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Politics
Obama tries to kick the habit
Early Edition: The senator from Illinois gears up for a presidential bid with a chat about one of his vices.
By BILL ADAIR
Published February 6, 2007
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[AP photo]
Obama plans to formally kick off his campaign on Saturday.
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WASHINGTON — Under pressure from one of his senior advisers — his wife — Sen. Barack Obama is trying to quit smoking.
The Illinois Democrat, who will formally launch his presidential campaign on Saturday, said Tuesday that he is chewing lots of Nicorette gum in a new effort to kick the habit.
“My wife wisely indicated that this is a potentially stressful situation, running for president,” he said. “She wanted to lay down a very clear marker that she wants me healthy.”
Obama has often smoked as a response to stress, during his previous campaigns and while writing books.
But he emphasized that he was discreet about it.
“I’ve never been a heavy smoker and don’t smoke in front of folks or in the house,” he said.
But like many smokers, he’s been unable to quit.
“It’s one of those habits — you can quit for a while and then you start back up,” he said
A friend of the Obama family told the Chicago Tribune that the senator has not smoked in the last few weeks. In a brief interview with reporters at the Capitol Tuesday, Obama sounded like he was pitching a product: “Actually,” he said, “Nicorette works pretty well.”
[Last modified February 6, 2007, 14:08:12]
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