Barack Obama fields a direct question in this video interview on Meet the Press regarding the smoking habit he pledged to give up when he ran for President. Obama initially says that he has quit, but then begins to backpedal. The Believability Meter doubts Obama's claims that he has fallen off the wagon "occasionally," and then shows red again when Obama says he is "much healthier, " and that there won't be any violations of the no smoking policy in the White House.

Though his nicotine use has long been an open secret, it seemed the public fascination with Barack Obama during the campaign rarely touched on this subject. Why do you think the media is bothering to bring it up now?