Last night, President Barack Obama became the first sitting President to visit The Tonight Show. The mood was light as Jay Leno played the everyman looking for answers about the economy, specifically the latest mess surrounding the AIG bonuses.

The President kept up the casual late night vibe with a few one liners of his own, like, “I do think in Washington it’s a little bit like ‘American Idol,’ except everybody is Simon Cowell.” He also joked about his young daughters’ lack of enthusiasm over the frills that come along with the Presidency. He joked that Sasha and Malia were more interested in the jar of Starbursts on Marine One than the view of Washington D.C. as they took off from the White House lawn for the first time.

He did get down to business too, defending Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner and saying how “stunned” he was by the bonus payouts. He also discussed the “the dirty little secret” of the economic meltdown saying, “that most of the stuff that got us into trouble is perfectly legal,” and proposed several preventative measures to keep the same situation from happening again. Overall, he seemed confident, optimistic, and most importantly, Presidential.

That is not to say the interview went off without a hitch. When discussing his bowling score, President Obama told Leno, “It’s like the Special Olympics or something,” which enraged advocate groups for individuals with disabilities. Of course, this is the risk of doing such a casual interview, things can get a little too casual.