President Bush is back at work and on the road after a brief health scare Sunday. He suffered a fainting spell after choking on a piece of food.
President Bush joked with reporters as he left the White House on a two-day tour to promote his economic policies.
He said he passed out while eating a pretzel late Sunday afternoon. The president made light of the incident, saying his mother always told him "chew before you swallow."
He looked a bit tired, but otherwise fit, as he recalled the brief fainting spell, which occurred while he was watching an American football game on television. He said he fell off a couch, and woke up on the floor. Mr. Bush said he did not know what happened, until he looked in a mirror and realized his glasses had cut his face.
The only lasting effects of the health scare seem to be a scrape on his left cheek and a bruise on his lower lip. Doctors conducted a few final tests early Monday before his departure, and pronounced the president fit to travel.