AP: Obama Pokes Fun at Alfalfa Club Dinner

[Pirate Smile]

Obama Pokes Fun at Alfalfa Club Dinner

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: January 31, 2009
Filed at 9:11 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama poked fun at his volatile chief of staff in a free-for-all roasting of Washington and its politicians Saturday night.
Obama was attending the Alfalfa Club dinner, an annual black-tie event where the capital's political and business leaders give humorous speeches.

After a day where Obama readied a new road map for bailout spending and faced questions over a second Cabinet nominee with tax problems, it was chief of staff Rahm Emanuel who was a target of much of the president's ribbing.
''Now this hasn't been reported yet, but it was actually Rahm's idea to do the swearing-in ceremony again,'' Obama said. ''Of course, for Rahm, every day is a swearing-in ceremony.

''Every week the guy takes a little time away to give back to the community. Just last week he was at a local school, teaching profanity to poor children,'' according to Obama. Excerpts of Obama's remarks were released by the White House.

-snip-
On Saturday, Obama also ribbed the club's historical roots and exclusive tradition. The club was started partly to celebrate the birth of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
If Lee ''were here with us tonight, the general would be 202 years old,'' Obama joked. ''And very confused.''
The president also patted himself on the back for the ''toughest diplomacy of my life'' -- being able to keep his Blackberry.
''I finally agreed to limit the number of people who could e-mail me. It's a very exclusive list. How exclusive?''
''Everyone look at the person sitting on your left,'' Obama said. ''Now look at the person sitting on your right. None of you have my e-mail address.''

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090201/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_alfalfa_2

[Why Syzygy]

1. Mr. President has an adorable sense of humor.

:rofl:

[janx]

2. He does, but I like the unscripted stuff better.

There is a Midwestern sense of humor that both Barack and Michelle have that I recognize, since I was raised in the Midwest, and I recognize it and love it!

[Why Syzygy]

5. Like his joke in one of the debates?

When asked if Bill Clinton was the first black president? There's a youtube for it.
He answered seriously, yes, Clinton had an admirable reputation in the black community.
Then with his straight face, with only his eyes laughing, goes on, of course I'd have to do further research into his dancing abilities before I could answer definitively.

He catches us completely off guard. Is it the timing that has the MW flavor? It's tops.

[janx]

9. Yeah, it's timing, but it's also healthy skepticism. n/t

[spindrifter]

3. His remarks were

hilarious! You gotta read the whole article!

[DesertRat]

4. Thanks for posting, I wish there was video of it

I checked all three CSPANs earlier to see if it was on and it wasn't.

I'll admit it, I'm slightly obsessed. :)

[Pirate Smile]

6. No press allowed.

[BeyondGeography]

7. "Nothing says 'change' like the Alfalfa Club Dinner."

per Gibbs yesterday

[SpiralHawk]

18. "You betcha." - Al Falfa

[jenmito]

I'm glad Palin wasn't mentioned. n/t

[merh]

16. ermm, politico states that she was mentioned

To Palin, Obama expressed surprise to see her with such members of the Washington elite she railed against during the campaign. Or, as he termed it in language Palin is familiar with, “palling around with this crew.”

[rvablue]

22. SNAP! n/t

[Submariner]

8. I hope Palin's dreamed of face-to-face with Obama did NOT happen

she is not deserving.

[Why Syzygy]

11. I can't stand the thought of Obama being nice to her.

I'm so tacky.

[Radical Activist]

10. teaching profanity to poor children

hilarious

[rainbow4321]

12. "the club was off limits to women until 1994"

Founded in 1913, the club was off limits to women until 1994 when first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton attended the event with then President Bill Clinton.

-----------
As recent as 1994???????????



:wtf:

[Undercurrent]

13. Best joke Obama delivered that I've heard so far:

"Many you are aware that this dinner began almost one hundred years ago as a way to celebrate the birthday of General Robert E. Lee. If he were here with us tonight, the general would be 202 years old. And very confused."

[beac]

17. I heard he also told Lieber man that there were "no hard feeelings" , that Obama's

door was always open and that the orthodox Joementum could drop by "any Saturday afternoon."

The joke Obama SHOULD have made about would have riffed on Joe the Judas' appearance at the RNC: "What, after all, is a NOBODY like you doing at a VIP event like this?"

[rainbow4321]

14. Politico says the attendees lined up to shake the President's hand

Too funny.

http://www.politico.com/politico44/


"It's a big breach of protocol for the tradition-rich group, but they're doing it anyway"

[Hellataz]

15. The blackberry joke was funny!

It's nice to see a witty intelligent President instead of a court jester.

[Phx_Dem]

19. He had a funny snark for Lieberman and Palin too.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18247.html

Looking to Joe Lieberman, the Democrat-turned-independent-turned McCain supporter, Obama told the Connecticut senator he had no hard feelings.

The door is always open, Obama assured Lieberman, who observes the Sabbath, so feel to drop by—any Saturday afternoon.

To Palin, Obama expressed surprise to see her with such members of the Washington elite she railed against during the campaign. Or, as he termed it in language Palin is familiar with, “palling around with this crew.”

[Arkana]

20. Ice fucking BURNED.

He's good. Very good.

[Jennicut]

21. He got Phalin good.

[brianna69]

23. More Obama at the Alfalfa Dinner

President Obama, at last night’s closed-press Alfalfa Dinner, on the delay in getting a dog: “The labradoodle we picked has some problems with back taxes.”

:rofl: :rofl:

http://www.politico.com/playbook/

[ellacott]

24. That's a good one

:)