For Michelle Obama, a Second-Term Agenda Focused on Kids

CHICAGO - Announcing the name of the best picture via satellite for Oscars was an extension of Michelle Obama’s interest in promoting the arts among children, her principle constituency, and if people didn’t like it, that was unsurprising and not particularly bothersome, she said.

“My bangs set off a national conversation,” said Mrs. Obama during an interview here in which she reflected on the public’s fascination with her activities, her sense of what being the first African American family in the White House has meant so far and hinted at a more international second term agenda. “We’ve got a lot of talking going on,” she said. “Everybody’s kitchen table conversation is now accessible to everybody else. It’s absolutely not surprising.”

The interview came just before she announced a new initiative to promote physical education in schools, a pet initiative of her first term. Participating in the Oscars, remotely, was intended to “ hold up the arts,” Mrs. Obama said.“We are going to approach those filmmakers to do things for kids in this country, and that’s going to be their hook. I want to connect with those people and then I want to pull them in.”

Criticism of her media appearances - which intensified in recent weeks - doesn’t bother her, she said, chalking it up to a modern media era. “I don’t think about that stuff,” she said.

“There’s no logic in that, she said, adding “It doesn’t have anything to do with me. Anyone in this position has a huge spotlight and in modern day media the spotlight just gets more intense. I don’t attribute this to me or Barack. The culture has just shifted. “

Setting a second-term agenda under the kleig lights is a focus of Mrs. Obama and her staff right now, in which all seem to be mindful of both the scrutiny and power of the office of the first lady. While she declined to provide specifics, Mrs. Obama said that whatever work she would do in the second ag! enda would likely build on her efforts to help children, possibly internationally.

“I have a special affinity for kids,” she said. “We love our kids so much and it is very hard not to see our kids in every child we meet. I am powerfully moved by children. I need to have them in my life. They keep me focused, they keep me directed.”

For the 6,000 Chicago-area children who came to hear her speak about exercise along with famous athletes here, she said that “I’m not going to be in a room with 6,000 kids and not touch some of them. Kids need that attention, that physical connection to an adult they see or know.”

Mrs. Obama elaborated on what being part of the first African-American couple - and one of the iPhone generation - had meant. “We’re a young couple, we have young kids, we grew up with limited means,’’ she said. “Our stories are the stories of so many faceless, voiceless people. She added, “My life isn’t new but it’s new to a lot of people who haven’t sen this up close and personal.”

While emphasizing that “whatever I do will involve kids,” Mrs. Obama declined to provide specific new agenda items. She was repeatedly asked if she would work to push President Obama’s gun agenda, for example and demurred.

“Our hope is that over the next weeks and months we will hone in” on her agenda, she said. “If I do anything internationally I want it to dovetail with the work I do domestically,” making certain that “my time outside of the country is linking back and being real to people here.”
Mrs. Obama has largely tried to stay out of controversial issues like gun safety. “The question becomes who defines what’s contentious and controversial,” she said. “I can’t think along those notions because everyone’s definition of what’s controversial is different. She added, “What I don’t want is just to do something to satisfy someone’s idea of what’s controversial.”

Random note on Mrs. Obama’s many yea! rs going ! to a camp for low-income kids in Chicago: one year she was not named best camper because she cursed too much. “I was like ‘Man, I am really getting out of hand.’ That left an impact in my mind.”

Don’t tell her mom.