Cheney Lets Loose (kind of)BY JANET DONOVAN
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The Radio-Television Correspondents' Association's 62nd annual dinner at the' Washington Hilton was a feisty laughin' replete with all the expected self' deprecation and blame transference one would' expect from politicians.
"I was a little startled by the size and the diversity' of the crowd tonight," Vice President Dick Cheney' told the crowd. "When I agreed to do this, I was told,' ‘Hey, don't worry about it, they'll all be from Fox.'"' Those trading gossip and sushi at the pre-dinner' party included Senators Arlen Specter, Patrick' Leahy, former Senator John Breaux, former' presidential candidate General Wesley Clark,' NPR's Juan Williams, former Clinton Secretary' of State Madeline Albright, actors Ron Silver and' Bo Derek, Rep. Charles Rangel, Bob Novak,' former HLS honcho Tom Ridge and on-air' FOX personalities Mike Jerrick, Juliette Huddy,' Geraldo Rivera, Brian Wilson, Laurie Dhue,' Tony Snow and Gretchen Carlson.
More than two thousand guests dined on mustardrubbed' fi let mignon while the Vice President took the' podium for an image fix.
"My wife told me to be a little more sociable,' but I know how to have fun – I'm a real party' animal," the VP said. "In 1969, I was an assistant to' Donald Rumsfeld and cannot shake the feeling to' this day that he still sees me as an underling. I asked' the President himself to explain to Donald that the' Secretary of Defense does not outrank the Vice-' President of the United States.
The crowd also enjoyed a touch of "W" thanks' to political comedian Frank Caliendo. His use of' "Bushisms" such as "scarifying" were perfect "He's' kind of like a slot machine because every time he' opens his mouth he knows he is gambling," the' funnyman said about the President. "You know' how he is when he gets to that last sentence and' won't be able to think of the last word.
How everyone got into the CNN after-party' remains a mystery, but those getting in their last' licks at the ice cream bar included WMAL Vice-' President Chris Berry, Democratic strategist' Donna Brazille, CNN's Bob Franken and Wolf' Blitzer, and PR gal Edie Emery..
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