Ozzy upstages Bush the comedian

The president delivered a light-hearted slide show

Heavy rock legend Ozzy Osbourne was the surprise star at a White House dinner that showcased President Bush's stand-up act.

The Correspondents Association dinner traditionally features a gag-filled speech by the president of the day, usually at the expense of senior members of the US administration.

OK, Ozzy... might have been a mistake

President Bush

Presenting a slide show to the assembled journalists and celebrities, President Bush included a shot appearing to depict Vice President Dick Cheney urinating on his Oval office door.

The joke was seemingly aimed at Osbourne, who in 1982 received a lifetime ban from the state of Texas after being arrested for urinating on the Alamo memorial.

The president's recognition of the former lead singer of Black Sabbath was greeted by wild cheers from the audience.

Osbourne stood up on a chair and waved, prompting Mr Bush to say: "OK, Ozzy ... might have been a mistake."

Osbourne drew wild applause from the audience

The veteran star has recently developed a new career as a TV star along with his unorthodox family in the surprise hit series The Osbournes.

Dating back to 1920, the Correspondents' Dinner is a firmly established tradition, attracting a star-studded flock of journalists and celebrities.

In addition to senior members of the Bush cabinet, this year's event was attended by actresses Glenn Close and Raquel Welch, actor Harrison Ford, and model Christine Brinkley.

In another photograph, Mr Bush showed national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and White House aide Karen Hughes, peering through a peephole into the president's office.

Returning to Mr Cheney, Mr Bush showed a slide of his dog Barney hastily retreating from behind the Oval office desk.

"Barney is in some trouble here. This is the day he chewed up the list of undisclosed locations and we couldn't find Dick," the president laughed.

In the aftermath of the 11 September attacks, Mr Cheney has at times sheltered at secret locations due to heightened security concerns.

Pot shots

Another high profile American politician found herself on the receiving end of Mr Bush's humour when he showed a photograph of himself with a woman dressed in full-length blue burqa.

Model Christie Brinkley was also a guest

"For political reasons, some Democrats prefer that it not be known they are working with a Republican president, so they slip in the back door - like Hillary Clinton here," the president quipped.

However the president also took pot shots at himself, including scenes of him falling flat on his back at the White House bowling alley.

Another scene depicted first lady Laura Bush with her hand planted squarely on his face.

"She helps me in a million ways. Here, she is helping me pronounce 'Azerbaijani," Mr Bush explained.