Be the fist to trump Obama

You’ve seen online solitaire and online Scrabble.

Now comes “Barack, Paper, Scissors!” a new online version of the similarly named famous schoolyard game.

The interactive game pits presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama against his Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton; likely Republican nominee John McCain; California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; or President Bush.

The game can be found at www.USARPS.com, the website of the Los Angeles-based USA Rock Paper Scissors League, which holds its third annual championship in Las Vegas in June. (Don’t laugh; there’s a $50,000 grand prize.)

“How dare you!” said league commissioner Matti Leshem, 45, when asked if the game actually requires skill. “It’s a game of skill, tactics, a game of being able to read your opponents.” That makes it perfect, he said, for the political arena.

The game’s name does not imply an endorsement of Obama, said Leshem, even though he is a supporter.

Tempted, we signed on and found a cartoon version of Obama facing Bush.

“The game has changed,” says Obama. “Yes, we can!”

“Obama,” says Bush, “when I’m done with you, you’ll be begging me to declare a national state of emergency. Just don’t call FEMA. Heh, heh, heh.”