Up in Smoke

It can't be said that Tom Brokaw doesn't have his finger on the hot button issues.

Yesterday on Meet The Press, Brokaw interviewed President-Elect Barack Obama, holding his feet to the fire for not giving Barbara Walters a straight answer regarding... his smoking habit, one that simply wasn't an issue when FDR was President and he used to smoke openly.

Gee, Tom, it's touching that you're so concerned about the health of our next Chief Executive and all but don't you think there are more pressing issues facing Obama than whether or not he sneaks a butt or two outside of the White House?

As someone who's tried and failed several times to quit smoking, I can assure you it's one of the hardest habits in the world to kick. In fact, people who've detoxed from heroin, cocaine, crystal meth and other highly addictive drugs will even tell you that tobacco is harder to quit than all of them.

And Barack Obama is about to take the shittiest job in the world, one that will significantly age him with the sheer unimaginable stress of the presidency. While it would be nice if he set an example for the rest of us, having an occasional cigarette is probably the least harmful vice that a President can succumb to, especially since Obama hasn't smoked in public since God knows when. The man jogs three miles a day and works out regularly.

Besides, if you're talking about Presidents setting a good example, how come no one ever questioned this boob about his own habit that he also can't seem to lick, one that's probably led to another, even more destructive habit, like starting wars that he can't win so he can then foist them off on the next poor bastard?