« Previous | Main | Next »

Obama: Nothing Personal

Share

August 21, 2007 11:49 AM

ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Sen. Barack Obama defended a recent comment by his wife that some interpreted as a dig at Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, saying that Michelle Obama's comments were aimed at emphasizing the "importance of family" and had nothing to do with the Clintons.

Last week, Michelle Obama said at a campaign event, "If you can't run your own house, you can't run the White House."

A Chicago Sun-Times columnist, Jennifer Hunter, saw the comments and wrote today, "She didn't elaborate, but it could be interpreted as a swipe at the Clintons."

Asked to respond in a conference call with reporters, Sen. Obama said, "She wasn't making any reference to that."

"Anybody who's been listening to Michelle on the stump," Senator Obama explained on a conference call with reporters, "She's talked about the importance of family, and the need for our family to be sure that we're thinking about our kids during the process of this campaign.

"She's repeated that in every stump speech, so there are no refrences behind her point that we have an administration that talks about family values but doesn’t follow through on it. And that part of the challenge for us in this campaign is making sure that we are talking the talk, but also walking the walk. That's all it was referring to," Obama said.

The Obama campaign also distributed a more complete transcript of Michelle Obama's speech that backs up the senator's account.

Here's the full version:

"Our view was that, if you can't run your own house, you certainly can't run the White House. So, so we've adjusted our schedules to make sure that our girls are first, so while he's traveling around, I do day trips. That means I get up in the morning, I get the girls ready, I get them off, I go and do trips, I'm home before bedtime."

August 21, 2007 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (28)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

I'm annoyed.

At first I was annoyed at Obama when I first heard reports on this comment. But now that I've read the full quote it is obvious that she was talking about her own family and making NO comment on any other person's family.

Only a reporter who WANTS there to be a cat fight between Michelle and Hillary would distort Michelle's comment so badly.

Now I'm annoyed at the reporter.

Posted by: Chris Andersen | Aug 22, 2007 1:00:40 PM

Everyone who knows how people try to say things and give the impression that they would never say such a thing is what is wrong with our country now but i see that things aren't going to change so we will be in the same way no matter who gets elected if they run for office thire all the same SIGNED

Posted by: tomygun | Aug 22, 2007 2:19:44 PM

If the Obamas think this is going to win them votes - they had better think again. Bad enough the American people have to listen to the bad mouth repubs bashing dems without the dems doing it to each other. Let the Obamas become repubs if they hate dems so much as to bring personal lives into play.

Posted by: Ron | Aug 22, 2007 2:36:53 PM

OF COURSE, Michelle Obama jammed on Hillary. Hillary Clinton is a card-carrying member of that exclusive club: the White American Liberal Club. It is no secret to any person of color that had OBAMA been a Conservative that the members of that club would call him every racial epithet known: Ask Condi, Colin, Justice Thomas, Michael Steele. The 'progressives', especially the Clintons are exploitive of Blacks and never placed any in REAL positions of authority during their two terms. Certainly no where near those in President Bush's administration. Michelle took an artful opportunity to state what most Americans feel about the Clintons.

Posted by: Chef Redondo | Aug 22, 2007 2:43:32 PM

Some of the comments posted here are unfortunate. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out to what Mrs. Obama was referring. Anyone who believes otherwise has already prejudiced themselves to take anything said by she or her husband in a negative light. Maybe the country's not ready for an African American leader.

Posted by: Harold H. | Aug 22, 2007 3:37:20 PM

I think michelle never meant anything about the clintons,what she impled is simple just about the attention she gives to her family that she has to cater for her amily befor doing anything else.This however reveals aot of love expressed by her and this may be the reason as to why they even go with them in campaigns.But there is nothing about the clintons so,the clintons should not be guilty of that in as much as they may be having some family problems bue that was not what she intended to.This reveals her as some committed lady who greately puts her family in the first priority,shame on the clintos,shame.

Posted by: lwanga fred | Aug 23, 2007 3:45:41 AM

George W. Bush to George H.W. Bush is like Hillary Clinton to Bill Clinton. G.W. Bush was back room all through his Dad's campaigns, as was Hillary in Bill's campaigns. So if you thought G.W. only did things to garner enough votes to win elections, Hillary is the exactly same. She plays wedge issues. She is calculating. She does not care beyond winning. The way she plays the game should bother everyone.

Posted by: Bob | Aug 27, 2007 9:05:18 AM

Sounds like she's sexist herself- against her own gender!!
I DO NOT run my household, and why should I, as a woman, HAVE to? I'm a much better business owner, musician, and soon to be civil rights lawyer- my husband runs the household.
What a bunch of crap.
I'm not even voting for Clinton!!
I'm a Democrat voting for Ron Paul because I have a brain-
Because I don't believe someone that repeatedly iterates the word "change" without saying HOW he is going to change anything.
And if you vote to fund the war (Obama, Clinton, every other Republican besides Ron Paul), you can kiss my vote goodbye.

Posted by: ak | Jan 26, 2008 10:20:54 PM

Post a comment