president obama on jay leno

In an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," the first by a sitting president, Obama talked seriously about his economic plans and voiced strong support for embattled Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Wearing a bright red tie and an American flag pin on his lapel, the president pitched his budget and said he was stunned to learn crippled insurance giant AIG had paid out big bonuses to employees after using taxpayer money to stay afloat.


On life in the White House, Obama told Leno he is getting a basketball hoop for the mansion's tennis courts but is in the meantime improving his bowling - a game at which he did not excel during his campaign.

"I'm making progress on the bowling," he said.

AT&T Nokia 2680 Cell Phone - BlackNokia N97 Mobile Phone (Unlocked) - BlackNokia N97 Mobile Phone (Unlocked) - WhiteNokia E75 Mobile Phone (Unlocked) - BlackNokia N82 Mobile Phone (Unlocked) - Silver

Nokia E51i Mobile Phone (Unlocked) - Black






T-Mobile Nokia 5310 Mobile Phone - Black/Red
AT&T Nokia E71X Mobile Phone - Black
Nokia 5310 Mobile Phone (Unlocked) - Blue
Nokia N76 Mobile Phone (Unlocked) - Red
Nokia N95 Mobile Phone (Unlocked) - Red
Nokia N95 Mobile Phone (Unlocked) - Silver

Asked by Leno whether people who played basketball with him allowed him to win now that he's president, Obama dead-panned: "I don't see why they would throw the game, except for all those Secret Service guys with guns around."

He confided that he enjoyed travelling on Air Force One. "I personally think it's pretty cool," he said, adding that his kids were "just not as impressed".

Leno teased Obama for his White House living arrangements.

"People think it's amazing that the president would take the time to leave Washington, DC and fly 3 000 miles to come to California," Leno said before Obama came on stage.

"But you know something, that happens to a lot of guys when their mother-in-law moves in with them."

But he switched gears to talk about family life in the White House, confirming a timetable for the First Family's acquisition of a canine companion. Obama said the dog would arrive after his planned trip to Europe in early April.

"When we get back, the dog will be in place," Obama said, adding his daughters Sasha and Malia were not the only ones looking forward to its arrival. "They say if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog," he joked.

More seriously, Obama said critics had underestimated the number of challenges facing his Treasury secretary, who has taken heat for his handling of the AIG bonus scandal.