- Subliminal Messaging, or Over-Active Imaginations?
- VEEPBEAT: Contenders Off Radar as Obama Travels
- Team Clinton Gearing Up for 2012?
- Rice to Meet with North Korea Next Week
- The Note: Obama Poised for High-Profile Trip
- McCain Touts Surge Success Before Obama's Overseas Trip
- Hearing-Gate Exposed! McCain Has Worse Afghanistan Hearing Record Than Obama
- Bill Clinton Says He's Ready to Campaign for Obama
- Obama Blasts Conservative Attacks Against Wife: 'Debate Me Not Her'
- Biden hits back - More on Obama's Committee
- Obama Hits the Gym, With Multiple Repetitions
- Gore To Issue Clean Energy Challenge
- The Note: Foreign Trip Taking Shape for Obama
- Obama Raises $52 Million in June
- Religious Group Demands McCain Staffer's Ouster
« Ron Paul Recruits Anonymous to Attack Rudy's Foreign Policy | Main | DC Madam Supports former First Lady »
Michelle Obama Cuts Ties with Controversial Wal-Mart Supplier
Email
ShareMay 22, 2007 6:53 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Michelle Obama, the wife of democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has resigned her position as director of TreeHouse Foods Inc where she has served since 2005.
"As my campaign commitments continue to ramp up, it is becoming more difficult for me to provide the type of focus I would like on my professional responsibilities," said Michelle Obama in a statement the campaign released Tuesday.
"My priorities, particularly at this important time, are ensuring that our young daughters feel a sense of comfort and normalcy in this process, an that I can support my husband in his presidential campaign to bring much needed change to this county," the statement read.
The forty-three-year-old mother of two has been increasing her presence on the campaign trail, while her husband vies for a shot at being the Democratic nominee for president.
Her position on the board of the company was not without controversy. Many pointed to her role on the board as a direct conflict with her husband's stance against the company Wal-Mart. TreeHouse Foods is one of the main suppliers to Wal-Mart and Senator Obama has come out against Wal-Mart's labor practices in the past.
In an exclusive interview Tuesday morning on "Good Morning America," before her resignation, Michelle Obama responded to ABC News' Robin Roberts who questioned whether her position was a conflict of interest.
"Barack is gonna say what needs to be said, and it's not going to, you know, necessarily matter ... what I'm doing if it's not the right thing," she said. "He's going to do what's right for ... the country. He's going to speak out. And he's going to, you know, implement his views as he sees fit. ... I see no conflict in that."
In a press release today, TreeHouse Inc's Chairman of the Board, Sam K. Reed said, "We would like to thank Michelle for her dedicated service on behalf of the Company's shareholders. While we regret her resignation, we understand and respect her decision."
Mrs. Obama still holds her part-time position as Vice President for Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals, although she has hinted that she intends to take a leave of absence in the near future.
May 22, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (1)
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/433071/18693138
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Michelle Obama Cuts Ties with Controversial Wal-Mart Supplier:
So,according to Michelle Obama, it "doesn't matter" if Michelle Obama is not necessarily doing the "right thing...?" Sounds like a great moral compass at work. What a team - he condemns and she behind the scenes wracks up over $100,000/year just as a Board member for this company, a position she received allegedly after he became a US Senator. I wonder if she were on this company's radar before he became a US Senator.... ADditionally, wasn't her compensation in excess of $300,000 for her position as Community Affairs person for U of Chicago? Could that possibly be true for a part time position? Sounds way out of whack ---
Posted by: Unbelieveable | May 16, 2008 8:08:03 AM
Post a comment
