Obama's mother-in-law joins family in D.C.

WASHINGTON — Over the years, several U.S. presidents have been forced to ponder the delicate, sometimes unpleasant, question of whether to move the in-laws into the White House.

Ulysses Grant shared space with his father-in-law, who grumbled and squabbled with other relatives, historians say. Harry Truman lived with his mother-in-law, who said she knew "dozens of men better qualified" to preside over the Oval Office.

On Friday, the transition team of President-elect Obama confirmed that his 71-year-old mother-in-law would be moving, at least temporarily, into the grand residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Obama has said he would be delighted to have his wife's mother, Marian Robinson, join the first family in Washington.

"Mrs. Robinson will be coming with the family to help the girls get acclimated, and she will determine in the coming months whether or not she wants to stay in D.C. permanently," said Katie McCormick Lelyveld, spokeswoman for Michelle Obama.

Robinson has been the bedrock of the Obama family. During the campaign, she retired from her job as a bank secretary to care for the Obama girls, Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10, while their parents were on the road.

While Robinson has been the family mainstay, she has also prized her independence. She chose to work as a secretary, though her parents had preferred she become a teacher. She ran the 50- and 100-yard dashes in the Illinois senior games when she was well into her 60s.

And she has often teased her daughter, Michelle Obama, and the president-elect about their household rules for her granddaughters.

Bedtime at 8:30 p.m.? "That's ridiculous," Robinson told The Boston Globe last year, suggesting that was too early. Television for only an hour? "That's just not enough time," she said.

As for the organic foods the Obamas favor? "That's not my thing," said Robinson, who enjoys salty fried foods and dismissed efforts to make such dishes more healthful. "If you're going to have fried chicken," she said, "have fried chicken."

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.