African-American President Barack Obama was arrested today in Washington, DC, in his attempt to break into the White Power structure. Though Mr. Obama has the keys to the White House and the official title of President of the United States of America, he was rebuffed in his attempt to change the way things are done in the inner sanctums of power by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who announced there would be no vote on health care reform before Congress' summer recess.

"Just because a black man gets elected president doesn't mean things automatically change," Senator Reid said at an impromptu press conference in the Capitol Building. "The same rich white guys are running things behind the scenes, even if the president is black. We are committed to working with the president to maintain the illusion of democracy, but you've got to be nuts to think that we're ever going to let go of the levers of power just because some slick-talking, nice-looking black man manages to get himself elected to the highest office in the land."

It has been the conventional wisdom that health care reform must be enacted early in Mr. Obama's term, to take advantage of the new president's unprecedented popularity and mandate for change, before the powers-that-be have a chance to whittle him down to size. The announcement by Mr. Reid, putatively an "ally" of the president, effectively puts Mr. Obama in "his place" and lets him know who really calls the shots in Washington, DC.

Mr. Obama, known for his dazzling political prowess and soaring rhetorical skills, reportedly became upset upon hearing of his arrest, turning away from a group of reporters to bite his knuckle before regaining his composure and vowing to fight on in his attempt to bring change to Washington. "A brother can't even break into his own house without getting arrested," said the president. "That's how it is for a black man in America."

Mr. Obama went on to demand an apology from Mr. Reid, who, in an interview with The Fox News Channel, merely chuckled and said none would be forthcoming.