Obama Ribs Holder Over Basketball Skills

At the installation ceremony this morning for Attorney General Eric Holder, President Obama lavished praise on his choice, but also poked some good-natured fun at him. The president said Holder never hesitates to take on members of his own party, including those to whom he owed his job.

"In fact," said Mr. Obama, "several months ago, Eric even had the audacity to comment to a reporter on my basketball skills. He said - and I quote - here’s what he said. He said, “I’m not sure he’s ready for my New York game. We will see about that, Mr. Attorney General.”

The audience roared with laughter at the swipe.

After taking the oath of office, Holder interrupted his own remarks to respond.

"Let me just depart here and say that he’s never gonna see my New York game,” he said. “He’s got ten years on me. He works out. I’m the coach of the team in which he will be playing and nothing more than that. (laughter). But had I been ten years younger ....."

He didn't finish that sentence - again to roars of laughter from the audience.

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Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here.