It was a shock, especially for those who are not fans of the president. On the platform at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, standing together at the podium, was not one George Bush, but two. Faced with the daunting annual ritual of having to be intentionally funny, Bush had arranged for an impressionist, Steve Bridges, to share the burden with him.
On television, it is obvious which is which. But in the International Ballroom of the Hilton in Washington, with so many of the guests too far away to see clearly, there was initial confusion. In his opening remarks, Bush said: ”Here, I am,” but that did not convince everyone.
After a series of exchanges between the two, it was still not immediately obvious who the real George Bush was. Even at the end, some were not entirely sure. ”It was the one on the left,” said a departing guest. ”No, it was the one on the right,” said her partner.
Bush, who has had a difficult year with the Washington press corps, does not enjoy these dinners. In his act with Bridges, he said sarcastically: ”As you know, I always look forward to these dinners.” The fake president, acting as Bush’s more honest alter ego, was free to be more outspoken. ”I gotta pretend I like being here. Being here really ticks me off.” Referring to the lowest poll ratings of his presidency, with 64% indicating they do not approve of his policies, the fake George Bush said: ”How come I can’t have dinner with the 36% of the people who like me?”
The dinner is one of the premier events on the Washington social calendar. It dates back to Calvin Coolidge in 1924, the first of 13 presidents to attend. In the early days, it was a much more homely event, with singing between courses and a home-made movie. But the trend has grown for presidents to turn into stand-up comics for the night.
There were about 2 600 guests at the black-tie event, mainly from the media and political worlds, but also an eclectic mixture of celebrities, from actors to sports stars. The dinner on Saturday night began with a United States military band playing as the national flag was taken to the platform, followed by a presentation of journalism awards. And then it was Bush’s turn. Even his critics laughed when two ”presidents” appeared.
The fake president repeatedly challenged the real one. Bridges asked Bush to tackle words whose pronunciation has often defeated him. Bush played along, describing the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) as the ”EIEO”. He was also happy to parody his reputation for making vacuous statements. ”I love America because it is full of Americans,” Bush said.
Bush smiled constantly during the 15-minute sketch, which was greeted throughout with applause and laughter. Having rehearsed the sketch, he knew what was coming. But he did not know about the skit that followed, a critique of his presidency by the political satirist Steven Colbert, who made jokes about the elusive weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, opportunistic pictures on aircraft carriers and the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina.
Castigating Bush for not changing policy even when circumstances demanded it, he said: ”When the president decides something on Monday, he still believes it on Wednesday — no matter what happened Tuesday.”
Colbert was scathing about Bush’s failures in Iraq. ”I believe the government that governs best is the government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq.”
Bush’s grin became increasingly fixed. At the end of Colbert’s sketch he and Laura gave him quick nods and left the platform unsmiling. — Guardian Unlimited Â