McCain, Obama Trade Campaign Attacks for Late-Night Jokes

Oct. 17, 2008 — -- The presidential campaign trail morphed into the comedy circuit as John McCain and Barack Obama went more for laughs than the jugular in what was expected to be the candidates' last joint appearance before Election Day.

"Barack is actually Swahili for 'that one,'" Obama deadpanned to the tuxedoed crowd at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel Thursday night. "And I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn't think I'd ever run for president."

Obama's middle name is Hussein.

McCain told the crowd that Obama wasn't upset by his awkward "that one" reference during their second debate. "He doesn't mind at all," McCain said. "In fact, he even has a pet name for me: George Bush."

The two campaigns largely took a break from their attempts to verbally knee-cap each other for a few hours at the annual Al Smith Dinner, a charity fundraiser that has traditionally drawn the presidential candidates into a temporary truce.

WATCH THE FULL COMEDY ROUTINES OF THE CANDIDATES; CLICK HERE FOR JOHN MCCAIN AND HERE FOR BARACK OBAMA

While in New York, McCain also dropped in at the"Late Show With David Letterman" and his running mate, Sarah Palin, has agreed to appear this weekend on "Saturday Night Live," which has been featuring comedian Tina Fey lampooning the Alaskan governor.

Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, went for laughs as well, trading ad libbed one-liners with Ellen DeGeneres today for a show to air Monday.

The Smith dinner was a welcome break from the daily political sniping and came a day after McCain and Obama held their most contentious debate yet.

But at the dinner, they often took shots at themselves.

"If I had to name my greatest strength, I guess it would be my humility. Greatest weakness, it's possible I may be too awesome," Obama said with a wry smile.

"Contrary to the rumors you have heard, I was not born in a manger," Obama said. "I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father Jor-El to save the planet Earth."

"I was originally told the venue would be Yankee Stadium. Can somebody tell me what happened to the Greek columns that I requested?" the Illinois senator said, a reference to the minicoliseum that was built at a football stadium for his convention address.