Partners in Love and the Presidency [View all]
Last edited Tue Jan 10, 2012, 12:11 AM - Edit history (1)
Partners in Love and the Presidency
By CONNIE SCHULTZ
Published: January 8, 2012
On the evening of Jan. 12 last year, Michelle Obama sat in the front row of a packed memorial service and fixed her eyes on her husband as he took the stage.
The Obamas were at the University of Arizona in Tucson to honor the six people who were killed in shootings that had left Representative Gabrielle Giffords fighting for her life. Jodi Kantor describes Mrs. Obama’s reaction as the president spoke:
“She was following every word, nodding a little, her eyes flickering with his words.” When President Obama described Ms. Giffords opening her eyes for the first time, “Michelle closed her own eyes briefly, pantomiming her husband’s speech a little, showing the relief her husband was expressing. She did that sometimes, acting out the words he was saying during his speeches, as if she could give them some of her animation and help propel his message across.”
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Her new image set off repeated bouts of apoplexy among some White House staff members, who weighed in on her choices, albeit indirectly, creating a climate of tension. Ms. Kantor describes a blowup in August 2010 between the White House press secretary at the time, Robert Gibbs, and the Obamas’ close friend and adviser, Valerie Jarrett, in which he screamed an expletive at her. In a condescending tone Ms. Jarrett said, “The first lady would not believe you’re speaking this way.” His response was to curse the first lady too.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/09/books/the-obamas-by-jodi-kantor-review.html
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I bet no staffer dared curse Laura Bush. This speakes volumes to me.
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