Did President Barack Obama make a rude joke about his wife Michelle and oral sex at a Beverly Hills fundraiser for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Leadership Council?
Talking to some 600 supporters at the event on Wednesday night, Obama referred to Ellen DeGeneres, the stand-up comedian and television host and a lesbian.
'I want to thank my wonderful friend who accepts a little bit of teasing about Michelle beating her in push-ups but I think she claims Michelle didn't go all the way down,' he said. The crowd erupted into what the Los Angeles Times described as 'bawdy laughter'.
Double entendre: President Barack Obama made the
joke, which inspired cackles from his audience, during a fundraiser in
Los Angeles on Wednesday
It remained unclear, however, whether Obama uttered a deliberate double entendre about his wife having oral sex with a lesbian or whether he simply stumbled into using a phrase that was misinterpreted.
The LA Times plumped for the latter interpretation, reporting that 'the president seemed briefly caught off-stride when the audience interpreted as off-colour a joke he made about a push-up competition between DeGeneres and his wife, initiated by the talk show host in February'.
After the bawdy laughter, the newspaper continued: 'Obama kept a straight face. "That's what I heard," he added. "I just want to set the record straight. Michelle outdoes me in push-ups as well. You shouldn't feel bad."'
Off-script: President Obama was referring to his
wife's push-up contest with Ellen DeGeneres in February
Angry? It's unknown how the First Lady, pictured
at a rally in Philadelphia today, responded to her husband's remark
'I hope @MichelleObama yells at @BarackObama tonight. Or at least withholds pushups,' twteeted Meredith Shiner, a reporter for Roll Call.
Obama was very much amongst friends at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel event, part of a two-day fundraising swing through California and Nevada during which he is expected to raise more than $15 million for his re-election bid.
At a similar event in New York this year he was heckled by people shouting: 'Marriage!' After recently coming out in favour of gay marriage, however, this time he was greeted with chants of: 'Four more years!'
DeGeneres, whose decision to come out of the closet in 1997 prompted headlines and predictions that her career was over, introduced Obama at what was a who's who of gay Hollywood and those whose work had taken gay themes into the mainstream.
Max Mutchnik, creator of 'Will and Grace' was a co-host. Lance Black, Oscar-winning screenwriter of 'Milk' and the singer Cher attended.
Obama spoke for 30 minutes and highlighted measures that have been applauded by the gay lobby, including his repeal of the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' rule banning open homosexuality.
He equated gay rights with civil rights struggles for equality of treatment based on sex and race, stating that his achievements had been part of 'this constant progression to include more and more people in the possibility of the America dream'.
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