People: Obamacare takes ribbing at roast
Little was sacred when President Barack Obama tossed out playful but pointed jokes Saturday night – not even his own health care plan.
“We rolled out HealthCare.gov. That could have gone better,” Obama said in remarks at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. “In 2008 my slogan was ‘Yes we can.’ In 2013 my slogan was ‘Control-Alt-Delete.’ ”
On the plus side, the president said, “They did turn the launch of HealthCare.gov into one of the year’s biggest movies.” On a screen flashed the poster for “Frozen.”
When a video Obama introduced failed to play properly, he asked, “Does anybody know how to fix this?” To laughter, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stepped up and said: “I got this. I see it all the time.” In the wake of the problems with the website, Sebelius has announced she is stepping down.
The featured entertainer was comic actor Joel McHale, the star of the NBC series “Community.”
In his own routine, Obama didn’t waste time turning his barbed jokes toward the news media.
“MSNBC is here,” he said. “They’re a little overwhelmed. They’ve never seen an audience this big before.”
Noting that he had traveled to Asia recently, Obama said: “The lengths we have to go to to get CNN coverage these days. I think they’re still searching for their table.”
The president saved his sharpest jabs for another cable news network. “The Koch brothers bought a table here tonight, but as usual they used a shadowy right-wing organization as a front. Hello, Fox News!”
Princes hit Memphis high points
Prince William and Prince Harry toured the home of the King – Elvis Presley, that is – and then went to a friend’s wedding on Saturday during their trip to Tennessee.
Their visit inspired dozens of fans, paparazzi and news media to patiently wait hours outside the Memphis Hunt and Polo Club for the chance to see royalty. Instead, they saw police and several black sport utility vehicles pull into the club.
The birthday bunch
Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson musical family, is 84. Actor Richard Jenkins is 67. Singer Jackie Jackson (The Jacksons) is 63. Country singer Randy Travis is 55. Actor Will Arnett is 44. Rock musician Mike Dirnt (Green Day) is 42. Sports reporter Erin Andrews is 36. Singer Lance Bass (‘N Sync) is 35.