First Lady Michelle Obama's First 100 Days

President Obama has a work ethic like nobody's business. Already, in the space of 100 days, he's signed laws (or reversed harmful Bush-era policies) that benefit women in 14 different key ways.

But there's no moss growing on First Lady Michelle Obama either. And it's clear there's a supportive dynamic between the legislation President Obama signs and the causes Mrs. Obama champions. Within days of moving into the White House, President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Michelle Obama led the celebration of the signing and tribute to Ms. Ledbetter.

Her theme seems to be to offer her expertise to the public sector as needed, without being intrusive, and to spend a majority of her time as an ambassador to the public--domestic and foreign--for her husband's administration, proving that they are truly a team. While he manages the fires currently burning, she's carefully maintaining other priorities such as public outreach, health, education, and women's rights. 

The Federal Agency Tour

In the first 100 days she's been in the White House, she's visited nine federal agencies (the US Department of Agriculture, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Personnel Management,the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Homeland Security among them).

According to an ABC report on a talk she gave at Howard University,

The First Lady has been on a "listening tour," visiting federal agencies and local community organizations throughout the District of Columbia. "We [she and the President] believe that our first job as new members of this community is to listen," she said.

Michelle Obama's approval ratings now routinely poll at 79%. It's her compassion and warmth, and obvious commitment to issues that affect everyday people.

March, 2009 Women's Issues

Together, Mrs. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton advocated for women's rights at the State Department Women of Courage Awards. In 1995, at a Beijing conference, Clinton stated that women's rights were a human rights issue. She's continued to advocate for women's rights ever since. Mrs. Obama, herself a longtime feminist, spoke out about

the importance of proper health care, education and justice for women in ensuring strong families and communities.

"The difference between a broken community and a thriving one is the presence of women who are valued, where relationships among women and between women and men are based upon mutual respect," Obama said.

Obama said the work done by the honorees has not just changed their own circumstances, but by inspiring hope and motivating others to act, that work also has changed women's lives around the world.

"This is how real change occurs, one determined woman at a time. And change is coming," she said. "The women we honor today teach us three very important lessons. One, that as women, we must stand up for ourselves. The second, as women we must stand up for each other. And finally, as women we must stand up for justice for all."

Mrs. Obama invited prominent women--including Sheryl Crow, Alicia Keys, Bobbi Brown and Fran Drescher--to the White House to accompany her on a visit to Washington D.C. area schools. She offered a few words of wisdom and inspiration as they prepared to visit the students: "Our job is simple. Just be open, be honest, be real, be clear and have fun. Many of these schools need to see us, they need to be reminded, because some of these schools are struggling even today."

April, 2009 Overseas Relations

Some naysayed Mrs. Obama's warm embrace of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and the gift of a fully-loaded iPod, but reports say the Queen was pleased, and I was too. The greatest gift any of us can give is our respect and affection, and that which we love most. If that includes a hug and an iPod, all the better from my point of view. I think it shows the warm and approachable side of Michelle Obama that so constantly charms us.

She definitely charmed students at an Islington school, and more importantly, motivated and inspired them.

April, 2009 Support in Action

Dr. Jill Biden, who was a vocal advocate for education reform during the campaign joined Mrs. Obama to offer congratulations in a ceremony naming Anthony Mullen of Greenwich, Conn as National Teacher of the Year.

The next day, Mrs. Obama went to the Capital Area Food Bank along with congressional spouses to distribute food.


April, 2009 Honor Through Service

When White House employees and press took their children to work on "Take Your Child to Work Day," the children got to visit the famous West Wing and meet Michelle Obama, who answered their questions with her usual patience and wisdom. She empowered the children to think of themselves in terms of what they can do right now, versus just in the future.

"We want you to think about serving your communities, because you don't have to be a White House employee to do it," Mrs. Obama said. "You can do it now. You can do it first of all by listening to your parents. That's a service in and of itself, just being a good kid.

"But you could volunteer at a homeless shelter, right? You could work for a soup kitchen. You could volunteer in a garden. You could help tutor another kid in your class who's having trouble. You could walk your neighbor's dog, mow the lawn.

There's so much that you can do right now," she said.

April, 2009 Down to Earth

On Earth Day, Mrs. Obama joined Washington D.C. area students at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to plant trees for earth day. She watched, talked, and eventually shrugged off her jacket to dig a hole for a new tree in yet another example of her willingness to put action to words. And be real.

After a bumpy start and some fine-tuning of her image and place in the White House firmament, Michelle Obama seems to have found a place in America's affections.

While the tree planting may have been popular, the ground-breaking at the White House south lawn for a vegetable garden sent Michelle Obama's approval scores skyward. A suggestion that originated with organic food activists prior to the election as something they wanted to see, the White House kitchen garden has grown from that seedling of an idea to a pesticide-free, earthy, hands-on way to demononstrate Mrs. Obama's commitment to green agriculture, healthy nutrition for kids, and a way to feel nourished in an uncertain, fearful time with scarcity and anxiety in the air.

Another meaningful connection she's continued to sustain well past the campaign trail is her commitment to military families. 

And finally, perhaps most quietly and movingly, this past week saw the unveiling of the first ever statue dedicated to a woman of color in Washington, DC: Mrs. Obama gave official remarks at the dedication of Sojourner Truth's bust in Emancipation Hall on Capitol Hill. How striking it is that a woman who, as she herself noted, is descended from slaves, can be a dignified, accomplished, and gracious generous First Lady for whom that legacy was not defining.

100 days of service, inspiration, and building toward a brighter future. (I'm hoping for 2,820 more.)

Cynematic blogs at P i l l o w b o o k. Julie Pippert blogs at the The Artful Flower. This is their first jointly written post together.

Comments

[Deb]

This is awesome--both the post and Michelle Obama! We are incredibly fortunate, and I am deeply inspired by her.

[Glennia]

Great post! I hope Mrs. Obama will find time in her schedule to come back and blog with us again. Maybe next 100 days?

[Sean Draven]

I could not be more disgusted. Quit glorifying this woman for marrying well; that's ALL she's done.

Wisdom? Patience? WHAT wisdom? She's not even old enough to be 'wise'. She is a trumped-up soccer mom who dresses herself. Get OVER the Obama craze, people. These are politicians, not rock-stars.

[cynematic]

Sean, you better watch it because this whole SITE is smart "soccer moms who dress [our]selves," and we won't hesitate to mock you to bits.

Let's review the facts: Michelle Obama attended Princeton and Harvard Law School. She was already employed as an associate attorney at Sidley Austin law firm when she met Barack Obama, who was a summer associate (testing out the law firm to see if it was a place that wanted to hire him/that he wanted to work). She was already well on her way to a legal career when they met.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Obama

Or, any other reputable source.

Or does your google not work?

No one's crazed for the Obamas--just glad and grateful to have intelligent, caring, rule-of-law abiding people there, instead of the previous occupants.

DEAL.

[Account Deleted]

I had better watch it because I'll be mocked to bits? Oh, heavens to Betsy, please don't threaten me so. Let's review a few more facts. Nothing substantive has been, or really could have been done, in the period of time in which Michelle Obama has been first lady.

Having a professional resume does not make anyone inspirational. There are thousands of other people who could lay claim to far greater accolades than the ones you listed, but you don't see them gracing the cover of Time magazine for their motivational talents.

My Google works quite perfectly. Apparently, yours is restricted solely to sites that espouse the same view that you hold. Seems to me a kind of one-sided view on life, but, then, what can I expect from a soccer mom who feels vindication from mocking people to bits on a random blog on the internet?

Further, and finally, if Michelle Obama is supposedly an inspiration and a role model; if she is as influential as the rabid, rockstar-fed media would have you believe, then all she has done so far is influence book sales and shoe sales. Perhaps a dress here and there; I'm sure something she's worn is all the rage in Europe as we speak.

Use your precious Google and verify what I've just told you. I guarantee you will find tenfold the articles and pages regarding her wardrobe as opposed to the resounding changes she'd made across the landscape.

It's not entirely her fault. No rockstar is where they are without their lemming fans. Look at Fallout Boy. Look at Twilight. People like you make a hero and Messiah out of these normal people, and then you feel wounded when someone doesn't share your fanaticism about a PERSON.

So, I guess I have dealt. I await your mockery, peasant.

[cynematic]

Sean,
So Michelle Obama's a fashion icon in addition to being a woman of substance and accomplishment, so what? Did you feel the same disdain for Jacqueline Kennedy and Nancy Reagan, two other First Ladies who also had major impact as stylish First Ladies? Or do you just save your dismissiveness for Michelle Obama?

Let's contrast the impact Michelle Obama has had as a First Lady to that of her predecessor, Laura Bush.

Nobody really cared what Laura Bush thought, wore, said, or did. In fact, though Laura Bush made literacy her issue, did it excite anyone into emulation? Did her efforts elevate reading, the culture of books, or literature during the interminably long time her husband was in office? If anything, W.'s self-professed anti-intellectualism undercut any value Laura Bush may have publicly placed on education. And writers of note used invitations to her literacy events to voice their opposition to George W. Bush's policies by refusing to show up when invited.

Your problem with Michelle Obama's high profile seems to be that she has one at all. First of all, it couldn't be any other way--especially in the first 100 days of an Obama administration--because of the groundbreaking nature of Mrs. Obama's presence as first ever African American First Lady and spouse of the first ever African American president. For reasons of novelty alone there's tremendous worldwide interest in everything the Obamas do.

Second, given the limelight that's been thrust upon her, Michelle Obama has sought to use that attention productively. I don't think you read a single word of this blog post. To take one example: what's insubstantial about drawing attention to military families and asking, as Michelle Obama has done, whether their needs have been met throughout a serviceperson's deployment? This was something the Bushes certainly never showed concern about; W. had to be pressured into meeting with the families of fallen Iraq war veterans. He shunted billions of dollars, still unaccounted for, to mercenaries contracted through companies like Halliburton that were many times the funds authorized to pay American soldiers fighting in Iraq/Afghanistan or to assist them once they returned from multiple tours of duty.

Sure, tons of people have equally weighty resumes with meaningful accomplishments, BUT THEY AREN'T IN THE WHITE HOUSE, ARE THEY?

You don't seem to take into account how badly the Bushes damaged America's reputation overseas and how President Obama, with the help of his spouse Michelle, has worked to restore our good standing with the international community.

Yes, I admire Michelle Obama and appreciate her efforts to use the attention paid her to worthwhile ends. So do a good 76% of people surveyed (http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenumbers/2009/03/michelle-obama.html). Let me guess, you're among the 16% who view her unfavorably, so therefore the majority, i.e., the people who disagree with you, are "lemmings."

Too bad for you--I think you hang deeper misgivings about Michelle Obama and the Obamas on the pretext of sneering at their "celebrity." You can fume in your impotence all you want, because if I'm just some inconsequential "soccer mom" on a "random blog" on the internet, you're an even more inconsequential nobody who trolls on sites you're already predisposed to dislike.

You can keep trolling (elsewhere), or you can decide if the issues Michelle Obama highlights are ones you care about--or care to learn more about--too.

[Lawyer Mama]

"then, what can I expect from a soccer mom who feels vindication from mocking people to bits on a random blog on the internet?"

About what we can expect from anonymous woman-hating trolls.

Have you ever met her? Spoken with her about issues? Watched her volunteer? No, of course you haven't. You'd rather sneer and mock because that's easier than getting out there and trying to make a difference yourself.

[Sean Draven]

Woman-hating troll, eh? Someone lit the fuse on your tampon, miss; everyone who has an opinion is not a hater of any sort. You're just itching for someone to argue with. You, as well, have never met your horse-faced heroine, so you can keep your self-righteousness.

WHY does every single topic always fall back on race? Why do people keep making a big deal out of the bloodlines of the President and First Lady? People, Michelle Obama was not elected to a single thing. She is only influential for being in the spotlight. Apparently, all of you were asleep during the whole 'Just Say No' brigade which launched a useless and damning war on drugs which has done more harm than good, and ruined far more lives than even George Bush has.

The more you bring attention to, and single out, a specific race for either criticism or adulation, you are still committing the same offense of racism. We did not elect a black President. We did not elect an African-American as President. We elected an AMERICAN. There needs be nothing more added to that. It's people like you whom are so color-blind and dominated by your residual guilt or your residual victim mentality that you can't see the bigger picture.

wldn't cr wh ws sttng n th Wht Hs t ths mmnt, bsd n thr rc. m ptrt nd prd f m cntr nd hrtg, wth ll f ts blghts. nvr cndnd slvr. dn't cndn th lt f th Ntv mrcn trbs. Wmn's sffrg. Ths cntr hs scrwd p, vl, ntrnchd-n-Chrstn-vrts hstr, bt f m gng t b tr ptrt, hv t tk th gd wth th bd; th shm wth th cclds. Y ll nd t lrn hw t trl b clr-blnd. n rjndr t cynmtc, nmng lndr lst f cclds tht r stll pp drms. Hvng GL ds nt mk sm nflntl. Syng th r gng t d smthng bt t ds nt mk t s. Lk t Grg Bsh. Sttstcs n th pblc's pprvl? PLS. Grg Bsh hd hg rtngs, t, rght ftr . cld rfrnc ll knds f plls nd srcs. Y knw tht th mn ntrnt ntrst fr Mr. bm ws dcrmnlztn f mrjn, rght? Snc whn hs pltcn, r mt thrf, vr lstnd t wht th pblc wntd? Nxt... thnk 'll kp "trllng" hr, thgh.

See, little girl, let me let you in on something.

Wh wld wnt t srrnd myslf wth lk-mndd ppl? T frthr cmnt m wn pnn nd vw? Y cn't grw lk tht. nl thrgh chllng nd dvrst cn y s wht y rll stnd fr. s y'v s lqntl shwn m, y r lmst mltnt fmnst, bckwrds t flt, cnvncd tht n th smll spc f lss thn hlf yr tht ths n prsn cld ld th msss t ltrc nd gntlt. t s t dbt wth pnns lk yrs tht m hr. Whn y sfl srrnd yrslf wth bnch f crns nd gns wh jst prrt wht y s, r r wth y n vr sngl tpc, y stgnt. Y d nthng mr thn st n cncrt wht cld vr wll b flwd, ncmplt r mprfct prcptn. rcmmnd tht y ctll spnd sm tm t f yr prdgm nd s hw th rst f th wrld thnks. Y ls bt f stm whn vryn rnd y sn't ll "Hr, hr" t vrythng tht y pst r s. Mthr Thrs ws nflntl. Jck- ws nflntl. Qn lzbth s nflntl. Mchll bm s th mt f md-frnz-ndcd fls prpht t mllns, nd smpl jst hmn, lk th rst f y. vryn nds smn bttr thn thmslvs t wrshp, thgh, spps. t gvs y sns f bng. t's jst s msng tht nn f y crd bt hr bfr Brck nnncd hs cnddc fr Prsdnt. Lmmngs mst fllw sm knd f ldr, gss.

[Lawyer Mama]

Rant much? Who came here looking for an argument?

Actually, I have met her. Several times.

Nahnah nahnaha boo boo. I see that someone disemvoweled you. It just makes me giggle.

[Sean Draven]

Lawyer Mama, that was the most intelligent thing you could have said to redeem yourself.

nd, t mks m pnt tht mch bttr tht th nl rcrs n f y hd ws t rp m pst. Th trth trl hrts th mst. Wht hd sd bfr t ws dtd ws tht nn f y crd bt Mchll bm bfr Brck gt lctd Prsdnt. Tht prfctl ts n wth m rgmnt tht y'r ll wrshppng rck-str nstd f tryng t d smthng t fx ths cntr yrslvs, s y kp tryng t pt n thrs. nd thr thng tht trl trbls m. Y r "Rsng th nxt gnrtn f bl"?! Rll? S y'r gng t dswn yr kd f th wnt t b, s, Lbrtrn? r nt wrshp th sm Gd s y? Tlk bt lf-cntrllng bnch f n-sync sccr mms. Srsl, m gld tht m nn f yr chldrn. Hpfll, thgh, n d, yr kds wll lrn frm smn lk m nt t p ttntn t Mmm's lttl mntl stt.

[Lawyer Mama]

Actually, people like you make people like us run for political office. You know, just to make sure we keep the misogynists quiet. And just to be clear, I *am* talking about you. So, congratulations. One of us will probably be in Congress someday b/c of people like you! Way to go!

*You* came here to pick a fight. And to try to belittle women by calling us names and putting us down. So, no, we don't think highly of you. And I'm pretty sure you've gotten yourself banned.

[Sean Draven]

I am not concerned about your opinions of me.

nd, wh mst t cm bck t msgyn? Wsn't t cynmtc wh ws rfrrng t m "fmng" n m "mptnc"? gss nl n sd s llwd t s sbtl, dmnng phrss. Mk "ppl lk s" rn fr pltcl ffc? Wht ppl? r y rfrrng t wmn s whl? f s, thn y r dng xctl wht clmd bfr, whn y rmvd mst f th vwls frm m pst. Whn y sprt r n n w mk dstnct n grp f ppl, b th sprtd b rc, rlgn, sx, ntnlt, tc; y r dng nthng mr thn pttng glrng sptlght n th fct tht thr s dffrnc btwn thm. f thr rll s n dffrnc n th nhrnt wrth f prsn, bsd n ll f th pltcll crrct nrms, thn wh shld t mttr n th frst plc. wll gv y n xmpl.

Whenever someone who is Caucasian does something that is either record-breaking, history-making, or noteworthy in any way, you will never hear on the news "So-and-so is the first white person ever to do bla-blah-blah". Ever. The distinction is never made when it's a white person accomplishing something.

Why is that? Is it because this country figures that we're all used to white people doing things.
s t bcs w fl th nd t gv rcgntn t ppl wh rn't n th mjrt, t f sm sns f blnc r rghtnss? f t dsn't mttr, thn wh ds t MTTR? Whn sd w lctd Brck bm s n mrcn Prsdnt, dd nt mk th dstnctn tht h ws blck. r vn tht h ws ml. Th pnt m tryng t mk s tht f sx, r rc, rll wrn't mprtnt n mrc, thn vryn wld stp drwng ttntn t thm s thr vcs r bnfts. 'm ll fr bng prd f wht y r nd fghtng fr thrs whm r lk-mndd, bt y hv t b bl t s th lgc n wht m syng. The mere act of even subconscious distinction is the root of all of our differences. You'd do better if you really could look past tiny, insignificant things like gender.

mzng tht msgynst lk m cld cm p wth sch cmpssnt nd ntrl wrld vw, n? Ths st, whl wll-ntntnd, s slf-dftng n tht pnt ln. Th mr y mk bg dl bt n knd f dffrnc n wht y cn d nd wht nthr cn d, th grtr th prblm bcms. f ll f mrc ws lkng sll t vrt nd mrt, thr wld b n nd fr n sngl hmn rghts rgnztn, prd, bcs ll f s wld trl nt cr bt tht whch dsn't mttr. S wht tht Mchll bm s nflntl t sm ppl? s hv rptdl sttd, ppl nd ldr t fllw. Tkng t t ths lvl s bt xtrm n fndm, thgh. clld n n n nms. "Sccr-mm" ws brtd bt th cmpgn trl ll vr th plc, bt dn't s y n n prr vr tht. blv vn yr prcs Mchll bm hs sd th trm rptdl, s pls, fnd nthr vn t ttck m frm.

I DID come here to pick a fight, no doubt about it.

n dng s, hvn't chngd sngl mnd, whch ws t b xpctd. dbt n f y r gng t rct t ll t nythng s hr, nd tht s th nhrnt trth f ll f ths. Nthng y s hr mttrs, thr. t's th ntrnt. Having you to think highly of me is no victory.

Bt, ll thngs gd n ths wrld hlp s f n f y wnd p n Cngrss. Jst wht ths cntr nds; mr ppl wth vctm mntlt wh fl tht sm mn smwhr t thr s hldng thm dwn. Myb y cn gt bl-t, t.

[cynematic]

"See, little girl, let me let you in on something."

Little troll you, I don't converse with passive aggressive people who condescend to me.

Sean Draven, consider any comments you make here will be edited for length.