Obama: 'First Dad' Father's Day special

by Mark Silva

In the realm of presidential interviews, the one promised on Sunday, Father's Day - "Barack Obama, an American Dad'' - has the potential to outdo even Brian Williams' recent fawning look at the first family inside the White House.

Harry Smith of CBS News will conduct this one, interviewing the president on Friday at the White House and presenting his work Sunday morning in the 9 to 10:30 am slot.

The interview will air in two parts, starting with the "American Dad'' look at the president and father of two young girls. It will examine Obama's "role as First Dad.''

Monday morning's sequel, airing on The Early Show in the 7 to 9:30 am slot, promises a harder edge:Talking about the financial system, healthcare and other issues.

Smith will have to go some way, however, to outdo the cheeseburger run that NBC News' Brian Williams made with Obama in his network's Inside the Obama White House, which revealed that the West Wing runs on m&m's and other candy.

Williams also got Obama to say a few promotional words for late-night Conan O'Brien's debut in his own new slot replacing Jay Leno. Perhaps Smith can get the president to comment on David Letterman's dustup with Republican Sarah Palin, which the late-night comic still is milking with "Fire David Letterman'' routines.