Presidential seal falls off podium as Obama speaks

[October 06, 2010]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- The presidential seal fell off President Barack Obama's lectern and clattered to the stage as he delivered a speech to a women's conference.

"That's all right, all of you know who I am," the president joked to laughter from the audience when he realized what had happened.

"But I'm sure there's somebody back there that's really nervous right now, don't you think?" the president added, referring to whatever staffer had hung the seal on the front of his lectern so precariously.

"They're sweating bullets," he said, laughing. "Where were we?" he then said, and returned to his remarks.

It happened about halfway through the president's speech to Fortune magazine's "Most Powerful Women Summit" Tuesday night at Carnegie Mellon Auditorium.

[Associated Press]

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