'Depressing News'

President Barack Obama solemnly walks through the Cross Hall on his way to the East Room to address reporters in his first national press conference since entering the White House.

The news is not good. 600,000 jobs lost just in the last month. Home foreclosures on the rise, companies folding, banks not lending, worries of inflation in perhaps the most serious economic threat to our financial system since the Great Depression.

Obama addresses the media, answering questions about why he believes we need his stimulus package, amidst bitter partisan fighting in the House and Senate.

Were that not enough, questions spring up asking about the global threat of terrorism, and opening relations with Iran and its potential desire to acquire a nuclear weapon and wreak havoc on the Middle East.

And then, Obama gets ready for the most important concern facing the nation.

The room grows silent, as the nation waits to hear from our Commander-in-Chief on the issue that keeps us up at night.

In perhaps the epitome of the most surreal pop/political moment, where celebrity culture and sport become fused with our great national concern about the fate of our country's basic economic system, we are left to wonder.

The concern isn't about the continuing housing crisis or nuclear containment, but with the most critical item on the agenda, of course: A-Rod.

No one seems taken back by the odd question, or even seems to think it is out of place. Had he asked whether Mr. Obama preferred McDreamy or McSteamy on Grey's Anatomy, surely the room would have shunned and rebuked him for wasting the nation's precious time.

Concern over the growing lines at the unemployment office?

Well, there are certainly more pressing needs to address.

Yet, I like everyone else, read the article about Alex Rodriguez admitting to using steroids first thing first immediately after I got home, and there is a good chance I will check ESPN out before clicking over to the news.

His story just rips at the heart strings...

Perhaps it is just entertainment at its best - providing us with some much needed distraction during otherwise dismal times.

So, if you're concerned about not being able to pay off next month's rent, or about the country's mounting federal debt to foreign countries, stop fretting about such silly stuff, and fear ye not, the nation's more urgent business is being attended to.