Duke Basketball Coach Has a Message For President Obama

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Barack-Otology

Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has a message for President Obama: Keep your day job. Following news Mr. Obama picked North Carolina to win the NCAA Championship, rival coach Krzyzewski responded, "Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets."

Mr. Obama shared his tournament picks and completed bracket with ESPN Tuesday. The First Fan threw a challenge to the North Carolina team saying: "For all the Tar Heels who are watching, I picked you last year — you let me down. This year don't embarrass me in front of the nation, all right?"

Let's Book It

Less than a week before he took office, President Obama secured a $500,000 advance for a children's book project. The Washington Times cites Senate disclosure forms that say the

president will sign off on his publisher's abridged version of his book "Dreams From My Father" for middle-school-aged children.

Analysts say it's unclear whether an incoming or sitting president has ever signed such a transaction before. A White House official says the project was in the works for months and is just like the dozens of foreign licenses that were issued for Mr. Obama's other books.

Putin on a Disguise?

White House official photographer Pete Souza says he captured a young Vladimir Putin dressed as a tourist during a visit to Moscow by then-President Ronald Reagan.

The 20-year-old photo shows Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev introducing President Reagan to tourists in Red Square. Sky News reports the man on the left is said to be KGB officer Putin posing as a tourist. Putin, of course, went on to be the Russian president and is now prime minister. The planting of KGB officers as bystanders was a common practice in Soviet times.

But a Russian political analyst dismisses Souza's claims, saying Putin was not important enough at the time to be brought to Moscow.

Senior Moment

Finally, one senior center patron in Massachusetts has a message for anyone trying to take her doughnuts away: Respect your elders.

The chairman of the town advisory board had said that spending money on doughnuts and pastries for the center's morning coffee club encouraged unhealthy eating habits.

But center regular Betty Bushee told a local newspaper no one has the right to tell seniors what to eat. And board member Lorna Fields says many seniors won't eat what she calls carrot sticks and stuff. So don't touch those doughnuts!

— FOX News Channel's Zachary Kenworthy contributed to this report.