I have been waiting for the "news" to be in the right mode and not so constant, to post this so that you would take the time to read it.
Michelle Obama, in a speech she gave in New York several weeks ago showed the world that when the time comes she will be a dynamic and special First Lady.
Please be aware as you read that these are reporter's notes and not edited copy.
The event - billed as a "young professionals" event by the campaign - began at 8 pm but the ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel on East 42nd Steet didn't get packed until about 8:45 pm. The campaign estimated about 2,000 tickets were sold, but one official involved in the crowd control pegged the attendance as at least 1,500 after the event.And most importantly for me being in this race is I know that Barack is in this not just to win. (It's) so important because we talked about this. This race is not about winning becaue winning isn't enough nowadays. Winning without dignitiy, winning it without honor, winning without authenticity and truth is not winning at all and we're not in it for that. So that's why I'm here.", . . .
New York CityMarch 9, 2007By Maggie HabermanNew York PostThe event - billed as a "young professionals" event by the campaign - began at 8 pm but the ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel on East 42nd Steet didn't get packed until about 8:45 pm. The campaign estimated about 2,000 tickets were sold, but one official involved in the crowd control pegged the attendance as at least 1,500 after the event.It was an open room, free standing stage with an American Flag behind it. There were very few seats. Some in the crowd raised eyebrows at the cash bar ($5.75 for a soda).It's a mix o "young professionals" in suits, ties and business clothes, but there were a wide range of ages - incuding a handful of kids who appeared under the age of 10, and one womn who had a sleeping infant at the back of the room. Some people, like fundraiser Jamie Whitehead, wandered up from BO's earlier, closed-door, big-money event with about 400 people in a lobby room at the hotel.Several people said they were firmly with BO but a lot said they were still up in the air and most wanted to hear what he had to say. The crowd featured several former Howard Dean and Gore backers.Mrs. Obama took the stage at 9 pm exactly, wearing a cinched-waist skirt suit. She was very well received by the crowd, spending about 15 minutes doing a half-introduction, half-warm-up act for her husband. Some people said after the event they thought she gave a better performance than he did, punctuated with laugh lines throughout. But her key lines came toward the end of her remarks, where she talked about how Barack isn't in just to win and how winning without dignity and honor isn't winning at all. See below.Mrs Obama:"Hello New York. For those of you who don't know me my name is Michele obama (from pooler, double check spelling, i'm typing fast). And I am married to this charcter that you'll hear from shortly . I was asked to introduce my husband and tell you guys a little bit about this journey that we've been on.""I think my husband's a wonderful man, he's gifted he's got many skills and talents...he's a man who's (just) awesome but he's still a man. .... So as the woman who is married to this man I often have to reconcile the two different images that I know about barack obama.There's barack obama the phenomonen as I call him, barrack obama the genius, the editor of the Harvard law review . civil rights attorney, the community roganiaer, the best setlling author, the grammy winner . this barrack obama guy's pretty impressive. But then there's the barrack obama who lives in my house. That guy's not as impressive. He still has trouble putting the bread up and putting his socks actully in the dirty clothes and he still doesn't do a better job thn our five year old daughter . at making his bed. So you'll have to forgive me if I'm a little (stern) about this whole barrack obama thing."She said watching him on TV was "like we're watching this other character barrack obama .. If I'm lucky one day I might have a chance to meet him."" But in all seriousness.. I'm proud to be introducing my husnan to you and proud that he's decided to run for president of the united states..barrack is the real deal. What I mean by that is barrack is really exactly who he says he is. You know there's no hidden agenda to this guy. He is decent, he is sincere, he is authentic, he isn't manufactured. I mean, he is exactly the man I've known this entire time we've been on this journey. And you know it's rare to find that combination of person who is authentic and actually wants to get engaged and understands that we're in a very difficult place now in the country and we're obligated to use our skills and gifts to try and move this country in a better place . I'm proud that he's made this decision and I want to assure everyone who really deeply owrries about us- you know they worry about our safety and how we're going to hold it together a a family . because politics is a rough and tumble sport .. We're ready for this we're ready for this because we really don't have any other choice. I mean the option isn't acceptable (if there's the possibility to force change in the country)....."She tells the story of how they met, says he made promises that "I could aways trust him that he would always be a devoted father and hsband and that he'd never do anything to compromise our family. And he promised me that while he would never be motived by money he would always be focused on service. . we would always have interesting lives full of prupose nd meaning. I cann tlel you guys today that ater 14 years being married to this man he's lived up to every single promise.....""So I am here today. .... I am here as a woman, as a mother as a professional. I'm here because I am a concerned citizen and I am desperately looking for a leader. A leader for me is not just someone who's held a certain et of positions for awhile. anybody can hold a position. But a leader .. is somebody who has the power to tap into the common decency in all of us. ."A leader is someone who gives us a reason to believe again and barack is the personification of that kind of leadership.
And most importantly for me being in this race is I know that Barack is in this not just to win. (It's) so important because we talked about this. This race is not about winning becaue winning isn't enough nowadays. Winning without dignitiy, winning it without honor, winning without authenticity and truth is not winning at all and we're not in it for that. So that's why I'm here."
Taken from
Hop in the poolThe download from Obama pool reporters
Pool reports are a staple of presidential political reporting. Campaigns often limit access to one reporter, especially when space in a venue is tight. That reporter chronicles the event and e-mails it to others covering the candidate. Those reporters then can use quotes or observations from such reports as if they were there. Dip into the Obama campaign pool:
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