Michelle Obama in her Own Words

Book excerpt: The election of Barack Obama has brought worldwide attention not only to what his policies will be, but to what kind of First Lady Michelle Obama will be. Throughout the long campaign season, Michelle Robinson Obama garnered a good amount of attention, kudos and criticism about her words, actions, even her appearance, but few people know what kind of role she will play once she settles into the White House. One clue is to examine her words and statements of the past, and the proposed book Michelle Obama In Her Own Words will show readers who are eager to learn more about America's new history-making First Lady. Michelle Obama In Her Own Words will be a book that contains 200-250 quotations arranged in approximately 75 different categories. A short introduction and biography of the new First Lady will precede the quotes. Drawing on quotations from a variety of newspaper and magazine articles, transcripts, speeches, and TV interviews and profiles, the quotations date from Michelle's career as a high-powered corporate lawyer in Chicago and her high-powered executive jobs in the Chicago Mayor's office and at the University of Chicago, up through the election of November 5th, 2008. Rogak locates and organizes the funny, fascinating, inspiring (and occasionally controversial) words of our future First Lady, on topics such as: Abortion Affirmative Action Balancing career and family Barack's safety Being compared to Jackie Onassis Her childhood Her critics Her fashion sense Hillary Clinton Iraq Racism Rev. Jeremiah Wright Sarah Palin Terrorism The "elitist" tag The Presidential campaign The role of the First Lady Women who have influenced her