WASHINGTON, April 29, 2012 — President Barack Obama was in rare form last night at the 2012 White House Correspondents Association Dinner at the Washington D.C. Hilton, where he roasted the Republicans and Mitt Romney while getting in a sly dig at the Secret Service. (See video below.)
Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, came to the podium armed with comedic jabs at the President, the Republicans, Mitt Romney, Chris Christie, Democrats, and, of course, the Secret Service. (See video below.)
The WHCA dinner was attended by an interesting mixture of big name journalists, Republicans, Democrats, and A list celebrities, who were invited by major media outlets, such as George Clooney, Charlize Theron, Steven Spielberg, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Reese Witherspoon, Daniel Day-Lewis, Martha Stewart, Diane Keaton, Rashida Jones, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Pierce Brosnan, Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn, Claire Danes, Josh Hutcherson, Rachel Zoe, Ivanka Trump, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Ripa, and even Uggie, the dog from “The Artist.”
Even faux celebrities like Kim Kardashian and her mom were there, invited by Fox News. Go figure. But if a dog can get an invitation, I guess a Kardashian can too.
But the big draw, as it always is at the White House Correspondents Dinner, is the President of the United States. And Obama didn’t disappoint.
Obama’s Best Jokes
President Obama cracks up over Kimmel joke. AP
President Obama opened the evening by saying, “We gather during a historic anniversary. Last year at this time, in fact on this very weekend, we finally delivered justice to one of the world’s most notorious individuals.” Obviously a somber reference to the first anniversary of the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, which was in its final stages one year ago. Only instead a picture of bin Laden, a scowling photo of The Donald flashed over the big screen, sending the crowd into gales of laughter.
And the tone of the evening was set.
Some other highlights from the President comedic arsenal:
On Republicans: “Jimmy got his start years ago on ‘The Man Show.’ In Washington, that’s what we call a Congressional hearing on contraception.”
On Romney: “It’s lovely to be here in the vast, magnificent Hilton ballroom,” Obama said of the ostentatiously lavish setting, “or what Mitt Romney would call a little fixer upper.”
The President Obama also parodied a Romney Super PAC video, satirizing the GOP’s nominee infamous dog on the roof of the car incident and ending with Romney standing on the steps of “Air Force One” with his dog once again strapped to the roof…of the plane. (See Obama video below.)
On the Secret Service: At the end of his speech Obama explained he had more material, but “I have to get the Secret Service home in time for their new curfew,” referring to the agency’s recent prostitution scandal.
On Hillary Clinton: “Four years ago I was locked in a brutal primary battle with Hillary Clinton. Four years later she won’t stop drunk-texting me from Cartagena.”
Kimmel had the difficult task of not only following the President, always tough to do, but also living up to Seth Meyers’ performance last year. But his rapid-fire delivery, and blaming ABC journalist Jake Tapper for all jokes that fell flat, kept the targets of his satire nervously waiting for his next victim.
Kimmel’s Best Jokes
On Democrats: “Uggie [the dog] is amazing. He can roll over on command. He’s a Democrat.”
On New Jersey Republican Governor and his weight: “Gov. Christie, you may be misunderstanding the New Jersey slogan. It’s not the ‘Olive Garden State.’”
Santorum, a target of Kimmel’s joke. AP
On why America is fat: “We used to march. Now we Occupy.”
On Obama: “Mr. President, remember when the country rallied around you in hopes of a better tomorrow? That was hilarious.”
“There’s a term for President Obama. Not two terms.”
This year’s dinner was on the anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s killing, Kimmel reminded the audience. Then ominously, “Who will it be this year?”
Rick Santorum: “It’s one thing to oppose gay marriage, but it’s another thing to do it in a sweater vest!”
On the Secret Service: “I have a lot of Secret Service jokes. I told them for $800 I wouldn’t tell them, but they only offered 30.”
The WHCA gave out scholarships to aspiring journalists and named ABC’S Jake Tapper as the recipient of The Washington Post’s Scott Wilson Award and the teams at both Politico and the Associated Press as winners of its prestigious 2012 journalism awards.
To contact Catherine Poe, see above. Her work appears in Ad Lib at the Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com. She can also be heard on Democrats for America’s Future. She is also a contributor to broadcast, print and online media.
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