Barack Obama, the forty-fourth president of the United States, appeared Thursday on The Tonight Show to chat basketball, presidential life and AIG with Jay Leno.

In-between the casual chitchat, funny one-liners and general repartee, Obama offered up some of his thoughts and future plans regarding the nation’s economy, education and health care. In time, the president feels he can put “a strong foundation” in place that will give the nation more stability. In time, he also hopes to improve his bowling game. The two talked of AIG bonuses, the necessity of functioning banks and how cool it really is to ride on Air Force One.

The Leno interview was a nice mix of casual talk and formal presidential policy, a good balance between Obama the man and Obama the symbol. I think that together, Leno and the president make a pretty decent pair - but I’m still more of a Letterman fan. See some bits and pieces of the interview below: