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Posted on 04/26/2008 7:53:34 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Bush tweaks candidates at correspondents' dinner Apr 26 10:24 PM US/Eastern By CHRISTINE SIMMONS Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush poked fun at his potential successors Saturday night, expressing surprise that none of them were in the audience at the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner.
"Senator McCain's not here," Bush said of GOP nominee-in-waiting John McCain. "He probably wanted to distance himself from me a little bit. You know, he's not alone. Jenna's moving out too."
Bush then referred to scandals that have dogged the campaigns of the two remaining Democratic candidates, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, in explaining their absence: "Hillary Clinton couldn't get in because of sniper fire and Senator Obama's at church."
The president admitted to being "a little wistful" in his final appearance at the dinner, showing video clips of his routines from previous years. He finished by conducting the U.S. Marine Band in a medley of patriotic marches.
Bush was followed by Craig Ferguson, the host of CBS' "Late Late Show."
The Scottish-born Ferguson was expected to find middle ground between the tepid impersonations of last year's entertainer, Rich Little, and the merciless satire that Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert delivered in 2006.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Only one quote from the speech.....anyone has link to transcript? Thanks.
He has always been able to do that at the drop of a hat. Gets it from his Momma.
The reprise of his past slide shows at these dinners was almost as rolicking as the originals.
The first year of this dinner showed a very, very young looking President Bush.
This one tonight showed the ravages of his job on top of eight years of aging.
But it also showed the personal triumph of the man over his detractors and haters.
You see on CSPAN where a couple of students being honored for getting scholarships got their pictures taken on stage with the president. This one guy must have been like 7 feet tall. He just towered over GWB, who then stood on a stool or chair so he was then taller than the other guys. Very funny.
Before saying that Senator Obama wasn’t there because “he’s at church”, he said Senator Clinton didn’t make it because she’s pinned down by sniper fire.
“tepid impersonations of last year’s entertainer, Rich Little”
I disagree. His Fatty Arbuckle killed!
Yes, it was great.
a little here:)
Thanks! One good LOL! I cut and paste here:
Anyhow, the comedian this year was Craig Ferguson, host of the Late Late Show on CBS. He’s from Scotland, but now an American and during his routine, he mentioned why he came to America. Well, he mentioned also why he didn’t go to Canada after his relatives suggested he go there...
“Canada, It’s not the party, it’s the apartment above the party...”
“We’re [America] down here all dancing, and they’re up there saying ‘can’t you keep the noise down.’ We’re like, come to the party Canada. We’re like, ‘Mexico wasn’t invited but they’re coming anyways.’”
Sleeping next to the elephant or the annoyed neighbours? Not a bad take for the modern times.
I think Bush is my favorite president and I’m sorry to see him go. God bless him.
CSpan is re-broadcasting the ‘dinner’ NOW!
Thanks for the heads up! I think it just going!
missed it earlier but am watching a rerun right now... so glad Ann Compton told them how rude their behavior was ... depriving those scholarship winners of their moment to shine. But who’d have suspected White House correspondents of being rude?
Could be wrong, but I think Bush just subtly sided with the NC GOP here.
McCain slams their ad about Wright and more than implies they are racists who must shut up about Wright.
Then Bush at the WHCD of all places mentions Obama and his church.
That’s all he had to say.
Such few words.
Said in lightly and humorously, but boy did saying them at ALL pack a gigantic wallop.
Great post.
President Bush was fantastic, and Craig Ferguson was THE funniest person they EVER asked to do this. He was sooo good.
“President Bush was fantastic, and Craig Ferguson was THE funniest person they EVER asked to do this. He was sooo good.”
Ditto to what you said!!!!
I’m going to miss him, too.
I got angry with him on more than one occasion, but I never lost my respect for him. I hope his ‘retirement’ is joyous and peaceful, for all the beatings he has taken during his time in office.
I heart George Bush bump
Ferguson is the only one of the late night people who is really funny.
Ditto that. He was the first president I voted for, that won. I was too young to vote for Ronaldus Magnus either time, I wasted my first vote for no good reason on John Kerry Sr. (aka Dukaka) in 1988, voted for 41's reelection and Dole in 96...so I am two for five, though very glad to have been wrong in 1988.
God bless this President, and God help us with the next one!
I don’t care if he was funny or not...I think these dinners are despicable...young men and women are dying over in Iraq, and our elite sit in a room eating lobster and telling jokes, patting each other on the back when all they want to do is destroy each other. It’s outrageous.
And note to Bush: THEY ALL STILL HATE YOU AND WISH YOU WERE DEAD.
One month in VietNam...........Then millions after we surrendered thanks to a Democrat Congress. How do liberals sleep at night?
President Bush has been awe inspiring in his dogged determination to defeat the enemy. He reminds me of Winston Churchill. I don’t agree with his every plan or hiccup, but overall, he has been (is) a great President and I grieve when I see him ridiculed - especially on places like FR.
He was the right man for this time.
Hillary used a similar joke earlier this month on Leno.
"I was worried I wasn't going to make it," Hillary Rodham Clinton told Jay Leno during this evening's taping of NBC-TV's Tonight Show. "I was pinned down by sniper fire at the Burbank airport."
That tall guy was Eli Manning, Super Bowl MVP! Not a student.
“That tall guy was Eli Manning, Super Bowl MVP! Not a student.”
Oh sorry. Shows how much I know about sports. ;) But I thought Ann Compton said here are the Deborah Orin scholarship award winners. Then the young woman and young man walked out, and both were photographed with the president. Sounded like Manning was a scholarship guy. Unless there were 2 such photo opps.
Border issue aside, Im going to miss W. His optimism, humor, and faith are what this country needed when it needed it. History will be kind to George.
WOW! BDS gone wild here.
I believe that history will be favorable to the Bush Administration.
This dinner is a vehicle to reduce the strife and bitterness of politics. It is a good thing. Your over the top anger is a good example.
Craig Ferguson was FABULOUS! And so was Bush!!
WRONG. He was a journalism student.
WHAT HAPPENED???
I disagree. I think it’s disgusting. I can’t watch it as it makes me cringe. Especially during wartime. Sorry, that’s my opinion.
Why is that BDS? I’m just stasting the truth. The large majority of that audience hates him and tried continuously for 7 years to destory him. Would I get up and poke fun and break bread with these people during wartime..NO. They are the enemy. I’m sorry, but I take this seriously.a
I think it’s an insult to all those fighting this war.
I agree Hildy. It's an exercise in hypocrisy and it demeans the office.
If the press were a "fair-play" bunch and if the prez joked for a few minutes, I could see it reducing tensions and promoting comity. But putting on a whole show.....
(BDS all right! I think it now applies to those insisting that Bush is above criticism, still 7 years on.)
Thank you...Not only have these become Hollywood’s way in...I read that Bloomberg (company) threw a multi-million dollar party at the COLUMBIAN EMBASSY? HUH? Is that even legal? Someone explain this to me.
A list of some of the “celebrities” in attendance at the dinner: Ashlee Simpson and her little boyfriend, Pete Wentz, the cast from THE HILLS? (WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE FAMOUS?) Pam Anderson, Tracy Ullman, Donatella Versace, THE JONAS BROTHERS (HUH?), Rosario Dawson, Joel McHale (The guy who hosts Talk Soup), and, worst of all, PEREZ HILTON! PEREZ HILTON invited by Bloomberg to the WHCD. I don’t get it. Perez Hilton at least said this: It’s Washington, but it’s still HOLLYWOOD. Truer words were never spoken.
I'm not trying to be a killjoy, but that's an old joke.
in the early portion of the dinner, they awarded scholarships to journalism schools at Columbia, Northwestern, Missouri and Howard universities. This is a huge deal in thosee students’ lives. But the journalists in attendance were so loud talking among themselves, the kids couldn’t hear their names being called for their moment of glory.
Ann Compton took the miv and insisted people ‘in the back’ please be quiet, that the kids couldn’t even hear their names being called, and it was very rude. it was. But God knows the journalists and celebs there are soooooo important, it’s their inalienable right to be rude.
Thanks!! Journalists are Democrats....Democrats are RUDE.
I really enjoyed the comment about Canada and Mexico. Mr. Mercat and I were clapping and hooting.
“Democrats are RUDE”
You noticed ?
I watched it twice last night, it was so funny. W was great and Ferguson was hysterical. His comments about Hollywood, Canada, the LA and NY Times (especially the NY Times), Clinton, Obama and his gratitude of becoming an American, etc. were spot on and funny. I believe we have a conservative in Craig.
I also liked Ferguson’s remark about Bill Clinton, the-on- again-off-again boyfriend of Hillary. Too funny
Bush was funny last night.
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