Posted on 04/30/2005 7:56:02 PM PDT by wjersey
WASHINGTON - First lady Laura Bush stole the show with a surprise comedy routine that ripped President Bush and brought an audience that included much of official Washington and a dash of Hollywood to a standing ovation at a dinner honoring award-winning journalists.
The president planned a speech late Saturday at the 91st annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, but was quickly "interrupted" by his wife in an obviously planned ploy.
"Not that old joke, not again," she said to the delight of the audience. "I've been attending these dinners for years and just quietly sitting there. I've got a few things I want to say for a change."
The president sat down and she proceeded to note that he is "usually in bed by now" and said she told him recently, "If you really want to end tyranny in the world you're going to have to stay up later."
She outlined a typical evening: "Nine o'clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep and I'm watching `Desperate Housewives'." Comedic pause. "With Lynne Cheney. Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife."
But she said they obviously were destined to be together as a couple because "I was the librarian who spent 12 hours a day in library and yet somehow I met George."
Joining the Bushes were Vice President Dick Cheney and wife Lynne, nine Cabinet members and two Supreme Court justices, Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer.
News organizations hosted show business and sports stars such as Goldie Hawn, LL Cool J, Richard Gere, Jane Fonda and the starting quarterbacks of this year's Super Bowl, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Award winners announced earlier this month:
_Ron Fournier of The Associated Press, the Merriman Smith Award for presidential coverage under deadline pressure for his stories on Bush's victory over John Kerry.
_Susan Page of USA Today, the Aldo Beckman Award for her stories on the presidency and the presidential campaign.
_Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Edgar A. Poe Award for a series of stories on athletes' steroid use.
Presidents since Calvin Coolidge have attended the dinner hosted by the association, which was established in 1914 as a bridge between the press corps and the White House.
Mrs. Bush had me crackin up.
she was good.
It sounds like it!
pong
Nuts. I wish I could have seen this. I just love our First Lady!~
I MISSED IT! GRRR Im watching CSPAN now are they rerunning it? I HOPE SO...
My fav line was when she stated that Lynne Cheney had a new SS codename: "dollar bill" in reference to seeing Chipindales
Brilliant!
Mrs. Bush was FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!! What a class act.
I've got an idea for President 2008.....with an 85% approval rating.....LAURA BUSH!
Wonder if any of the reporters tried any self-deprecating humor?
Laura Vs. Hillary... Ummm that would be a no brainer :P
One of the best speeches EVER. (Bush's first speech, when he showed a childhood picture of a naked Jeb Bush was also pretty funny.)
DEEEEEE- licious!
"I've got an idea for President 2008.....with an 85% approval rating.....LAURA BUSH!"
Seriously, if that hag Hillary thinks she can do it, then I know Laura can do it.
Me too....that would be SOOOOOO wonderful!!! What a marvelous first woman Pres she'd make, too!
Re run just started, Tom Brady is on the screen now, surprised to see him there.
How wonderful. Guess EVERYONE is watching Desperate Housewives!
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