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Hip to prank calls, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen hangs up on Barack Obama twice.

Good for her! You can't just call people and say you're Barack Obama, even if you're Barack Obama.

It was only a few weeks ago that everyone was laughing at Sarah Palin for talking to a Nicholas Sarkozy impersonator -- and here's that Slate "Explainer" piece -- a propos of the Palin humiliation -- explaining how world leaders actually make phone calls. It's some sort of my-people-call-your-people dance -- but what's to stop pranksters from learning the steps?

After Ros-Lehtinen's first hang up, Rahm Emanuel called and said:

"Ileana, I cannot believe you hung up on the President-Elect," Emanuel said.

She hung up. Good! I approve. Emanuel sounded like a jackass -- like a prankster.

A short time later, Ros-Lehtinen received an urgent call from Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who informed her that she indeed hung up on Obama.

So, Obama tried again and this time he was successful. (Phew!)

"It is very funny that you have twice hung up on me," Obama said. Ros Lehtinen responded by telling Obama that radio stations in South Florida always make these sorts of jokes. Obama said similar pranksters reside in Chi-town.

"You are either very gracious to reach out in such a bipartisan manner or had run out of folks to call if you are truly calling me and Saturday Night Live could use a good Obama impersonator like you," Ros-Lehtinen joked with the president-elect.

Joked? Or was she still trying to ensure that she would not suffer a Palinesque public humiliation.

Full post as published by Althouse on December 04, 2008 (boomark / email).