out, right? So I'm walking Bo out here, and I'm like, O.K., let me take him out so I can eat lunch, and I come here for the interview. And we happen to walk past the gate where the visitors were coming, and I heard this "Yeaaaa! It's Bo!"
3. SHE IS NOT ANGRY ABOUT BEING PORTRAYED AS ANGRY DURING THE CAMPAIGN
"I think that today there is consistency and probably a depth to people's exposure to me. When you're in a campaign setting, there's just a narrow prism through which people see not just the wives, but the candidates themselves. That's why it never really bothered me."
4. SHE GOT UNEXPECTED ADVICE FROM FORMER FIRST LADIES
"Well, the most unexpected and uniform advice that I got was, 'Go to Camp David early and often' - universally, across the spectrum."
5. SHE THINKS THE FORMER FIRST LADY NETWORK IS "VERY COOL"
"I think there's a real camaraderie among First Ladies that I sense.... And I've gotten wonderful letters and phone calls and invitations to lunch, and it's just from every single former First Lady who is alive and can breathe - they've reached out. And my sense is that it's not just me; I think they do this because they know, experience when you've got children, that you need support. And that's very cool, I'd say.
6. SHE'S INTO NORMALACY
"There's a soccer game on - there's soccer on Saturdays. And we went in Chicago. We go to all their games - or I do, at least. So that makes you get out and be normal. There's parent-teacher conference, there's the play, there's the concert, there's the birthday party. You want to meet the person who's going to ... your kid is going to sleep over with. They want friends over, so you're arranging to make that happen. Kids force you into a normalcy.''
7. SHE SEES BARACK MORE THAN BEFORE
"We see each other every day. And that hasn't happened for most of the kids' lifetime," she tells Time.
8. SHE DOES NOT NAG ABOUT HOUSEHOLD CHORES ANYMORE
"That's off the table."
9. SHE SHARES BO DUTIES WITH THE PRESIDENT
"He does have Bo-walking duties. He does the last walk...Most days...That's usually right before bed, it's like 10:00 p.m. We sort of handle Bo like we did the kids. I'm the early-morning person, and he covers the - you know, once I go to bed I don't care what happens. Just make sure the dog doesn't have an accident."
10. SHE DOESN'T WANT A SAY
"We'll have conversations, and we'll share our opinions over the course of the conversation. But I don't want to have a say," she tells Time. "Really, there are a lot of times when I'm like, 'Don't tell me what happened today at work.' I just don't want to hear it, because I want the home space to really be free of that."
Lynn Sweet is a columnist at PoliticsDaily.com and writes the Daily FLOTUS blog on Michelle Obama. She is also Washington Bureau Chief of the Chicago Sun-Times.... more
Michelle Obama lives off the backs of the taxpayers now.....Wonder if she is proud of her country?
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kendall
4:16PM May 24th 2009
For one Obama can not fix all the problems that this country has made on its own overnight. For all of you who think he's supposed to just snap his fingers and everything be ok, you should prolly just live your lives in a fairytale because that will not happen. Obama has given us hope, and frankly he's the light at the end of the long dark depressing tunnel we have had to call home for awhile. He has shown the most promise of giving us help, unlike former President Bush, who has done nothing BUT get us even deeper in the hole with his stupidity. I mean come on.. honestly the man can't even read his own speeches without screwing it up and sounding like a complete idiot. Obama offically rules in my book, and even though we might not reach the end of that tunnel right away. Time heals all wounds.. you can't fix an entire economy in one day people. All i can say is instead of bashing our president and his family, be optimistic and keep your head high, and just hope for a better future. The better outlook you have on life.. the more chance there will be change, and a better future.. for all of us, and for once.. be happy with what we all do have, a man whos actually willing to try and help us all out.
and, those of you who are on here just saying that shes ugly.. get a lifeeeeeeeeeeee! shes a human being and that has nothing to do with anything. It's honestly just like the mostly overweight america to go and bash someone cause there not perfect looking! GET OFF THE COMPUTER AND GO DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIVES! The way people look has nothing to do with what good they can do for the world, or there personallity. People come in many shapes sizes and colors, it dosent make up who they are. You all need to stop being ignorant and love people for who they are as a person, not what the look like.
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ljw5432
4:31PM May 24th 2009
Never put all your hopes and faith in one person. Barack is not the answer. Have you heard him speak lately? All he does is blame, blame, blame. Then he speaks as if he's the moral authority on everything. How dare anyone who hasn't walked in the shoes of the Bush administration during 9/11 EVER criticize! Bush had to clean up the mess of Clinton who left our country SO vulnerable, yet did you ever hear him trash Clinton? NO! Because Bush may not have done everything right, but he sure has more class than Obama. Listen to Obama for real sometime and if you REALLY do, you'll feel he's being condescending to all Americans. It's disgusting.
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KATLYN!
5:37PM May 24th 2009
I LOVE what Kendall had to say it was amazing and soo true.
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mom
6:16PM May 24th 2009
In my opinion michelle obama is beautiful. and so are her children. up to this point there has never been anyone to compare to the other first ladies. The year is 2009 and we the generation born 44 yrs ago have learned from all our elders mistakes. President Obama spent parts of his youth in Hawaii. People think differently there when you get past the tourist attractions. Mr. and Mrs. Obama are proving themselves everyday that passes. I don't find Racism and negative comments a part of their resume. After all that is said and done We the people all have difference of opinion and our stupidity and arrogance has a way of out shining us till that is all we are remembered for.
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EllenBreitenbach
1:14AM May 25th 2009
said very well,i approve your comment 100% plus,,People are never,never satisfied.
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john
10:15AM May 31st 2009
I agree that this country has a lot of problems but the track we are on now will not fix them. First we are going way too far in debt, quadrupled in 4 months, we have stopped exploration for oil ;and gas leaving America hostage to the likes of the sand king, putin, chevaz and china. We are increasing the government and government intitlements and an alarming rate. Soon we may have a large tax increase called cap and trade that will hurt me and you and we are the ones who can least afford it. States rights are being stomped to death by the administration to the glee of the unions. Governors' powers are being circuvented by the congress. We have two auto manufaturers who are now nationalized, banks under government control. I am going to church now and will pray for President Obama and other leaders.
As for the first lady, she is a lovely woman but I am not sure where she really stands. I say let her be who she is and not demonize her.
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Fat Boy
4:16PM May 24th 2009
Michelle, you got what you wanted more than life itself. And, you are the one who wanted "your man" to be president. If you don't like it....leave. Nobody has forced your hand. But, I don't understand how you can state anything positive about living in the White House. You're never there. You have done less, and have been in the White House less than any Former First Lady in history. At this rate, when you finally leave in 2012, you will have spent only 15 or twenty nights in the place you label as "horrible to wake up in"....
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Fat Boy
4:19PM May 24th 2009
Kendall, Obama is the one who implied that he could fix everything that troubled America in the first 100 days. He stated this in a rally in July 2008.
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palmcity4
4:19PM May 24th 2009
What are you? Nuts? But it was an intersting essay.
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klgraham2
4:23PM May 24th 2009
First of all, great article. No matter your party, Michelle Obama is a class act. Intelligent and compassionate.
Bob: Life is too short to be as angry as you are. Seriously.
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ls400s
4:23PM May 24th 2009
She has the grace of real first lady..The new life she is bringing to the whitehouse is extradinary.. I feel proud voting for her husband
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Dave
4:51PM May 24th 2009
your an idiot...
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Tony
4:24PM May 24th 2009
who cares she is nothing. She is as rude as they come and thinks her husband is king of the world. Both of them have big heads and are not good parents. The kids come 4th not even 2nd. they are rotten.
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kendall
4:25PM May 24th 2009
"Fat boy", i know this, but honestly.. do you think that could honestly happen. He has also stated how it wont happen overnight, or in maybe just his first term. We all know it cant all be fixed within 100 days. People are insane to think so.
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asshole
4:28PM May 24th 2009
ARE YOU JOKING? The libs are angry because the majority of the country is not? Hellooooo! Obama was touted as the second most liberal member of the senate by you guys and he smoked you like the cigarettes he sneaks when the press isn't looking. Clearly the populus has spoken in the last two elections and they were not conservative. Stay in your dreamland Bob- it's working well for us - the populus Dems.
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elidiamondeyes
4:28PM May 24th 2009
This is the most down-to-earth first lady EVERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!! SHE IS TOTALLY COOOLIO
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michelle tutt
6:40PM May 24th 2009
hi everyone, i think michelle obama is beautiful person, i am glad i voted for her husband!
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realcaptamerica
4:28PM May 24th 2009
Here's a post by Ken Katzenberger about Republican Accountability. Nixon's Tax fraud, and the Watergate break in, as well as all the criminal cover ups, was Lyndon Johnson's fault. Ronald Reagan's criminal Iran-Contra scandal, and his arming of the Tellaban, and Al Qaeda whom he called freedom fighters, as well as his putting us 11 Trillion Dollars in Debt, while selling out the American middle class, was Carters fault. 9-11 and the Anthrax letters sent out by the Bush Administration to exploit the fear from 9-11, the collapse of our economy, and the 12 trillion Debt Bush ran up, plus all of the love ones you lost in Iraq because of his criminal invasion of that Country is Clinton's fault. Letting the entire Bin Ladin Family leave the United States before they could be questioned by Federal Authorities was, Oh wait Ken, you didn't answer this one, so I'll just say it was JFK's fault, OK? Nixon said it, and Republicans believe it: "When the President does it, it's not a crime!" Simple Enough wasn't It?
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bruce and alan
4:28PM May 24th 2009
wow do you just have a white robe in the closet or have you made it to grand dragon for a red robe or what ever color the grand dragon wears? stop the hate guy. you will fell much better . promise