NEW ORLEANS — After I got back from President Bush's event last night and went to the filing center at my hotel to finish my story, I found out that the president was going to appear on "Deal or No Deal."

Mr. Bush appeared to wish the contestant, Iraq war veteran Capt. Joseph Kobes, good luck. Capt. Kobes earned a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in Iraq after his truck was blown up in 2004, but he has resigned with the Army for three more years, according to the White House.

The president came on and said he was "thrilled to be anywhere with high ratings these days."

Though the White House says Mr. Bush taped the comments on March 17, his remark was fortuitous. A USA Today/Gallup poll over the weekend showed that Mr. Bush has now set a record for the highest disapproval rating of a U.S. president, at 69 percent. The previous record was held by President Truman, whose disapproval rating hit 67 percent in 1952.

Here's the video:

— Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times