Corruption and scandal, lies told to the American people and marital discord: Politics is in the air.

As the Democratic primaries are winding down, and George W. Bush and John Kerry can now start going head-to-head with fists full of mud, we all need a reminder of what it actually means to be the president of the United States.

To get that reminder and a few laughs all in one, rent Dave, because if Bush can fake presidential responsibilities, so can Kevin Kline.

In Dave, Kline plays the title character, a small-town presidential lookalike who is hired to be fictional President Bill Mitchell's body double.

After the president has a stroke during a compromising moment with a White House staffer, Dave is asked to fill in on a more permanent basis, while the president's staff uses him as puppet to promote its own initiatives.

Don't get me wrong; this is a lighthearted, fun movie.

There's even some romance with the first lady once she realizes that Dave's not her real husband.

However, as politics has become a thing of mockery, it's interesting to look at the movie and see how art imitates life.

Throughout the movie, we watch an ordinary man learn to become president. He's taught the ins and outs of how government works and how to lie to the press.

Kline plays the role elegantly. He gives Dave the naivete of a political outsider and the shrewd intelligence of a concerned citizen who questions his government.

Kline also uses the material he's given well, highlighting his comedic timing.

Sigourney Weaver plays the embittered first lady, who's been made cynical by a cold husband and corrupt politics.

Weaver and Kline have great chemistry, and watching her open up to Dave as he ushers in a new honest form of politics is heart-warming.

Bush and Kerry could learn a lot from Dave:

1. The federal budget might not be as complicated as it seems. Now, I'm not an idiot, and in no way do I believe that since I've seen Dave, I'm able to balance the budget. I'm simply saying that the movie exemplifies something that our federal budget is desperately in need of: prioritizing. Sometimes, politicians need to sit down and say, "Let's take care of the segment of our population that needs us and not baby the part that simply throws money at us."

2. Be honest. If you lie, steal and cheat, and get caught, fess up, and don't attempt to bring everyone down with you. Take responsibility for your own actions; it may be a lesson for children, but adults should follow it, too.

3. Maybe Machiavelli was wrong, and it's not better to be feared than loved. It's a lot easier to respect people you hold in high regard.

Dave is a great movie. It's well directed, well acted and rings true in a way a serious movie about politics never could. In the midst of this political season, we need to all remember that presidents are people, too, and they answer to us. If you don't put up with being lied to by anyone else, why let the man whose salary you're paying get away with it?