Someone needs to remind Barack Obama that he’s the President of the United States. Republican leadership demanded there be no podium at the useless “bipartisan” discussion of health care Thursday, and the president agreed, saying he was simply grateful the Republicans were coming. After much discussion over the shape of the table (no, seriously), the parties came to an agreement of a series of desks arranged in a rectangle. The GOP will simply not accept this man as president and will go to any lengths to discredit, disavow or obstruct Barack Obama, including this nonsense with the desks. Republican leader Mitch McConnel actually had the gall to chastise the president for a perceived inequity in how much time the Republicans had as compared to the Democrats. To which Obama replied, "You're right, there was an imbalance on the opening statements because I'm the president. I didn't count my time in terms of dividing it equally."

And, yes, he is. He’s supposed to be seated at the head of any table, at the front of any room. He’s not just anther Democrat in the room. Not some guy who lives down the block. He’s not just another politician. He’s the president. I can’t imagine George W. Bush acceding to such a ridiculous demand. Bush simply wouldn’t show up and he’d blame the Democrats for their idiocy over who sits where. Bush was the president. He wasn’t very good at it, but he was the president. In any room he was in, he was the president. I’m not sure who I’m more annoyed with, the Republicans for making such a stupid deal out of where Obama sits, or the president himself for, with all due respect, demeaning the office of the president by allowing these men to treat him like, or even make him seem like, just some guy from down the block. Mr. President, you knew this was a waste of time before you went there.