McCartney Concert at White House: Good to Have a President That Knows What a Library Is

In any case, Paul McCartney played at the White House last night, and what with the oil gusher non-management, economy on the brink of ruin and getting worse by the day, debt continuing to mount, states going to economic war with one another, terror attacks dramatically rising and emboldened tin pot dictators spouting off, it was the perfect time to talk about how stupid George W. Bush is:

They shouldn’t cut a note from McCartney’s closing suite. “I hope the president will forgive me if I sing this song,” he quipped after Obama presented him with the Gershwin, and began crooning “Michelle.” During the I-love-you-I-love-you-I-lovvvve-you, the president leaned over to sing into the first lady’s ear.

When it was over, McCartney joked under his breath, “I’m gonna be the first guy to get punched out by a president.”

Then, “Eleanor Rigby,” “Let It Be” and “Hey Jude” — followed by what felt like endless applause.

A sweet moment, but McCartney topped it off with a bite. After thanking the Library of Congress one last time, he let it rip: “After the last eight years, it’s good to have a president that knows what a library is.”
I’d rather have a president who knows what a terrorist is and seems actively aware that the friggin’ Gulf of Mexico is about to be 10W-30 for the next decade, but hey, that’s just me. If you’re more comfortable with the genius who thinks there are 58 states, tried to enter the White House through a window and can’t go to the john without a teleprompter, that’s your right, Sir Paul.

Here’s Obama’s introduction of McCartney, where he justified having a soirée right now because music “gets us through the tough times.” Unless Sir Paul’s bass guitar can be used to plug the leak, I beg to differ:

As mentioned here, conspicuously absent from McCartney’s setlist were the tunes Taxman and Back in the USSR — and if anything, those should have been the encores.

As of this morning, Robert Gibbs has neither confirmed nor denied that Paul McCartney was ever contacted and offered a gig at the White House.