Exclusive: Michelle Obama interview

UPDATED THROUGHOUT AT 7:45 P.M.

By Ryan Alessi
ralessi@herald-leader.com

Michelle Obama said she’s proud of her husband, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, for sticking to his message of change and “staying true to himself” during the long and sometimes contentious presidential primary that finally reaches Kentucky Tuesday.

“I think he will say there have been times that he’s slipped and gotten into this tit-for-tat in ways that don’t reflect what he feels is important,” Michelle Obama said in a brief telephone interview with the Herald-Leader. “Strong leaders make mistakes, too. It’s just what do they do with those mistakes. I think Barack has fought very hard to stay above the fray.”

Obama said her husband has “been pretty consistent with that this entire year,” despite rough patches. “And I’ve been proud of him for that,” she said.

Barack Obama has weathered several flare-ups in recent months, including inflammatory remarks by his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., that prompted Obama to denounce him, and a widely publicized comment at a San Francisco fund-raiser in which Obama referred to people in economically depressed small towns as “bitter” and “clinging to their guns and religion and antipathy.”

But Michelle Obama said it’s unfair for opponents to paint her husband as an elitist.

Several Republicans, including Kentucky U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell — the Senate minority leader — alluded to Obama’s “bitter” remarks during last week’s National Rifle Association convention in Louisville.

“Someone who says that Americans cling to guns and religion because they’re bitter doesn’t say it because he misspoke,” McConnell said. “He says it because that’s what he really thinks.”

Michelle Obama dismissed it as just “politics.”

“That’s one of the unfortunate characteristics of politics — to win at all costs, even if it means making your opponent out to be something he or she obviously isn’t,” she said.

Barack Obama was raised by his mother and grandparents, who hailed from Kansas, after Obama’s father left when he was 2. And both Michelle and Barack Obama put themselves through law school.

Michelle Obama said efforts to distort records should contrast sharply with her husband’s campaign that’s built on doing things differently.

“The slow drum-beat message of the electorate is: Enough is enough, we need to do this differently because what we’ve been doing in the past hasn’t brought about the change and the improvement in our lives that we need to have right now,” she said.

Michelle Obama on Monday made appearances at invitation-only events in Louisville, Hopkinsville and at the campaign headquarters in Lexington while her husband stumped in Montana.

At her stop in Hopkinsville, near Fort Campbell, she led her second round-table discussion of the year with spouses of military personnel — a group she said will be a priority for her as first lady “if Barack has the honor to become the president.”

“We need to be more aware of the challenges these women are facing,” she said. “I think it’s so important for them to feel like they have a voice. We’re taught as women to keep it all in and suffer and just hold it down.”

She said meeting with smaller groups of voters not only helps her and her husband identify “what we’re missing from a policy perspective” but also energizes and refreshes them.

“When Barack and I talk about our days it’s usually those kind of events, where we get to sit down and we’re in people’s homes and we’re really able to connect one-on-one and understand a different perspective that’s going to feed into how Barack is going to think about policy from here on out,” she said.

“That’s when you see him get energized,” she added. “But a lot of that stuff doesn’t take place on camera.”

Comments

[Weatherman]

And she's proud of her county too...finally. Woo-hoo!!

[isaac]

Hillary Clinton On Southern Working Class Whites In 1995: "Screw 'Em"
Huffington Post - April 16, 2008 02:21 PM
(PLEASE BE INFORMED BEFORE U CAST YOUR VOTE)

During the past week, Sen. Hillary Clinton has presented herself as a working class populist, the politician in touch with small town sentiments, compared to the elitism of her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama.

But a telling anecdote from her husband's administration shows Hillary Clinton's attitudes about the "lunch-bucket Democrats" are not exactly pristine.

In January 1995, as the Clintons were licking their wounds from the 1994 congressional elections, a debate emerged at a retreat at Camp David. Should the administration make overtures to working class white southerners who had all but forsaken the Democratic Party? The then-first lady took a less than inclusive approach.

"Screw 'em," she told her husband. "You don't owe them a thing, Bill. They're doing nothing for you; you don't have to do anything for them."

The statement -- which author Benjamin Barber witnessed and wrote about in his book, "The Truth of Power: Intellectual Affairs in the Clinton White House" -- was prompted by another speaker raising the difficulties of reaching "Reagan Democrats." It stands in stark contrast to the attitude the New York Democrat has recently taken on the campaign trail, in which she has presented herself as the one candidate who understands the working-class needs.

"I don't think [Obama] really gets it that people are looking for a president who stands up for you and not looks down on you," she said this week.

But those who were at the event say the 1995 episode fits into her larger viewpoint. As Harry Boyte, the director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Democracy and Citizenship who was at the retreat, told The Huffington Post: "[Hillary Clinton] sees herself as the champion of the oppressed, but there is always a kind of good guy versus bad guy mentality. The comment before that was that 'the Reagan Democrats are our enemies and they weren't on our side,' and she was agreeing with that comment. She said we should write them off: screw them."

A spokesperson for Clinton said the quote was taken out of context and did not reflect her true political philosophy. "This quote differs from the recollection of others who were in the room at the time this comment was allegedly made," said Jay Carson. "To be clear, that's not how she felt then and it's not how she feels now, and the proof is in how she has lived her life, the work she has done and the policies she has pushed and pursued over the last 35 years."

Asked to produce a witness who would say that Clinton had been misquoted, Carson wrote: "So, you've got two guys we've barely heard of remembering a verbatim quote from 13 years ago?... Sounds totally and completely reliable."

(Carson eventually put me in touch with a source who claimed to not have heard the quote -- see below). Barber's book was published in 2001.

Perhaps even more telling than Hillary Clinton's proclamation, however, were the words from her husband that followed. As reported by Barber, Clinton "stepped in, calm and judicious, not irritated, as if rehearsing an old but honorable debate he had been having with his wife for decades."

I know how you feel. I understand Hillary's sense of outrage. It makes me mad too. Sure, we lost our base in the South; our boys voted for Gingrich. But let me tell you something. I know these boys. I grew up with them. Hardworking, poor, white boys, who feel left out, feel that our reforms always come at their expense. Think about it, every progressive advance our country has made since the Civil War has been on their backs. They're the ones asked to pay the price of progress. Now, we are the party of progress, but let me tell you, until we find a way to include these boys in our programs, until we stop making them pay the whole price of liberty for others, we are never going to unite our party, never really going to have change that sticks.
If the tone and tenor of the above sounds familiar, it's because the message, Boyte says, is remarkably similar to what Obama was trying to convey in his now controversial remarks about small town America.

"Well, yeah, absolutely," said Boyte, when asked if Obama and Bill Clinton were expressing the same political viewpoint (Boyte said he and his organization are neutral in the presidential race). "I think Obama's better-or-worse versions of this have always been that people are complicated. It comes from an organizing perspective. You don't write off people, everyone is complicated. It just depends on the issue. And that's what Bill Clinton was saying. He was a sentimental populist."

Not to be lost in all this, as Boyte notes, is that Hillary Clinton has consistently been a "champion for the people who were helpless and powerless." But there is a political component to the mindset.

"Hillary Clinton has a very strong customer view: the citizen is the customer and the government the vendor," said Boyte. "You can see it in Mark Penn's frame. In fact, last Christmas she had an ad of herself writing checks to different groups."

Update: Jake Tapper, over at ABC, had highlighted the "screw em" quote back in October. His article was in reference to comments Sen. Clinton had made about Mississippi. Considering events this past week, the issue has taken on increased relevance.

Late Update: The Clinton campaign put me in touch with Don Baer, President Clinton's speech writer at the time, who had attended the same meeting. He says: "I don't remember anything along those lines, at all. And I certainly don't remember Senator Clinton saying anything like that... they have their recollections of that, that is their business. The conversation, from my perspective, was moderated in tone."

He did not, it should be noted, directly challenge the interpretations of Barber and Boyte.

Baer's comments came at roughly the same moment that The New Republic published a blog post by Alan Wolfe, a professor of political science at Boston College, who was also at the retreat and says he too heard the quote. Noting Carson's remark -- "So, you've got two guys we've barely heard of remembering a verbatim quote from 13 years ago?... Sounds totally and completely reliable" -- Wolfe writes: "Make that three. I was there. I hope people have heard of me. And Barber and Boyte have it right."

[steve goff]

Well I think we all should continue asking Mr. Hussain Obama to define "Change"...I want "Change" from the "status quo" too, but I'm not a sheep following someone over the cliff either...as my grandfather used to say, " I ain't buying a pig in a poke" for yall that don't understand that life principal, it means before you vote for change, you had better know what it means, hell it could mean, communist rule or marxism or dictatorship or who knows....the young generation ( 20 to 35 year olds) are all up in a wad over the word "change"...it just never ceases to amaze me how gullable the younger generation is and how ignorant and uneducated they are when it comes to understanding how liberal Hussain Obama, Clinton and McCain all three are. Hussain Obama has Marxism tendencies and Clinton has her roots deeply imbedded in Socialism..hell McCain is a Liberal by definition and pricipal. In summary, we have one Liberal, one Socialist and one Marxist running for President...it's a win win win for the liberals no matter how you slice it.

[Bill H]

Steve Goff,

I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your keen insights. Adding "Hussein" was a really nice touch as well. Keep up the razor-sharp analysis, sir.

- Bill

[Bill H]

Steve Goff,

I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your keen insights. Adding "Hussein" was a really nice touch as well. Keep up the razor-sharp analysis, sir.

- Bill

[Bill H]

Steve Goff,

I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your keen insights. Adding "Hussein" was a really nice touch as well. Keep up the razor-sharp analysis, sir.

- Bill

[Sharon]

The Clinton campaign put me in touch with Don Baer, President Clinton's speech writer at the time, who had attended the same meeting. He says: "I don't remember anything along those lines, at all. And I certainly don't remember Senator Clinton saying anything like that... they have their recollections of that, that is their business. The conversation, from my perspective, was moderated in tone."

And you believe this? Come on. The Clinton's put you in touch with someone who is going to say what they want them to say. This is exactly why her credibility rating is so low. If she has run a good campaign she might be in the position she is in now. If she can't run a good campaign I certainly don't want her to run the country. Think people, think!!

[Roger]

Steve Goff,

You are an idiot.

I needn't argue that point.

[To Roger]

Roger you're the idiot! Steve Goff is absolutely correct in his analysis. Sometimes, I think a lot of people just hear "yada,yada,yada" coming out of the politicians' mouths instead of listening to what they are actually saying. If you listen to Clinton, Obama, and McCain you cannot help but hear exactly what Steve Goff hears. Most of America hears it also. That's why you will see McCain win in November--because he's the lesser of the three evils. By the way, I'm a registered democrat, but that doesn't make me stupid about the candidates in my party.

[hanna]

I would want a woman for the president, and I considered Hillary in January. But no more. She is not strong if she needs to use fear-mongering, elitist-branding, denouncing the opponent's pastor and lies. I she has substance, she would not need to rely on duping uneducated masses. Besides, a USA president should know how to pour a cup of coffee at a seven eleven shop. Bit out of touch, was she.

[hanna]

WHY I SWITCHED FROM CLINTON TO OBAMA:
In January I strongly considered Senator Clinton as a candidate of my choice – intelligent, eloquent and knowledgeable.
In February I switched my support from Senator Clinton to Senator Obama based on her mandatory health plan, which I believe would be injurious to poor working class. I am an older, white, and poor working woman and a cancer survivor, so the issue is very dear to me. This mandate would destroy the poorest working class people. I chose to live without insurance in the past, as I absolutely could not afford it, and I VALUE MY CHOICE.
As I got to know about Senator Obama and his wife Michelle better, I know that they have genuine working class roots and shared our struggles – I understand what Michelle Obama means when they had four spoons at home. Senator Clinton was raised in the comforts of a white successful business owner family and went to a quite exclusive high school.
Now Clintons are over 100 millions worth, so on her “commute to work with working class “ she did not know how to pour a cup of coffee at a 7-11 shop. Bit out of touch.
I know that senator Obama will listen and negotiate. His campaign is not divisive. I absolutely condemn all negative attacks manufactured by senator Clinton, especially her role in igniting “Wright controversy” (note that her former church FoundryUMC in Washington DC made a statement supporting Rev. Wright on their website, now archived there)
her party-destroying, republican-like attacks and presenting Senator Obama as ELITIST (RECALL 2004 KERRY). We working class people need a united Democratic Party. He was raised by a single mom since he was two. His Grandma had to work to help. They lived in apartment in Hawaii. How elitist is that?”
Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the very beginning and gave profound arguments for his stand. Senator Clinton supported the war in her senate vote without reading the information about it.
Senator Obama has 12 years of legislative experience, which is 4 years more than Senator Clinton. Senator Clinton is the only First Lady that has ever been subpoenad by court.
The Obama family are loving and caring, a model Christian family, devoted and loyal to their Church and its community. Michelle Obama will be as spectacular in the White House as once were Jaquelline Kennedy and Mrs. Roosevelt – I think she combines both of them.

[neverspun]

What a refreshing, and honest truth picture Hanna! T

Kentuckians, please learn for yourselves the truth about the candidates. If you are reading this, you too are capable of finding true facts, not only about the candidates, but also about the facts of the criminal administration that sits in the White House. (the people's house)

President Obama will lead our country out of the near ruinous times we all(but the very rich) find ourselves in. It will be difficult, the secretive government we now have has undermined the basic tenets of our constitution. Did you know we are living under the Patriot Act, rather than the constitution? Educate yourselves, and you will know what to do; for your country, your children, the very existence of what the beginnings of America stands for.

Kentucky seems to go with the loser, when all the information is there. After the Civil War, where Kentucky was declared neutral, our state sided with the losers.

Isn't it time to change this? Yes, I believe we can. If we aren't afraid, and only hear what others pass on. It's now or never.

Let's make Kentucky proud again, not at the bottom of all statistics, or choosing the wrong side when the die is cast.

OBAMA 2008

[John]

Hanna-

Your comments on Why I switched from Clinton to Obama are right on track.

[Electress]

Obama says he stands for change in Washington, yet he surrounds himself & hugs the old regulars: Kennedy, Kerry, Dodds, Dashcle,
Edwards, Richardson. Note they are all losers too, and all elites!

Sen. Clinton is focused on the economy, healthcare, and education, she has earned
the respect from voters who are blue collar
workers! Let your voice be heard, vote Hillary!

[MrUniteUs]

You have to laugh when multi-millionaires
call someone that spent time on food stamps
elitist.

Obama exemplifies the American dream and is someone we can all be proud of.

[Reality Checker]

To those Kentucky votes who are thinking of voting for Obama in the primary: Before you head off for your polling station, I encourage you to read this following quote from Dreams From My Father (p. 80):

"Malcolm X’s discovery toward the end of his life, that some whites might live beside him as brothers in Islam, seemed to offer some hope of eventual reconciliation, that hope appeared in a distant future, in a far-off land. In the meantime, I looked to see where the people would come from who were willing to work toward this future and populate this new world."

If you read carefully, you'll see that the future Barack wanted to work toward was one in which whites could live alongside blacks as brothers in Islam.

Now consider this quote in light of Obama's many known connections with Islam - among them his father, his step-father, his schooling in Indonesia, his increasingly close with his Muslim family tribe in Kenya.

Consider these - and vote carefully.

[neverspun]

Reality checker, you need to "carefully read" your GOP/ right wing stupid viral e-mails that you share with one another to get your jollies! Facts are facts, indisputable. Check the dreck you receive before you spread nonsense. SNOPES IS YOUR FRIEND.(keeps you from looking like a fool.)

So, whom are you voting for for president?