President Barack Obama poked fun at the press, his political rivals and his own healthcare policy on Saturday night, as he spoke at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
The event, held each year in Washington DC, brings together politicians, newsmakers and a selection of screen and sporting stars ostensibly to honour the year's finest journalism - though many see it merely as an opportunity for schmoozing.
For President Obama, it offers a chance to show off his impeccable comic timing, and he began by acknowledging that he had had a "rough" 12 months. Referring to the botched roll-out of Healthcare.gov, the web portal where Americans were directed to sign up for the new Obamacare medical insurance plans, he said: "In 2008 my slogan was 'Yes we can!'; in 2013 my slogan was 'Control+Alt+Delete'."
This was the first time that the dinner had been broadcast live on CNN, and the news network was another target - specifically, its round-the-clock coverage of the hunt for the missing Malaysian Airlines jetliner. "I am happy to be here, even though I am a little jet-lagged from my trip to Malaysia," the President said, of his recent official visit to Asia. "The lengths we have to go to get CNN coverage these days!"
Joking about the so-called "birther" theory - that he was born in Africa, and therefore ineligible for the presidency - Mr Obama noted, "Just last month, an American won the Boston marathon for the first time in 30 years, which was inspiring and only fair since a Kenyan has been President for the last six." Later, addressing the contingent from the Fox News network, he said: "Let's face it Fox, you'll miss me when I'm gone - it'll be harder to convince the American people that Hillary was born in Kenya."
