Wednesday, February 4th
11:45pm

Dear Diary,

Whew, it has been quite a week. With two people declining to take on position in my cabinet, I’ll admit I’m getting a bit frustrated. After all, I’m PRESIDENT Barack Obama. People should be thrilled to work for me. As for Tom Daschle, which was the biggest heartbreak of all, I guess I should have looked into his profile more extensively, since he did work as a lobbyist for insurance companies and he had those tax problems. But really, can’t my aides do anything? It’s their job to do the vetting! I have much more important things to worry about. Still, he would have been perfect for the job. We really need somebody in there who can talk to both Republicans and Democrats, and he would have been the best one to sell my health plan. It’s going to be hard to find somebody as qualified as he is. The last time a healthcare bill went through Congress with support from both parties was in 1965 with the Medicare bill. I’m just hoping to find someone who can do the same. Reforming healthcare may be one of my biggest challenges. Hillary Clinton tried – she knows firsthand how difficult it is. We have a health care system that can’t afford to provide coverage for the people in it, and I want to add 145 million people to it. It’s going to be really hard work.

Also, I feel that my interviews with the anchors from all those TV networks yesterday went very well. Although they didnâ??t talk about the stimulus nearly as much as Iâ??d hoped. Hard with all the Daschle controversy, I do realize. Although the cigarette question from Anderson Cooper did annoy me. canâ??t people let that go? Iâ??m President of the United States! Allow me to have ONE vice. But, Michelle and the girls really want me to quit, so Iâ??m trying for them. Though this nicorette gum is getting pretty old.

Yours,
Barack

Originally posted in The Secret Diary of Barack Obama