What a dumbass. Florida must be proud.

This is a case where it's probably best to risk embarrassment by playing along for a few minutes until it becomes obvious that you're being pranked.

Although it might have been better for Obama's office to reach out to her congressional office and have them forward the call.

Screamin' Demon, maybe she didn't want to get pranked like Sarah Palin did.

Shouldn't Republican immigrants like this who can't use English better be barred from office? Shouldn't they be send back to Cuba?

I understand not wanting to get pranked, but how does that explain the misspellings in her official statement? If you had already embarrassed yourself, wouldn't you want to be extra-certain that you had names spelled properly? Of course, I'm assuming capability to suffer embarrassment....

This lady is not stupid - She does know how to spell Batista.

Shouldn't Republican immigrants like this who can't use English better be barred from office? Shouldn't they be send back to Cuba?

Is there anything more sublime than a poorly-written demand that other people use proper English?

Screamin' Demon, maybe she didn't want to get pranked like Sarah Palin did.

Yeah, but if she can't even spell the name of a man who's dominated the news for more than a year, and was recently elected to the highest office in the land...

...she's a dumbass. The citizens of Florida must be so proud. Or embarrassed.

I'd be mortified. But that's just me. I have no tolerance for such blatant dumbfuckery

I think the real story here is that Obama is taking the time to reach out personally to unimportant members of the minority party. What are the odds that GWB ever displayed such graciousness?

Ah, I remember this woman. She is one of those rabid anti-Castro maniac expatriates of Cuba. Lot of those in South Florida. Some of it is an understandable reaction to a tough situation, but the problem is it warps their whole psyche.

When this is the level of intelligence displayed by those commanding the attention of Obama, Emanuel, and Clinton, it fills me with unadulterated, ominous dread.

We're doomed.

Honestly, what is it about Florida?

Is there some way for the Cubans in Florida to just get over it. let me repeat this for them .We're not going to overthrow Cuba's govt so you can go back there and set up a mafia backed govt again. I know I know this doesn't have much connection to this comment by Benen but Ros-Lehtinen is of Cuban descent and this has been sticking in my craw for a while.

Doesn't she have caller I.D.? Hanging up is tacky. Misspelling names is equally boorish and shows you don't know how to use the internet.

I agree with JDR. No doubt the Congresswoman was stunned by the very idea that Obama would call her. The last 20 years of hopeless partisanship has rendered many in Washington unfamiliar with the very notion that an incoming President might communicate with a member of the opposing party.

What really concerns me is that she has been in Congress for a long time. Rahm Emanuel has been a Congressional leader for much of that time. Apparently she didn't recognize his voice. What does that say about Republican Congressional isolation.

This call is probably just one of many Obama is making to Republicans. The very notion that Obama is making himself available to Republican backbenchers has to be giving the Republican Congressional leadership fits.

Well sorry, but I think we're pointing a finger at the wrong culprit here. Radio personalities shouldn't be allowed to make prank phone calls, which BTW are illegal (just read the first page or so of your phone book -- harrassing calls are not allowed).

I hate that woman with the white-hot intensity of a thousand imploding stars.

Sorry.
Continue.

Much ado about nothing. First of all, the lady was probably justifiably surprised to be receiving a call from Obama and her first reaction was obviously to figure that this was a prank call a la Sarah Palin. As for the second call, bear in mind that the callers who pranked Sarah Palin operated in tandem. Although I hold her political views in very low regard, I'll give her the benefit of a doubt. Anyway, the silver lining is that it provided the media with a little something to demonstrate that Obama is reaching out to the other side and that he's not a pompous a**hole, and in fact has a good sense of humor. give the poor girl a break--she's a republican from south Florida--might not be the brightest bulb on the tree.

Put him on caller ID.

I'm not going to make much out of this, and instead give Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen the benefit of the doubt. At least she acknowledged both her own folly and Obama's graciousness in understanding what happened. It's a good story for a laugh, and not much else.

Frankly, whenever I receive a call on my cell phone from an unfamiliar number, I automatically reject that call and send it directly to my voice mail. If it's important, then the party placing the call will leave a message and return number. If it's not, then who cares?

I wonder what would have happened to a representative who treated George W. that way. Banned from any meaningful discussion on policy and then the RNC spends $10 million or more to defeat them 2 years down the road?

I for one am delighted -- one of my favorite movie scenes come to life:

Sydney Ellen Wade: Hello?
President Andrew Shepherd: Yeah, hi, is this Sydney?
Sydney Ellen Wade: Leo?
President Andrew Shepherd: No, this is Andrew Shepherd.
Sydney Ellen Wade: Oh! It's Andrew Shepherd! Yeah, you're hilarious, Richard, you're just a regular riot!
President Andrew Shepherd: No, this isn't Richard, this is Andrew Shepherd.
Sydney Ellen Wade: Oh! Well, I'm so glad you called, because I forgot to tell you today what a nice ass you have. I'm also impressed that you were able to get my phone number given the fact that I don't have a phone. Good night, Richard.
President Andrew Shepherd: Uh, this isn't Richard-
[Sydney hangs up]
President Andrew Shepherd: This used to be easier.

I hope they can get Annette Benning for the movie. I doubt that Michael Douglas can do Obama, but who knows?