Angelina Jolie is being sought by both the Obama and McCain campaigns for an endorsement. The 33 year-old actress and unmarried mother of six says that she’s waiting to reserve judgment on who she’ll vote for and is considering both candidates. When each candidate states their position on the refugee crisis and international justice issue Angelina might be able to make up her mind:

It may seem as if most entertainment industry figures are aligning with Barack Obama and just a few with John McCain, but there are still a handful of famous names who are still on the fence. And both campaigns are well aware of one star who stands out among the undecideds: Angelina Jolie.

Both campaigns have reached out to her, apparently to court her support. But in a statement to Variety provided by political adviser Trevor Neilson, Jolie says that she is waiting to make up her mind.

“I have not decided on a candidate,” Jolie says, “I am waiting to see the commitments they will make on issues like international justice, refugees and how to address the needs of children in crisis around the world.”

Unlike many other celebrity endorsements, Jolie’s carries the weight and influence of her extensive humanitarian work around the world, as the goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Her statement was an indication that she would be open to choosing a candidate.

[From Variety's Wilshire & Washington via Huffington Post]

Many of you have said that you don’t really care who a celebrity endorses and are going to make up your own mind based on the candidates’ positions on issues that matter to you. Angelina is such a polarizing celebrity despite her charity work that you would think that candidates wouldn’t actively ask for her support. Variety reminds us about Angelina’s op ed piece in the Washington Post, “Staying To Help,” in which she talked about the plight of the 2 million refugees in Iraq and called on the candidates “to announce a comprehensive refugee plan with a specific timeline and budget as part of their Iraq strategy.”

Obama has outlined a phased Iraq withdrawal that does include a provision for “preventing humanitarian crisis” and mentions refugees and international justice specifically. His campaign website says he will provide $2 billion to go to refugee support and that he “will form an international working group to address this crisis.” He also says that he will ensure that those who commit war crimes and genocide will be held accountable.

McCain says we should stay in Iraq until Al Quaeda is defeated and the Iraqi government is “capable of governing itself and safeguarding its people.” He focuses in his policy outline on success in the war and ensuring that US troops stay in Iraq until the government is self-sufficient. There is no mention of the plight of refugees or displaced people on his website, but he does claim that violence and deaths have been reduced there under the counterinsurgency strategy he advocated. He is quoted as saying that staying in Iraq for 100 or “even a million” more years “would be fine” with him, and he didn’t think the American people would have a problem with it.

Staying in Iraq costs $720 million a day by some estimates. It seems the US would have a lot more money and resources to help the Iraqis as well as to partially address the dire economic situation at home if they would withdraw from Iraq under Senator Obama’s plan. That’s my opinion of course, and Angelina seems to believe that too. She said at the Clinton Global Initiative in September, 2007 that an appeal by UNICEF she was advocating at the time would be able to educate 150,000 children at the cost of “eight hours of current spending in Iraq.” I can’t see her backing McCain and the war that never ends.

Somehow both these candidates want Angelina Jolie to announce her opinion and support them. I would have liked to hear her say she’s staying out of it rather than that she’s reserving judgment. Maybe Angelina has already made up her mind, and thinks that if she plays it like she’s waiting both candidates will be pressured into coming up with comprehensive strategies for helping displaced people in Iraq and the surrounding countries. Her father Jon Voight supports McCain and wrote an op-ed piece criticizing Obama, but it’s not likely Angelina is influenced much by her dad’s opinion considering that she hasn’t seen him in years.

Angelina Jolie is shown in photos from the Sudan that appeared in Newsweek in March, 2007

Never ever do I want to give Paris Hilton credit for anything. Ever. But today I have to. The heirhead managed to retaliate against John McCain’s stupid ad in a way that was both humorous and classy. At least for a Hilton. Paris’ mom Kathy went apeshit on McCain for mocking her daughter. And that’s understandable – any good mother would be peeved. But Paris is a grown woman, and actually did a pretty good job in her retaliation – even if it was conceived and written by someone else.

Paris Hilton has thrown her hat into the US presidential race, declaring her desire to campaign against “that wrinkly white-haired guy” and threatening to paint the White House pink if elected. The blond socialite responded to Republican candidate John McCain’s controversial use of her image in a campaign television spot last week with a satirical ad of her own posted on the website Funnyordie.com.

In the ad, the 27-year-old appears reclining on a sun lounger beside a swimming pool, dressed only in a skimpy leopard-print bathing costume. “Hey America, I’m Paris Hilton and I’m a celebrity too,” Hilton declares breezily. “Only I’m not from the olden days and I’m not promising change like that other guy. I’m just hot! But then that wrinkly white-haired guy used me in his campaign ad, which I guess means I’m running for president. So thanks for the endorsement white-haired dude, and I want America to know I’m, like, totally ready to lead.”

Hilton then offers an alternative US energy strategy, suggesting that she plans to combine elements from McCain and Democratic rival Barack Obama’s policy platforms. “We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars. … Energy crisis solved, I’ll see you at the debates, bitches!” Hilton then signs off by declaring that she is now mulling her choices for vice-president. “I’m thinking Rihanna,” she said, referring to the singer-songwriter.

“I’ll see you at the White House,” Hilton adds. “Oh, and I might paint it pink. Bye!”

[From Yahoo! News]

Hilton’s acting is generally a bit stiff and uncomfortable – pretty much what you’d expect. Yet she pulls off the harder lines much better than the funny, lighter ones. When she talks about oil drilling, you’d almost think she’s a decent actress. And if you’re me, you’re really surprised that she was able to read such big words. I don’t delude myself into thinking that Paris understood them, and she probably had them sounded out phonetically on big cue cards nearby. But I’m impressed, nonetheless.

The brains behind Hilton’s advert were Funnyordie.com contributors Adam McKay and Chris Henchy, who pitched the idea of filming the spot to Hilton.

“She got it that the McCain thing was a low blow,” McKay told AFP. “And she felt she didn’t want to return it with angry fire, and that this was the best way to respond. It’s a playful jab.”

Henchy and McKay both believe Hilton is more intelligent than her tabloid persona lets on.

“She’s a lot smarter than people give her credit for,” Henchy said.

[From Yahoo! News]

Chris Henchy is Brooke Shield’s husband. And I’m praying to God that he’s just being kind. He’s married to one of the smartest actresses out there. I seriously doubt he was duped into thinking Paris Hilton has two IQ points to rub together. But obviously he’s not going to go around and say, “Hey, this celebrity who was nice enough to mock herself for our website is a total moron!” I don’t think. Either way, it’s a pretty funny response to McCain’s ridiculous advertisement, which was a lame attempt at humor. It’s kind of pathetic when the response is so much better than the original ad.

Paris HIlton is shown at the launch of her footwear collection on 7/29/08 at Macys in Las Vegas. Credit: Chris Connor / WENN

Gwyneth Paltrow is featured in a new video for VoteFromAbroad.org, an organization that helps US citizens abroad quickly register for absentee ballots by filling out an online form, printing it out, and sending it to their

Vote From Abroad was created by Democrats Abroad, and they do encourage people to vote for Obama briefly at the end of the video. You are of course welcome to vote for whomever you chose after getting your absentee ballot.

Paltrow speaks in the video along with many other Americans living overseas about how simple and quick it is to get an absentee ballot. You just fill out where you last voted, your old address and current address, and can even register to vote if it’s your first time. I even got married and have a new name since the last time I registered and this was easily explained on the form. The form is automatically created for you and you just mail it in. I’ve sent my absentee ballot request in and look forward to voting for the president again this year. I’ll be paying taxes for the rest of my life, I may as well get to vote.

I’m happy to be able to vote this year and I’m a Democrat and have a lot of hope for Obama, but I just have to say that Paltrow looks smug as anything here. She was starting to grow on me with her new hair and those S&M heels she was wearing a couple months ago, but I wish she would come down to earth. “I’m voting from London” indeed. Props for doing the PSA though, she’s helping get the word out how easy it is to vote. So if you’re a US citizen studying or living abroad or just traveling at that time please make sure to get your absentee ballot.

Political celebrities are officially out in full force. Two men whose names have often been bandied about as possible future politicians –Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, along with wife Jennifer Garner – gave speeches at a fundraiser for Barack Obama this weekend. The guys really do everything together. Both Matt and Ben are expecting their second children in the next few months. They support the same political causes. And I’m pretty damn sure that if you checked, they’re wearing the same underwear.

Their shared passions definitely benefited a good cause this weekend, as Ben, Jen, and Matt lent their star power to help raise money for Obama.

A pregnant Jennifer Garner gave a “witty, clever” speech supporting presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama at a fundraiser on Saturday night, People reported. Joined by husband Ben Affleck, as well as friends Matt Damon and wife Luciana, who’s also expecting, Garner reportedly gave the first speech at a $1,000-per-person VIP reception at club SET.

“She was very witty, clever and funny,” a SET source told People. “She was followed by her husband Ben, then Matt Damon. The men gave serious political speeches on how the country needs change.” The stars were reportedly in good spirits, drinking bottled water and mingling with guests. “They were all in great moods and very friendly to everyone,” another source told People.

Damon spoke to reporters outside of SET about his support for the Democratic candidate, saying that he’s for Obama “for a lot of reasons. But mostly because I don’t like the path this country’s on and if McCain is elected we’ll be continuing down that same path.” At least one of the famous couples may make an appearance at the Democratic National Convention later this month. “I’d like to,” Affleck told People.

[From Access Hollywood]

I love election season. Celebrities actually have something more interesting to talk about than Paris Hilton. Unless you’re John McCain, then Paris is about all you can come up with. Obama has a lot of celebrities in his corner, and that can be a positive or a negative, depending on how a politician plays it. I think he’s done a good job of being gracious towards them, but not overly courting them. So far he has yet to schmooze with Heidi Montag, as far as I can tell. And that’s pretty much the bottom of the barrel.

Here’s Ben and Jennifer arrive at LAX airport to catch a flight on Friday. Header image is an older file photo of Ben and Matt together in 2006. Images thanks to WENN.

John McCain sure didn’t think through his latest campaign ad very well. In it, he pokes fun at Barack Obama by claiming he’s the world’s biggest celebrity after Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. The McCain camp says it’s supposed to be funny, but it really isn’t. I’m not saying it’s not funny in the sense of “this is very serious stuff; you shouldn’t joke.” It’s just flat-out dumb and not very creative. It isn’t funny. And it’s clear they’re trying to paint Obama as some sort of frivolous dilettante with that ridiculous comparison.

What they really forgot to consider was that the Hilton family donated to McCain’s campaign. And now Kathy Hilton is pretty damn pissed.

If John McCain thought it was tough battling Barack Obama, let’s see how he likes having an angry mom to contend with as well! Paris Hilton’s mom, Kathy, is furious with McCain for picking on her little girl in a TV ad aired last week. McCain says the spot painting his rival as ‘just another celeb’ like Paris or Britney, was meant to be funny — but Momma Hilton doesn’t see the joke.

”It is a complete waste of the country’s time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs,” Kathy said on the Huffington Post Web site. ”And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next president of the United States.” And McCain shouldn’t be expecting another check from the Hiltons in the post either.

Kathy and her husband donated $4,600 to his campaign this year, but she said the ad was ”a complete waste of the money John McCain’s contributors have donated to his campaign,” according to the New York Times.

[From OK!]

Obviously McCain isn’t the first person to publicly make fun of Paris. But it is pretty damn tacky to take nearly $5,000 from someone and then turn around and make fun of their daughter. It was a stupid ad that the McCain camp clearly thought was clever, but at best was absolutely banal. At worst it was insulting. They should have spent that $4,600 on an ad agency that actually has a little bit of creativity.

Header image of Kathy and Paris Hilton at the “Can Can” Perfume Photocall at Selfridges in London on May 15, 2008. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Tim Russert’s 22-year-old son Luke just got the kind of job most new grads wouldn’t dare to hope for: he’ll be working as a correspondent for NBC News during the upcoming Republican and Democratic conventions. The job is bittersweet for Luke since his dad passed away unexpectedly a month ago. Given everything he’s gone through, Luke still seems pretty excited about the opportunity.

Like father, like son. Luke Russert – son of Meet the Press’s Tim Russert, who died tragically this summer – has signed on to help cover the Republican and Democratic national conventions later this year. He’ll report on youth issues for his dad’s network, NBC.

“I’m not trying to be my father,” Luke told the Associated Press. “He’s irreplaceable.” Tim – a respected newsman and NBC’s Washington bureau chief – died of a heart attack in June. He was 58.

His 22-year-old son, a Boston College graduate and regular host [with James Carville] of XM Satellite Radio’s 60/20 Sports, said he was “humbled and grateful” for the opportunity. “I’m simply trying to do something that I think there’s a real niche for,” he said. “There’s a calling for … youth [involvement], not just in the election but in politics from now on.”

The Democratic conventional will be held in Denver, starting August 25. The Republican gathering begins Sept. 1 in St. Paul, Minn.

[From People]

On Monday Russert’s widow Maureen Orth told Matt Lauer that she and Luke were “doing great” because of the outpouring of support and love they’d received from all over.

Orth, a high-profile journalist who was promoting her latest in-depth feature — a cover story on France’s controversial first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, in the September issue of Vanity Fair — said Russert would have been tickled with how media coverage of his passing impacted today’s popular culture.

“You have to know that his People magazine cover knocked off the Summer’s Hottest Bachelors,” Orth said with a laugh. “He broke Britney Spears’ record for most hits on People.com. So this would make Tim so happy and make him laugh so hard.”

[From MSNBC]

The day after Russert died, Bruce Springsteen – a longtime friend – gave a tribute to him on stage and performed “Thunder Road” in his honor. Just three days after his father died, Luke appeared on the Today show and talked about what a great man his father had been. It was around that time that rumblings started that Luke might have a future career in journalism, because he was so composed and well-spoken. His father must be extraordinarily proud.

Here’s Luke speaking at his father’s memorial service in Washington D.C.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain is making fun of his Democratic opponent Barack Obama’s vast popularity by comparing him to celebrities like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. In a new television ad for McCain they show shots of the 200,000 people gathered to hear Obama speak in Berlin last week with people shouting “Obama! Obama!” over the footage. The narrator says that Obama is the biggest celebrity in the world, but asks if he’s ready to lead. The camera cuts to photos of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton and the narrator claims that Obama will raise taxes – which isn’t true for most people, and that he’s against offshore drilling.

No one yelled “Obama! Obama!” in Berlin, I was there
I live in Berlin and I was at Obama’s speech that day – you may have noticed because the site wasn’t updated much that afternoon. No one was shouting “Obama! Obama!” at all. I tried to do it, but the Germans didn’t pick it up and just stood and sat there patiently listening to music ahead of the speech.

Obama’s speech in Berlin was too moderate for my taste
I wasn’t entirely happy with Obama’s speech. He focused on security and the need to send troops into Afghanistan and to fight terrorism. (Here’s a transcript of his speech if you missed it) I’m a liberal and I want to see the troops withdrawn from Iraq, something Obama has promised under a 16 month timetable, and the focus put back on domestic and economic issues. I believe that terrorism is best dealt with swiftly behind the scenes. Yes there is a huge problem with terrorism, but we only give the extremist groups the attention they want by acting scared and focusing on them in the media. It gives them power when we talk about them. I wanted to hear what he’s going to do to make sure people can afford to stay in their homes and drive their cars.

I will be voting for Obama because McCain has pretty much stated that we’ll be in Iraq forever and you can bet that it will be four more years of Bush’s policies with that guy. Obama does get too much adoration and I don’t really like the way he seems to be courting the celebrity press. He seemed genuinely surprised that he was criticized for allowing his daughters to be interviewed on camera for Access Hollywood, though, and I think that he’s just flying by the seat of his pants and assuming that all positive press is helpful.

Today I asked JayBird to cover the story about Michelle Obama’s interview with People because I’m kind of burnt out on the guy. I thought he was a liberal and it turns out he’s a lot more moderate. That’s probably what will get him elected, and lefties like me will still vote for him so it’s a win-win.

Obama will lower your taxes compared to McCain if you make less than 112k
McCain’s assertion in this ad that Obama will raise taxes is not correct. If you’re one of the 90% of Americans who makes less than 112k a year, Obama will provide you much more of a tax break than McCain. If you make more than 112k a year, or are a corporation, you save more with taxes under McCain.

Obama has issued a response to McCain’s ad. A spokesman said, “On a day when major news organizations across the country are taking Sen. McCain to task for a steady stream of false, negative attacks, his campaign has launched yet another. Or, as some might say, ‘Oops! He did it again.’” We know which side has a sense of humor along with a better grasp of the media.

Yesterday Angelina Jolie’s dad Jon Voight’s wrote a pretty wild op-ed published in the conservative paper The Washington Times in which he said that Obama is a bad candidate because of his radical minister or teachers or whatever. We’ve heard that argument before and it’s weak. I wonder if Voight’s piece will push his daughter away even further. Angelina has said that she’s not behind a specific candidate and is waiting to see who she likes, but I can’t see her voting for McCain. And I would rather focus on Angelina’s relationship with her dad than McCain vs. Obama. The stakes are so much higher in the Presidential race than some celebrity’s feud with their family, and it can be stressful and a little mind-boggling to consider the ramifications of the election. It’s hard to imagine how the economy could get much worse than it has, but it’s surely possible.

Thanks to US Weekly for this ad and to Kaiser for the tip on Voight’s op-ed.

Michelle Obama gave a cute interview with People magazine as part of their recent cover story on her husband, democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Michelle talked about raising their two young daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, keeping balance in her life, and how she still gets star struck.

When you think about the future for your children, what do you worry about?
Michelle: There are the small worries, micro-worries, about whether we’re doing all we can to let them be fully themselves, trying to make sure they have the space to be who they are and that they feel loved and supported. Then, there’s the macro worry about, ‘Okay, if we do our jobs and they turn out well as individuals, what kind of world are they going to be in?’

Do you ever have a “pinch me” feeling about all of this?
Michelle: Oh, yeah. I mean, we’re still Michelle and Barack, so meeting Bill Cosby, it’s like (gasp!), ‘We LOVE you, Bill Cosby! What do you mean you’re honored to meet me? You’ve got to be nuts. You’re Bill Cosby! C’mon, now.’

Another friend of yours told me about you and Barack slipping away for date nights on the campaign trail.
Michelle: We were in this stadium and the staffers were like, ‘You guys are going to have a date night.’ They had set up a little room in the stadium with tablecloths and candles, and people came in and served, but we had, like, 10 minutes to eat. That was just squeezing it in, but it was fun, it was cute. You don’t try to have a romantic [time] at the stadium. Our romantic [time] is almost every Saturday night or Friday night, if he’s home. We spend the day with the girls doing girls’ stuff and that’s a family. Then we have date night, and the girls like it. As parents, you realize they do notice this stuff and it matters. You’re worried about taking time away from the kids to be with each other when, in their minds, that’s a good thing. It’s like, ‘Yeah, Mommy and Daddy, go! Go have dinner; it’s so cute!’ and that makes me feel like, ‘Okay, I don’t feel as bad that, after spending a day together, then we went and had a nice dinner while you had hamburgers with Grandma.’

[From People]

Michelle also says she isn’t involved in policy because she can’t give it her all. She definitely strikes me as a type-a personality; and says she feels the need to give 120%. Obama knows she’s smart and capable enough that if she could only give 70% of herself to it she’d still do a pretty good job in terms of performance, but it wouldn’t feel good to do it because it wouldn’t be her absolute best.

Considering the massive amount of upheaval that must be going on in their daughter’s lives, it sounds like the Obamas have done a really good job of keeping things as normal as possible. And they seem to have a really down-to-earth and responsible parenting style. They don’t give the girls birthday presents because they get so many presents from other people – and essentially the party is their parents’ present. The girls also get a $1 a week allowance for their chores. Something tells me that may go up a little bit with inflation – and there are probably more chores in the White House.

Here’s Halle Berry wearing her “Barack The Vote” t-shirt in Century City yesterday. Images thanks to Fame.

Presumptive Democratic US Presidential nominee Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have a new interview with People Magazine in which they speak candidly about their family life. They primarily talk about how they work together to create a normal life for their daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7. The Obamas received some slack earlier in the month for allowing their children to talk on camera to Access Hollywood. It was a casual and low-key interview that seemed harmless to many people. We’ll have to see what kind of fallout they get from the TV pundits for being so open with a celebrity glossy. They come across as a normal and close knit family who try to teach their daughters the value of hard work. They don’t reveal anything incredibly personal, and if anything show that they don’t mind talking about their family and what works for them:

They don’t give their daughters birthday presents and do parties instead

PEOPLE: Someone told me today that you don’t do birthday presents.
Michelle: No, because we spend hundreds of dollars on a birthday party and movie tickets and pizza and popcorn …
Barack: That sleepover is enough. We want to teach some limits to them. And their friends bring over presents.
Michelle: They get so much stuff that it just becomes numbing. Malia believes there is still a Santa Claus even though she’s a little wary because some of her friends are non-believers. But Malia says, “Ma, I know there is a Santa because there’s no way you’d buy me all that stuff.” [Laughing]

[From People.com]

10 year-old Malia gets a dollar a week allowance for chores

Do you give your girls an allowance?
Michelle: Sorta, kinda. [Laughs]
Barack: I’m out of town all the time, so Malia will say, “Hey, you owe me 10 weeks!” … Originally, we were giving her a dollar a week as long as she did all her chores. It turns out that she’s been doing her chores even without prompting from the allowance, which makes me feel guilty that she’s been carrying on her end of the bargain and I haven’t been as consistent.

Daughters are worried if their dad becomes President because they’ll have to leave their friends

Last year, when we first met, Malia said that she sometimes wished maybe you wouldn’t win. Do you think they still have those mixed feelings?
Barack: I am absolutely certain because we’ve talked about it – that they are not looking forward to moving. They have a wonderful life in Chicago, they have lifelong friends in Chicago and the prospects of having to make new friends, that’s never something that kids are looking forward to. So I’m sure that there’s a part of them that says we won’t be heartbroken if things don’t work out.

And if they said tomorrow, “I don’t want you to be President, I want you to be Daddy”?
Barack: Well, so far those issues haven’t been mutually exclusive. We talked about this before we started and Michelle and I monitor their attitudes pretty closely.
Michelle: They’ve been stable. Their lives just haven’t changed that much.
Barack: And our job, more than anything, is to make sure that in addition to monitoring whether or not they’re feeling sad or neglected at all, that they’re also not feeling special because their dad is running for President.
Michelle: That’s right.
Barack: One of the things I’ve been really happy about is how nonplussed they’ve been by the whole thing. They don’t bring it up, they don’t talk to their friends about it. If anything, they’re actually more courteous and more careful with other people now than they were before I ran….

How are you preparing them for possible life in the White House?
Michelle: Slowly. We talk to them about it as they are curious. … They ask about schools and making friends. … Their anxiety has nothing to do with the White House; it has everything to do with what kids think about: “If I have to go to a new school, will I make friends and what about my old friendships?”

On teaching their daughters to be humble and to empathize with other people

Did you talk about that, their behavior in a fishbowl?
Barack: It was more just like making sure the same standards we set before we were in the public eye were maintained.
Michelle: Be considerate of how other people might feel, you know, empathize. Put yourself in the place of other people.
Barack: And just never think that you’re better than anybody else. Or worse than anybody else.
Michelle: That’s also one of the reasons why we don’t campaign with them a lot. Because no matter what you do at a campaign setting, they are special, right? It’s Fourth of July and everybody is singing “Happy Birthday” to Malia. … And everybody loves the kids so they get special treatment. That’s nice for a day or two, but they need to go back home, just so they realize that this isn’t life.
Barack: Which is good when they’re doing activities like soccer. Malia loves soccer, but she’s still so tall and gangly compared to some of these little kids who are zipping around her, although she’s getting better. The fact that she’s not good at everything right away – and Sasha’s not good at everything right away – means learning lessons about having to work hard at something and improve.

On the difficulties of balancing everything for their family and in their marriage

Can you tell me how this experience has changed your marriage?
Barack: It’s made it stronger. The tough times for us were when the kids were real small, I was away a lot and Michelle was still working. So, the burden on her was enormous, and I think there’s a feeling that maybe I didn’t fully appreciate that burden. That was something we worked through. And I think we’re both more patient with each other. We both know how to avoid making the other person feel aggravated. And I’m so proud of her and I think she knows how much I love and appreciate her. So, she puts up with me.
Michelle: I think it has made us stronger. Time and love and sacrifice and hard struggles, I think, make you stronger.
Barack: I also think that she knew at the beginning when I was doing this that if she came to me and said don’t do it, I wouldn’t have done it.
Michelle: That’s the key, for sure.
Barack: And if I ever thought that it was ruining my family, I wouldn’t do it.
Michelle: We’re constantly balancing each other. I know that if I were to say, “I can’t take this,” it would be over.

Barack and Michelle come across as very open and honest about their family and the things they go through to make it work day to day, and you can tell that they instill good values in their daughters. Whatever your political beliefs, you can see that they have a strong family and really care about their daughters and giving them a stable life. I also like the last part about how Barack is honest that he didn’t help as much as he could have when the girls were little. He said they worked through that rough stage, though, and have reached a better understanding of each other and what they need to do for Sasha and Malia.

You can read more of the interview and see exclusive photos on People.com and in their upcoming issue.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Senator Barack Obama speaking at the ‘Women for Obama’ breakfast at the Hilton Hotel in New York on July 10th. Images thanks to WENN.

I have to admit, I really love election season. Not just for the politics – in fact I’d be making myself sound much deeper than I really am if I said that was a big part of it. I like that it adds a new layer to celebrity news. Instead of hearing about Paris Hilton’s shoe collection, we can write about Paris’ political leanings. Alright that particular example doesn’t work, as Paris only recently learned that we’ve been in a war for the past couple years.

But some celebs use their fame to promote good causes. And that’s something I’m a big fan of. Actress Rosario Dawson is taking a season off from working in order to get voters to the polling booths. Rosario is currently working on two films but will be wrapped by the fall, and has passed on all other projects until after the election.

“I decided I’m not going to be working at all through the fall,” the actress – who’ll be seen in Eagle Eye with Shia LaBoeuf and Seven Pounds with Will Smith – told PEOPLE. Instead, she plans to work at voter drives across the country sponsored by her non-profit Voto Latino.

“We’re targeting the Latin youth vote,” said Dawson, 28. “There’s 18 million [people who] are eligible. But we are not showing that up in votes. So our numbers aren’t counting. When you actually … work with local organizations – that makes the biggest impact, and that’s what I want to be a part of.”

Dawson (who admits she didn’t vote for president until 2004, the same year she started Voto Latino) will be at both Democratic and Republican conventions as part of her efforts to reach young Latinos.

“The reason why I co-founded Voto Latino is because of my mom,” she told the crowd in D.C. “It’s because of my grandmother. It’s because I was raised to do it yourself. You want that to be better? You do it yourself.”

[From People]

My first reaction to the part about Rosario not voting the same year she started Voto Latino was that it wasn’t all that smart to admit to it. But I think it actually makes her more accessible to the people she’s trying to target. She’s aiming for those that haven’t been voting, and it lets her honestly say “Look, I know where you’re coming from, I didn’t think one vote mattered either.” Presumably she’ll be setting a great example by voting in a few months. Good for her for really getting out there, seeing a problem, and actively doing something to combat it.

Here’s Rosario introducing Voto Latino’s ‘Crash the Parties ’08′ campaign in Washington DC on Tuesday. Images thanks to WENN.