Harold and Kumar Go to the White House

Well, Kumar does anyway.

This is a big gooey hot awesome sundae with extra whipped awesomeness: Kal Penn, the scatalogical-but-charming Kumar of the recent classic stoner flicks, has scored a White House gig:

New Jersey-born actor Kal Penn, who played a stoner Guantanamo Bay escapee in the movies and a doctor on TV's "House," has scored a job in the White House. Way to go, dude!

Penn, 31, will become associate director in the White House Office of Public Liaison, administration officials confirmed Tuesday. The Indian-American film star will be an emissary to the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities, along with arts and entertainment groups.

Penn campaigned extensively throughout the country for President Obama last year and was a hit on college campuses.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Penn explained why he decided to leave "House." His character inexplicably committed suicide in an episode that aired Monday night.

"I was incredibly honored a couple of months ago to get the opportunity to go work in the White House," Penn explained. "I got to know the President and some of the staff during the campaign and had expressed interest in working there."

Penn described the office as the "front door" of the White House, saying he'll be responsible for doing outreach with the American public.

"They take out all of the red tape that falls between the general public and the White House," he said. "It's similar to what I was doing on the campaign."

If you're not an aficionado of the Harold and Kumar movies, and you haven't seen Penn's range as the title character in the terrific The Namesake...

...it may be difficult to realize just what a brilliant move this is by the Obama White House.

Oh, sure, this clip:

is going to be in heavy rotation on cable news channels, but so what? Penn is telegenic, has a huge young fan base, is charming as all getout, and is a graduate student at Stanford, studying international security. This isn't some bubbleheaded Hollywood himbo. He's got looks, brains, and charisma. It's certainly a lightweight job, as Washington jobs go, but it's high profile and the appointment helps keep the youth vote in the fold.

Absolutely a brilliant move.