Obama has thought about leaving White House in disguise

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BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — President Barack Obama says he's considered going out in disguise, but hasn't acted on the impulse.

A Broadway producer friend once sent Obama a fake mustache, but he had second thoughts about wearing it. He said he realized doing that would probably be a bad idea and that the Secret Service agents who protect him readily agreed.

Obama made the revelation on Friday's broadcast of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." He taped the appearance Thursday while fundraising in California.

"I thought this is probably a bad idea," Obama said. "I'd have to pin my ears back."

When DeGeneres told the president he's too recognizable to try to hide behind a mustache, Obama said: "That's a problem."

Obama also talked about how hard it will be to send daughter Malia off to college in the fall.

"She's one of my best friends. It's going to be hard for me not to have her around all the time, but she's ready to go," Obama said of his 17-year-old daughter, a senior at the exclusive Sidwell Friends School in Washington. "She's just a really smart, capable person and she's ready to make her own way."

He said he declined an invitation to speak at her upcoming graduation. "I said 'absolutely not,' because I'm going to be sitting there with dark glasses, sobbing," Obama said.

He also recited a Valentine's Day poem for his wife, Michelle.

"Somebody call the Situation Room because things are about to get hot," said Obama as he stood in front of a red curtain and amid bouquets of red roses and white lilies as Barry White-style music played in the background.

"Michelle, this Valentine's Day I'm going to treat you right. I'm going to make you some zucchini bread. Then I'll spread out some veggies on a plate just the way you like them," he said. "Then I'll give you a massage while you watch 'Ellen's Design Challenge' on HGTV. Because I love you so much, I Obamacare about you more than you even know."

Turning serious, Obama said: "Michelle, I've made a lot of great decisions as president. The best decision I ever made was choosing you. Thanks for putting up with me. I love you." Obama taped the appearance on Thursday.

Mrs. Obama surprised her husband earlier in the broadcast by popping up on tape to recite her own poem. Sunday is their final Valentine's Day as president and first lady.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, you are the president and I am your boo," she said, joking about writing the ode while doing 100 pushups to help get her "creative juices" flowing.

Obama is in the midst of a weeklong visit to California. He spent Thursday raising money for Democrats and was likely to spend the weekend playing golf before welcoming Southeast Asian leaders to a summit beginning Monday at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, California.

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Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap

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