For those who missed Obama on Leno last night, Dan Colarusso at ClusterStock found the video. As Dan notes, Obama was thoughtful and funny. He smoothly, but not directly, explained his opposition to the 90% tax bill, while sympathizing with Congress’s frustrations.
Obama Cracks Wise On Leno (VIDEO)
Courtesy of Dan Colarusso
Update: Full video is below
The President went on the Tonight Show to chat with Jay Leno about giggly stuff such as the nation’s wrenching financial crisis.
According to the New York Times, President Obama took a swing at the back-biting and blame game in the nation’s capitol. “In Washington, it’s a little like ‘American Idol,’ except everybody is Simon Cowell.”
The always-cool commander-in-chief had to work hard to straddle his position and Leno’s funnies.
"For instance, he looked taken aback when Mr. Leno joked that the president had laid the problems of the banking sector at the doorstep of the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner. “I love how you say it’s his problem," he said.
Mr. Obama stared at him for a few seconds, stone-faced. Then he broke into a laugh, as if finally getting the joke."
The Wall Street Journal described Obama’s chilly reaction to a House bill that would tax heavily "nearly all the bonuses paid to American International Group Inc. employees."
"Look, I understand Congress’ frustrations," he told Leno, according to the WSJ, and suggested "legislators were being more vindictive than constructive."
"Everybody’s angry… but I think that the best way to handle this is to make sure that you close the door before the horse gets out of the barn. And what happened here was the money’s already gone out, and people are scrambling to try to find ways to get back at them," he said.
He also made a crack comparing his bowling abilities to the Special Olympics. That’s sure to get some buzz, too.
Watch the full video below.
See Also:
