President Obama Names Mark Buerhle Health Care Reform "Pitchman" (Humor)

While calling to congratulate Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buerhle on his perfect game, President Barack Obama also selected him to help "pitch" the health care reform bill that has met resistance in both the House and the Senate.

Obama, an avid White Sox fan, praised Buerhle's perfect game "an unbelievable achievement" and "something that everyone will always remember."

Such a feat has been done only 16 times in the Major League's modern era began.

Obama noted that recording 27 consecutive outs "is even harder than trying to get this bill passed by the August recess, despite the efforts of Republicans and blue-dog Democrats to knock it out of the ballpark of possibility."

"And I know how hard it is just to get the ball to the plate," he added. "So if anyone has been through difficulty and can assist me, it's him."

Asked about whether or not he can fully comprehend the financial complexities of overhauling the nation's health care system, Buerhle answered:

"I have no doubt that I could cut health care costs and waste like I cut my fastball today."

Some critics have raised doubts as to whether or not Buerhle has the leadership qualities and charisma to demand bipartisan cooperation on the bill.

"I am fully confident that he can command the two parties together just like he commands that wicked change-up of his," Obama responded. 

Obama was also questioned about an earlier quest for a perfect game by San Francisco's Jonathan Sanchez, which was lost following an eighth-inning error by Juan Uribe.

"I don’t know—not having been there and not seeing all the facts," he answered.

"But I think it’s fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry if that was our team's perfect game lost; number two that the third-baseman acted stupidly in his attempt to ground the ball."