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Obama, Kimmel Keep White House Correspondents Dinner Full of Laughs


U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with comedian Jimmy Kimmel as WHCA President and Reuters correspondent Caren Bohan (C) watches at the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner in Washington, April 28, 2012.
U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with comedian Jimmy Kimmel as WHCA President and Reuters correspondent Caren Bohan (C) watches at the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner in Washington, April 28, 2012.

Hollywood celebrities are not usually seen mingling with Washington's elite, but Saturday night was an exception that comes once a year.

Hollywood celebrities, journalists and government officials came together in Washington Saturday for a night of laughs at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner.

President Barack Obama addressed the group in the Washington Hilton hotel, taking a moment to joke about his similarities with the presumed Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney.

"We both think of our wives as our better halves, and the polls show to an alarmingly insulting extent that the American people agree," he said. "We also both have degrees from Harvard. I have one, he has two. What a snob."

Actor George Clooney (R) laughs while U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner in Washington, April 28, 2012.
Actor George Clooney (R) laughs while U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner in Washington, April 28, 2012.
This year's featured comedian was Jimmy Kimmel, host of ABC television's late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Kimmel took several hard jabs. He made light of the president's approval rating this election year.

"There's a term for President Obama, probably not two terms."

He even used actress Sofía Vergara to joke about the Secret Service prostitution scandal plaguing Washington.

"Sofía is from Colombia," he said. "This is how women look like in Colombia, what do you expect the Secret Service to do?"

Hollywood celebrities attending the event included George Clooney, Kim Kardashian and Steven Spielberg.

Proceeds from the dinner go toward scholarships for aspiring journalists and awards for excellence in the profession.

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