He had to do it. If his system wasn’t in peak shape, he’d never have been able to cope with the junk-food apocalypse that was the White House Super Bowl party.

Good lord, man. Burgers, pizza, and bratwurst? Health-wise, you’re probably better off with Marlboros.

First lady Michelle Obama told a roundtable of print reporters today that she considers her husband a former smoker because he formally has quit smoking.

Asked by reporters whether she could say whether the president has finally quit smoking Mrs. Obama said, “Yes, he has” and that “it’s been almost a year.” Mrs. Obama said today, according to the AP, and that said she didn’t know exactly when he quit “because he never smoked a lot,” and that she’d never see him smoke.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs last said in December that he hadn’t seen the president smoke in nearly 9 months. But Gibbs then was cautious in declaring formally that the president has all-out quit. Asked then if by not smoking for 9 months, that means that his boss has formally quit then, Gibbs hesitated, “For that nine months, yes. I mean, I don’t — I’m trying not — I don’t want to be flip. I mean, I don’t — I think the President would be the first one to tell you that it’s a struggle.”

I believe that The One hasn’t touched a cigarette in nine months in the same way that I believe in the integrity of those “jobs created or saved” numbers. Incidentally, tomorrow’s the day he sits down for lunch with the House GOP leadership. With the habit kicked, what common ground is left between him and Boehner? Besides golf, I mean.