Michelle Obama: Barack's rock

[BeyondGeography]

Obama calls wife Michelle 'an unbelievable professional, and partner, and mother, and wife'—and integral to his campaign

By Christi Parsons, Bruce Japsen and Bob Secter
Chicago Tribune staff reporters
Published April 22, 2007

<...The daughter of a tight-knit nuclear family, she's an anchor for a spouse who grew up all over the world and barely knew his own father. Her background, deeply rooted in a working-class South Side neighborhood, lends credibility to her husband, who has consistently battled questions from some African-Americans about whether the son of an African father and a white American mother is authentically black.

Michelle Obama has listened to that talk many times before, even directed at her.

"I heard that growing up, 'You talk like a white girl,' " Obama told the Tribune on Friday in her first solo interview since her husband announced his candidacy for president in February. "There isn't one black person who doesn't understand that dynamic. That debate is about the pain that we still struggle with in this country, and Barack knows that more than anyone.

"One of the things I hope happens through our involvement in this campaign is that this country and this world sees yet another image of what it means to be black.">

<"He's one of the few men I've met who is not intimidated by strong women," she said. "He relishes the fact that I'm not impressed by him.">

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-070422michelle-story,1,5447838.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

[TwilightGardener]

1. She sounds like she keeps him pretty well-grounded, despite

all of the publicity and hype around him. That's the kind of partner you need. Good on her!

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Profitwall warning

No access without "registration".

This might be worth posting another link to, when another paper picks it up.

--p!