Michelle Obama Takes Heat for Saying She’s ‘Proud of My Country’ for the First Time
Michelle Obama is taking heat for saying in Wisconsin Monday she's proud of her country for the first time in her adult life. (AP Photo)
Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle, is under fire for leaving the impression that she hasn’t been proud of her country until now, when Democrats are beginning to rally around her husband’s campaign.
Speaking in Milwaukee, Wis., on Monday, she said, “People in this country are ready for change and hungry for a different kind of politics and … for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.”
Greeted with rousing applause after making the comment in Milwaukee, Obama delivered an amended version of the speech later that day in Madison, Wis.
“For the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country … not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change,” she said. “I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment.”
Obama was born in 1964, meaning her adult life began in 1982. Critics quickly seized on the newfound national pride.
“I am proud of my country,” John McCain’s wife, Cindy, said at a campaign stop in Brookfield, Wis., Tuesday. “I don’t know if you heard those words earlier … but I am very proud of my country.”
During a follow up press conference, the Arizona senator was asked if they were responding to Michelle Obama and he deferred to his wife.
McCain responded: “I just wanted to make the statement that I have and always will be proud of my country.”
Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the candidate’s wife wasn’t trying to knock her country, only underscore the meaning behind her husband’s campaign.
“The point is that of course Michelle is proud of her country, which is why she and Barack talk constantly about how their story wouldn’t be possible in any other nation on Earth,” she said. “What she meant is that she’s really proud at this moment because for the first time in a long time, thousands of Americans who’ve never participated in politics before are coming out in record numbers to build a grassroots movement for change.”
But conservative outlets aren’t so ready to let her off the hook.
“Can it really be there has not been a moment during that time when she felt proud of her country?” reads an article in Commentary magazine. “Forget matters like the victory in the Cold War; how about only things that have made liberals proud — all the accomplishments of inclusion? How about the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1991? Or Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s elevation to the Supreme Court?”
The article then says Michelle Obama’s comments suggest “the pseudo-messianic nature of the Obama candidacy is very much a part of the way the Obamas themselves are feeling.”
Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol said the comment “was sort of revealing.”
“She was an adult when we won the Cold War without firing a shot. She was an adult for the last 25 years of economic progress, social progress,” he told FOX News. “I think the Democrats have to be careful … they’re running against the status quo … You have to be careful not to let that slide into a kind of indictment of America. Because I don’t think the American people think on the whole that the last 25 years of American history is a narrative of despair and nothing to be proud of.”
Democratic strategist Bob Beckel said Obama “shouldn’t have said it the way she said it” but she gets the benefit of his doubt. He added that she most likely was just referring to the grassroots movement that’s swelled to support her husband, but she needs to be more careful.
“The Obama’s have to recognize they are now front-runners, and everything they say, it’s now open hunting season for people,” he said.
Click here to read the posting on the Commentary Web site.
FOX News’ Mosheh Oinounou and Bonney Kapp contributed to this report.
WHO CARES!!!!!! Im not proud of my country. What is there to be proud of. The unemployment, the homelessness, lack of health insurance, wars, murders, crime, killing the indians and stealing their land to make it our country, making people slaves. ya those are all things to be proud of and thats just naming a few. This society is garbage and it takes all the will of good people just to live in this cess pool.
The obscene conservative, right wing machine that is Fox News should be both appalled and embarrassed for the complete mischaracterization of both Michelle Obama and her comments. You’ve proven, once again, that you don’t report news, you skew and make up news. This is a false-choice of a story. Must be a REALLY slow news day for you and the other shameless political pundits and news orgs. who side with you. Shame on you (Fox News) and them!! I’m sure my words are falling on deaf ears. But thank the Lord, Barack and Michelle Obama’s words aren’t! Hate on ‘em all you want…The Obama’s will be next First Family of the U.S.
As a black man in this country,who is the same age as the next first lady Mrs Obama,I agree with her statement.The Cindi and John McCains of the world come from an America that says they ae the American dream if the conservatives think for one moment that blk people in America can or should fell included in the same world as their white wealthy privledged brethren they are wrong.What did the great father Ronald Regan ever do for my people?He gave us cheese,let AIDS run wild and joblessnes.Trickle down Economics says you build a house from the top down and looks like John McCain thinks the same.Look as his open attack speech at his so call victory claim gathering.To you the conservative base “we I will not let them take what we’ve built”As a man of an America that says I look out of place at a Tom Jones concert cause I have gold teeth and a sports jersy on mean to me your not welcome in this club mister unless you have the right color meaning green eough of it or white.Yes conservatives say what you want but as I look across the aisle all I see is old white men from the days of Sen: Strom Thurmond and the likes.I’m proud to be an American but not have always been proud of this country the way it has treated me and my people from the time it broke from England even to this day.Dont for get in Michelle Obamas time and mine we still have Mr Bryd of Jasper TX being lynched and dragged.You concervatives might not care of such things cause thier meaning less to you.It seems you guys are onyl up in arms when your wallets and purses are under attack.We are cursed with death and survival we cheat death with GODS grace and salvation but we cheat survival by being are brothers keeper.The difference in the 2 politcal parties arent that much we want better schools our own neighborhoods safe and good jobs to keep the economy strong by paying our fair share of taxes yes we dont mind paying taxes.The concervatives say I ve got mine get yours .The Dems or Liberals as you say.ask how can we help.You claim to be the GOD fearing right and to me Jesus was concervative when it came to the Law but when it came to helping his brother he did’nt come to the Concervatives he came to have nots those that couldnt say look what I built look at this empire I ve built.I think the concervatives need to read thier bibles more before the speak.With great wealth and power comes great responabilty.You conservatives want to take the mantle of leadrshiop well show some and include the rest of the country.If not you’ll be playing by your self as youve always done but this time the rest of the world wont care we’ll be changing to meet the challenges of a multi cultural multi econmic and multi racial diverse great country call America. This not the greatest country in the world because of its wealth the African contnent has more,but America’s the greatest country on earth because it offers hope to all the come to its shores. ALL PEOPLE.
When I first saw this on the tv this morning, all I could think of was, “Did you miss all those people running in to buildings on 9/11 to risk their lives to try save others?” That day made me very proud to be an American and it wasn’t that long ago.
I’m not a fan of either Barky Obama or Billary…..but ANYONE can pluck one sentence out of a monologue and make a big deal about it. Much ado about nothing, as usual. Yep, I definitely woke up in America today. That’s what our media is built on- much ado about crap.
But she gladly accepted all of the trappings associated with living here. What a poor example to teach our children. Take everything this country has to offer whether you are proud to be an american or not……wow……..wow…..
Get real!
What other momentous time in American life can you think of– since 1980–that marked a national call for change in our politics. NONE. Many Americans have wanted to be part of a governmental agenda that brought all types of people together. No one has led such a movement since the 1960’s. Coming out of the Cold War–did you see blacks, whites, Latino’s and other in the fabric of America energized and attending gatherings to talk about this–NO! Ther have been no other cross race, cross class movements for change IN THIS COUNTRY. You know it so stop trying to make something negative of a TRUTH spoken by a brave woman!!!
Geez…conservatives have their heads so far up their arses it isn’t funny…I’m proud of this country, but certainly not for the last 8 years…
Is it November yet?
Maybe then we can all get back to feeling any semblance of pride for a once great nation…
God help us … for the first time in our life we’re gonna have an idiot for a First Lady
They are making a huge miscalculation in the American people, We are not hungry for change, we are
fed up. We want some one to just keep their word. Even if they are a liberal without the sense God gave
a turnip.