President Bush put in a respectably funny performance at last night’s Radio-TV Correspondents Association dinner. Example:

I have to admit we really blew the way we let those attorneys go. You know you’ve botched it when people sympathize with lawyers.

But seems like he saved his best material — for first. Actually, for earlier in the day. The funniest joke he told yesterday came in the morning and at Congress’ expense.  This is from remarks to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association:

There’s $3.5 million for visitors to tour the Capitol and see for themselves how Congress works. (Laughter.) I’m not kidding you. (Laughter.)

No, he’s not kidding. Sometimes the truth is funniest of all.

Some prominent discussion of blogs at today’s White House press briefing:

Q Dana, back on the issue of the bloggers, the unnamed Iraqi bloggers that the President cited and tried to use to help make his argument for progress in Iraq — this is an administration that doesn’t respond to anonymous quotes in established media outlets here in the United States. The President is citing these anonymous — two anonymous Iraqi bloggers to help make the argument –

MS. PERINO: It’s one input from many different inputs that are coming in regarding progress on the ground.

Q Isn’t that a little ironic, though?

MS. PERINO: No, I don’t think it is. You guys call me with anonymous quotes that you want me to respond to all of the time, and sometimes I do. Sometimes I do. I have before.

Q But as a tactic, for him to be — is there something that prompted that specific –

MS. PERINO: I’ll look into the — I think that maybe somebody found it compelling, the President wanted to include it in his speech. And I’ll see if I can get more for you on it, but I don’t think it’s unusual. Blogs are new for all of us, and I know that you all look at them, because then you call me and ask me what we think about the blogs.

Would love to know which blogs the press corps is asking about.

Lovers of political trivia should rejoice at today’s Washington Post correction:

A March 27 KidsPost article about presidential elections said that 2008 will be the first time since 1952 that neither a sitting president nor a sitting vice president has run for president. President Harry S. Truman and Vice President Alben Barkley each ran briefly for the Democratic nomination in 1952. 

They’re right.  We owe it to the kiddies to set the record straight about the great Alben Barkley.

The White House website posts this Tony Snow box on the top front-page:

President Bush on Tuesday said, “Obviously, a lot of folks here in the White House worry a lot about their friend, as do Laura and I. And so my message to Tony is, stay strong; a lot of people love you and care for you and will pray for you. And we’re hoping for all the best. I’m looking forward to the day that he comes back to the White House and briefs the press corps on the decisions that I’m making and why I’m making them.”

The item also includes a link for sending get well wishes.

We still don’t know if Jim Webb is as good at shooting lawyers as Dick Cheney, but Dana Milbank’s piece today does shed light on one question arising from his aide getting popped for carrying Webb’s firearm:

Webb even hinted that he ignores the District law requiring handguns to be registered. Asked if he considered himself above D.C. law, he said: “I’m not going to comment in any level in terms of how I provide for my own security,” he said.

Ever have the urge to wade into a sea of tuxedo-clad DC media and political celebrities and, well, insult them all?

This just might happen tonight at the Washington Hillton during the 63rd annual Radio-TV Correspondents’ Association Dinner (otherwise known as DC’s junior prom.)

An unusual stage reportedly getting set up IN FRONT of the ballroom’s presidential podium prompts gossip and speculation.  The going suspicion is that it’s not President Bush who will be working the crowd cabaret-style.

We don’t the name(s) of the talent leading the floor show.  But here at Extreme Mortman, we always hope to see Don Rickles call everyone a hockey puck.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino at today’s news briefing:

I do know that Tony Snow loves this job. He says it is the best job he’s ever had in his life. He, in fact, has called it “communications Disneyland.”

First, last week’s answer — “Hey Buddy, you’re liberal” — and the winning question:

• Peter Roff:  What was Connie Mack’s winning slogan in his 1988 campaign for U.S. Senate?

Now, this week’s Extreme Trivia answer: Dicky Flatt.  What’s the question?

A caller during C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” discussion this morning of the Muslim cleric lawsuit:

This is Andrew.  I want to be clear my last name is spelled like the Oklahoma City bomber.  And I’d like to say I’ve been profiled.  And frankly, I saw nothing wrong with it, because I flew in and out of Denver.  It was during the trial of Mr. McVeigh.  I have also served in Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East and I’m a veteran of Iraq.  And I have to tell you, I don’t think that the prudent judgment’s taken by the airline is anything wrong with it. But having personally experienced prejudice against my last name for the last 12 odd years I would have to say that, you know frankly people need to get over it and use common sense. I’m called Timothy often and while it’s a little bit aggravating, I have to just assess the source and move on.

An eagle-eyed loyal Extreme reader alerts us to today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Robert D. Holsworth, a political analyst at Virginia Commonwealth University, suggested that both Kaine and Republicans can congratulate themselves for the compromise.

“This is a kumbaya moment in which the governor and Democrats can take credit and the Republicans can take credit,” Holsworth said.