It's nice having a President with a backbone....and a sense of humor.

[Drbio]

Bush pokes fun at himself at dinner


President Bush, left, and comedian Steve Bridges, during the correspondents' dinner.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It was twice the fun for members of the White House Correspondents' Association and guests Saturday night when President Bush and a look-alike, sound-alike sidekick poked fun at the president and fellow politicians.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I feel chipper tonight. I survived the White House shake-up," the president said.

But impersonator Steve Bridges stole many of the best lines. Vice President Dick Cheney and his hunting accident were targets of his humor on a couple of occasions. (Watch as Bush and Bridges poke fun at VP Cheney -- 2:20)

"Speaking of suspects, where is the great white hunter?" Bridges said, later adding, "He shot the only trial lawyer in the country who supports me."

Bush continued a tradition begun by President Coolidge in attending the correspondents' dinner.

He invited Bridges to play his double. The president talked to the press in polite, friendly terms. Bridges told them what the president was really thinking.

Bridges opened like this: "The media really ticks me off -- the way they try to embarrass me by not editing what I say. Well, let's get things going, or I'll never get to bed."

"I'm absolutely delighted to be here, as is (wife) Laura," Bush replied.

"She's hot," Bridges quipped.

The featured entertainer was Stephen Colbert, whose Comedy Central show "The Colbert Report" often lampoons the Washington establishment.

"I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq," Colbert said in a typical zinger.

He also paid mock tribute to Bush as a man who "believes Wednesday what he believed Monday, despite what happened Tuesday."

Yet it's the Who's Who of power and celebrity in the audience -- invited by media organizations to their dinner tables -- that draws much of the attention.

Joining ABC were former Ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife, Valerie Plame, the CIA officer at the heart of a leak investigation that has reached deep into the White House.

Others on the guest list included rapper-actor Ludacris; James Denton, the hunky plumber on ABC's "Desperate Housewives"; "Dancing With the Stars" winner Drew Lachey; New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin; tennis player Anna Kournikova; and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Award winners honored at the dinner were:

Deb Riechmann of The Associated Press and Terry Moran of ABC News, Merriman Smith Awards, the top journalism award for White House reporting under deadline pressure.

Riechmann was recognized for breaking the news of Bush's choice of John Roberts for the Supreme Court. Moran was cited for his broadcast coverage of Bush's first visit to areas hit by Hurricane Katrina.

Carl Cannon of the National Journal, the Aldo Beckman Award for his profile of presidential adviser Michael Gerson. The award is given for repeated excellence in White House reporting.

Marcus Stern and Jerry Kammer of the Copley News Service, the Edgar A. Poe Award for a series of stories on Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who resigned in disgrace and pleaded guilty to accepting $2.4 million in bribes. The Poe award recognizes excellence in news of national and regional importance.

The association was established in 1914 as a bridge between the press corps and the White House. The current president is Mark Smith of AP Radio.

[Drbio]

You may recognize Steve Bridges from the Jay Leno show. He is absolutely hilarious.

[Mavdog]

it's great that he is keeping up a good, fun tradition.

he does have a good sense of humor.

too bad he doesn't have much of a brain

[nashtymavsfan13]

I've seen this guy before, he's hilarious!

[nashtymavsfan13]

Here's a hilarious video, I think it's the same guy:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=mD9isKv1K...ff%20foxworthy

[Mavdog]

he was the entertainment at a trade show I attended in 03. great program. he plays "hail to the chief" as he enters and you'd swear it was bush...facial expressions, voice, he has it down.

[Drbio]

Originally Posted by Mavdog

too bad he doesn't have much of a brain

Irony at its finest.

[nashtymavsfan13]

Originally Posted by Mavdog

he was the entertainment at a trade show I attended in 03. great program. he plays "hail to the chief" as he enters and you'd swear it was bush...facial expressions, voice, he has it down.

Yeah, he's very good. His hand movements and smirks look exactly like Bush's. He even kind of talks like him.

[dude1394]

Dubya is the man.

[WraithXx]

Do you think years from now, people will remember Bush as the president who had a backbone and a sense of humor?

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by WraithXx

Do you think years from now, people will remember Bush as the president who had a backbone and a sense of humor?

No just massive cajones.

[WraithXx]

Originally Posted by dude1394

No just massive cajones.

is there physical evidence of this?

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by WraithXx

is there physical evidence of this?

I don't know, I think it's in his actions.

[capitalcity]

Originally Posted by WraithXx

is there physical evidence of this?

[Drbio]

The badass President rests. Nice cap.

[dude1394]

Very, very nice cap....

Funny isn't it how quickly folks move on to the next thing, no matter how big the last thing was.