We can only imagine what would have happened of Bush or some other Republican had said this.

Michelle Malkin:

After a brief meeting with Republicans this morning concerning the sequester, President Obama reminded reporters of three things: 1) He's not a dictator; 2) The cuts are the fault of congressional Republicans; and 3) He shouldn't have to use his mad Jedi mind-meld skills to get his way:

Asked Friday by CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin why he can't simply lock congressional leaders in a room until they reach a deficit-reduction agreement, President Obama said he can't "force Congress to do the right thing."

"Jessica, I am not a dictator, I'm the president," he said while speaking to reporters in the White House Press Briefing Room. "Ultimately, if Mitch McConnell or John Boehner say we need to go to catch a plane, I can't have Secret Service block the doorway."

"I know that this has been some of the conventional wisdom that's been floating around Washington, and that somehow - even though most people agree that I'm being reasonable, that most people agree I'm presenting a fair deal - the fact that they don't take it means that somehow I should do a Jedi mind-meld with these folks and convince them to do what's right," he added.

Obama didn't mention that the reason he can't fix this with Jedi tricks is that the power of The Force has been cut by a third due to the sequester - that and Biden had all the lightsabers converted into shotguns.

Buzzfeed tells the story using some humorous pictures.

"I am not a dictator" is eerily Nixonian. And note that Obama couldn't resist telling another lie about his opponents; Boehner and McConnell did not have to leave the meeting to catch a plane.

For true fans of both Star Wars and Star Trek, here's the Tweet of the day:

"Mr. Scott, beam or beam not, there is no try" #JediMindMeld