Irish Times: ….Some observers wondered whether Michelle Obama, who as vice-president of Chicago University Medical Center earned more money than her then senator husband, could adapt to life in the White House. But the president’s aides needn’t have worried about her reputation for frankness. Obama’s first 13 months as first lady have been virtually flawless.
Laura Bush tended to fade into the wallpaper, while Hillary Clinton gave the impression of chafing at the subaltern post of first lady. Obama has embraced the function with a joy and enthusiam not shown by her predecessors.
…When Barack Obama entered politics in 1995, standing for the Illinois state senate, Michelle told him: “I married you because you’re cute and you’re smart. But this is the dumbest thing you could have ever asked me to do.” She nonetheless became his most ardent supporter.
….“That’s the beauty of living above the office: Barack is home every day. The four of us sit down to eat as a family. We haven’t had that kind of normalcy for years. And now I can just pop over to his office, which sometimes I’ll do if I know he’s having a particularly frustrating day.”
At a luncheon for journalists last month, Obama divulged one source of their happiness: “We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and laughter is the best form of unity I think in a marriage.” It’s not unusual to see the first couple kiss or hold hands. While they waited for heads of state and government to arrive at a reception at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, the President playfully called called her “Flotus”. They exchanged whispers and flirted like teenagers.
“I’m so proud of him,” Obama told Winfrey. “He has never disappointed me. First and foremost he’s my husband, my friend, and the father of my children.
“That didn’t change with his hand on the Lincoln Bible. But it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the gravity of what he’s doing. The way I can honour that is by working by his side and adding value to what he’s doing in any way that I can. That’s my part in this. I am supporting the president of the United States.”
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