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• The White House Correspondents' Dinner is an annual charity roast customarily hosted by a famous comedian and headlined by the President of the United States. The event raises money for journalism scholarships and other charities. It is customary for the host and other speakers to make fun of the president at the event.

  The 2009 White House Correspondents' Dinner was held on the evening of May 9 at the Washington Hilton. 2500 journalists, politicians and celebrities attended the event, hosted by actress and stand-up comidienne Wanda Sykes, who took jabs at Republicans, Rush Limbaugh and former GOP Vice Presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin—who was not in attendance, though her husband, Todd Palin, did attend.Daily News: President Barack Obama gets laughs...

• Fast Facts

  1. Annual charity roast held by White House Correspondents' Association
  2. 2009 dinner held May 9 at Washington Hilton
  3. Barack Obama attended the event, as every president has done since Calvin CoolidgeOfficial Site: White House Correspondent's Association Annual Dinner
  4. 2009 event skipped dessert, donating the $13,140 savings to a charities that feed the hungryEditor and Publisher: No Dessert for Obama at White House Correspondents Dinner (May 6, 2009)
  5. Hosted by Wanda Sykes
  6. Previous hosts include Stephen Colbert, Craig Ferguson and Rich Little
  7. First WHCA Dinner was held in 1914
  8. Only men were allowed to attend until 1961

• Celebrities Who Attended

  More 'A'-list Hollywood celebrities attended the 2009 event than did during the years in which George W. Bush was in office. Attendees included Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Forest Whitaker, Eva Longoria, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, John Cusack, Natalie Portman, Whoopi Goldberg and Kevin Bacon. Musicians who attended included Sting, Bon Jovi and Brad Paisley.The Washington Post: Obama Delivers the Zingers at Journalists' Dinner (May 10, 2009)

• Obama WHCD Quotes

  "Sasha and Malia aren't here tonight because they're grounded. You can't just take Air Force One on a joy ride to Manhattan. I don't care whose kids you are."Daily News: President Barack Obama gets laughs...

  "The second she got back from Mexico, she pulled me into a hug and gave me a big kiss and told me I better get down there myself.""—On Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to Mexico just before the Swine Influenza epidemic emergedDaily News: President Barack Obama gets laughs...

  "I would like to talk about what my administration plans to achieve in the next 100 days. During the second 100 days, we will design, build and open a library dedicated to my first 100 days."CNN: Obama pokes fun at Republicans, Clinton, self at annual dinner

  "He is very busy working on his memoirs, tentatively titled, "How to Shoot Friends and Interrogate People."—On former Vice President Dick Cheney's absence from the DinnerCNN: Obama pokes fun at Republicans, Clinton, self at annual dinner

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Barack Obama | George W. Bush | Wanda Sykes | Washington DC | Calvin Coolidge

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