The White House Correspondents Association’s annual bash is typically hosted by a comedian who, truth be told, makes fun of the President while the President is sitting there.  It is not unlike a Dean Martin or Friar’s Club roast, and every President has been "subjected" to it — Clinton sat there as Lewinsky jokes were flying about, and so on.

Bush, it seems, can’t handle it, and the compliant press corps is making sure that he won’t hear anything scathing.  That’s why, this year, the emcee is the tame (and obsolete) Rich Little (compare: last year’s was Stephen Colbert).  And Little has been asked not to make fun of the President:

Rich Little won’t be mentioning Iraq or ratings when he addresses the White House Correspondents’ Dinner April 21.

Little said organizers of the event made it clear they don’t want a repeat of last year’s controversial appearance by Stephen Colbert, whose searing satire of President Bush and the White House press corps fell flat and apparently touched too many nerves.

"They got a lot of letters," Little said Tuesday. "I won’t even mention the word ‘Iraq.’"

Little, who hasn’t been to the White House since he was a favorite of the Reagan administration, said he’ll stick with his usual schtick — the impersonations of the past six presidents.

"They don’t want anyone knocking the president. He’s really over the coals right now, and he’s worried about his legacy," added Little, a longtime Las Vegas resident.

Poor baby. 

He’s worried about his legacy, but at least he can live and breathe.  Meanwhile, there are over 3,000 U.S. servicemen and women for whom that is no longer an option.

UPDATE:  The silly gets sillier — the White House Correspondent’s Association is calling Rich Little a liar…