Nearly a year after publication (and just in time for this summer’s paperback debut!) OBD appears to have made it to Washington. Thanks to OGC, the eagle-eyed reader who forwarded this passage from President Obama’s recent commencement address at Arizona State University:

“We’ve become accustomed to our economic dominance in the world, forgetting that it wasn’t reckless deals and get-rich-quick schemes that got us there; but hard work and smart ideas - quality products and wise investments. So we started taking shortcuts. We started living on credit, instead of building up savings. We saw businesses focus more on rebranding and repackaging than innovating and developing new ideas and products that improve our lives.”

Now, if only the press would snap a shot of Obama with a copy of the book. That would make for some high-profile product placement…

This just in! Morning news anchors across the country lose their last shred of dignity.

Yes, in search of a little extra cash to ballast the “lighter side of the news,” network affiliates around the US have been participating in a McDonald’s product placement campaign, tactfully situating cups of McDonald’s coffee in front of their morning news anchors. Spotted first by the Las Vegas Sun at local Fox affiliate KVVU, a McDonald’s spokeperson claims the product placement campaign also reaches morning news programs in Seattle (KCPQ), Chicago (WFLD), and New York (Univision 41). Get this: According to the Sun, it’s not even real coffee!

The story has a number of other good McNuggets - including an anxious quote from the marketing team about “pull[ing] our product off set” if any bad news about McDonalds came up. The best gem comes direct from the news director at the Vegas station: “There was a healthy dose of skepticism [about the product placement campaign] and I’m pleased there was,” said Adam P. Bradshaw, of KVVU. “It means they’re being journalists.” Sorry, Bradshaw. If they were journalists before, they sure aren’t now.

In related news, while you’ll have to get off your duff to grab a cup of McDonald’s coffee, TiVo and Amazon are moving forward on a deal that will allow you to buy the stuff you see on TV right from your couch with a click of your remote. And never fear, should you take a detour from your favorite sitcom to buy the products discretely featured there (coming to you at a rate of five per minute in some cases) TiVo will record the product placements you miss during the purchase process.