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'Mom-in-Chief' Readies Her Bully Pulpit

Will balance Hillary-style agenda, Laura-style domestic image

By Gabriel Winant, Newser User

Posted Jan 20, 2009 9:56 AM CST

(Newser) – Being first lady has always been a balancing act: trailblazer Hillary Clinton pushed harder on policy issues than the public wanted; mild Laura Bush hardly pushed at all. Michelle Obama is seeking an agenda related to her experiences. A friend tells the New York Times: “She understands the needs of low-income communities. She understands the needs of women. She has balanced raising a family with a career.”

The Harvard-educated lawyer and former hospital executive recalibrated her image during the campaign after some missteps, emphasizing her roles as mother and wife. She now describes her first job as “mom-in-chief,” though she may delegate traditional duties such as selecting china or tasting food. An Eleanor Roosevelt scholar spells out the challenge for Politico: “She has to look caring, but she can’t flaunt the fact that she has power. It has be somewhere in the middle.”

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (2)]

President-elect Barack Obama and Michelle wave as they arrive at the "We Are One: Opening Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen)

Incoming first lady Michelle Obama smiles during a volunteer event to assemble care packages for troops, Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Incoming first lady Michelle Obama greets volunteers during a event to assemble care packages for troops, Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Incoming first lady Michelle Obama talks with volunteers during an event to assemble care packages for troops, Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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The angry black woman stereotype is predictable, we know that one, then when she was not really conforming to that story, then it shifted to her fashion. - Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Spelman College professor of women's studies

She won't try to run Washington but she will always be there to be helpful to President Obama in his work as chief executive. - Charles Ogletree, Harvard Law professor who taught Michelle Obama

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'Mom-in-Chief' Readies Her Bully Pulpit