He was being interviewed by Matt Lauer on NBC’s morning show and in one answer addressed his host as “Tim.” Lauer was nice about it. He said something to the effect that “I know you’ve have a busy weekend, Senator, and so have I, but I’m not Tim, I’m Matt Lauer.”

That’s when the blush came. I’m just sure it was a rosy blush through that coffee with cream complexion of Obama’s. He apologized and Matt was nice enough at the end to say if he had to be mistaken for any other journalist, he was honored for it to have been Tim Russert, on whose “Meet the Press” show Obama appeared the previous day.

By why don’t Barack’s handlers prepare him for moments like this? He needs hardening up, basic training, as it were, cold showers to prepare him for occasions when he has what we seasoned citizens kiss off as a senior moment.

Let me offer some suggestions.

He should learn to sit through the entire commercial for Extenze without itching to take a gun to the TV, from the first smirky gent who says “male enhancement” to the bunch of men at the end who flash big smiles as each says “BIGGER” while some equally beaming chick hangs onto their arm like a leech in a fresh water lake.

He should be able to listen to a recording of Howard Dean’s scream until it no longer causes him to break out in shingles.

He should take the math portion of WASL. Not necessarily pass it, just take it.

He should be forced to watch a women’s golf tournament on TV from start to finish.

He should not turn down the sound when TV huckster Billy Mays shrieks those commercials for super nails and mop up towels at the top of his lungs and Robert Wagner smooth talks the old folks on reverse mortgages.

He should have to sit through a news conference with Larry King questioning Barbara Walters or vice versa, without throwing up or becoming comatose.

He should memorize the names of all the Kennedys in public office and research their records to specify anything they have done to benefit the public to explain while they are living off the public payroll while their inherited dough earns interest.

He should try to find out the names of all Rush Limbaugh’s wives and what became of them.

He should have the guts to tell his own wife that she isn’t the one we may elect, but he won’t be either if she encores her performance as one who appears to have been listening to the Rev. Wright’s hate America ranting when her husband says he wasn’t.

He should be prepared to debate why neither Bill nor Hillary belongs on the U.S. Supreme Court.

He should be prepared to debate why Judge Judy belongs on the U.S. Supreme Court.

He should announce that his first act as president will be to deal with the population explosion by the method proposed by onetime presidential candidate Pat Paulsen. Towers will be built so far apart all over the land and manned full time by attendants who periodically will holler, “Cut that out down there!”

If none of this hardens up Barack so he doesn’t blush in the future, nothing will.

(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville WA 98340.)