Nielsen is giving high approval ratings to President Barack Obama's appearance on NBC's "Tonight Show."
Obama's visit with Jay Leno, the first by a sitting president, scored an 11.2 rating in metered-market households. That's the highest number since January 2005, when "Tonight" paid tribute to the late Johnny Carson. The last time "Tonight" logged a higher rating was following the "Seinfeld" finale in May 1998.
Thursday's telecast nearly tripled the show's season-average 3.9 household rating.
These preliminary numbers measure Nielsen households in 56 U.S. markets. [AP]
President Barack Obama has apologized to the chairman of the Special Olympics for his late-night talk show quip equating his bowling skills to those of athletes with disabilities.
Appearing on "The Tonight Show" Thursday, the president told host Jay Leno he'd been practicing at the White House's bowling alley but wasn't happy with his score of 129. Then he remarked: "It was like the Special Olympics or something."
The audience laughed, but the White House quickly recognized the blunder. The Special Olympics, founded in 1968, is a global nonprofit organization serving 200 million individuals with intellectual disabilities.
On his way back to Washington on Air Force One, Obama called the chairman of the Special Olympics, Tim Shriver, to say he was sorry — even before the taped program aired late Thursday night.
"He expressed his disappointment and he apologized in a way that was very moving. He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population," Shriver said Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America." Obama, Shriver said, wants to have some Special Olympic athletes visit the White House to bowl or play basketball. [STAR TRIBUNE]
When late-night television features a sitting president, it's usually as material for a stand-up routine. But on Thursday, President Obama toppled another barrier when he tried to sell Jay Leno on his economic recovery plan.
Obama held his own with the comedian, countering Leno's thrusts about the executive bonuses at the American International Group by saying that "the only place where I think this might work is Hollywood."
"The Tonight Show" host asked Obama what he thought when his staff first advised him of the bonuses, many made to traders in the division that brought American International Group to ruin.
"'Stunned' is the word," Obama replied in a taped appearance. He said the payments raised moral and ethical problems -- and vowed again to try to recoup the cash for taxpayers.
"We're going to do everything we can to get these bonuses back," he said. [STAR TRIBUNE]
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