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Obama Recites Valentine's Day Poem to First Lady on ‘Ellen'

Obama also discussed his daughters and took a selfie with DeGeneres

President Obama stopped by “The Ellen DeGeneres Show" where he recited a Valentine’s Day poem to his wife and reflected on what he will miss the most when he leaves the White House.

DeGeneres played a surprise video message to the president from First Lady Michelle Obama. The first couple will be spending Valentine's Day separately. The president will be playing golf in Rancho Mirage, California, before meeting with Southeast Asian leaders next week.

“Roses are red, violets are blue, you are the president, and I am your boo,” the First Lady said. "I wrote that while I was doing 100 pushups this morning." 

She told DeGeneres that she was the only person with whom she would share her husband on Cupid's day and then ordered the president to bring her back some chocolates from California.

Then it was the president's turn. “Somebody call the Situation Room because things are about to get hot,” Obama said after walking over to a floor strewn with rose petals and the show's band playing romantic background music. “Michelle, this Valentine’s Day, I’m going to treat you right,” he said. “I’m going to make you some zucchini bread. Then I'm going to spread out some veggies on a plate, just the way you like them. Then I'm going to give you a massage while you watch 'Ellen's Design Challenge' on HGTV?"

Obama, who last appeared on "Ellen" when he was a long-shot candidate for presidency in October 2007, became nostalgic while discussing his seven years in office. He said he would miss the luxury of Air Force One and the many services – like a barber – that are part of living at the White House.

When DeGeneres asked him if he would go back to flying on commercial airlines, he replied a definitive "No.”

“I don’t miss flying commercial,” the president said. “Taking your shoes off, and all that.”

Obama said that once his second term is up, he looks forward to just going for a walk on a nice day and maybe even driving a convertible, provided the Secret Service gives him the green light.

“Maybe they can tail me,” he said. “That’s my hope.”

Asked whether he misses campaigning, Obama said, "I don’t miss it. "It’s always good to get out of Washington, which can sometimes be a little depressing."

DeGeneres also asked the president whether he was ready for his older daughter, Malia, a high-school senior, to go off to college next fall. 

"Malia is more than ready to leave, but I’m not ready for her to leave," the president said. "I was asked if I would speak at her graduation and I said, absolutely not because I’m gonna be sitting there with dark glasses sobbing. Yeah she’s one of my best friends. It’s gonna be hard for me not to have her around all the time. But she’s ready to go. You can tell. She’s just a really smart, capable person. She’s ready to make her own way."

DeGeneres cemented Obama's visit to her show on Thursday with a selfie, captioned, "Selfie with the Chief @BarackObama." The taped show airs on Friday, Feb. 12. 

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Selfie with the Chief. @BarackObama

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