Michelle Obama makes pitch to women

PONTIAC, Mich., July 10 (UPI) -- Michelle Obama says that if her husband, Barack, becomes U.S. president, she will push for programs to help people balance work and family.

In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Obama said Wednesday she also wants to help military spouses and to promote programs like Americorps.

The "Discussion With Michigan Women" at Crofoot, a Pontiac auditorium, came on the second day of a two-day swing through Michigan. Obama's visit to a state where Sen. Hillary Clinton was strong during the primaries was part of a concerted push by her husband's campaign aimed at Democratic women, The Wall Street Journal reported.

On Thursday, Michelle Obama was scheduled for a similar event in Kansas City.

In the Free Press interview, she said that her childhood on the South Side of Chicago left her able to understand the difficulties of women who have to combine work with household responsibilities.

"To me, the policies that go along with supporting working mothers and families aren't just politics," she said. "These are personal."