White House to "Lost" Fans: Don't Worry about State of the Union
"I don't foresee a scenario in which the millions of people who hope to see a conclusion to 'Lost' are pre-empted by the president," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said at his daily briefing.
"You can quote an administration official on that," he added cheekily.
The date on which Mr. Obama will deliver the annual address is not yet set in stone. Gibbs would only say that it would take place "soon."
The State of the Union is typically delivered in late January, and networks anticipated this year's speech would fall on Jan. 26. The date, however, appears to be in flux, and news that the president may deliver the speech on Feb. 2, the date of the "Lost" season premiere, set off a flurry of Internet protests.
There was speculation that the president wanted to ensure that congressional Democrats would finish their health care bill before he delivered his speech, but Gibbs said Mr. Obama was "not necessarily" waiting for that.
