The president labored to lead and the governor hesitated to read as we "flASHback" on the week's news that amused and confused:

• President Obama said in his State of the Union speech that Americans have a "deficit of trust" in government leaders. That would explain why his speech made such a deficit of sense.

• Gov. Linda Lingle couldn't say if she'd veto a civil-unions bill if it passes the Legislature because "I don't spend time reading things that aren't passed." Smart, it saves her the trouble of reading her own legislative package.

• A sign of the times spotted by a flASHback reader at a Mānoa school: "No school Friday/Teacher work day." Perhaps they should work on a pop quiz about what's wrong with this picture.

• The teachers union wants lawmakers to give it more money than Lingle offered to end school furloughs. If I were the third-biggest donor to legislators' campaigns in the last election, I'd expect a return on my investment, too.

• Sen. Mike Gabbard got a restraining order against an 80-year-old gay rights activist who allegedly jabbed his chest at a civil unions rally. Geez, and he's always telling them to man up.

• Forecasters say the vog choking O'ahu may not clear until late April. Isn't that when the Legislature adjourns?

• City councilmen Todd Apo and Ikaika Anderson are huhū that Lingle won't let them tag along on her trip to Washington to meet with transit officials. Who can blame her? It's a long flight and it's hard to travel with children.

• GOP congressional candidate Charles Djou may hire a strategist who helped Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown pull off his upset win. Cover your eyes if Djou hires the photog who shot Brown's nude Cosmo spread.

• A United Airlines flight from Maui to San Francisco had to turn back after running low on fuel. Did they take off expecting to find a gas station at Cloud Nine?

• Maui all-star Shane Victorino signed a $22 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He's a one-man economic recovery.

And the quote of the week ... from Ka'ū Councilman Guy Enriques on a proposal to legalize marijuana: "I don't think any of us would want to go to a doctor who's high on marijuana and have him make a decision." Ah, so that's how you get a doctor to make a decision.