U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar represented the Democrats at the 128th annual Gridiron Club and Foundation Dinner at the Renaissance Washington Hotel Saturday night, amusing a white tie audience of political and press elites as a humorous counterforce to Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.
"I don't want to be judgmental right from the start," Klobuchar started, "but did anyone else notice that Bobby Jindal lip-synced his entire remarks?"
Of course, the most important member of the audience was President Obama, who cracked off a few jokes of his own, one at the expense of Minnesota's junior senator.
"I am worried about Al Franken," Obama told the gathering. "How do you start off being one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live and end up being the second-funniest Senator in Minnesota? … How the mighty have fallen."
The evening featured special guest appearances by Klobuchar's father, former Star Tribune columnist Jim Klobuchar, lawyer husband John Bessler, and Yale-bound aspiring journalist daughter Abigail.
Another Klobuchar crack: "I know the Governor and the President and I agree on one thing: One day soon, maybe not next year, maybe not in our children's lifetime, but one day you will once again have a white male politician speak at the Gridiron...
"Now I am under no illusions here. I know I was picked to speak tonight from a binderful of women."
Video produced by Kevin Diaz
And here's the Gridiron's tribute to Klobuchar and, well, Minnesota's reputation for producing runners-up...
