Obama And Cigarettes: No Smoking Violations In The White House (VIDEO)

Obama sought to reassure the nation that while he occasionally sneaked a cigarette during the rigorous presidential campaign, he won't succumb to such temptations in the White House:

Obama was asked -- as he occasionally is, most recently by ABC's Barbara Walters -- whether he still sneaks a cigarette now and then. He suggested he does, but said he won't at his new address.

"What I said was that there were times where I have fallen off the wagon," Obama said. "What I would say is that I have done a terrific job under the circumstances of making myself much healthier, and I think that you will not see any violations of these rules in the White House."

Watch Obama's full interview with Tom Brokaw on "Meet the Press" here.

Comments

[AlopecianMuse]

I had no idea that smoking was illegal! Where have I been? If smoking is the worst that this man can do, then let the man have his cigarettes, because he's gonna need them with all that he is inheriting!
I can't believe we are talking about cigarettes, it's really the most absurd thing I have heard to date.
Are cigarettes some kind of "gateway drug now?" If PE Obama continues to smoke and does so in his new home, is he just one step away from creating a meth lab in the White House basement?

[adaugeo]

Add it to the List of things the people don't know - burn em if you have em otherwise, we will need the Tax dollars for the Health Care Hammock.

[ohioan73]

Smoking is nothing. Community organizers are usually drunks. LOL! Trust me, I used to be one. You would drink too if you had a front row seat to witnessing political corruption at the expense of innocent hard working Americans. I had to dry out from drinking after I quit organizing. I was starting to drink straight room temperature vodka. I'd say Obama's doing pretty good.

I'd love to get a photo of him smoking. I hope he quits for his health. I hope I do, too. ;P

[flash LI]

Try here:

http://img.timeinc.net/time/photoessays/2008/obama_youth/obama_youth_04.jpg

[bby328]

This guy is smokin - (without a cigarette or a cigar also.)

[twwv8]

Is this an addiction?

[fearwig]

Hahaha. What kind of question is that?

[portwashington]

We just lived through eight years of a President who quit drinking.

I think it will better for everyone involved if we follow our new leader and light up. At the very least, let's get off his back.

[broezekiel]

I hope our president will quit for his own sake, but that is the only reason I have any concern what so ever. I smoked for many years, and quiting was very difficult. It's the best thing I ever did. That being said, it is Obama's business (and his family) whether or not he smokes and nobody else's. People need to look in a mirror before they cast judgement!

[rbspickles]

Not that I want the Prez to be puffing away constantly in front of the cameras, who cares if he indulges in tobacco occassionaly? Sheeshe, slow news day huh msm?

[Kiabell04]

Well, I think he's doing pretty good by not smoking much considering the enormous stress politics puts on the body. However, health wise, I hope he does quit.

[kalikasue]

I agree with you. Most smokers I know are interesting and intelligent. I find them to be much less judgmental than those who constantly whine about smoking. Too, I don't find kissing the smoker in my life the least bit offensive. Get over it people. There are a lot worse vices.

[hapiday]

This is really based on the media's obsession with finding a negative flaw in PE Obama. It is something that is tangible. It is their intention to exploit what they perceive as his weakness. You better believe they are not concerned about his health. At this point the media isn't sure what his political agenda will be, but whether he smokes or doesn't smoke is something they can grab hold of and run with. PE Obama will handle when, where and if he smokes in the same way he handles it went he's around his wife, children and foes. The question is; whether he will smoke inside the white house. The White house has many gardens, terraces, balconies and patios. PE Obama should turn the tables and ask the reporter, do you smoke, do you drink, do you fornicate, do you cuss and anything else he wants to make an issue. Inquiring minds want to know. Oh ask what Bill Clinton was doing with those cigars in the white house and why Mrs. Clinton banned tobacco products in the White house. By the way, if PE Obama wants to reverse the ban during his presidency, he can.

[KRS1]

A lot of them *do* smoke. I'm very anti-smoking but the hypocrisy I see from these journalists burns.

[GaiaTerra7]

Give the man a break! After having "leaders" in the White House that have more holes in their character than a ton of swiss cheese, I think I can live with him having a smoke once in awhile.

[dreadylocks]

Hitler never drank or smoked. I'm glad we're getting a president without a stick up his a**.

:P

[Cogitoe]

Having lived through several trying, but eventually successful, attempts by a parent to kick the habit, I am not sure I want the leader of the free world to abstain from a toke in times of immense pressure. Obama may again fall of the wagon under such Presidential pressures, but it is clearly better for national security that he reach for a puff than that he operate at less than 100% mental efficiency. I have never smoked and hate smoking, but the Oval Office is not really the best place to prioritize ones long term health to the detriment of the nation's short term safety.

[evekendall]

Among others:
Andrew Jackson smoked in the White House.
James Madison smoked in the White House.
Herbert Hoover was a chain smoker.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt smoked cigarettes in the White House.
Jackie Kennedy smoked cigarettes in the White House.
John Kennedy smoked 4-5 cigars a day in the White House.
Lyndon Johnson smoked cigarettes in the White House.

Laura Bush smokes:
http://www.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/kessler200604032246.asp

"Laura Bush allegedly showed her non-Washingtonian chops by responding to a question about what she did for a living by saying 'I read, I smoke, and I admire.' "
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-obamasmokes_05edi.ART.State.Edition1.3e8ee63.html

[alguien]

if i recall correctly, gerald ford's kids, who were late teens, early 20s at the time, used to smoke pot in the white house.

[MrPragmatic]

Many of those same presidents also had affairs in the White House. Times change. Now every personal behavior choice is telegraphed and judgments are made. Behavior that was considered private is now fodder for those that deem all vices to be a lapse of character or judgment.

[Rog49Thomas]

once again the msm focuses on the really important issue facing our country

i was sadly disappointed though that he was not asked an even more compelling question - how a resident of chicago could be on record as favoring traditional pizza over deep dish chicago pizza?

due's of course

[OrwellianJones]

It's not just the MSM; look at the over 400 comments here. But yes, it's meaningless.

[Rog49Thomas]

the infotainment business in the usa delivers the product its viewers demand

[joscallinet]

Whether or not our President-elect Barack Obama smokes is, of course, his own private matter - and really no-one else's business.
Having said that, I hope for the sake of his own health and that of his family as well as wanting him to have many more healthy years ahead of him after he has served our country, that he finds a way to cut out that god-awful addiction.
There is nothing attractive or sexy about smoking, and a non-smoker who has kissed someone with smoker's breath knows how off-putting it can be.
Obama is nothing if not smart, and so surely he is as aware of smoking's danger to health as are the rest of us.
I hope he succeeds at quitting, and he should be able to if he is determined to do so.

[NKR]

He seems to have quit and is on nicorette (replacement nicotine). He just has a cigarette now and then. Overall its a great improvement over smoking all day, and the health risk is very low from smoking once a week or so.

Also, why do nonsmokers always say stuff like "surely they know what smoking does to their health! They really should quit"? Or "there is nothing attractive about smoking"? Of course smokers are aware of these things! But nonsmokers don't seem to understand anything about addiction and how dopamine (a neurotransmitter) works. Try giving up food for a few days and see if you can use simple reasoning to keep you from eating.