The Odd Couple

Last night I crashed on the couch, and flipped between Good Eats and Ellen. Ellen was celebrating her 500th episode, and at the end of the show she interviewed President Bush, Sr. and President Clinton about how New Orleans was dealing with the Katrina aftermath. I love Ellen tons, because she's somehow gotten a homophobic country to love her, even after she faded into obscurity for a while. I prefer her to Oprah, as I've said before, but I'd prefer a colony of killer bees to Oprah.

Anyway. Ellen's interviewing Clinton, who still looks pretty with it and still able to accommodate some interns, if you know what I mean, and there's Bush Sr. sitting there like an old codger you'd see on any porch in Maine. Clinton answered Ellen's questions, and basically carried the whole interview as Bush plunked his Ellen mug on the table and grumbled on occasion.

After a pretty heavy discussion, with Ellen tearing up as she talked about seeing the destruction in the Ninth Ward, she ended the interview with this. I'm paraphrasing since somehow transcripts are not available on the internet.

"Now, I know you both have a lot of power," Ellen said, still serious, "so what can you do to get Chris Daughtry put back on American Idol?"

Clinton guffawed, and Bush kind of laughed like the guy who doesn't get the joke.

"Come on, you must have enough pull to work something out," Ellen said.

"Is this a bad thing?" Bush asked.

"Yes."

"A travesty? A gross injustice?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, Ellen," Clinton smarmed, "even when I was President, I don't think I had that kind of pull."

"The nice thing about being eighty-two is that I don't need to watch that stuff," Bush grumbled.

Seriously. If you put the Elder Bush in a L.L. Bean jacket, he'd be my grandfather, griping about being old and not understanding the big to-do about things. I really do believe that Bush Sr. and Clinton should have a sitcom, with the money made being donated to hurricane relief. I'd watch it.