WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Barack Obama failed to give a straight answer when asked on a U.S. talkshow on Sunday whether he had managed to quit smoking.
In a country where cigarettes are responsible for one in five deaths and smoking costs tens of billions of dollars in health care, Obama has been under pressure to set an example by giving up his reported two-decade-old habit.
Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" program, interviewer Tom Brokaw told Obama he had ducked answering the question during an interview last month with ABC's Barbara Walters.
Noting that the White House was a no-smoking zone, Brokaw asked Obama, "Have you stopped smoking?"
"I have," Obama replied, smiling broadly. "What I said was that there are times where I have fallen off the wagon."
"Wait a minute," Brokaw interjected, "that means you haven't stopped."
"Fair enough," Obama said. "What I would say is that I have done a terrific job under the circumstances of making myself much healthier. You will not see any violations of these rules in the White House."
Obama was often observed on the presidential campaign trail chewing Nicorette gum, which helps ease the craving for nicotine. He has tried several times to quit.
The 47-year-old president-elect, who takes office on January 20, works out daily at the gym and sometimes plays basketball. His doctor said in May he was in excellent health, often jogged 3 miles a day and was fit to serve as U.S. president.
Website www.cigaraficionado.com says Gerald Ford, who served from 1974-77, was the last U.S. president to use tobacco on a regular basis. The White House no-smoking rule was imposed by former First Lady Hillary Clinton, now Obama's nominee for secretary of state.
(Editing by Alan Elsner)
- Re: I love you more than ever, that you can not quit smoking! you are the greatest president! tell mposted on 12/10/2008
有趣呀。总统要吸烟,是不是也要站到门外去?
倒是个与园丁,厨师,门房等等劳动人民打成一片的好机会。 - Re: I love you more than ever, that you can not quit smoking! you are the greatest president,ever!posted on 12/10/2008
可见奥巴马的压力非常大。他是第一位能让我信赖的总统,因为他的人性,他没有神话自己,是个有flaw的人,与土地接触的有血肉的human。政治漩涡时刻准备吞没他,他也紧张,焦虑。他也有面对政敌不知所措的时候。人间英雄之所以为英雄是他们永远有Achilles' heel。
克林顿让我瞧不起的是他不能真诚面对自己的flaw,为什么否认? - Re: I love you more than ever, that you can not quit smoking! you are the greatest president,ever!posted on 12/11/2008
I'm an obama fan! I knew he would be elected for office though, so I wrote my own name in when I voted. lol.
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