Those of us watching the NCAA semifinals hoping to take a few hours away from the never-ending campaign and ever-present image of Barack Obama beamed into our living rooms should have known better.

Despite being totally unwilling to release any meaningful academic transcripts, Barack Obama is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Castro at Chavez. This man must insert himself into every aspect of the American life. No place is safe. From him, there is no escape. There he was with Matt Lauer before last year's Super Bowl, waxing poetic about Jessica Simpson. There he was at the All-Star game making darn sure the live cameras concealed as much as possible the fact that he throws like a girl. There he was again with Katie Couric before this year's Super Bowl. And now, at halftime of the Final Four, viewers had the option to watch Barack Obama shoot a game of POTUS (based on the game H-O-R-S-E) with CBS Sports analyst Clark Kellogg, a former All-American at Ohio State.

The scene was the White House outdoor basketball court, a court complete with two glass backboards, brand new Wilson basketballs emblazoned with the presidential seal (surprised it was not the ubiquitous O), etc. As Obama and Kellogg shot, Obama discussed his wife Michelle's health campaign, his generic and obviously staff-fed thoughts about this year's tourney, and various other inanities.

That is, when he wasn't talking trash, trying to look smooth and re-establish his "street cred." At one point after he missed a shot and it looked like Kellogg would blow him off the court, Obama said that he had "other things on his mind." Oh.

As a shooter with nobody guarding him, Obama managed to make a few shots. However, his shooting form is so awkward that it would make any purist retch. Guarding him would be a joy, his shot would be so easy to block. If only there were some constitutional conservatives and honest Democrats to do the same to his policy initiatives. Like everything else in his sorry life, Obama is given credit for being some sort of player when he is really average at best.

As it is with the health care debacle, his default position is that of the sore winner. Had Kellogg actually tried and beaten him, Barack Obama had already established his excuse - he's got a lot on his mind, you know. Kellogg obviously threw the game and even Obama had to admit as much, though as he put it, Clark didn't want to "embarrass his president." His president.

At any rate, it was another sorry performance, devoid of any of the humor or self-deprecating approach of Obama's predecessor. Oh, and the answer to the question is no. We will not be rid of this narcissist until he is rejected with impunity in 2012 and sent to the showers.

Matthew May welcomes comments at matthewtmay@yahoo.com