December 28, 2000 Washington Times

For those who haven't had their fill of presidential humor over the last eight years, grab a bowl of popcorn and click on the boob tube.

This New Year's weekend, Brian Lamb of C-SPAN fame will recap eight years of the Clinton administration by televising 11 separate speeches by President Clinton at the annual White House Correspondents and Radio & Television Correspondents Washington Gala Dinners.

And yes, the series will include the accompanying famous speech by radio personality Don Imus that made national headlines in 1996 — remarks the White House pleaded with C-SPAN not to rebroadcast.

Mr. Imus, who had supported Mr. Clinton in 1992, only to back Bob Dole four years later, had the president and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton clenching their teeth by bringing up the president's womanizing and legal troubles.

At one point, he wondered out loud what member of the Clinton family would become the first to be placed in a police lineup. He went on to suggest two campaign bumper stickers: "Clinton-Gore Please Raise Your Right Hand" and "Clinton-Gore — 4 More or 5 To 10."

The grilling got worse — or better, depending how you looked at it.

Mr. Imus later said of Mr. Clinton's reaction: "I can't even describe his face. If he'd had a gun, he'd a shot me. I was talking to him like I was sitting next to him on a bar stool." Organizers of the dinner immediately apologized, in writing, to the president. As for White House reaction, Clinton spokesman Mike McCurry appealed to C-SPAN not to rebroadcast the event.

"I didn't know whether young children ought to be subjected to it, courtesy of C-SPAN," he said. Little did Mr. McCurry know all that Mr. Clinton himself would be subjecting children to two years later.

The series will air Saturday from noon to 8:15 p.m. In addition to the president's remarks, each gala features a nationally known comedian or humorist, besides Mr. Imus: Al Franken, Jon Stewart, Ray Romano, Jay Leno, Garrison Keillor, Darrell Hammond, Conan O'Brien and Elayne Boosler.

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), December 28, 2000

Answers

This should kill, oh, let's see...about 5 minutes of my weekend...

-- Uncle Bob (unclb0b@aol.com), December 28, 2000.