To tune of 'Fly Me to the Moon,' Mitt Romney faces skewering as perfect candidate

WASHINGTON -- "Preordained" to be president? At least that was the parody planned of GOP White House hopeful Mitt Romney at the annual Gridiron Club dinner.

To the tune of "Fly Me to the Moon," Romney was being skewered Saturday night as the perfect presidential candidate -- "His hair, his teeth, it's evident, he's preordained to be president!" The song, as sung by the Gridiron chorus, suggests that the perfect ticket would be Romney, a Mormon, and moderate Democrat Joe Lieberman, who is Jewish.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., the architect of the Democrats' election victory in the House in November, was tapped to speak for the Democrats.

President Bush traditionally attends the dinner but was conferring with Brazil's president at Camp David on Saturday. Vice President Dick Cheney was substituting for the president.

Founded in 1885, the invitation-only Gridiron Club is the oldest organization for Washington journalists.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)