3:38 PM: Michelle Obama talks about experience question in Milwaukee
Michelle Obama today addressed criticism about her husband Barack's experience and questioned why Americans looked to people "very different" from themselves to lead them.
"Experience looks like you've been the CEO of a company, like you've been a Washington insider for years and years and years," Obama said. "We laud a certain kind of leadership as opposed to, how about, years of experience working on the ground and talking to people. Why do we devalue that?"
Obama stopped at a Milwaukee cafe today to discuss childcare, education, healthcare, nutrition and other issues with a small group of women at a lunchtime meeting .
Obama shared stories of the difficulties she's faced trying to raise her children in Chicago and listened as the women told their stories.
She noted that she and her husband just recently paid off their school loans, made possible because of his book sales.
"Our ticket out was like a crap shoot," Obama said.
She said she and her husband are "still so close to the realities of the challenges it takes."
"I'm curious to see what a president like that would be like, because we've had the others; we've done that," Obama said.
After hearing from several of the women about problems with education and the struggles of trying to afford childcare while working, Obama said that government policy doesn't reflect Americans' values.
"I don't think you run across anyone in this country who will disagree with the fact that we value our children," Obama said. "The irony is that our policies as a country don't reflect that value and that investment. That's where we need to have a different conversation about how we are investing our resources.
"This is where compromise and sacrifices come in," Obama said. "We're spending billions of dollars a day on a war and we're talking about not having adequate childcare; we're losing teachers in a much-needed profession because they're not paid enough to exist."
Obama impressed upon the women at the table about the need to continue to be involved in addressing the issues facing women and children.
"We have to own that," Obama said. "We can't keep pretending like this is going to change."
Joining Obama today at Ma Fischer's restaurant on the city's east side was Sharon Lerman, Terri Morris, Heidi Maistelman, Mary Burks, Liz Crawford, and Laura Manriquez. She was introduced by Jessica Doyle.
Listen to the audio here
-- By David Wise
Labels: 2008 spring primary