Saturday, March 1, 2008

Barack Obama's US Weekly Interview

So how familiar are you with US Weekly?
My wife reads it.

What's your preferred reading material, then?
The books I never tire of are the ones I read with my daughters. Malia and I recently finished reading the Harry Potter series out loud to each other.

Do Malia or Sasha ever ask about Britney Spears?
Actually, yeah. But they're very sensible. They're pretty down on Britney and Paris and all of that. They think that's very "yuck". They're way more into Hannah Montana and Beyonce'. They got to go backstage and meet Beyonce', and they just love her to death.

What if they wanted to become actresses?
I would support any decision they make, but my instinct is that my 9-year-old will shy away from the limelight. My 6-year-old on the other hand, is a ham! I don't know if this will continue or not, but that's their temperament right now.

Are you a cool dad?
I think I'm pretty cool. I'm sure I could embarrass my girls, but I choose not to. [Even when I danced with Ellen DeGeneres], I thought [my moves] were pretty sweet. That's why my 9-year-old isn't embarrassed - because I can "bust a move," as they say.

Your supporters include Oprah Winfrey. Ever been starstruck?
I don't really get starstruck. Everyone I've met has been very nice and friendly, like Kal Penn. During the writers' strike, he was like a staffer! And Scarlett Johansson has been traveling a lot. George Clooney is a good friend. He and I worked on Darfur issues together. I'm always impressed by people who do their homework...and use their celebrity to advocate for issues. George does that just about as well as anyone I know.

Does Michelle have a celebrity crush?
She loves Stevie Wonder. I've been teasing her because Stevie fell off the stage at one of our events. I said to her, "This is your favorite performer, and you push him off the stage?" Fortunately, he was OK.

Name the songs for your campaign soundtrack.
I'm pretty partial to the "Yes We Can" song made by a group of talented supporters. A couple of others we play at rallies are "Think" by Aretha Franklin and "City of Blinding Lights" by U2.

What do you do in your free time?
I'll take a look at the sports pages to see how the White Sox or the Bulls are doing. Michelle loves Sudoku.

Your favourite foods?
I like a good chili, and cobbler. [According to Michelle, he "makes a mean chili!"] But in a rush, I snack on trail mix.

So, boxers or briefs?
I don't answer those humiliating questions. But, whichever one it is, I look good in 'em!


Source: US Weekly, Issue 682, March 10, 2008

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