05 February,2009 11:52 AM IST | | Agencies
US President Barack Obama is keeping his promise to not smoke in the White House though he described it as a "hard" decision.
"No, I haven't had one on these grounds. And I -- you know, sometimes it's hard, but, you know, I'm sticking to it," Obama said in an interview to a news channel. The President stated this when he was asked if he had smoked a cigarette since he entered the White House. However, Obama wasn't asked if he had smoked outside the White House compound since he was sworn in on January 20 as the first black-American president.
Obama has been described as a "moderate" smoker who puffs up to ten cigarettes a day. During the Presidential election campaign, he was under pressure to set an example by giving up his two-decade-old habit.
The White House's no-smoking rule was imposed by former First Lady Hillary Clinton.
When asked to comment on the "coolest thing" about his new presidential limousine, Obama said, "You know, I thought it was the phones until I realised that I didn't know which button to press. That was a little embarrassing."
Obama's all-new Cadillac Presidential Limousine is nicknamed the Beast. It reportedly has armour eight inches thick, tear-gas cannons and Kevlar-reinforced tyres that resist attack. For security reasons, most of the details of the car remain confidential.u00a0
