First Buddy

President Obama recently paid a visit to the comedy division of his media empire, NBC, on the Tonight Show. It appears we no longer want a President; we want a buddy or celebrity to occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Obama instinctively understood this as he mulled over his NCAA basketball brackets as Patton would an invasion.

Capitalism is holding on for dear life, rats are running through the halls of congress, and the only man qualified to run the Treasury, Tim Geithner, is clueless, yet, this President yucked it up with Jay Leno without regard to what’s falling down around him. The obvious explanation for this behavior is blind arrogance accompanied by a willing class of enablers or voters fans.

Presidents are supposed to be fodder for late night talk shows, not co-hosting the buffoonery. To make matters worse, Obama followed up his Leno appearance by launching into a bizarre giggle-fest on 60 Minutes with straight man, Steve Kroft. A pending depression is always a riot, anyone remember those fireside chats FDR gave at the Laugh Factory, what a hoot.

Now, word is leaking out about the Obama’s weekly Wednesday night cocktail parties at the White House. Apparently things have become so wild that furniture has been broken and ruckus guest are repeatedly warned to “tone it down.” I half expect to see a photo of the President, shirtless, downing a keg while portraits of George and Martha Washington hang in the background. Forget the economy dude; Pelosi is starting a conga line.

So while Rome burns the “Tao of Barack” (look cool, look smart, look at me) sweeps across the country. The “Buddy in Chief” can’t waste time on the small stuff, just grab some DVDs off the shelf for Gordon what’s his name and tell main man, Geithner, to take a chill pill, the recession isn’t going anywhere. Air Party One needs to be wheels-up by Miller Time, the “First Buddy” is in charge and living large.

It’s never cool to question your buddy’s agenda. If he spends 3 trillion, ahh who cares, besides Oprah is doing an exclusive on the President’s iPod. I hear Lil Wayne remixed “Hail to the Chief” for the occasion.

I’m so glad our President is hip, I’d hate to think what would have happened if old fuddy-duddy McCain were elected. The man doesn’t even know how to use a computer and he snubbed Letterman, the nerve. He’d be all high-and-mighty with his vetoes and responsible spending, and then, that whole prisoner of war thing, what a downer. By the way, did you know Barack sneaks smokes behind the Oval Office? Cool.

I think I read somewhere that North Korea has a nuclear thing-a-ma-jig or something. No worries pal, Obama just needs to friend Kim Jong Il on his Facebook, problem solved.

Yeah, there was something in the news about that pesky unemployment rate. I think it came from mean-old Sean Hannity and those party poopers over at Fox. Hey, did you see the swing-set Obama put in for his kids? He’s a great dad.

Look, in all seriousness, at some point, the full weight of this sideshow will implode. Electing a celebrity sounded fashionable, but so did polyester pants and white belts. Someone needs to tell Mr. Obama he won the election and a President doesn’t lead through pop-culture. A President should be a man of the people, yet still maintain a certain reverence or properness. Trivializing the office lends itself to be mocked.

We get it Mr. President, you’re cool, but a cool President isn’t too hip to fail, and there’s not much mileage left on the blame-Bush-bandwagon.

Neither party can claim immunity to this fiscal mess. The culprit was aggressive selfishness fueled by untouchable and always reelected politicians. However, what Mr. Obama inherited will be a minor footnote to our multi-trillion-dollar Obama-Pelosi-Reid shackles. We are the ancestors of record. The financial sins committed are breathtaking and should sicken the stomach at the casualness on display. The world’s economy hinges on the policy, language and tone that come from the White House. It’s time for Mr. Obama to put on his Presidential trousers and quit playing the goof on late night talk shows. Such behavior lowers us all.