WASHINGTON (AFP) — Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama said Wednesday he will not let his daughters do any more television appearances, after an intimate interview with the family got huge exposure.
Obama, wife Michelle, and daughters Malia, 10 and Sasha 7, gave an interview to the Access Hollywood show, but the Illinois senator said he had been surprised by the attention they stirred.
"You know, we had a unique situation in Montana where it was Malia's birthday, and all of us, I think, got caught up in the festivities," Obama said in an interview with CBS.
"They had a chance to be their adorable selves on TV, but generally, we've been very protective of them.
"You know, in retrospect I think, you know, if you'd asked me we probably wouldn't have done it then, we wouldn't do it again."
Obama, who has tried to keep his daughters out of the media spotlight, said on ABC that the family got "carried away a little bit" as everybody was having a good time.
"Generally, what makes them so charming is the fact that they're not spending a lot of time worrying about TV cameras or politics, and we want to keep it that way."
In the interview, Malia revealed that her Dad once embarrassed her by formally shaking the hand of one her friends the first time he met her and Sasha said Obama prefers mint-flavored gum to bubble gum.
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