What in the world is this country coming to when people make a huge fuss over Obama calling a female reporter, “sweetie...” It isn’t like he cupped his hands around her face and called her “sweetie” and then smooched her, he merely said, “Hang on a minute, sweetie, I’ll be right with you...” or something to that effect.

Now, I can understand a little furor over something like, “Hang on a minute, b-word, I’ll be right with you,” or “little skank,” or “missy”...leave it to our media to blow something so ridiculously small out of proportion. I mean, I can see making a big deal out of it when someone like Montel Williams threatens to blow up some young reporter’s house, but not when a female reporter is called “sweetie.” I bet she seldom gets called that, anyway. I will allow him the fact that he was probably tired, not thinking clearly, and don’t you know that is what he says to the women in his house anyway? It’s a natural reaction. I say it to people all the time. For instance:

The boy at the checkout stand: “Thanks sweetie, have a good one!”

I’m sure he’d rather hear that than, “Dang boy! That’s one big hummin’ zit you got on your face!”

The gal at the pharmacy: “Hey sweetie, thanks for your help!” instead of “You might wanna rub some of that fungicide up in your armpits...whooo!”

In addressing my mother in-law: “Hey sweetie, could you not back the car up over my foot?” rather than, “I know you can’t hear me because your hearing aid is turned off, but one more little incident like running over my foot and I’ll have you committed.”

In speaking to Hubs: “Hey sweetie, what’s the colander doing hanging from the tree outside?” instead of “Get this @@*$)* stuff outta my garage!”

Sunnybuns: “Sweetie, get yer butt in the tub or I’m gonna paddle ya!”

I sugarcoat everything for him anyway ... most of the time.

How about inadvertently picking up a call from Drunk Unk: “Sorry sweetie, you got the wrong number.” instead of blowing a police whistle into the phone. Think he’d get the message? Thank the Lord for caller ID. But the whistle is sittin’ by the phone, just in case.

See? It’s just an easy knee-jerk kind of reaction ... “sweetie.”

He didn’t call her “babe.” He didn’t call her “little mama.” He didn’t call her “a poker-faced buck-toothed slanteyed fool” (remember Aunt Esther calling Fred Sanford that kind of stuff?).

And you know, its interesting that Obama chose that word to use, actually, because he does not seem like the type of person who normally goes around saying that. I wouldn’t call him sweetie for nuthin, because he just doesn’t have the “sweetie” type personality. G.W. does, but not Obama. Nor Hillary. She is definitely not a “sweetie” type. I doubt she’s ever used that word in her life, except on the very rare occasion to her daughter, Chelsea. And granted, Chelsea does seem to be a bit of a “sweetie.” She’s got gobs more personality than those two knuckleheads she’s got for parents, anyway.

People are just way too over the top when it comes to that kind of thing. I mean, a lot of what is said or done in this country is not mean-spirited, it’s done in fun. The guy in Marietta, who owns the pub? He has those Curious George T-shirts with some Obama reference on them? It’s funny, for heavens’ sake!

It’s just sad when you can’t poke fun at anyone without people climbing all over the place and spittin’ nails about it ... where did we lose our sense of humor?

It’s the little courtesies and niceties that have made our country so famous. We’re forever puttin’ on the dawg for strangers and foreigners, but somebody makes an off the cuff statement and we wanna throw ‘em in the dungeon and stuff a sock in their mouth!

Why was Mike Huckabee blasted for making the comment about Obama tripping over a chair and getting down to the floor because someone was pointing a gun at him? Gosh, I thought that was pretty funny!

If Obama had reached out and grabbed that reporter’s bosom while calling her sweetie, well, then we’d really have something to talk about!

We’ve got about six more months of politickin’ to go before it’s all over, and honey, the hash is gonna get slung.

I’m just waitin’ for Bill Clinton to get caught whisperin’ “sweetie” to Cindy McCain.

All I know is, he’d better duck fast ‘cause if her mean left hook doesn’t clock him, Big Daddy John’s will.

“Let’s get ready to ruuummmmbllllle!”