Michelle Obama Could Raise $20 Million

It’s all hands on deck for the Democrats this fall. Michelle Obama will make her long-awaited arrival on the campaign trail next month, stumping for candidates facing close races in blue states. The White House estimates that the first lady could single-handedly raise $20 million for the Dems in the space of just a couple weeks. She is due to begin her campaign swing Oct. 23, and will go through Wisconsin, Illinois, Colorado, New York, Washington state and California—all states that stood firmly behind her husband in 2008 but now have a good chance of electing Republicans. "Michelle is a realist; she understands that part of the nature of politics these days is that you are out there on a tightrope and the nature of the press is often unfair and critical," said a senior White House adviser. "But she also recognized that stakes are very high, and it's important for her husband to have a Congress with whom he can work."