First lady Michelle Obama appeared on the news satire show "The Colbert Report" Thursday night, advocating for her initiative aimed at helping military veterans find jobs after returning home from war.
Obama said she was "awed by the sacrifice" of military veterans and troubled that unemployment rates for veterans exceeded the national average. But the first lady said that since her "Joining Forces" initiative had begun focusing on the issue, "we're seeing [unemployment rates] decrease at some pretty significant rates."
“We have seen people hiring our veterans and finding wonderful flexible opportunities for spouses because employment is a key issue for these families," Obama said.
While Obama heralded military veterans as "some of the most highly trained, highly skilled, disciplined people that we have in our society," Colbert suggested another reason employers might want to consider employing those who have served.
"You know what I think would be a great reason to hire a military veteran at your private business? With the stories he would tell of his previous job, he could really make the interoffice complaining sound trivial," Colbert joked.
“It’s hard to be a whiner around a veteran,” Obama conceded.
The pair did briefly touch on politics, with Colbert noting that the first lady was extremely popular — and a centerpiece in the president's reelection effort.
"Do you ever lord over the president the fact that you're more popular than he is? Do you ever say, 'Hey, watch it, or I might not campaign for you?' " Colbert wondered.
"I might try that when I get home," Obama joked.
But asked if she was ready to announce her official endorsement for the 2012 election, the first lady stuck with her husband.
"He's my man," she said.
