By Dschabner

Feb 20, 2010 9:35pm

Michelle Obama Talks Obesity, Love of Country, on Fox

ABC News’ Yunji de Nies Reports:

It was a first lady first.  Michelle Obama on Fox News.  The interview with host Mike Huckabee, taped on Friday in a first grade classroom in Philadelphia, focused on her anti-childhood obesity campaign “Let’s Move.” But the host couldn’t resist asking, does the first lady ever watch Fox News?

“I don't watch news that much,” she said. “And I try to keep home kind of a news-free zone.  It's sort of like when you work above the shop, you can't just bring news home.”

Her husband’s administration has waged a public battle with the cable network.  In June, President Obama lamented to CNBC’s John Harwood, “I've got one television station entirely devoted to attacking my administration.”

Michelle Obama herself repeatedly came under fire on the network during the campaign, after she told a crowd in Wisconsin in February 2008 that because of husband’s quest for the White House, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm really proud of my country.”

Asked by Huckabee what she wants America to know about her, the first lady said, “I'm doing everything I can every day to make my country proud. So that when I go abroad and represent us, I want America to know that I'm thinking about doing it the best way that I can. Truly.”

Huckabee pressed Obama again, asking, “Is there a perception or a narrative about you that you feel has been misrepresented? Or maybe been unfair?”

“To the extent that it was during the course of the campaign, I think people have gotten to know me," she said. “I love my country, you can't do this if you don't. The same is true for my husband.”

Huckabee also delved in the politics of the "Let’s Move" initiative, asking whether critics are right when they accuse her of trying to propagate a “nanny state” where “the government is telling us what we can eat.”

“This is the one thing that this initiative isn't,” she responded. “This is not government intervention.”

Obama said her approach is rooted in personal and community choices, with government aiding in part.

"This is not an initiative about telling people what to do.  It's giving people the tools to make decisions that make sense for them," she said.

Huckabee himself has famously battled the bulge, losing more than 100 pounds as then-governor of Arkansas.  But he’s put some of those pounds back on, telling the first lady, “I’ve been kind of off the wagon.”  She offered they “work out our arms together” and suggested that the next time he interview her, he showcase his progress.

“Next interview, shirt off” she said with a laugh.

“Oh, I don’t know if you want to see that,” Huckabee responded.

FLOTUS Fashion Watch: Obama wore a blue velvet jacket over a gray sweater, white dress shirt and black pants.

User Comments

Michelles image consultants and 25 or so assistants have transformed her from grumpy and angry to soft and cuddly.
Where is that radical from Chicago?
Maybe they can change her husband’s image.
His radical side pops out often, but maybe they can teach him about humility.

Posted by: mick | February 20, 2010, 10:46 pm 10:46 pm

One of the problems is corn subsidies and the high fructose corn syrup that is made from the excess corn. More government intervention messing things up. Another problem is the gmos, rBGH, antibiotics, etc. Sure getting off the couch is important, but so to is the quality of the food you stuff in your mouth. Corporate food is toxic. BigPharma loves sick people. Makes you wonder what is up.

Posted by: Huh | February 20, 2010, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm

I still feel that Mrs. Obama is still an angry person underneath, despite the attempt to do good and the attempt to be prouder.

Posted by: young_voter | February 20, 2010, 11:04 pm 11:04 pm

ABC News, y’all please make your subject and verb agree in the front page headline for this piece. Please. At your earliest convenience.

Posted by: Kellybelle22 | February 20, 2010, 11:15 pm 11:15 pm

“FLOTUS Fashion Watch: Obama wore a blue velvet jacket over a gray sweater, white dress shirt and black pants. ”
I must be colorblind. The picture shown with this doesn’t look at all like blue velvet.

Posted by: JaylahPriest | February 20, 2010, 11:25 pm 11:25 pm

Is there something the First Lady has against long sleeves? It’s still winter in DC.

Posted by: h5mind | February 21, 2010, 12:39 am 12:39 am

she is saying the right things and trying to make a positve impact on a serious problem. i wish i could say the same about her husband

Posted by: bmi | February 21, 2010, 2:29 am 2:29 am

You can dress her up and make her a good actress and it remains the same agenda that she is promoting: all about government in our private affairs. Soften the presentation so that we don’t react so strongly while the agenda is moving forward (the phrase she uses so frequently).

Posted by: rosie | February 21, 2010, 2:49 am 2:49 am

what happened to the jcrew clothes? Not the typical middle class she use to portray.

Posted by: Ben | February 21, 2010, 4:03 am 4:03 am

it remains the same agenda that she is promoting: all about government in our private affairs.
________________________________
What are you talking about?

Posted by: tierra | February 21, 2010, 4:03 am 4:03 am

mick,
Michelles image consultants and 25 or so assistants have transformed her from grumpy and angry to soft and cuddly.
Where is that radical from Chicago?
_______________________________________
You can put lipstick on a pig all you want but it still a pig.

Posted by: Janet | February 21, 2010, 6:28 am 6:28 am

America was proud before she and her husband came along to tell us and the world that we should be ashamed of our history. She and her husband need to go away. Shutup!

Posted by: wvason | February 21, 2010, 6:51 am 6:51 am

Make our country proud? We are already proud, proud of our military who are sacrificing every day to protect our country, proud of the people who go to work every day, providing for their families, being good parents. Proud of our country and what we have done to help other countries, the American people give from their heart! Government needs to get out of our private lives! It’s the same ol’ thing again and again from the liberals and their agenda!

Posted by: Proud Army Mom- Kathy | February 21, 2010, 7:31 am 7:31 am

“(Now that my husband is President)I am proud of my country for the first time in my life.”
Nothing else she says now matters at all. She spoke the truth then.

Posted by: drjohn | February 21, 2010, 8:48 am 8:48 am

“Her husband’s administration has waged a public battle with the cable network. In June, President Obama lamented to CNBC’s John Harwood, “I’ve got one television station entirely devoted to attacking my administration.”
Michelle Obama herself repeatedly came under fire on the network during the campaign, after she told a crowd in Wisconsin in February 2008 that because of husband’s quest for the White House, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country.””
=====================================++
This is a quite odd writing style, Jake. When I was in grade school, I was taught to write a thesis statement and support it with facts. It would seem that your topic sentence ought to have been “The cable network has waged a public battle against Obama for almost two years.”

Posted by: Flash Override | February 21, 2010, 9:11 am 9:11 am

“Next interview, shirt off” If Sarah Palin had said that, her words would be twisted into “Palin Offers to go Topless on TV.” But, since it was MO, no such distortion is allowed.

Posted by: gahanson | February 21, 2010, 9:57 am 9:57 am

The adulterous president John Kennedy launched his campaign to get people in shape in 1962….and loo we still have fat democrats and fat democrat kids.. nothing has changed.. even Michelle Obama went after her kids as being too fat and destroyed their self esteem… turn off the cable, get rid of the computer games, put PE back in schools and COOK a decent meal and everything will be all right.. ABC will not even have to tell people what other people are wearing to fill in dead space

Posted by: another crisis-another photo op | February 21, 2010, 11:00 am 11:00 am

My question to you all is that did Mrs. Obama do something like this before Mr. Obama got elected? Being not proud of your country is one thing, faking proudness is worse.

Posted by: young_voter | February 21, 2010, 11:22 am 11:22 am

Michelle is a much better actor than her husband. She keeps her radicalism hidden.
But then again we haven’t seen her giving lots of speeches–give her time.
When Barry was hanging out with all his pals in Chicago–Rezko, Wright, Ayers, Pfleger, ACORN…Michelle was right there beside him.

Posted by: ollie | February 21, 2010, 11:41 am 11:41 am

It only took unlimited taxpayers money and her husband in the WH to make MO love America.
We are almost bankrupt and Michelle is worried about obesity.
How about friggin jobs and massive debt that will ruin our kids future?

Posted by: fran | February 21, 2010, 11:46 am 11:46 am

Another entitlement program to enslave the poor and let the government control lives.
Chavez must be taking notes.

Posted by: kyle | February 21, 2010, 11:48 am 11:48 am

Odd that none of the quotes from FLOTUS include the words “you know”. I’m not sure how you managed to get that many quotes from her without those two words being included. I watched the interview and they were, you know, used constantly.

Posted by: Axey | February 21, 2010, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm

Just as I suspected. ABC edited out “you know” from her quotes. The actual quote is “You know, I don’t watch news that much,… You know,And I try to keep home kind of a news-free zone. It’s sort of like when you…”

Posted by: Axey | February 21, 2010, 1:34 pm 1:34 pm

Just as I suspected. ABC edited out “you know” from her quotes

Did you think all of the exclusive interviews were an accident?

Posted by: smartlillena | February 21, 2010, 1:41 pm 1:41 pm

There must be a sound-proof room in the White House where MO goes to scream after playing goody-two-shoes all day for the cameras.
It took awhile for Barry’s mask to slip, and for America to see who he really is.
The more Michelle gets out the faster America will see who she really is.
The angry one we saw in the campaign.

Posted by: ollie | February 21, 2010, 1:46 pm 1:46 pm

===Did you think all of the exclusive interviews were an accident?===
I don’t know what you mean? ABC edited out actual words, not “ums” and “ahs”. She said “you know” at the beginning, during and all the way through the interview. The actual quotes are not real quotes. They edited out “you know”.

Posted by: Axey | February 21, 2010, 1:48 pm 1:48 pm

Is it journalistically acceptable to put quotation marks around the statements attributed to Michelle, when you have left out one-third of her words? The quotes don’t have a single “um” or “you know” and they were included in nearly every sentence she spoke. Shouldn’t you use an ellipsis or something to show you are not including all of her words?

Posted by: centralcal1 | February 21, 2010, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm

Is Michelle going to send the food police door to door to monitor the food that people eat?
I can see it now.
A program where our money is used to pay selected families to lose weight.
Another government takeover of free will.
Team Obama knows best.
What kind of car we should drive, light bulbs to use, how to set our thermostats, foods to eat, how to spend our money, and the kind of health care we need.
Another power grab by Obama.

Posted by: millie | February 21, 2010, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm

Read her Princeton thesis if you can stand it. It reveals a resentful, unappreciative, hateful woman who hates whites and her country. Witness her extravagant and excessive life style and purchases at, of all times a period of great economic pain in her country. $8,000 purses, $400 tennis shoes, extravagant vacations, personal chefs and trainers flown in from all over the country. She and her husband are trash, plain and simple. No class at all.

Posted by: mickeymat | February 21, 2010, 2:17 pm 2:17 pm

Read her Princeton thesis if you can stand it. It reveals a resentful, unappreciative, hateful woman who hates whites and her country.
__________________________________
I’m pretty sure he know where the hate lies mickeymat – get over it – it’s the 21st century.

Posted by: tierra | February 21, 2010, 2:21 pm 2:21 pm

We are almost bankrupt and Michelle is worried about obesity.
_______________________________
If you gave it half a thought, or had done a sliver of research on the subject you would know obesity is going to have a HUGE economic impact on the health care system if it isn’t shifted. It’s already begun.

Posted by: tierra | February 21, 2010, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm

===Did you think all of the exclusive interviews were an accident?===
I don’t know what you mean? ABC edited out actual words, not “ums” and “ahs”. She said “you know” at the beginning, during and all the way through the interview. The actual quotes are not real quotes. They edited out “you know”.
Posted by: Axey

Don’t get your shorts in a wad. I can’t imagine ABC feeling threatened by me or anyone else posting to this message board. You know?

Posted by: smartlillena | February 21, 2010, 2:30 pm 2:30 pm

obesity is going to have a HUGE economic impact on the health care system

So does SMOKING.

Posted by: smartlillena | February 21, 2010, 2:32 pm 2:32 pm

The Obama nation had to take the fox news block off of their cable box.

Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | February 21, 2010, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm

obesity is going to have a HUGE economic impact on the health care system

So does SMOKING.
_____________________________________
Anti-smoking campaigns have been going on for years.

Posted by: tierra | February 21, 2010, 2:42 pm 2:42 pm

Tierra: I’m pretty sure he know where the hate lies mickeymat – get over it – it’s the 21st century.
————————————
According to Joe Biden, we are still in the 20th century.

Posted by: get real | February 21, 2010, 3:38 pm 3:38 pm

Tierra: I’m pretty sure he know where the hate lies mickeymat – get over it – it’s the 21st century.
————————————
According to Joe Biden, we are still in the 20th century.
Posted by: get real | Feb 21, 2010 3:38:36 PM
______________________________________
At least Biden isn’t spewing out 20th century hate like some of the posters on here.

Posted by: tierra | February 21, 2010, 3:41 pm 3:41 pm

“I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around, and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying, ‘This doesn’t create any new job,’” said Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. “And then they go out and do the photo ops, posing with the big check and they say: ‘Isn’t this great, look at the kind of money I’ve provided for the state and this is money to create jobs, and this has created 10,000 new jobs, this has created 20,000 news jobs, and all those kinds of things.’ It doesn’t match up.”
It’s hypocrisy, said host Terry Moran. “Exactly,” Schwarzenegger replied.
“Anyone that says this hasn’t created a job, they should talk to the 150,000 people getting jobs in California,” he added, “from the private sector and also from the public sector.”

Posted by: tierra | February 21, 2010, 3:44 pm 3:44 pm

for the first time in my adult life…i am really proud of….i dont know. maybe jake tapper. yeah, jake, i am REALLY proud of you. first time. in my adult life. but who really cares what huckabee or the flotus have to say? really? in our adult lives?

Posted by: fred | February 21, 2010, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm

What would everyone be saying if Sarah Palin had said those EXACT words about keeping the home a news-free zone? Be honest!!

Posted by: CLC | February 21, 2010, 4:09 pm 4:09 pm

If Michelle is so worried about the future of our children maybe she should stop adding to the debt.
Maybe convince her husband to stop sticking future generations with his reckless spending and borrowing.

Posted by: kyle | February 21, 2010, 4:46 pm 4:46 pm

What would everyone be saying if Sarah Palin had said those EXACT words about keeping the home a news-free zone? Be honest!!
Posted by: CLC | Feb 21, 2010 4:09:03 PM
The comparison that would be appropriate would be what if Todd Palin said the same thing. But according to what I’ve read recently, he was very involved in trying to co-govern Alaska, so we’d know that wasn’t true. Wasn’t he also the one who had the list of media and bloggers not allowed in to her booksignings?
Better to just not go there. Palin would be furious if you even mentioned news to her, because, golly, you know, Alaska isn’t the boon docks and blah, blah, blah.

Posted by: progressive mama | February 21, 2010, 5:01 pm 5:01 pm

It’s hypocrisy, said host Terry Moran. “Exactly,” Schwarzenegger replied.
“Anyone that says this hasn’t created a job, they should talk to the 150,000 people getting jobs in California,” he added, “from the private sector and also from the public sector.”
Posted by: tierra | Feb 21, 2010 3:44:33 PM
Schwarzennegger is one of the few Republicans I like. He’s not willing to totally sell his soul to the devil.

Posted by: progressive mama | February 21, 2010, 5:02 pm 5:02 pm

MO doesn’t watch the news.
BO doesn’t look at polls, and is unaware of the Tea Party.
Yeah, sure…

Posted by: larry | February 21, 2010, 5:13 pm 5:13 pm

This is the last time I will ever watch or listen to Shuckerbee. Sorry folks, I am a Conservative, but Shuckerbee acts more and more like a Liberal. I don’t need to listen to Liberals spout the Party Line.

Posted by: Georg von Starkermann | February 21, 2010, 5:38 pm 5:38 pm

Both Colin Powell and General Petraeus this week tell Cheney he’s full of crap. Excellent. He should crawl back into his hole – he’s done ‘enough’ for his country.

Posted by: tierra | February 21, 2010, 6:30 pm 6:30 pm

“If I Could Create One Job in the Private Sector, That’s More Than Congress Has Created in the Last 6 Months”
Senator Evan Bayh (Democrat, Indiana)
16 Feb 2010

Posted by: tjp612 | February 21, 2010, 7:22 pm 7:22 pm

Her and her husband care about them selves period. They are extreme leftist and ANB should have exposed them for what they are, the trash that the Dali has to walk passed.
Crass

Posted by: Cosmo | February 21, 2010, 7:31 pm 7:31 pm

“I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around, and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying, ‘This doesn’t create any new job,’” said Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. “And then they go out and do the photo ops, posing with the big check and they say: ‘Isn’t this great, look at the kind of money I’ve provided for the state and this is money to create jobs, and this has created 10,000 new jobs, this has created 20,000 news jobs, and all those kinds of things.’ It doesn’t match up.”
It’s hypocrisy, said host Terry Moran. “Exactly,” Schwarzenegger replied.
“Anyone that says this hasn’t created a job, they should talk to the 150,000 people getting jobs in California,” he added, “from the private sector and also from the public sector.”

Posted by: tierra | February 21, 2010, 9:22 pm 9:22 pm

I did wacth the firstlady on fox news, I still think she does not love the USA , she has only been proud of America when hubby got elected. My friend that says a lot

Posted by: rhonda | February 21, 2010, 11:32 pm 11:32 pm

I did wacth the firstlady on fox news, I still think she does not love the USA
____________________________________
How would you know?
What on earth makes you think she doesn’t love the USA? Please list the top 5 reasons you have for thinking this.

Posted by: tierra | February 21, 2010, 11:42 pm 11:42 pm

i only wacth abc to get weather and local news,because it is the only local station in western nc.poltics and world news other channels, i like to know the truth and not just what make their party look good

Posted by: rhonda | February 21, 2010, 11:44 pm 11:44 pm

Obesity – how about the gov’t. losing some weight? Talk about over-weight!
Bloated gov’t. bureaucracies, I’d like to see that slim down. At every level, municipal, state, & federal, we should be reducing the size of gov’t. every year by 10% – and abolish public sector unions, then, start cutting taxes & perhaps get rid of the income tax & replace it with a flat rate tax with no deductions & no loopholes. Get the gov’t. out of our lives.

Posted by: Terry | February 22, 2010, 3:54 am 3:54 am

tierra wrote: “Both Colin Powell and General Petraeus this week tell Cheney he’s full of crap. Excellent. He should crawl back into his hole – he’s done ‘enough’ for his country.”
.
While Colon was at it, did he tell Cheney who really outed the supposed undercover CIA agent (his right-hand man Richard Armitage)? Funny how his name seems to have vanished from all discussion of that event. Doesn’t fit the theme the lefties are trying to portray?

Posted by: gk | February 22, 2010, 8:59 pm 8:59 pm

I actually think the First Lady’s initiative regarding kids’ obesity is a good one. I wish they had this when I was young. It would have helped me avoid the expenses I am incurring now by going to a body wrap bay area spa just so I could blast these unwanted fats away.

Posted by: Kenneth Moore | March 11, 2010, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm

Leave a Reply

Do you have more information about this topic? If so, please click here to contact the editors of ABC News.