Aug 22, 2007 8:32 pm US/Eastern
Absent Wife The Talk Of Sen. Obama's NYC Stop
New Yorkers Say They Support Controversial Woman
by Andrew Kirtzman
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
On Wednesday Sen. Barack Obama once again invaded Sen. Hillary Clinton's turf.
The Illinois senator is campaigning in New York City as the political world buzzes over comments made by his wife.
Appearing at a West Side union hall, Obama's first words concerned his wife.
"Sometimes, when I look over these crowds it's tempting to think that it's all about me," he said. "She says it's not. She knows better."
Michelle Obama was not there, but she was getting all the attention Wednesday -- over a comment at a recent fundraiser.
"If you can't run your own house, you can't run the White House."
That struck many as an indirect swipe at Clinton, Barack Obama's chief rival.
The Obama campaign vehemently denied it on Wednesday.
"She has been making that speech constantly about the decision we made to make sure that our family was strong," Barack Obama said, "because if our family wasn't that strong then we couldn't be a strong leader in the White House."
"The whole thing about Hillary has been completely fabricated. You guys have got to get it off your minds."
Either way, Michelle Obama was just the latest candidate's wife to dominate the race for president.
Elizabeth Edwards made a huge splash with her recent on-air fight with commentator Ann Coulter.
On Wednesday morning, Edwards appeared on the Early Show.
"Sen. Clinton who was great on health care issues in the 1990s, doesn't have a health care policy now," Edwards said.
The dust-ups have some wondering why the wives are making more news than their husbands.
But because John Edwards and Barack Obama are running against a woman, they may be relying on their wives to do the heavy lifting.
David Epstein is a political science professor at Columbia University.
"Candidates usually want to attack other candidates, especially when things start getting tight," Epstein said. "They do it themselves, they make themselves look petty."
At the Obama event, fans of the candidate defended his wife.
"In America a lot of wives have been kind of, uh, reserved since the 90s and it's nice to see someone else who's dynamic come out there and be bold and outspoken on the campaign trail," Dwight Dunkley said.
Sooner or later, though, the wives will have to let their husbands make a little news as well.
Barack Obama was scheduled to hold another event Wednesday night at the Marriott in Brooklyn.
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