Congresswoman, Obama have phone disconnect

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- A Florida congresswoman, certain she was the victim of a joke, hung up on President-elect Barack Obama -- not once, but twice.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., told that Obama wanted to speak with her, cut the caller off, telling the person on the other end she thought "this is a joke" by a radio station known for pulling pranks, CNN reported Thursday.

Obama's White House chief of staff, Rahm Emmanuel -- who served with Ros-Lehtinen in the U.S. House of Representatives -- called to let her know she really was talking to the next president. She hung up again -- again thinking it was a crank call.

Only after a call from Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif. -- and then after he related a story only the two of them knew -- were her suspicions diffused.

"This was pretty embarrassing," Ros-Lehtinen said Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America.

She apologized on air, then added, "I don't want to be presumptuous, but please tell President-elect Obama that -- that he may call me now. And I will take his calls."