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Obama Owns Up: Michelle Made More Sacrifices

Many men 'still a little obtuse' about imbalance in household dynamics

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 22, 2009 7:23 AM CDT

(Newser) – The men in many families need to be "knocked across the head every once in a while" to realize how much more work their partners are putting into child-raising, President Obama says, and the Obamas are no exception. "There's no doubt that our family, like a lot of families out there, were ones in which the men are still a little obtuse about this stuff," he told an NBC interviewer last night.

White House life is a lot different, Obama acknowledged, but a few years ago, when he and Michelle were both juggling careers and kids, Michelle "was trying to figure out, OK, if the kids get sick why is it that she's the one who has to take time off of her job to go pick them up from school, as opposed to me?" He tried to be introspective enough to realize when things were unfair, Obama said, but "the truth is that Michelle still had to make sacrifices of the sort that I did not have to make."

[Images (2)]

[Videos (1)]

The Obamas watch the start of the White House music series celebrating country music earlier this year. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Obama, Michelle Obama and Sasha, second from left, and Malia, right, walk across Pennsylvania Avenue after leaving St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington last week. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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President Obama talks about household dynamics in this interview with NBC. (msnbc)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 13 comments

Cher

Oct 31, 2009 8:00 AM CDT

Hussein has a lot of "owning up" to do. First, let's find his birth certificate, then let's look at his college records. What does he have to hide? Let's find out why he hasn't been to church since Easter Sunday. I want to know when he will start keeping his campaign promisses and why-o-why does he want to make the US a socialist country. Why does he lie? And why does he hate white people? This is just the beginning. I have alot of questions for him. He has a lot of work to do for all those idiots that voted for him. I don't really care, personnally I don't want him to keep his promisses. It will be something to talk about when he trys to run again.

QueenAlli

Oct 22, 2009 12:44 PM CDT

I wish my friend's husband would recognize this fact. I don't tell her, but there are plenty of times I would like to knock him upside the head. I really hope I don't have to struggle with this issue if I get married.

divetrader

Oct 22, 2009 12:33 PM CDT

It is a choice among couples. Each should do a little sacrificing, and not just one.

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Obama Owns Up: Michelle Made More Sacrifices