Bush's exit: His jokes during last news conference

WASHINGTON -- In his final news conference as president, George W. Bush showed he hasn't lost his sense of humor. Some examples:

When thanking the press for their work, he poked fun himself, recalling one of his most famous word mix-ups: "Sometimes you misunderestimated me." (Click here to see a list on HeraldNet of some of the president's "Bushisms.")

He teased CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux about his repeated mispronunciation of her name -- it's correctly pronounced Soo-ZAHN -- saying: "I finally got your name right after, how many years?" The final answer: eight years.

A reporter preceded a question with, "And I'm not trying to play gotcha." Bush's first response: "Gotcha."

Bush joked about his post-presidency plans, saying: "I just can't envision myself, you know, the big straw hat and a Hawaiian shirt sitting on some beach. ... Particularly since I quit drinking."

Bush simultaneously quipped about the all-consuming nature of the job as well as his regular mountain biking. He said: "And there's not a moment where you don't think about being president. Unless you're riding mountain bikes as hard as you possibly can, trying to forget for the moment."

Bush called the press conference the "ultimate exit interview."

The president humorously reminisced about his inauguration. "And the minute I got sworn in, I was started thinking about the speech."

While calling on one reporter, Bush teased her, asking if she was "asleep back there."