I KISSED HER, AND IT TASTED LIKE CHOCOLATE

Over-sharing? The First Couple held hands as they appeared on The View last week

Kissing plaque: A 3,000-pound granite marker has been erected in Chicago to commemorate where the President first kissed Michelle in 1989

Just last week, the couple told the familiar story to the hosts of The View - holding hands with each other all the while.

In fact, the tale is so well-known that the site of the Baskin-Robbins where the Obamas' first date took place now boasts a plaque marking the occasion.

The plaque reads, 'On this site, President Barack Obama first kissed Michelle Obama,' and has a picture of the couple.

It also features a quote from Mr Obama dating back to perhaps the first time the anecdote was told publicly, in O magazine in February 2007.

Mr and Mrs Obama campaigning together in Iowa City last month

Passion: September was a big month for the couple, as it included the Democratic National Convention, right

Caught on camera: The First Couple were on the Kiss Cam at Washington's Verizon Center The Illinois senator who was about to launch his presidential campaign told the publication: 'On our first date, I treated her to the finest ice cream Baskin-Robbins had to offer, our dinner table doubling as the curb.

'I kissed her, and it tasted like chocolate.'

Ironically, the branch of the ice cream shop which the Obamas visited was apparently once owned by Bain Capital, the private-equity firm founded by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

The President has openly used the tale of his first date with Michelle as part of his re-election campaign, most notably in June when he released a video featuring the couple reminiscing about that fateful day.

That YouTube clip showed the Obamas describing their trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, followed by a screening of Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing.

The video ends with the President saying, 'Take tips, gentlemen,' followed by an appeal for campaign donations.

Of course, the Obamas are hardly the first political couple to flaunt their relationship to win votes - the on-stage kiss has long been a staple of party conventions and campaign speeches.

But with the First Lady's approval ratings up to 20 points higher than her husband's, the current President may be particularly to involve his spouse in his re-election campaign.