Bush as commander-in-cheek

By
John Breneman

Heh heh.

The president of the United States cracks himself up.

The commander-in-cheek killed at the Hyatt in D.C. last Wednesday,
when the prez cracked wise about not wearing a Speedo when
meeting Mexican and Canadian leaders in Cancun.

Watch how the master turns a serious question about immigration
reform into an opening for a self-deprecating jab about what
a moron he is.

THE PRESIDENT: No, that’s a great question. Thanks. It’s
obviously topic du jour. (Laughter.) Pretty fancy, huh? Topic
du jour? (Laughter.) I don’t want to ruin the image. (Laughter.)

By "ruin the image," of course, he means the image
of himself as an amiable dunce. Bush put the crowd in stitches
30 times according to the official
White House (Laughter) transcript.

The
best one came when a representative of Freedom House prefaced
a question by mentioning he’d given the president a copy of
the organization’s annual report.

Bush buzzed in with this zinger: "Little print, no
pictures. Go ahead. (Laughter.)"

But when the patsy came back with a quip of his own —
It’s the bible of freedom, yes. (Laughter.) — Bush made
clear the room was only big enough for one Shecky McPresident.

"I’m the funny guy," said the President
of the United States of America.

Yessiree, sir. You certainly are.

Related stories:
In "TERROR
and LAUGHTER" we quote Bush’s comedy verbatim
but edit the reactions in parenthesis (originally "Laughter"
and "Applause"). Repeat. The
president’s words are his own. Only the reactions have been
edited.

President
tells nation, ‘I’m sure something will pop into my head’

— April 14, 2004

The
oratorical stylings of Pres. George W. Bush — March
28, 2006

A
comic bomb: Bush slays’ em with WMD gag — March
26, 2004