WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2008

Obama Dishes On How He Quit Smoking

Says Nicorette Helps Him Avoid Cravings During Pressure-Filled Campaign

  • Sen. Barack Obama dances to the song

    Sen. Barack Obama dances to the song "Crazy In Love" before the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" taping on Wednesday Oct.17, 2007.  (AP Photo/Mike Rozman/Warner Bros.)

  • Photo Essay Barack Obama

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(AP)  Barack Obama said he has successfully quit smoking cigarettes despite the pressures of a closely contested and lengthy presidential campaign.

"I've been chewing on this Nicorette, which tastes like you're chewing on ground pepper - but it does help," the Democratic candidate said in an interview that aired Thursday on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

His wife, Michelle, had used his smoking as leverage when the two were discussing whether he should run for president. She would agree only if Obama agreed to give up smoking.

"I had been sneaking three cigarettes, four cigarettes a day for a while, and she said if you're going to do this you've got to stop - precisely because the stress was going to increase, and it'll just get worse," Obama said. "So that's an example of my wife making me a better man once again."

The Illinois senator told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that dancing on her show had helped him win voters.

"I just want to say that we were kind of in a slump until I was dancing on the show," he joked, referring to his appearance on her show last fall. "My poll numbers skyrocketed after that. Everybody saw me bust a move on Ellen - that's all it took."

On Monday, DeGeneres showed up by satellite at a fundraiser for Hillary Rodham Clinton on the campus of George Washington University in the District of Columbia.

DeGeneres told Obama that she and many other voters find the two Democratic candidates appealing.

"I really like you. I really like Hillary. And I think a lot of people feel the same way," she said. "Why vote for you?"

Obama said he can unite the country.

"I think I have a better chance at getting Democrats and independents and Republicans to come together and put aside some partisan bickering that has been going on for a long time now that the Clintons were involved in," he said.


©MMVIII, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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by noregion5 February 29, 2008 12:59 PM EST
What a fantastic fact about what your calling the president of USA, which is arrogant. The attitude of most Obama commentors is unacceptable, it is no better than what Bush is doing now.
Reply to this comment
by athy4 February 29, 2008 12:32 PM EST
Articles I read to better Understand Sen. Obama and his Policies


http://news.houstonpress.com/2008-02-28/news/barack-obama-screamed-at-me/

http://www.taylormarsh.com/

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/03/obama200803?currentPage=7

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3080794.ece

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=aa0cd21b-0ff2-4329-88a1-69c6c268b304

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/26/politics/main3876941.shtml

http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2008/02/26/obama_s_dangerous_protectionism/index.html


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-wilson/battletested_b_86355.html?view=screen


I tried to leave out publications that were sensational in nature and/or provided no real information to help us in our decision, That is-I left out any trashy stuff.Question everything you read for accuracy and slant. If you are not sure about a particular fact, send link to particular website publication out on blogosphere and ask bloggers if anyone can verify or refute certain whatever it is you are questioning.Please do the same if you find any articles (positive or negative ) about Sen Clinton or any other candidate. Also, send more articles about Sen Obama too.
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by keithle1 February 29, 2008 9:45 AM EST
Inauguration Day in Jan 2009 will be a VERY happy day. No more Bush-Cheney. You will never see either of them again. Bush will be judged as one of the bottom five Presidents. Bush Senior is sorry that Dubya ever ran for President.

Our long Republican nightmare is almost over, people of America.
Reply to this comment
by keithle1 February 29, 2008 9:36 AM EST
Obama..our next President? They say he raised $50 million in Feb to Hillary Baby''s $32 million. Anyone BUT the old man McCain.

Women''s Studies...someone is having a laugh. Patriarchal Repression 101. All men are rapists.

Quitting smoking for good is EXTREMELY difficult. A black man listening to & respecting his wife is also EXTREMELY rare.

GO OBAMA! BEAT MCCAIN! DEMOCRATS 2008
Reply to this comment
by truthfinder1 February 29, 2008 5:14 AM EST
Is this worthy of a news? Quit smoking with Nicorette. Transfering one form of addiction to another. He could have said I quit smoking, but chewing tobacco instead which taste like chewing on rooted grass.
So the message is that he is messiah... whatever he does and how miniscule it is.. it is worthy of news. Is that it?
Reply to this comment
by utsava February 29, 2008 5:04 AM EST
Hey, you put on your website Obama s family album. I haven''t seen Hillary s album. And really attractive pictures of Obama. But where is Hillary, why are you treating him with silky gloves and not Hillary?
Reply to this comment
by libra127 February 29, 2008 2:55 AM EST
Posted by TRUEPROGRESS at 08:21 PM : Feb 28, 2008

Please note that this poster has demonstrated by his posts elsewhere that he is definitely NOT a professor and NOT a feminist. His posts are FRAUDULENT and appear to be an attempt to discredit feminists.
Reply to this comment
by trueprogress February 28, 2008 11:21 PM EST
I AM DEEPLY OFFENDED:

As a feminist, I have dedicated over 36 years to working very, vary hard for ALL women. The women who live with men, are essentially passive children.

We are now poised to change direction and take control of the bus.
------------------------------------------------------
We DEMAND : Reparations for all women who have been married and divorce, or who have ben ruined by a man, due to no economic fault of her own. We demand grade addtions of one step for all women students, to unbalance the grade favoritism for men over women. We demand a fuel tax on men driving, to support our needs for carting the "kids" here and there. We demand, funding for discarded women''s clothes, to help women of Africa. And more.


--------------------------------------------------
As a Professor of World and Women , I am offended by the current REJECTION, and ABUSE.
Reply to this comment
by randynason February 28, 2008 9:04 PM EST
I hope that Ellen doesn''t start sobbing on live camera when Barack is taken aback by the Democratic Party and then promised to dance with another.
Reply to this comment
by taddles-2009 February 28, 2008 8:30 PM EST
"As a Feminist leader and professor of World and Women Studies, I am offended by this story.

Posted by TRUEPROGRESS at 01:56 PM : Feb 28, 2008"


As a person who doesn''t give a $hit, I''ll alert the media to your outrage...right after I have a smoke.
Reply to this comment
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