Barack Obama: "I'll Have Trouble Sleeping the Night Before" Inauguration

Us Magazine - January 16, 2009 3:07 PM PST
Story photo: Barack Obama: Us Magazine
President-elect Barack Obama admits that he's a bit nervous about his first day on the job.

"I'm sure I'll have trouble sleeping the night before," Obama tells Katie Couric , in one of his last interviews before becoming President of the United States, for a CBS News primetime special.

See Obama's election night photos!

He adds: "[There] has been so much work on the front end that I feel Jan. 21 is not going to feel that different from Jan. 19. But having said that, I think when you're sitting in the Oval Office, you're very clear that these decisions count. The magnitude of it is humbling.'

In addition to the tough road ahead, what else is he nervous about at the outdoor swearing-in ceremony?

The temperature: "I get cold very easily," Obama jokes. "So making sure I've got my long underwear [just] in case."

He plans to enlist the help of family during the transition, including his wife's mother, Marian Robinson, who will be moving into the White House with the Obama clan.

Take a look at Barack and Michelle Obama's most unforgettable moments.

"[We] get along great," he says of his mother-in-law. "In fact, she defends me when Michelle is too hard on me. So I want her there. She's an ally. She can be a little bit of a buffer if I screw up."

The special, Change and Challenge: The Inauguration of Barack Obama, will air Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. EST on CBS. It will include interviews with civil rights leaders and friends of Obama. Couric will anchor the hour-long show from the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., which is where the Commander-in-Chief's Ball is set to take place.

More news from Usmagazine.com

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comments 1-10 of 15  |< newest · < newer · older > · oldest >|  hide comments · post a comment
  • Pamela G
    i agree lily!
    report abuseposted January 20, 2009 10:00 AM PST
  • Taylor
    I wouldn't be sleeping either knowing I was a phony and hypocrite spending millions on a hey me party cause at last the oppressed man that I am can rise to the top. 4 years of bashing you dumbest a... who voted for him. yep,
    report abuseposted January 19, 2009 6:37 PM PST
  • Pamela G
    hmm, yes, well, i can see how an adolescent would find that remark funny.
    report abuseposted January 19, 2009 10:37 AM PST
  • truthful
    all you scared people and those who will have insomnia go to texas and sleep with bush. hahahaha
    report abuseposted January 18, 2009 3:19 PM PST
  • Well ofcourse you won't sleep Barrack...... that's what crack does!
    report abuseposted January 17, 2009 7:34 PM PST
  • LA
    This is a story?
    report abuseposted January 17, 2009 11:45 AM PST
  • SpoonyG
    Oh Obama no worries mate! Everyone was so eager if they "could" get you elected they forgot to ask if they "should"! No one cares what your polices are in fact I don't think anyone really knows? Your Black and that's what counts so when someone disagrees with you just call them a racist. The media is on your side too so don't worry, e
    report abuseposted January 16, 2009 10:30 PM PST
  • Pamela G
    i'm going to have trouble sleeping for the next four years....
    report abuseposted January 16, 2009 9:26 PM PST
  • truthful
    baby bush hired everyone from papa bush's era. so what?
    report abuseposted January 16, 2009 5:18 PM PST
  • truthful
    Not one person who has taken office was sleeping the night before he took office. He will do fine although, like he knows and has said, this is gonna be a tough time because of the mess left by the last admin. I wish him luck and i wish the best for this country.
    report abuseposted January 16, 2009 5:17 PM PST
comments 1-10 of 15  |< newest · < newer · older > · oldest >| 

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