Never had a helicopter

I know I have been skeptical of President Obama recently, but I do admire how the man operates. The Republicans keep trying to get under his skin and he never takes the bait.

In today's fiscal summit, Obama asked Sen. John McCain if he had any thoughts he would like to share on procurement. McCain sited Defense Department overruns, and pointed to the fleet of 28 new Marine One helicopters built by Lockheed Martin Corp. (a deal established during the Bush administration). McCain noted that the program is now over budget at $11.2 billion and will cost more than Air Force One. Obama responded that he had already instructed Defense Secretary Gates to review that program, and added, “The helicopter I have now seems perfectly adequate to me. Of course, I’ve never had a helicopter before, so, you know? Maybe I’ve been deprived and I didn’t know it." He got a good chuckle from the crowd. But, more importantly, he shut down that flatulent windbag from Arizona without the slightest hint of vitriol. This is how politics should be. Bravo, Mr. President.