And then everyone gets loaded.

Well, not everyone, but you know what I mean.

I am an elected member of the RTCA board, so I got to sit up at the head table again this year and enjoy the festivities.  With President Bush back at the White House for a dinner in honor of Pope Benedict, Vice President Cheney was the chief political celebrity.

Before the dinner, we chatted about his home state of Wyoming, since my mom was born there.  Most people have probably forgotten that Cheney was the Congressman from Wyoming before becoming Defense Secretary in the first George Bush administration.

Cheney began his remarks by donning his fishing hat and sunglasses to great laughter.  You may have seen the picture of Cheney fishing on the Snake River, with the reflection of what looks like a naked woman in the right lens of his glasses.

"You'd be amazed at how many people want to go fishing with me these days," Cheney cracked.

Before Cheney started his remarks, former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney made a surprise appearance, giving a David Letterman-like list of the top ten reasons why Romney left the presidential race.

Cheney's advice to Romney, who has been mentioned as a possible VP choice for Republicans, "just get yourself on that search committee." 

One GOP lawmaker who I spoke with at the dinner said he thinks Romney would be the best running mate for Sen. John McCain to make, saying that McCain should do it soon after Democrats settle on a nominee.

Romney's appearance will certainly not hurt such VP speculation.

As for the Democrats, Cheney spoke nicely about his "Cousin Barack" and also slipped in a zinger about Obama's pastor.

Cheney said if Obama is elected President, "You're not going to want to miss those Washington prayer breakfasts."

As for Hillary Clinton, he urged reporters to go easy on the controversy surrounding her recollection of sniper fire during her trip to Bosnia in 1996.

"She confused the Bosnia trip with the time I took her hunting," said Cheney to loud laughter.

As for Clinton's campaign trail drinking episode the other day in Indiana, where she drank a shot and beer chaser, the Vice President deadpanned that "it looks like she replaced Mark Penn with Johnnie Walker."

Cheney wrapped up his final appearance at the dinner by saying he would salute us with the same language he used to greet Sen. Patrick Leahy four years ago on the Senate floor.

You might remember that the key word rhymes with truck.