Obama's Odd Phone Call

President Obama held a conference call with Jewish rabbis today on health care reform, essentially asking for their help.

There were a couple of odd parts to the call.

First of all, at the end of the call, he wished the rabbis "shanah tovah," or happy new year.

The problem? The Jewish new year begins Sept. 18. It is, said Tevi Troy, a visiting senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, like wishing someone Merry Christmas on Thanksgiving.

But the oddest part of Obama's remarks came when he told the rabbis that "we are God's partners in life and death."

You'd think he'd want to avoid that kind of language after all the talk of "death panels" and "end of life counseling sessions" for senior citizens.