Press corps faces own music

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Vice President Dick Cheney had to substitute for his boss Saturday night at the annual Gridiron Club dinner, so he repaid President Bush by poking fun at his relationship with the press corps.

"The president is really sorry he couldn't be here tonight, but he had another obligation," Mr. Cheney said. "His book club is meeting."

The president traditionally attends the annual gathering of political VIPs hosted by the press, but he was conferring at Camp David with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

In keeping with the event's motto, "Singe but don't burn," Mr. Cheney also took a few lighthearted jabs at his predecessor, former Vice President Al Gore, whose household purportedly uses an above-average amount of energy.

"Many argue that global warming is man-made," Mr. Cheney said, "and it looks like they found the man."

The unpublicized dinner is "off the record," and the working press in not invited. However, some of those who attend tend to provide some snippets, and the club held a rehearsal Friday afternoon at which reporters were given song lyrics for the skits.

At Saturday's dinner, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney joked about his rivals and his Mormon faith.

Noting Rudy Giuliani's statement that, if elected, he might let his wife attend Cabinet meetings, Mr. Romney poked fun at the polygamy practiced by some Mormons and said: "If I adopt the same policy, we're going to need a heck of a lot more chairs in the Cabinet room."

Rep. Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Democrat, said Mr. Romney is a pro-choice governor from Massachusetts who is running as a pro-life candidate from Michigan.

"Mitt, you're a little bit confused about this Mormon thing," Mr. Emanuel said. "It's multiple wives, not multiple lives."