Andy Counts Everything

(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

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You probably didn't know this, but I have a nervous habit of counting everything. I count small things. For example, I count stairs when I go up or come down them.

Because I've been counting, I know that this is President Barack Obama's 104th day in office. I'm glad no one is reminding me how many days I've spent in this office.

A lot of words, like "office", have two meanings of course. The actual office itself in The White House must be pretty much the way President Obama wants it by now - not the way Ford or Carter or Eisenhower or anybody else wanted it - even though it's the same place.

President Obama uses the same desk that President Kennedy used. I made this desk myself from a great piece of walnut that I got off my own property. This is something I made to keep my pencils in. It isn't much but I like it because I made it. It's one of my small things. I'll bet every president has some small things on his desk that are his and his alone too. You know, I mean something other than mistakes.

The president's office in The White House was redesigned after they had a fire in 1929. Franklin D. Roosevelt had it done over in 1933.

I wonder if the president wakes up in the morning these days and thinks about doing The White House over or if he ever thinks about how many days he has left there in it. He has so many problems. He must often think to himself "Jeez how much longer do I have to do this anyway?"

It's pretty good being president of course - he doesn't have to get his own breakfast for instance - but being president is hard.

Obama has chosen the Cabinet that helps him of course and it's between 15 and 23 members, depending on who you count as a cabinet member. I was thinking maybe he should add one more cabinet member - a member who does nothing but save government money by cutting out things we don't need.

He'd be called the Secretary of Savings, or SOS for short.

60 Minutes, by the way, is an expensive program but it is not a government program. It's a program we need, or it's a program I need anyway.



Written by Andy Rooney

[dohgonuniversity]

We just sent this email to the White House & wanted to CC Andy, 60 minutes & its followers...

Dear First Lady,

COUNTING really means something, particularly for our aging parents. We wish to bring to your awareness the Science behind COUNTING. Please visit this page, http://www.dohgonuniversity.com/Alzheimer_s_Code_8.html,
and you will understand exactly what the Science represents.

Isn't it interesting that Any Rooney of "60 Minutes" emphasizes his addiction to COUNTING?http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/01/60minutes/rooney/main4983271.shtml
We've also cc'd him this letter.

We joyfully welcome any and all questions you might have.
Thank you for your interest and precious time.

[rushlimpdrug]

Oh, did Andy say something?

[mysticorca]

...Posted by PanacheEagle

Kennedy was the first President to use the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. Nothing sinister about that.

[Lynn_clm]

Hey Andy, it's me again. I know I said 2020 (watch that too) but I meant 60 Minutes.
few wines....

Keep up the great work!

[bang65]

Talking about Presidential desks, which all had stuff on them, I missed seeing stuff "usually" found on your desk. but you do have a nice one. Your wooden pens holder, neat stuff.

[PanacheEagle]

For some reason, Mr. Rooney did not mention that the Resolute Desk, as the desk the president is using, was used by Presidents Bush 41 and 43, Clinton, Reagan, and more. Instead, he chose to note that President Kennedy used it. Why? Was he trying to emphasize something, and if so, why?

[deep_throat]

Andy is starting to sound more and more like Grandpa Abe from The Simpsons. Andy starts by telling us about his OCD, moves on to presidential desks and ends up urging Obama to hire someone to help cut spending. Just like the following gem from Grandpa Simpson:

"We can?t bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell 'em stories that don?t go anywhere?like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. 'Give me five bees for a quarter,' you?d say.

"Now where were we? Oh yeah?the important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn?t have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones..."