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11-Year-Old Finally Snags His Obama Interview

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 14, 2009 8:42 AM CDT

(Newser) – Damon Weaver, not yet out of elementary school, made his name on the Internet when he interviewed Joe Biden during the 2008 campaign for his school's TV station. Yesterday, the grizzled journalistic veteran bagged his biggest sit-down yet following 8 months of requests—a 10-minute grilling of Barack Obama at the White House. Damon skillfully asked about education policy, school lunches, and the president's basketball skills, reports CBS.

When Obama ducked a question on education reform with a wait-and-see response, Damon pushed back, asking how schools can be improved while budgets are being slashed, and got a fuller answer. Obama also told him he wants "french fries, pizza, tater tots" out of school cafeterias—and Damon proposed mangoes instead. The reporter wound up his interview outside the White House, where he declared that the president was "very tall and nice."

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Damon Weaver of Pahokee, Fla., in a file photo from January. (AP Photo/ Lynne Sladky)

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Student reporter Damon Weaver was invited to come to the White House to talk about education with President Obama. (YouTube)

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