WASHINGTON - Hollywood and Washington went on a romantic date Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, where more than 2,000 politicians, celebrities, journalists and hangers-on dined on crabmeat terrine and chocolate truffles and belly-laughed at remarks delivered by President Obama during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

The seating arrangements created a muddled tableau of elites from different industries. Kate Hudson sat next to former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Sofia Vergara of "Modern Family" and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie cracked each other up and posed for photos together.

The dinner is perhaps the only venue on the planet where erstwhile presidential candidate Rick Santorum would snap a photo of Lindsay Lohan. Lohan, whose date appeared to be her attorney, sat at Fox News' table with Kim Kardashian and her mom, Kris Jenner.

All was bubbly at the Hilton, and pundits and politicians seemed to drop their adversarial role-playing -- an act that keeps them on air or in office -- in favor of buddy-buddiness.

Nothing was safe from Obama's barbs

This year's primaries, the 2008 campaign, the General Services Administration scandal, Mitt Romney's dog, the Secret Service and Donald Trump were targets for Obama's humor. Even the entrance to his speech was part of his schtick. The president walked offstage just before he took the podium with an alleged "hot mic," making fun of getting caught last month on an open microphone with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. He ended by saying he had more material, but "I have to get the Secret Service home in time for their new curfew." Agents standing nearby didn't crack even a hint of a smile.