Home in Chicago, Obama can be regular guy, sort of

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This family is giving up a lot for us, and I'm grateful.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA_REGULAR_GUY?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Home in Chicago, Obama can be regular guy, sort of

By DEANNA BELLANDI and JENNY SONG
Associated Press Writers


CHICAGO (AP) -- Even a guy running for president has to take his wife out on a date.

So on a recent summer night during a rare break from the campaign trail, Barack Obama escorted his wife, Michelle to a swanky Italian restaurant along Chicago's Michigan Avenue.

A van full of reporters sat outside in case their night on the town turned into national news. It didn't.

When Obama is home in Chicago, he tries to squeeze moments of real life between the marathon meetings and travel that consume the time of the Democratic presidential candidate. But real life for Obama isn't what it used to be.

When he ditches his work clothes for flip-flops and jeans to go to a city park to watch his oldest daughter play soccer, Secret Service agents come along.

snip//

At a soccer game one evening in a city park near downtown, Obama showed Malia some moves before heading out to a late-night meeting at his campaign office.

A few days later he and his family strolled a few blocks to a neighbor's home for a barbecue that included Obama's sister and her family. On the way home, Michelle Obama yelled to the pool of reporters, "We'll try to do something more interesting next time."