In ‘The Obamas’, which was released this week, author Jodi Kantor writes that
Mrs Obama collided
with Rahm Emanuel, the then-White House chief of staff, over her
husband’s overhaul of health care.
With Mr Emanuel forced to frantically cut back-room deals to pass the landmark
legislation through Congress in 2009, Mr Obama reportedly told aides that
his wife “feels as if our rudder isn’t set right”.
Miss Kantor, a New York Times reporter, writes that Mr Emanuel reacted “with
indignation” and let it be known to the media that he was unhappy with how
the health care effort was being handled.
Robert Gibbs, Mr Obama’s then-press secretary, allegedly “cursed” Mrs Obama
after she passed on criticisms of his response to reports that she had told
Carla Bruni, wife of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, that living in
the White House was “hell”.
Mrs Obama is also portrayed as being reluctant to campaign in public for her
husband, who suffered what he called a “shellacking” in the midterm
Congressional elections in November 2010.
In her interview she admitted to being “one of his biggest confidantes” but
said that “he has dozens of really smart people who surround him”.
“I am not an expert on most of the issues that he’s dealing with on a daily
basis,” she said. “I want him — and he wants — to be talking to the people
with the best information.
“That’s not to say that we don’t have discussions and conversations,” she
added. “That’s not to say that my husband doesn’t know how I feel.”
Related posts:
Views: 0