The wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has insisted that she did not call him "pathetic" in a live television interview.

Appearing on The View, a leading US morning talk show, Michelle Obama was asked by Barbara Walters whether she wanted her husband to be president.

Mrs Obama said "no", and was then German SPD Leader Breaks with Custom, Backs Obama ...
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Clinton wins Kentucky primary ... heard to say: "He was sweet and pathetic".

Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor clarified after the programme that she had actually said "sweet, empathetic".

Mrs Obama said: "You know, I did not want Barack to go into politics because I thought politics was a mean business. And you know, I knew this man that I loved, he was sweet, empathetic. I thought, there was no way..."

One of the hosts - the comedienne Whoopi Goldberg - quickly interjected that the guest had meant empathetic, by spelling the word out on air.

During the interview, Mrs Obama also vowed to emulate first lady Laura Bush and be a model White House wife.

The 44-year-old mother-of-two said she was now "taking cues" from Mrs Bush, who is renowned for taking a back seat on political issues, correspondents say.

Mrs Obama greeted the show's female hosts with jokey fist bumps.

She had shared the greeting with her husband on the night he won the Democratic nomination, and it subsequently caused a stir after being described by one US TV presenter as a "terrorist fist bump".

(BBC)

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