Bush conducts himself impeccably

FROM his "Yo Blair" greeting to the former prime minister to his impromptu massage for the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, George Bush has always been a colourful figure.

And, at his last White House Correspondents' Dinner, the US President played to the crowd in style, marking the event by striking a series of bizarre poses, conducting a military band and taking a few potshots at his potential successors.

During his speech, Mr Bush expressed surprise that none of the presidential contenders were at the annual dinner.

"Senator McCain's not here," he said of Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain. "He probably wanted to distance himself from me a little bit. You know, he's not alone. Jenna (Bush's daughter] is moving out, too."

The President also referred to scandals that have dogged the campaigns of Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, in explaining their absence. "Hillary Clinton couldn't get in because of sniper fire and Senator Obama's at church."

During the ongoing campaign, Mrs Clinton wrongly claimed to have landed under sniper fire in Bosnia as first lady. Mr Obama's longtime Chicago pastor has been criticised for his negative comments about the United States.

The President admitted to being "a little wistful" in his final appearance at the dinner, showing video clips of his routines from previous years. He finished by conducting the US Marine Corps Band in a medley of patriotic marches.

Craig Ferguson, the Scots-born host of CBS' Late Late Show, also entertained guests at the event.

The comedian-turned-presenter, who became a US citizen in February, asked Mr Bush what he was going to do after leaving office, then suggested, "You could look for a job with more vacation time," a reference to criticism of the amount of time Mr Bush has spent away from the White House during his presidency.

And, on Dick Cheney, Ferguson said the vice-president was "already moving out of his residence – it takes longer than you think to pack up an entire dungeon".

The White House Correspondents' Dinner was created in 1920. It is attended by media personalities, celebrities and politicians.

Among those at Saturday's event were actors Ben Affleck and his wife Jennifer Garner, John Cusack, Pamela Anderson and Claire Danes, singers Ashlee Simpson and the Jonas Brothers, and author Salman Rushdie.

Top political figures also joined the president for the event, with Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Michael Chertoff, the Homeland Security Secretary, attending.

The White House Correspondents Association was formed to act as a point of liaison between the press and the president.

Every president since Calvin Coolidge has attended the dinner.

LAMPOONING THE PRESIDENT IS TOP OF THE MENU

IT HAS been graced by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin since its inception in 1920.

But the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner is best known for its presidential lampooning.

When President Ford rose to speak in 1975, he "accidentally" caught a tablecloth in his trousers, causing silverware to fall in the lap of comedian Chevy Chase. He also pretended to trip as he approached the podium, flinging pages he was carrying into the audience.

In 2000, outgoing President Bill Clinton mocked himself in the short film President Clinton: Final Days, which depicted him as a lonely man riding a bicycle, and learning about the internet. George Bush mocked himself two years ago with the help of celebrity impersonator Steve Bridges. But some of the cosy dinners have failed to strike the right comedy note.

Last year's turn by impersonator Rich Little was slammed by critics, after several jokes and impersonations drew little or no laughter.