Sen. Klobuchar steals show at Congressional dinner

Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-Minn.) surprisingly caustic humor elicited belly laughs from much of the Washington press corps Wednesday night at the Washington Press Club Foundation’s Annual Congressional Dinner.

“I’m up here telling the jokes and Al Franken is going to be our senator. What’s wrong with this picture?” said Klobuchar, who wrote only a portion of her jokes.

{mosads}Nobody was safe in Klobuchar’s standup routine as she skewered everyone from White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to former Vice President Dick Cheney to Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.).

After declaring that she raised $17,000 in campaign contributions from her ex-boyfriends, she said, “I know in the House that record is held by Barney Frank.”

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), working on only five days of practice, stepped in with some zingers of his own.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) couldn’t make the dinner because “as you know, Wednesdays are his tanning night.”

Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) said the speeches were tamer than those he had seen at past  dinners. “Much more enjoyable than usual,” he said. “I didnt think they were quite as mean as I’ve heard in the past.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) revealed how she had gotten comfortable behind the podium in her remarks: “I took off my shoes but don’t be afraid, I’m not going to be up here that long.”

While at the helm, Pelosi got in a few digs. She said Emanuel’s new email address is: “bleep bleep bleep at the White House dot com.”

The evening was a who’s who of Congress. Others attending included House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Diane Watson (D-Calif.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), Adam Putnam (R-Fla.), Tom Price (R-Ga.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Dennis Moore (D-Kan.). Senators showed up late or cancelled because of evening votes, but Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), who succeeded Vice President Biden, were seen.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) seemed to sum up the spirit of the night. “It gives us a chance to take life not so seriously and realize we’re all in this together,” he said.