Outgoing Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine hosted his last call-in radio show this morning and greeted a guest identifed only as "Barry from DC."

Turned out to be none other than Pennsylvania Avenue resident Barack Obama.

"Barry" dialed in to "Ask The Governor" to pay tribute to the man he almost picked for vice president and did tap for Democratic Party chair -- after first joking that he wanted to complain about traffic in Northern Virginia.

"Rather than go there, I just wanted to say how proud we are of your service as governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia," the president told Kaine.

Obama told the governor, "We continue to think your wife is probably a little superior to you, as I think people think about the first lady, but you and me have to stick together since we're married to better people."

Just to be sure: Obama does not normally use the name "Barry," at least not since he was very young. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the informal name was employed to "surprise the governor of Virginia."

(Posted by David Jackson)