OBAMA READY TO EAT THE PRESS

Forget the celebs: Will the president be funny at the White     House Correspondent’s dinner?

Hard to remember amid the celebrity circus, but the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner used to be a quiet affair honoring the president and the folks who covered him. A break from the day-to-day grind, the night allows the president — under the guise of humor — to address the news of the day, tease the loyal opposition (obligatory John Boehner one-liner here), and, basically, make us like him.

Of course, some bits work better than others. What makes a legend most? A few WHCA presidential guidelines:

Be self-deprecating: Always a smart move, especially when you can zing your critics at the same time. Obama got big laughs in 2009 about his Teleprompter habit. Last year, it was a birther gag: “My approval ratings. . . have just gone down. But that’s politics. It doesn’t bother me. Beside I happen to know that my approval ratings are still very high in the country of my birth.”

Then mock the other guys: In descending order of importance, the vice-president, chief of staff, cabinet members and freshman congress. “Happy Mother’s Day,” Obama told the crowd at his first dinner. “This is a tough holiday for Rahm Emanuel because he’s not used to saying the word ‘day’ after ‘mother.’ ” What’s worse than being a punchline? Not getting mentioned.

Oh no he didn’t: Obama was probably the only person who could get away with this at the 2010 dinner: “I saw Michael Steele backstage when we were taking pictures — aka Notorious GOP. Michael, who knows what truly plagues America today: Taxation without representin’. My brother!”

Visual aids: Painful when done poorly, awesome if a professional film crew has your back. Bill Clinton scored big with his hilarious “Final Days” video at the 2000 dinner, which showed the lame duck playing “Battleship,” riding his bike inside the White House, washing his limo and otherwise killing time.

Bait and switch: George W. Bush’s most memorable outings happened when he didn’t give a speech. In 2005, Laura Bush hijacked the mike and deadpanned a 10-minute routine. “I said to him the other day, George, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you’re going to have to stay up later.”
First lady Laura Bush grins at her husband after taking the microphone away from him at the 2005 dinner. (Evan Vucci/ AP) The next year, he teamed up with dead-on Bush impersonator Steve Bridges. “I’m absolutely delighted to be here,” said the real Bush, while his alter-ego complained, “The media really ticks me off — the way they try to embarrass me by not editing what I say.”

Shout out to celebs in the house: In 2002, Bush singled out Ozzy Osbourne, whose MTV reality series was hot then. Osbourne stood on his chair to sop up the attention, drawing wild cheers from the crowd. Last year, Obama took on the Jonas Brothers. “Sasha and Malia are huge fans. But, boys, don’t get any ideas. I have two words for you: predator drones.”

How will Obama (and “Saturday Night Live” comedian Seth Meyers fare this year? You don’t need a ticket to see for yourself: Their speeches will be broadcast live on C-Span.

Royal Wedding: Prince William and Catherine Middleton Kiss Twice on Balcony as World Watches

Prince William and Catherine Middleton kiss on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Royal newlyweds Prince William and Catherine Middleton kissed twice on the balcony of Buckingham Palaceecstatic crowds. in front of family and

The married couple, who officially became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Friday morning, smiled and waved before thousands of screaming spectators and a worldwide audience of more than 2 billion people as they made the customary post-wedding appearance on the palace balcony.

In the most carefully choreographed of weddings -- with every moment planned to the second -- the couple's balcony kiss was the one wildcard, and it did not disappoint. The heir to the British throne first exchanged a short peck with his beloved bride and then leaned in to kiss her again about two minutes later. The Abbey bells rang, the overhead fighter planes hummed and heart-shaped balloons floated above. The crowd erupted in cheers and became a sea of waving flags. 

At Westminster Abbey, William, 28, and Middleton, 29, held hands, gazed into each other's eyes and exchanged vows as if they were not surrounded by 1,900 guests in the historic cathedral. Middleton glowed in an ivory and white satin wedding gown, covered in delicate lace appliqué and full skirt, wearing a tiara. The only major moment missing from the fairytale service was a kiss.

Unlike most wedding ceremonies in the United States where the bride and groom kiss at the altar, royal newlyweds abstain from kissing during the service. Even outside the church, the kiss had long been viewed as an intimate and private moment until Prince William's parents, Charles and Diana, broke with tradition and spontaneously pecked on the balcony following their nuptials almost 30 years ago.

William and Middleton's first kiss as a married couple was short and sweet but seemed more natural than Charles and Diana's. Two minutes later, responding to chants from the crowd to "Kiss her again," the newlyweds locked lips, and William blushed ever so slightly.

The world weighed in on the iconic kiss on Twitter, with 98 percent of tweets dubbing the smooches a "#RoyalSuccess" versus a "#RoyalMess." Comments on Twitter skewed slightly negative after the first kiss, but turned celebratory after the second.

The only one who seemed not to share in the thrill and delight of the moment was Prince William's goddaughter, Grace Van Cutsem. The young bridesmaid, pictured below, covered her ears and pouted as the newly named duke and duchess locked lips on the balcony.