Wocka Wocka Wocka

This weekend was the annual Gridiron Club political press roast, one of those events that the President and all the beltway boys and girls attend to poke fun at their wrongdoings and crimes themselves. President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Senators from both parties (John McCain, Barack Obama), and reporters galore gathered together for a night of good-natured ribbing. Topics included: the Cheney shooting incident, the Dubai ports deal, Iraq, bird flu, the troubles of the Democratic party, and ethics reform. You know, real funny stuff.

This tradition reached a new low at the 2004 Correspondents' Dinner, when the President aired a taped 'skit' of him jokingly searching for nonexistent WMDs all over the White House. "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be here somewhere", the President giggled as he peeked under rugs and behind curtains. If ever there was one event that symbolized the President's indifference to, and detachment from, the destruction of war, this was it. You can see a remix of that video- here.

Here's the AP article on Saturday's Gridiron roast:
Cheney Roasted at Gridiron Club Dinner

A sampling of jokes...

"Sixty-four teams start and they’re whittled down to just one. Kind of reminds me of what we’ve done with our allies."
-Gov. Bill Richardson (NM) comparing Bush's diplomacy with the NCAA basketball tournament

"[A] couple of independent thinkers, which in my book is a negative."
-President Bush on Gov. Richardson and Sen. Hagel

"Good Lord, you'd thought he shot somebody or something."
-President Bush on the uproar over Cheney shooting a man

Steve Young blogs on what a disgusting farce these events are-

...But what the Roast exposes more than the culpability of politicians, is the hypocrisy of the press. For it the Washington Press Corp itself, less perhaps Helen Thomas and David Gregory, that rarely calls the White House on the carpet for the jokes they’ve hoisted on the public year round...

...Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was taken to task for his part in the Iraq war. "Rummy, have you some spare Teflon coating that we could wear?" the press, dressed as soldiers, sang to the tune of "Mister Sandman." "You said we’d win Iraq with ease, Mr. Rumsfeld, we need Humvees."

Alright, dead soldiers, all together now, "Stop, you're killing me."

And that's not very funny at all.