Cheney Roasted at Gridiron Club Dinner

AP ^ | 3/11/6 | DARLENE SUPERVILLE

[SmithL]

WASHINGTON -- President Bush headlined the annual Gridiron Club political press roast Saturday night, but Vice President Dick Cheney was the main target of the humor.

Cheney's well-publicized Texas hunting accident last month, drew ridicule from the press corps and all the speakers, including the president.

Bush pointed out that the vice president's full name is Richard B. Cheney.

"B. stands for bulls eye," Bush said to laughter from the hundreds of reporters and officials from the administration and Congress. The press, Bush joked, blew the matter way out of proportion: "Good Lord, you'd thought he shot somebody or something."

Cheney, who sat at the head table, laughed along with most of the jokes.

Bush said that while pundits speculate about whether Cheney or White House political adviser Karl Rove run the government, it's another person who actually pulls the strings. Cheney, Bush said, tells him what to do but Cheney's wife, Lynne, tells the vice president what to do.

"Lynne, I think you're doing a heck of a job. Although I have to say you dropped the ball big time on that Dubai deal," he said, in a joke about the controversial ports deal.

Lynne Cheney was the Republican speaker and opened by saying that because she came late in the program "the hunting jokes have been used."

[onyx]

I have tried to find it on C-SPAN.

Anyone?

[Hildy]

It's not Bush..it's the country..I don't know...just making fun on what's going on while we're at war and people are dying is just....wrong...that's my opinion.

[de Buillion]

"Get a grip. "

Thank you.

[Hildy]

You're wrong..it's usually on C-span

[de Buillion]

"It's not Bush..it's the country..I don't know...just making fun on what's going on while we're at war and people are dying is just....wrong...that's my opinion. "

Hildy, I think that it's time for a reality check here- The Democrats abort (murder) more babies EVERY DAY (3500) than our country has lost in the three years in Afghanistan and Iraq. Maybe you should worry about something that kills so many.

[malia]

"Well .. if there's one thing I know about Bush --- it's that he doesn't give a rip what the press thinks of him."

Agree!!! ... and -- be the first to make fun of yourself and what else can they say about you!! Take the wind out of their sail.

BIG TIME!!!

[jamily]

The thing is, the humor and songs are what keeps people going when things get rough, whether in times of national war or personal trials. If you can't laugh, what are your choices? Tears and anger, bitterness and sorrow all of the time? What joy is there in honoring our servicemen with dirges when they went with honor and resolve to do their job? We here in country need to keep our spirits up so that we can support our troops better, and welcome them back to a country filled with life and laughter, not to a country filled with people only seeing the darkness.

Our President and his family and friends are continuosly being bombarded with negativity and sad situations. They, maybe more than most people, deserve to be allowed some time to laugh and see the lighter side of things. I think they would lose their minds otherwise, they are under so much pressure and scrutiny for every thought, word and move they make.

I don't currently have family overseas, not even in active service at the moment. When they were AD, though, what kept them going was good news, cheerfulness, jokes in letters, pictures of family being silly - signs that life was still going on at home and they weren't being mourned while they were still alive! A depressed soldier is one who won't be able to devote his attentions to his job. A soldier who knows the homefront is waiting for him with love and laughter is able to concentrate on his job and get it done, and will be glad to come home.

[Recovering_Democrat]

CSPAN?? WILL IT AIR?? :)

[WestVirginiaRebel]

It's a roast. Shoot, it didn't trigger any hard feelings on the Vice President's part. It's better than the loaded questions they usually ask him. If he took this stuff seriously he'd bang his head against a wall and be a shell of a man.

[Wasanother]

Fiber helps a lot.

[Allegra]

Pingy-dingy.

[pleasedontzotme]

The Gridiron is closed to cameras. The White House Correspondents' Dinner is open, and that will be on C-SPAN.

[onyx]

Oh, OK. Thanks.

[hershey]

You have a point.

[Snardius]

I say tutn the tables and roast the press.

If you want to hear a vitriolic, viscious reaction to humor, just start roasting these "thin skin's stretched over outsized egos."

The White House press corps are the most sensitive crybabies there is as is evidenced by the Cheney incident.

[kenavi]

"We built it, we paid for it, and we ain't giving it back!"

"The Panama Canal?"

"No, my backyard deck."

(from "Saturday Night Live" satire comparing baby-boomer Reagan supporters to "Body-Snatcher" victims.)

It was funny, it was critical of conservatives, and it didn't hurt Reagan one bit. People who think for themselves don't fear humor.

[Hildy]

Look, I know the value of humor. But this is the POTUS and the people who want nothing more to destroy him, sitting around, eating and drinking and making fun of each other. I think it's unseemly, embarrassing and just flat out wrong during a time of war.

[AUsome Joy]

Actually, I think for Cheney and Bush to make light of the current stories defuses them. They lose their power. I look forward to these nights. When the Reagans were in office they made fun of Nancy for "borrowing" expensive clothes. She turned the tables by wearing a funny outfit and singing "Second Hand Rose".

[CyberAnt]

I understand your point.

But .. a sense of humor is important to have during trying times. Bush loves to make fun of himself .. just to show the PUBLIC he's not the horrible person the media is portraying him to be.

I loved the comment about Cheney .. "the B stands for bulls-eye" .. that was great! After all the hysteria from the press over the issue .. it was good to hear the President making fun of the press.

[Bender2]

Dubya knows a good joke and even The Veep laughs... but The New York Slimes just stays the same...

I have more of The New York Slimes Editions on my FR Homepage and my Archives Page