One-On-One With Michelle Obama

Katie Couric Talks With The Candidate's Wife About Style And Substance On The Campaign Trail

(CBS)  The 44-year-old graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, where her late father worked as a water pump operator for the city. And her mother stayed home to raise her, as well as her older brother, Craig, who coaches basketball at Brown.

Michelle now travels two-to-four days a week, and is in leave from her job as a vice president of the University of Chicago Medical Center.

When she's on the road, her mother cares for her two daughters, 9-year-old Malia and 6-year-old Sasha.

Her husband says she's such an effective advocate that he calls her "the closer."

What follows is a transcript of part of Katie Couric's interview with Michelle Obama. Part II, which will focus on more personal side of Michelle Obama, will air Friday on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

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Couric: You’ve seen the crowds, the way they embrace your husband. Some commentators have used the word "messianic." Do you ever worry that the whole thing, the whole movement is a little over the top for some voters?

Obama: Barack and I talk about this all the time. We talked about it before the decision to run, because … when you’re really trying to make serious change, you don’t want people to get caught up in emotion because change isn’t emotion. Because change isn't emotion. Its real work and organization and strategy - that’s just the truth of it. I mean, you pull people in with inspiration, but then you have to roll up your sleeves and you’ve got to make sacrifices and you have got to have structure.

Couric: Your husband's experience has been repeatedly questioned. Some voters worry that with three years in the Senate he needs a little more experience under his belt before he’s ready. What do you tell people who are worried about that?

Obama: I tell people that in our politics we measure by this very narrow definition. And a lot of times its years in Washington, or whether you’ve made a lot of money running a very large corporation. I mean, we just tend to weigh certain experiences more than others. But what I say is that the measure of leadership is the choices that people made over a lifetime, not when everybody’s looking.

Couric: Like what?

Obama: Community organizing. Now, when was the last time we’ve had a president of the United States who spent years working on the streets in a major city, for years working with people who never had a voice and advocating for better streets, cleaner streets, safer communities? Somebody who has worked as a constitutional law scholar, [as a] civil rights attorney, for years. Barack has more legislative experience than Hillary Clinton does. Barack has spent eight years, in addition to his work as a U.S. senator, in the state legislature. Barack is highly experienced. It's not conventional experience that we're used to seeing, because most people have spent a whole lot of time in Washington.

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Portions of Couric's interview also aired on Friday's Early Show. They involved the causes Michelle Obama would fight for as first lady and what she would say to those who feel her husband is so much younger than Hillary Clinton. See a transcript here.

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Couric: If it ends up being a race against your husband and John McCain ... Sen. McCain will undoubtedly focus on ... your husband’s lack of foreign-policy experience. How do you combat that?

Obama: One of the things Barack will say is that … we’re right now in a war that should have never been authorized and never been waged. People like John McCain and people with a whole lot of years in Washington, who looked at a situation and read it wrong.

Couric: But what about September 11? Nobody wanted that to happen. And I think the country wants to be reassured that the person in the Oval Office will know how to respond.

Obama: You know, one of the things we can’t do in this country is operate from a place of fear. How are we going to reestablish our footing in the world and change conversations globally so that we … move to a different place in how we deal with issues of terrorism?

That we’re … instead of protecting ourselves against terrorists, that we’re building diplomatic relationships and we're investing in education abroad so that we’re making sure that kids are learning how to read as opposed to ... fight us.

We’ve spent eight years gearing ourselves up for a fight, and we haven’t been educating our kids. We don’t have universal health care. I think that’s going to be the debate that Barack has: How are we going to direct our energy? Are we going to gear up for a fight or are we going to work to heal our nation?

Couric: This must be an extremely heady experience for both of you. And I know you have said he’s always had a healthy ego. How do you keep it all in check?

Obama: You know, he’s got a healthy ego because anybody who decides they’re gonna be president of the United States has to think well of themselves.

But the truth is there is are a lot of bumps and bruises along this, you know, campaign trail. There are a lot of humbling experiences. I mean, as I said, Barack has spent most of this year being the person who has no chance of winning.

Couric: Do you ever look at your husband, and does he ever look at you, and do you say can you believe this?

Obama: Oh yeah. Yeah. It’s probably once a week now. Yeah, absolutely. This is a trip.

[taddles-2009]

"Is Michelle a muslim too?"ole Katie"needs to ask some tough questions.

Posted by usmc2132666 at 02:23 PM : Feb 17, 2008"


You need to read a book. I thought there was an IQ requirement for the Corps...guess you showed me huh.

[bof4718]

I feel that Michelle is predjudice. She is not for any white people. I feel the same of her husband, even though one of his parents are white. America, you need to wake up. Where is this Country going?,..., down the drain! Young people who are voting for this guy, you know absolutely nothing about politics!

[usmc2132666]

I don''t like her and him,they are Muslims and Ophra Winfrey backs them,and I don''t like her and Gail.I like Stedman what ever he does in the three person relationship.

[usmc2132666]

Is Michelle a muslim too?"ole Katie"needs to ask some tough questions.

[truthforlife]

One interview with obama''s wife overtakes several days of news and spills into saturday??? I thought the news was unbiased?? Has CBS publically endorsed obama? Remember the credit crisis will be with us untill 2013. Attempting to change public opinion against other candidates by biasing your reports is more than unfair. It is silencing the total truth. The road ahead needs hard work. Your biased approach to fluffy news is keeping America from making Informed decisions. Please go back to unbiased news and equal time!!!!!

[mtnwitch]

Katie, when are you going to quit acting like Obama has already won and give Hillary some equal time. You are obviously biased and it makes me ill. After all, this is a NEWS show, not entertainment, please try and keep that in mind!

[mtnwitch]

Katie, when are you going to quit acting like Obama has already won and give Hillary some equal time. You are obviously biased and it makes me ill. After all, this is a NEWS show, not entertainment, please try and keep that in mind!

[frank1234563]

I can''t understand why Katie didn''t ask Michelle Obama important questions such as what her nickname was during her college days?

[mtnwitch]

Katie, when are you going to quit acting kike Obama has already won and give Hillary equal time . You are obviously biased and it makes me ill. This is a NEWS show,not entertainment.

[mtnwitch]

Katie, when are you going to stop acting like Obama has already won and give Hillary some equal time? Or is it that tou want to tell who to vote for. You are obiously biased and it makes me ill. This is a news show, no entertainment.

[mtnwitch]

Katie, when are you going to stop acting like Obama has already won and give Hillary some equal time? Or is it that tou want to tell who to vote for. You are obiously biased and it makes me ill. This is a news show, no entertainment.

[citizen22]

Wonderful interview with Mrs. Obama...one can certainly see that she is definitely "first lady" material. Not only is she beautiful, she''s also very supportive of her husband. I wish them the victory in this race. It is time for a serious "change" in this country, and who better than someone with a clear head for a change.

[latina4obama]

AMAZING! Some people are about to go postal with comments here. I''m glad you are all interested in reading about our future First Lady but realize that what you say is a reflection of who you are inside...

KATIE, great interview as usual. Michelle Obama is very intelligent and articulate. It is always a pleasure to listen to her. What a strong & awesome woman.

[latina4obama]

AMAZING! Some people are about to go postal with comments here. I''m glad you are all interested in reading about our future First Lady but realize that what you say is a reflection of who you are inside...

KATIE, great interview as usual. Michelle Obama is very intelligent and articulate. It is always a pleasure to listen to her. What a strong & awesome woman.

[disraeli928]

Do you also intend to give equal time to the spouses of other candidates or are you endorsing only Obama?

[realpatriot1]

Hopetrumps,

Have you been listening to Rush Limbaugh and taking notes?

How about he not give 2 *** what the Kenyan Constitution says since he''s never lived there or been naturalized.

Why don''t you go ask Bush to renounce his citizenship in the Republic of Texas, they think they''re a separate country?

[crater7]

realpatriot1; his plan is honest and realistic, her is:

BLA-BLA-BLA SIX PAGES OF BLA-BLA-BLA.

HERE WE GO, HONEST AND REALISTIC,

WE HAVE AN ADMITTED DRUNK, IN CHARGE WHO THROWS AROUND WORDS LIKE HONORABLE, AND HONEST.

I GUESS WE COULD HAVE AN ADMITTED DRUG USER, AS PRESIDENT, THAT WILL USE WORDS LIKE HONEST AND REALISTIC.

WE HAVE SEEN WHAT THE DRUNK HAS DONE FOR OUR COUNTRY,
HOPEFULLY AN ADMITTED DRUG USER WILL BE A LITTLE BETTER.

"THIS IS A TRIP"

[realpatriot1]

Rowdy, That was a nice little speech about how we have to get a grip on the causes of terror. However, it wasn''t as inspiring as an Obama speech and yet it still lacked the specifics of an Obama or McCain or Clinton or Bush speech.

I''ll stick wih Obama''s speech aboout going after Bin Laden if Musharif doesn''t and about fighting terror on the proper battlefield. That''s the only speech by anyone this year that made me feel like they had a clue.

[realpatriot1]

rowdy,

To continue you''re wrong on several of your contentions, He calls for regulation of insurance companies. Like Hillary, he will end the insurance practice of denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

He provides the same subsidies so that those who can''t afford their full premiums will be able to.

He proposes strengthening anti-trust laws to make it easier for generic drugs to get to market, he wants to establish standards for best practices and to develop an online clearinghouse where consumers and their doctors can see apples to apples comparisons of plans before choosing the option that suits them.

People who are currently insured can keep their plan but a new plan based upon the coverage that Congress receives will be made available to whoever wants it and will be administered by private insurers who agree to meet the program standards.

So what makes you think her plan will cover more people, because she told you so?

[realpatriot1]

RowdyTexan2,

They both are talking about the same kind of subsidies for people who can''t afford premiums. The difference is that she offers only platitudes regarding bringing down costs while he offers an actual plan.

I''ve been to both their websites and have read both of their plans. It took me all of 2 minutes to read hers because it consists of a 1 page "summary". Check it out if you think I''m lying.

His plan is 6 pages covering all the topics she does(which you all claim he copied from her) and plenty of issues she doesn''t even touch upon.

She claims her plan is universal but calling it that doesn''t make it so. Neither says what the plan will cost but she doesn''t even indicate how it will be paid for. How will she require people to pay for insurance they can''t afford and why is not promising universality before you know how to pay for it a good idea?

His plan represents the proper direction to go in to reach universal coverage without overpromising. In other words, his plan is honest and realistic while hers is a campaign promise to try implementing the Romney plan currently failing in Massachusetts to cover the uninsured.