>> one of the things about michelle is she's pretty blunt. if you were going to talk to her, you needed to have your facts correct. you needed to really be focused. and she didn't suffer bs. >> by 1998, michelle obama was working at the university of chicago. while mr. obama was an illinois state senator. and then daughter malia was born. >> i remember taking her home that first night. we were nervous. barack had to get the car seat in right. he was driving slowly. just like, you know, you hear in the movies. >> three years later, along came sasha. but mr. obama's political career as an illinois state senator soon put the family under strain. >> you've got a spouse who's traveling back and forth to springfield. is, you know, home on the weekends. not there most of the week. that created stress and tension that i think a lot of couples find themselves in. and we had to really work