This is a repost of P. Marshall's post of "A call-to-arms for Michelle".  This original thread offered to provide meaningful discussion of the office of the First Lady in having a more defining role in the new administration.  It was an opening that in it's irony was sidetracked by the very things that are presented as issues that will be faced.  Respectfully, here is the body of the post from P. Marshall:

This is a call to arms for
all Democrats but particularly for all women. More importantly it is a special
appeal to those who have strongly supported Hillary and still do. I want to
speak to you first.

The odds
are now overwhelmingly against Hillary gaining the nomination. When her race
has ended many of you have said you will not support Obama.  I would like you to reconsider not
because this country desperately needs to elect a Democratic president but
because there exists another incredible woman pioneer who needs your support
and passion: Michelle Obama.

Now I
need everyone to jump over and read a post by Kathy G at

http://thegspot.typepad.com/blog/2008/05/by-kathy-g.html#more

called The Hillary-ization of Michelle Obama.

Here is the important excerpt:

- I predict that wingnut heads will explode throughout the land [when she becomes First Lady]. And there will be a whole other layer of bullshit Michelle will have to deal with. In addition to the anti-Democrat bullshit, and the sexist bullshit, there will be, of course, the racist bullshit.

My heart goes out to her. The road she will be traveling on will be a difficult one, in particular because there is no one in the history of America who has trod that particular path before. She is an exceedingly courageous person to have chosen such a public role. Just by sheer virtue of being black and female, and daring to live a public life, she will be highly controversial. She will attract a hell of a lot of ugly hatred. Even for a person as strong as I am sure she is, there are sure to be times when that will be very, very hard to take.   

What I'm wondering right now is, what can we - as Democrats, as feminists, as people who are deeply committed to racial equality -- do to help and support her? Here's the thing: we have, to an extent, the benefit of hindsight here. We know what the right did to Hillary, and we can expect them to do a lot of the same things to Michelle. How do we combat this?

I realize the Republicans and the right are going to do the same disgusting things they always do. But one thing we need to be hyper-vigilant about is not letting the media get away with repeating right-wing memes and narratives about Michelle (or Barack, or any Democrat, for that matter). Close scrutiny of the media coverage of Michelle Obama, as well as some energetic media-centered activism, will of course be  crucial. Do readers of this blog have any more specific ideas? I'd love to hear your thoughts

So to Kathy G’s call-to-arms I add my own to TPM readers.

Yes, Michelle will not be the first woman president but she will be an historic First Lady and I think she needs an army of woman who will remain vigilant on her behalf at all times not only when she is in the White House but equally important all through the general election. When the right-wing attacks we as Democratic women need to protest immediately and not let them define her. It would be amazing if we were to see all the passion Hillary's followers have given their candidate be at the appropriate time in the near future shifted to Michelle. Yes she represents a newer generation; Michelle was not in the first wave of fighters like Hillary but she has had to fight every step of the way none the less so all of us including those in "Hillary's demographics" should take up her fight now. We need to take up Kathy G’s call-to-arms and swarm ever time the MSM, or a pundit, or the ring-wing puts out something nasty. We need to flood the networks with calls, the newspapers with letters, the pundits with emails. Stop whatever it is in its tracks. We can do this.(Yes we can!)  It will not be marching in the streets but in a very real sense it will be taking to the streets to insure the rights of all women. We may not have a woman president this time around but we can insure the continued extension of women’s rights and of all aspects of social justice by electing Barack Obama and seeing his amazing wife redefine the role of First Lady.  (The exploding heads will be an extra and very exciting treat!)

Please recommend again to put this version back into discussion.