GOP Representative Hangs Up on Obama...Twice

She should have hung up on him a third time.

Twice on Wednesday, President-elect Barack Obama tried to reach across the partisan divide with a phone call to Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican from Florida.

And twice, according to her office, she hung up on him.

She "thought it was a hoax," an aide to the congresswoman said.

In a series of hang-up and follow-up calls that appears to have taken up much of the afternoon, Ros-Lehtinen first received a call on her cell phone, from a Chicago phone number, and was informed by the caller that Obama wished to speak with her. When a man sounding like Obama got on the line, Ros-Lehtinen cut him off, saying, "I'm sorry, but I think this is a joke from one of the South Florida radio stations known for these pranks." She then hung up, according to a statement issued by her office.

A little while later, Chief of Staff-designate Rahm Emanuel called the congresswoman back.

"Ileana, I cannot believe that you hung up on the president-elect," Emanuel said, according to the congresswoman's office.

Her response?

"Ros-Lehtinen told Rahm that she didn't believe the call was legitimate and hung up on Emanuel," her statement said.