US: It was a shock, especially for those who are not fans of the president. On the platform at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, standing together at the podium, was not one George Bush, but two. Faced with the daunting annual ritual of having to be intentionally funny, Mr Bush arranged for an impressionist, Steve Bridges, to share the burden with him.
On television, it is obvious which is which. But in the International Ballroom of the Hilton in Washington, with so many of the guests too far away to see clearly, there was initial confusion. In his opening remarks, Mr Bush said, "Here, I am", but that did not convince everyone. After a series of exchanges between the two, it was still not immediately obvious who was the real George Bush. Even at the end, some were not entirely sure.
Mr Bush, who has had a difficult year with the Washington press corps, does not enjoy these dinners. In his act with Bridges, he said sarcastically: "As you know, I always look forward to these dinners." The fake president, acting as Mr Bush's more honest alter ego, was free to be more outspoken. "I gotta pretend I like being here. Being here really ticks me off." Referring to the lowest poll ratings of his presidency, with 64 per cent indicating they do not approve of his policies, the fake George Bush said: "How come I can't have dinner with the 36 per cent of the people who like me?" The dinner is one of the premier events on the Washington social calendar.
Bridges asked Mr Bush to tackle words whose pronunciation has often defeated him. Mr Bush played along, describing the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) as the "EIEO". He was also happy to parody his reputation for making vacuous statements. "I love America because it is full of Americans," Mr Bush said.
Mr Bush smiled constantly during the 15-minute sketch, which was greeted throughout with applause and laughter. Having rehearsed the sketch, he knew what was coming. But he did not know about the skit that followed, a critique of his presidency by political satirist Steve Colbert. Colbert made jokes about the elusive weapons of mass destruction, opportunistic pictures on aircraft carriers and the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina.
Castigating Mr Bush for not changing policy even when circumstances demanded it, he said: "When the president decides something on Monday, he still believes it on Wednesday - no matter what happened Tuesday."
Colbert was scathing about Mr Bush's failures in Iraq. "I believe the government that governs best is the government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq."