A "Jackass," Not a Donkey

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

President Obama called Kanye West a "jackass" for seizing the microphone during the MTV Video Music Awards, but is it a big surprise?

His off-the-record remarks made during a CNBC interview, reported by ABC News' Terry Moran on a Twitter feed, weren't necessarily out of sync with Obama's view of rap and hip hop.

Obama has embraced artists like Jay Z and DMC, particularly during the campaign, but he's also been publicly wary of how such musical talents become role models. As recently as last week, he warned students that the pursuit of such fame shouldn't be the be all and end all. "I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality-TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things," he told students last week in his back-to-school speech.

West, who apologized on the debut of "The Jay Leno Show" last night, has been an Obama supporter, having performed at one of his inaugural events.

In his Twitter feed, which was later deleted, Moran wrote, "Pres. Obama just called Kanye West a 'jackass' for his outburst at VMAs when Taylor Swift won. Now THAT'S presidential." (ABC News later apologized for the posting, given its off the record nature). It may not be presidential form, but it reflects what many people have been thinking, and surely that can't hurt.

U2 at G20: Rumors are circulating that U2 will perform at the G-20 economic summit next week in Pittsburgh.