Reporters rest pens for night of laughs

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This year's Washington Press Club Foundation Dinner was supposed to be a comedic duel between Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Rep. John A. Boehner.

Instead, Tuesday night belonged to the ladies: the new speaker of the House and the reporter who shattered the White House's glass ceiling.

The assembled press and guests, 850 strong, oohed over Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her brief remarks, then ahhed when veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas picked up a lifetime achievement honor.

To be fair, neither Mr. Kennedy or Mr. Boehner did much to win the crowd back.

The event draws out the funniest members of Congress, and the material often veers from edgy to downright hilarious. But while Mr. Boehner's shtick proved too inside-the-Beltway for even a District crowd, Mr. Kennedy served warmed-over gags from Milton Berle's day.

The dinner, held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Northwest, let Mr. Boehner dress down a number of scribes personally, doing a less catty version of Mr. Blackwell's "worst dressed" list.

The perennially tan House minority leader also teased the new speaker, grumbling about her snuffing out smoking in the halls of Congress. Now, he's reduced to smoking outside in the brutal winter air.

"I want a seat on your global warming committee," he cracked.

Mr. Kennedy then took the podium, rumbling through material that seemed new to him, if not us.

He took a few shots at himself, particularly how long he has served in Congress (44 years, to be exact).