May 01 2006
Bush lampoons Bush–Updated!
See below for an update and link to the video.
Well you can say what you will about President Bush, but you cannot deny he has a good sense of humor.
Bush Plays Straight Man to His Lookalike
It was twice the fun for members of the White House Correspondents’ Association and guests when President Bush and a lookalike, soundalike 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 Saturday night.
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.
"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."
It’s easy for people to be hateful with humor, and those in the spotlight are often on the receiving end of some cruel barbs. I admire a man like the President, who understands that his position makes him fair game for not just criticism, but lampooning and responds in kind.
Remember:
You grow up the day you have your first real laugh, at yourself. ~Ethel Barrymore
Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century. ~Dame Edna Everage
Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come. Never take yourself too seriously. ~Og Mandino
Also at Michelle Malkin, Captain Ed and Hot Air
UPDATED 5-1-2006
Many are posting that Colbert was not funny at all. I have only seen a fewe of his clips, whereas i have seen the whole clip of the president, so it is not fair for me to judge.
Having said that, I will say that "The Presidents" got more laughs. But I will leave any detailed analysis to the other bloggers.
Here is the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouHJuSbuTlo):
6 Responses to “Bush lampoons Bush–Updated!”
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Plenty of Laughs at White House Correspondents’ Dinner…
If you didn’t catch the Bush Bush comedy routine at the Correspondents’ Association, you missed a few good laughs. He brought out an impersonator, Steve Bridges, to give the crowd his real thoughts, as he played the polite politician. Here…
VIDEO: White House Correspondents Dinner - President Bush & Impersonator…
Last night I mentioned the White House Correspondent’s annual dinner event, and it’s odd guest list. Well, it turned out to be a less funny event than I’ve seen in the past, but President Bush’s “speech” was pretty funny, so……
I find it interesting that all the criticisms of Colbert make brief claims about how it wasn’t funny and refer to him as a comedian. The problem is, if you have ever seen the Colbert Report, Saturday is what he did. He was up there as the Host of the Colbert Report. His barbs were aimed at the two primary groups there…the media and the administration. Just like on his show. I cannot help but notice that the people who think he was not funny are people who are very supportive of the administration…it seems that, unlike Bush (as none of the sites criticizing Colbert give a Presidential reaction beyond Malkin quoting Colbert), many of his supporters are having a tougher time laughing with Bush (something they have in common with the mainstream media). I also can’t help but notice that Malkin gives no evidence about him bombing. She just says he did. As one who watched the speech, not only was it funny, it was clear that the media was broadsided. You expect lampooning of the president, but apparently the press didn’t think he would fire on them, judging from the nervous laughter.
I deliberately ignored the reports about Colbert as I had and still have not seen the speech.
What i did see of it was enough to make me want to give the president his due accolades for not taking the whole thing too seriously.
Yup. I know some are trying to say he clearly was not amused…but he certainly did a much better job of it than the press audience did.