In a 3-part series, kicking of tonight, on ABC’s “Nightline”, First Lady Michelle Obama, speaking to anchor Cynthia McFadden from the White House, gives viewers an intimate look into life in the East Wing. And Mrs. O says she purposely stays out of the West Wing. Here’s a few highlights of the FIrst Lady speaking on keeping her home life happy:
On not nagging the President with her own opinions
“In a job like this, the last thing the president of the United States needs when he walks in the door to come home is someone drilling him and questioning him about the decisions and choices that he’s made. There are definitely times when I may feel something, but I’ll hold back because I know he’ll either get to that on his own or it’s just not time.”
On keeping her husband’s politics separate from her own issues she pushes for
“I rarely step foot in the West Wing. In fact people are shocked when they see me there. I rarely walk in that office because the truth is he’s got so many wonderful advisers. He’s got a phenomenal cabinet. He’s got people who are in the trenches on these issues every single day and I’m kind of stepping in and out and I’ve got my own set of issues. So I don’t even have the kind of expertise and the time in to be able to provide the kind of advice and guidance that he’s already getting.”
On preserving family time with First Daughters Sasha & Malia
“One of the things that Barack and I try to do in our lives which I think is one of the reasons our family is so whole, is that we make sure family is family — it’s not this sort of quasi-business relationship. We really do — we’re two people who love each other and put a lot of our energy into our kids and into our family unit,”
On losing all reservations about how Obama’s Presidential run would affect their family
“In the end, Barack, our family is priority for him, and I knew that if I said no he wouldn’t do this. And then I had to think of whether I would want to be responsible for not having somebody like Barack you know, someone with his level of intellect, his honesty, his compassion, his vision. Would I want to be the one who stood in the way of this person potentially running this country? And I couldn’t do that, because then I had to think beyond myself and my family and I had to think of sort of the broader benefits that this country could gain from his leadership.”
Part 1 of the interview airs tonight on ABC at at 11:35 p.m. ET.
