Birthday wishes

It's President Obama's 48th birthday, but he made a surprise appearance at the White House press room this afternoon to celebrate someone else's.

He brought a plate of cupcakes to long-time scribe Helen Thomas, who turned 89 today.

"You've got to blow it out," Obama told her, holding out the cupcake with a single candle.

She wished for world peace, but Obama added one to her list. "We had a common birthday wish," he joked to reporters -- a healthcare bill getting passed by Congress.

Obama also received birthday wishes today from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

"During the call, the presidents discussed the situation in Georgia and the need to decrease tensions in the region. President Obama reiterated the importance of working through established crisis management mechanisms such as the Joint Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism and underscored the need for international monitors. The presidents also discussed the need to move forward quickly on agreements reached at the July summit in Moscow. In particular, the presidents reaffirmed their commitment to complete negotiations on a follow-on agreement to START by December of this year," the White House said in a statement.