'New Day,' New Makeup (but No Kids Just Yet) for Ellen DeGeneres

DeGeneres says Pres.-elect should focus on his job, leave fun to first lady.

ByABC News
December 12, 2008, 4:39 PM

Dec. 13, 2008 — -- Barack Obama may have displayed less-than-smooth dance moves on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" back in October 2007, but the talk-show host hopes the president-elect hasn't been taking any lessons in the interim.

"I don't want my president to be a good golfer. I don't want him to be a good dancer. I don't want him to perfect anything" other than the job of leading the free world. "It would scare me if he were a good dancer. He should not be out at clubs," says DeGeneres, whose new job as a CoverGirl "face" starts the same month Obama's new job does. (The woman who told CoverGirl brass that she really doesn't like makeup will be the spokesmodel for the company's new Simply Ageless Foundation beginning in January.)

So it will be up to Michelle Obama to wow the crowds at the inaugural balls. DeGeneres is counting on the future first lady to inject some fun into fusty Washington by reprising the flick-the-dirt-off-the-shoulder move she showed off on Ellen in September.

"That's what I think is great about (the election): It's a new day, a whole new way of dancing now, and she's going to bring it to the White House."

DeGeneres, 50, is hoping she and partner Portia de Rossi, 35, can head to the festivities. "What an amazing moment in history," she says of Nov. 4. But first, the couple need to iron out their respective work schedules, DeGeneres' show and de Rossi's new half-hour ABC comedy, "Better Off Ted," expected to premiere early next year, possibly on Tuesday nights after "Scrubs."

Certain things haven't changed since she said "I do," such as the size of the DeGeneres-de Rossi household. Although they "talk of children -- other people's children -- all the time," there are no immediate plans to expand the family. "We're hanging out with a little 3-year-old now (a friend's daughter, Stella). Maybe if we're hanging around enough, it might start to change things, but right now, it's really simple," says DeGeneres. "No complications."