Hope Smokes

Matt Welch | December 8, 2008

Barack Obama was on Meet the Press Sunday, and moderator Tom Brokaw put the president-elect's feet to the fire:

MR. BROKAW: Finally, Mr. President-elect, the White House is a no-smoking zone, and when you were asked about this recently by Barbara Walters, I read it very carefully, you ducked.

Have you stopped smoking?

PRES.-ELECT OBAMA: You know, I have, but what I said was that, you know, there are times where I've fallen off the wagon. Well...

MR. BROKAW: Well, wait a minute.

PRES.-ELECT OBAMA: ...what can I tell...

MR. BROKAW: Then that means you haven't stopped.

PRES.-ELECT OBAMA: Well, the--fair enough. What I would say is, 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.

He thinks so, does he? Actually, I'm surprised there isn't some smokers' atrium somewhere on Pennsylvania Ave., given the fact that Central Europeans sometime stop by.

Whole thing here. Jacob Sullum attempted to divine the nexus between Obama's substance-consuming habits and his public policy back in May.

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