Biden Pokes Fun at His Boss During Gridiron.

[elleng]

Source: AP/NYT

'Vice President Joe Biden poked fun at Barack Obama's do-no-wrong reputation as he spoke at an annual white-tie gathering of journalists and top administration officials Saturday night.

Obama, the first president in decades not to attend the Gridiron Club dinner during his first year in office, couldn't make it because he's busy preparing for Easter, Biden said.

''He thinks it's about him,'' Biden said of the holiday. Obama spent the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains with his family.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the evening's Republican speaker, had another explanation for the media and politicians assembled at a downtown Washington ballroom for the festivities.

''He's just not that into you,'' Schwarzenegger said, referring to the book and movie with that title.'


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/03/22/washington/AP-Gridiron-Dinner.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. FDR hated going to this event. nt

[elleng]

2. SMART Then,

Smart Now!
Should be a GREAT day at Camp David!

[Jennicut]

3. I like that our VP and Prez have the ability to poke fun of themselves and each other

Biden said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, in attendance for much of the event, is ''always there when you need money, no questions asked.'' OUCH!

This one had me really laughing though:
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, the Democratic speaker, said former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the Republican governor of Alaska, really set back the cause of ''hot governors.''

''You know where I'm coming from, Ed Rendell,'' she said, referring to the Pennsylvania governor.

[DFW]

4. I've been to a couple of those

Of course, they were both when Democratic presidents were in office (Carter end Clinton).
I must say, they were really great, and politicians of both parties were very funny. Some
of the conversation you catch in the aisles is interesting, too, like when I overheard Newt
Gingrich say about his "Contract with America" that he and is gang had "bitten off more than
they could chew." You never heard him say THAT on the Sunday talk shows!

The entertainment and the songs are usually fun too. My dad was president of the Gridiron Club
one year when Clinton was president, and because of that, they even used some of my songs after
her died, even though they are only supposed to use songs by current members. I shudder to think
that my stuff was performed in front of Bush and Cheney, but that's the way it goes. Our old friend,
Helen Thomas was not only the first woman member, but also the first woman president of Gridiron
shortly before my dad became president.

I have never heard Schwarzenegger speak in person, but I have heard Jennifer Granholm speak,
and she can be spellbinding. I'll bet this year was a great show, despite Obama's absence.

[D-Lee]

6. Thanks for sharing those memories and observations!

Your remarks give a great context -- something often in short supply these days.

[DFW]

7. I could have gone on for pages--be grateful I didn't LOL!

As a virtual child of Capitol Hill (my dad was one of the last great impartial print
journalists in that town), Gridiron was a part of my family for nearly a quarter century.
When my dad died, a bunch of Gridiron friends from the music committee he so dearly loved
came to the memorial held at the National Press Club at 14th and F streets and sang a medley
of songs he had written for shows over the last 23 years--a real tribute. His DC press friends
ranged from Jack Kilpatrick on the right to Helen Thomas on the left, and true friends they
all were.

The last time I was at Gridiron, I was seated next to the Canadian Ambassador, and we got to
be friends. He was THE finest foreign service officer of ANY country I have ever met, and if
his uncle hadn't been Prime Minister at the time, I would have tried to get him to defect to
the USA (no not really!!). When he left Washington to become Ambassador to France, he invited
me to stop by the Canadian Embassy in Paris and hang out (I did). Gridiron really was a special
occasion, and it didn't matter if you were a Cabinet member or a nobody: at Gridiron, you could
approach anybody and chat with them, and form some very special friendships. It is one of those
unique Washington occasions/institutions that is hard to explain to an outsider, and I fear I
fail miserably to give an adequate portrait.

[Bette Noir]

5. Good on Barack, for spending the day relaxing with his family.

As hard as he's been working, he'd burn out in a year, if he didn't take some time off.

Poor guy didn't know he was working so hard to get the worst job in the world.