First Lady Steals the Show

THE NATION
First Lady Steals the Show
Laura Bush pokes fun at her husband and draws big laughs at a White House dinner.
By Leslie Hoffecker
Times Staff Writer
May 2, 2005

WASHINGTON — It isn't often that the president of the United States gets upstaged. After all, being the leader of the free world is about as powerful as it gets.

But Laura Bush firmly pushed her husband aside at the annual White House Correspondents Assn. dinner Saturday, bringing down the house with impeccable comedic timing and a deadpan delivery that put professional comedians — like the evening's headliner, Cedric the Entertainer — to shame.

Before her husband's reelection in November, she appeared content in the traditional role of the first lady, smiling a lot and saying little.

But now that the election is over, and given that her approval rating is more than 30 points higher than her husband's, the administration is putting Laura Bush front and center on the public stage — heading an initiative to keep at-risk children from involvement with gangs and drugs, traveling to Afghanistan to thank U.S. troops for their service and to visit with Afghan women training as teachers, even dropping by "The Tonight Show" last week for a chat with Jay Leno.

Her turn in the spotlight Saturday was not the first time a first lady had stolen the show at such an event. At the 1982 Gridiron dinner — a similar gathering of the media and political elite — Nancy Reagan appeared in thrift-shop couture and crooned "Second-Hand Clothes," a takeoff of her spending habits in the White House, set to the tune of "Second-Hand Rose."

Traditionally, the president addresses the White House correspondents dinner, and this was no exception. President Bush was heading into a joke about a city slicker's encounter with a cowboy — one that he noted had bombed during a recent stop in Montana — when he was stopped by a heckler on the dais: "Not that old joke — not again."

With that, the first lady took charge, delivering zingers about her husband, the large Bush family and her life on the ranch near Crawford, Texas.

"George always says he's delighted to come to these press dinners. Baloney. He's usually in bed by now," she said to laughter. "I said to him the other day, 'George, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you're going to have to stay up later.' "

A typical White House evening goes like this, she went on: "Nine o'clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep, and I'm watching 'Desperate Housewives' — with Lynne Cheney. Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife."

Guffaws came from the audience of more than 2,000 journalists, politicians and show business and sports celebrities, including Richard Gere, Al Franken, Jane Fonda and the two quarterbacks of the most recent Super Bowl, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles.

She noted that she and her husband were "complete opposites — I'm quiet, he's talkative; I'm introverted, he's extroverted; I can pronounce 'nuclear.' "

The president laughed at that one.

She discussed the family she married into, saying of Barbara Bush: "People often wonder what my mother-in-law's really like. People think she's a sweet, grandmotherly, Aunt Bea type. She's actually more like, mmm, Don Corleone."

And the native of the Lone Star State poked fun at her husband's patrician upbringing: "George didn't know much about ranches when we bought the place" near Crawford. "Andover and Yale don't have a real strong ranching program.

"But I'm proud of George. He's learned a lot about ranching since that first year when he tried to milk the horse." She paused. "What's worse, it was a male horse."

When she finished, the audience rose in extended — and sincere — applause, although one crowd member may have been a bit miffed by her success.

"I thought I could follow the president," Cedric the Entertainer told the crowd. "But the first lady — that's something different."

Another story...

First Lady Stars at Laughs-A-Plenty D.C. Dinner
May 2, 2005
BY BILL ZWECKER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

WASHINGTON -- Without a doubt, Laura Bush stole the show Saturday night at the 91st annual White House Correspondents Association dinner, surprising the crowd of 2,000 journalists, politicians and celebrities with a cleverly written, fairly racy standup routine that really zinged her husband.

As is the tradition, President Bush started to deliver the joke-filled address, saying, "I always look forward to this dinner, where I'm supposed to be funny -- intentionally." As he began to tell a joke, the first lady walked to the podium and gently shoved aside the commander-in-chief.

"I've been attending these dinners for a number of years, quietly sitting here not saying anything.

"[Tonight] I've got a few things of my own to say."

The first lady had one word for the president's claim that he enjoyed attending the dinner at the Washington Hilton: "Baloney! George is usually in bed by now. I'm married to the president of the United States and here's our typical evening: Nine o'clock and Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep. I'm a desperate housewife ... left watching 'Desperate Housewives' -- with Lynne Cheney," who was laughing uproariously, sitting a few feet away.

The first lady joked that recently she and the vice president's wife went to a Chippendale's [men's strip] club, "along with Condoleezza Rice and [top presidential adviser] Karen Hughes."

"But it was OK. [Supreme Court justices] Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sandra Day O'Connor saw us there. I won't say what went on, but let's just say that Lynne's Secret Service nickname now is 'Dollar Bill.' "

Mrs. Bush also made fun of the close-knit Bush clan's beloved summer home in Maine. "Kennebunkport is a lot like Crawford [Texas] -- without the nightlife."

As for her mother-in-law, former first lady Barbara Bush, Laura Bush smilingly cooed, "So many parents are not involved in their children's lives. That's not a problem with Barbara Bush. ... She's more like Don Corleone."

The first lady also tweaked the president's image as the rugged West Texas rancher, "complimenting" her husband's work ethic on their Crawford spread -- considering his true background. "He does a pretty good job, considering they don't really have a strong ranching program at Andover or Yale."

Considering he had to follow the first lady's hysterical standup act, no one envied comedian and actor Cedric the Entertainer, who admitted even he was surprised to be invited to perform -- given he's not known for his political humor. Cedric did manage a number of solid quips -- eliciting a big laugh from the president saying, "The best job in the armed services is to be the guy who stands there greeting the president when he gets off the helicopter. He even gets a little TV time!"

While Cedric admitted, "The only time I'm a Republican is during tax season" -- he hoped his participation Saturday "might get me a little break from the IRS!"

The White House Correspondents Dinner also brings together an eclectic assortment of famous faces. Besides the well-known reporters schmoozing with politicos, media organizations often invite Hollywood stars to add some glamor. Here's a rundown of those seen -- and what some had to say:

**Jane Fonda -- exiting the ladies' room -- laughed when asked about sharing a venue with George W. Bush. "Not a usual occurrence, to be sure ... but he is the president of the United States ... and I'm just happy to be here. I'll be interested to see what he has to say."

As she left the gala -- after being surprised with everyone else by Laura Bush's routine -- Fonda said, "I think she was terrific! Very funny stuff. Wow!"

*Mary Tyler Moore was spied "enjoying myself immensely. ... After all, I did play a newswoman on TV for an awfully long time! ... It's just great to be here. I'm a real news junkie ... Love seeing all the people who really bring us the news of the world every day."

*Veteran Illinois Republican leader and diplomat, Ambassador Richard Williamson was happy to be sitting at the same table with Richard Gere. While admitting the two men's politics are very different, Williamson was quick to point out, "When it comes to Tibet, we are totally in agreement." Gere -- a devout Buddhist and major supporter of the Dalai Lama -- has long campaigned to free Tibet from Chinese domination.

Gere himself loved "the dynamic of this event. I've never come to this. ... It's fascinating to see everyone."

*For Chicago-based political consultant David Axelrod, the timing of Saturday's dinner was perfect. "It's serendipitous -- with the Bulls playing the Wizards in Washington the afternoon before the dinner." While Axelrod got to go to the game, his cheering obviously "wasn't strong enough" to prevent the Wizards from crushing the Bulls in the third game of the opening playoff round.

*Others sighted on the run: "The West Wing" star Richard Schiff, liberal comedian and commentator Al Franken ("Yes, this certainly is one party I should be going to"), Arriana Huffington (predicting "very tough days ahead" for her former primary opponent, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger), actors Ron Silver and Dennis Hopper, Princess Diana biographer Andrew Morton, former presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark (laughing when he set off the metal detectors entering the ballroom -- forcing him to be "wanded" by a security guard), Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan (acting like any other husband, waiting patiently outside the ladies' room for his wife, NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell), Salman Rushdie (spied running around wearing a modified Nehru jacket), Elle Macpherson (doing nothing special except looking absolutely gorgeous -- something she does to perfection) and "Sideways" colleagues -- director Alexander Payne and Chicago's own Virginia Madsen -- enjoying a mini-reunion at the dinner.

*laughing* she was a riot! i saw the video with the Chippendale's joke. the audience was howling and rocking with laughter.

her sense of humor (and sometimes self-deprecating humor, at that!) is wonderful. a gift some politicians and their supporters woefully lack.

interesting the tone difference in the articles, though. for example, "Laura Bush firmly pushed her husband aside at the annual White House Correspondents Assn. dinner Saturday, ..." vs "the first lady walked to the podium and gently shoved aside the commander-in-chief."