Obama: Washington Is Like Idol, Everyone's a Critic

In the first late-night TV appearance for a sitting president, Barack Obama talks the economy, change and Simon Cowell

Fresh from filling out his NCAA bracket and trying his darndest to hold this country together, President Barack Obama took a brief timeout for a Tonight Show Q&A with Jay Leno this afternoon, the first time a sitting president has visited a late-night talk show.

While the economy was, as expected, the No. 1 topic, Obama was able to squeeze in a few observations less terrifying than the fact that ours is a "culture of greed" that must change if the U.S. is going to pull itself out of the current financial muck and mire.

"In Washington, it's a little bit like American Idol except everyone is Simon Cowell," the president quipped before descending into the heavy stuff. "Everybody's got an opinion."

Too bad the change we need isn't as simple as adding a fourth judge.

Earlier today, in addition to attending a town hall meeting and touring Los Angeles, Obama defended his decision to appear on the Tonight Show, saying the brief stop in Burbank would not keeping him from more pressing matters.

He then revealed that he can do more than one thing at a time.

Poll

Barack Obama Does The Tonight Show

Do you think it was OK for the president to make time for Jay Leno?

Of course, it's not like all our problems would have been solved during those 60 minutes

Of course, it's not like all our problems would have been solved during those 60 minutes

64.3%

No, it was in poor taste—the state of our economy is no laughing matter

No, it was in poor taste—the state of our economy is no laughing matter

31.8%

I hear he bumped <b>Teri Hatcher</b>. <i>Boooo!</i>

I hear he bumped Teri Hatcher. Boooo!

4%

Vote Now