Michelle Obama: "I Still Pinch Myself"

CBS News anchor Katie Couric Interviews The Woman Who Could Be The First Black First Lady

(CBS)  On the 45th Anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, Katie Couric spoke one-on-one with Michelle Obama, as her husband prepared to accept the Democratic Party nomination for president. Couric asked Obama what it means to her personally.

---

Michelle Obama: I've done two speeches, two or three today, and I've talked about this historic day, the 45th anniversary of Dr. King speaking at the Lincoln Memorial with his "I Have a Dream" speech. I mean, how amazing that these things are happening on the same night. It is moving. It's powerful. It's emotional. And I still pinch myself and think, "am I really a part of this?" I'm very proud of Barak. I'm proud of the man that he is. I'm proud of the race that he's run, but I'm proud of the fact that he is always thinking about how to include regular folks in this process.

Couric: Do you worry about the people who haven't moved forward, who don't judge people by the content of their character, but by the color of their skin?

Obama: You know, change is hard - for anyone. And sometimes people hold on to what they know, and they don't know whether it's right or wrong. They just know what they know. But I tend to focus on where we're going. It's that glass-half-full proposition. We are here today; Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee. And it happened because, not just from the people who are willing to hope and were already there, but people had to come to that place. They had to sort of listen to the message and understand that the challenges that we're facing now as a nation are really transcending race and gender and sexual orienitation, and they're starting to believe we can work together around a set of shared values.

Couric: What do you think about the notion of some of Hillary Clinton's supporters going over to John McCain?

Obama: My view is that we have to give people time to heal and to think about where they want the country to go. And I think that's what Sen. Clinton and President Clinton were saying - think about what's at stake. Think about why you did this in the first place. Did you do it for Hillary?

Couric: What did you think, since you mentioned Hillary Clinton, about her speech and about her husband's speech the next night?

Obama: They were both amazing. They were gracious and generous statesmen and -women. And Hillary Clinton, for one, has been nothing but gracious to me throughout this entire process - being available to answer questions, giving me advice about the girls, Chelsea offering to talk to the girls. You know, that's why it's just important to know that the Clintons understand what's at stake.

Couric: How are the girls doing with all of this?

Obama: You know, they went to the aquarium today. They have been having a ball. I don't think they know he was officially nominated. What's the roll call? They went to the zoo. We had a sleep-over with 15 kids in my room. That was the first thing Malia asked me when I finished my speech. She said, "Mom, I have something important to say. We need to have a sleepover tonight." I said, "tonight??"

Couric: Where did you find 15 kids?

Obama: We have all our friends, the Bidens - the Bbidens have brought a bunch of kids. Our kids have been playing together and we brought friends and family and cousin. There are a ton of kids here.

Couric: So it's big fun for the girls?

Obama They have a ball. They always have a ball. Wherever we are, they find a way to make fun and, sort of ditch the speeches.

Couric: Michelle Obama, thank you.

Obama: Thank you, Katie. It's good to see you again.

Couric: We appreciate it, thank you. No slumber parties tonight. Michelle obama said she insisted her daughters clear their social schedules and be with their parents at Invesco Field.

[patriot12436]

I see Michelle in twenty years telling her grandchildren, yes i remember the day when i almost becane the First Lady.

[liberty_1776]

Michelle Obama always seems angry, doesn''t she? I think she''s angry at white America.

[wellhell3]

Oh Puke!

[shameonbush]

I really like Michelle, she will be the perfect first lady. She reminds me of Jackie O, with a law degree.

[bratz21-2009]

America for the first time will have a " very plain looking black first lady "

[bigchange4]

Is she plain Jane like we saw today, or Jakie fashion like we saw a few months ago. Poor woman has lost sight of herself, must be all the lies she has to live with by being with that silly man Nobama. How will she ever deal with him if he slithers into the oval office?

[bigchange4]

Angry Michelle, probably because Hillary almost slipped to say ''No way, No how, Nobama''

[bigchange4]

I agree with Michelle when she says ''Wherever we are, they find a way to make fun and, sort of ditch the speeches.''

[bratz21-2009]

Michelle & Barrack are trying to portray themselves as compassionate helpful couple who helps the poor in their Illinois neighborhood.
Compassion starts at home.....how come Barack does not help his real blood half brothers in Kenya who are living in poverty & living in a shack ? If they could help poor people in Illinois who are not their blood relatives, how he can not help his poor half brothers in Kenya who are living for less than a dollar a day ? Does this tell you what kind of person he is in real life ?

[bratz21-2009]

Michelle & Barrack are trying to portray themselves as compassionate helpful couple who helps the poor in their Illinois neighborhood.
Compassion starts at home.....how come Barack does not help his real blood half brothers in Kenya who are living in poverty & living in a shack ? If they could help poor people in Illinois who are not their blood relatives, how he can not help his poor half brothers in Kenya who are living for less than a dollar a day ? Does this tell you what kind of person he is in real life ?

[bratz21-2009]

Katie Couric is one of the most liberal news anchor of CBS News....I can not stand her, I dont watch CBS news. You can tell the way she interviews the Obamas that she is a democrat liberal . Why CBS keep her is beyond me. Get rid of her to boost back your ratings CBS.

[fstop100]

barry obama is wrong for America....campaign promises that will never be kept. questionable friends.
flip flopping on many issues and no experience.
wake up America, this is not what this country needs.

[peterp111]

The primary problem facing the Obama campaign over the next two-plus months is control of the setting and narrative. Maintaining the illusion of an idealistic over-achiever, a moderate man of the center and embodiment of our collective future, means that the critics must be ignored. He must stick to settings that reflect his strengths as an impresario.


Two contrary forces are at work.

As the Bard wrote, "Truth will Out."


The archives of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge will be yielding much more detail about the projects funded and not funded by the board Barack Obama chaired and to which William Ayers brought his projects for approval. Even if major media outlets boycott the subject, the McCain campaign, 527 groups, and the internet will not be deterred.


But then again, the electorate may expand as young people rise and vote. After all, P.T. Barnum is widely believed to have said:


"There''s a sucker born every minute."

ps. Hey Michelle- you haven''t won yet- and you won''t-

[concerns47]

I would pinch myself to when Obama kisses Biden''''s wife on the lips and not just a peck, poor etiquite. Guess Biden will allow anything to be VP.

No politican kisses women on the lips, the cheek is proper.

[concerns47]

I would pinch myself too if Obama kisses Biden''''s wife on the lips and not just a peck, poor etiquite. Guess Biden will allow anything to be VP.

No politican kisses women on the lips, the cheek is proper.

[concerns47]

Poor Judgement?
Very confident, no wonder Michelle is pinching herself, Obama kisses Biden''''s wife on the lips and not just a peck, poor etiquite. Not just one occasion but 3 occasions. Guess Biden will allow anything to be VP.

No politican kisses women on the lips, the cheek is proper.

[recession1]

To concerns47: I''ve had to read your foolishness on nearly every article.. Its as simple as this, George W. Bush has turned our country upside down! I''m a minority myself, however if McCain wasn''t preaching the same message, I would not just vote for Barack because he is Black, but I would vote for the canidate who offers something besides genocide and lies! You seem to be so wrapped in your "little" racist mind that you are blind to the elephant in the room! You have bashed blacks and black neighborhoods, however if you take a closer look, you are the very reason that this country will never prosper. You can slander black neighborhoods all you want, but your scary self would never set foot in one and repeat any of the comments you are so quickly to post. Do us all a favor and retreat back under your rock!!!!