Obama: Targeting Michelle Was Low GOP Blow

CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric caught up with Barack Obama Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, and they sat down for an exclusive interview. Couric asked about reports that an Obama aunt from Kenya may be in the U.S. illegally. Couric also inquired, among other things, about the thing that made Obama the angriest as the campaign unfolded. Portions of the interview were shown on The Early Show Monday, and more will be broadcast in a special Monday edition of the CBS Evening News. Below is a transcript of the portion from The Early Show Monday.

KATIE COURIC: you have an aunt who's been living in this country apparently illegally, and your campaign says any and all appropriate laws should be followed. So would you support her being deported to Kenya?

SEN. BARACK OBAMA: If she has violated laws, then those laws have to be obeyed. We're a nation of laws. And, obviously, that doesn't lessen my concern for her. I haven't been able to get in touch with her. But, I'm a strong believer that you obey the law.

COURIC: What did the McCain team do in the course of this campaign that made you the angriest?

OBAMA: You know, I, I think that, ahh, you know, I -- a lot of the stuff that has made me angry hasn't directly come from the McCain campaign. I mean, I, I do think that there is a -- there is a Republican or rightwing -- media outlet-- set of media outlets that went after my wife for a while in a way that I thought was just completely out of bounds. And -- and I, you know, frankly I-- you know, I would have never considered or expected my allies to do something comparable to the spouse of an opponent. ... I just feel like family is -- are civilians. And they don't sign up for this stuff. They support their -- their spouse. But generally, you know, they're really -- should be bystanders in this process, even if they're campaigning for you. You know, they're saying nice things about -- about their -- their, in this case, their husbands. I mean, that's what you expect. And-- and that doesn't make them suddenly targets.