Walker polishes his stand-up act

Did you hear the one about the presidential candidate without a college degree?

Scott Walker has.

The Wisconsin governor, presidential aspirant, and former Marquette student who didn't graduate worked out his comedy chops Saturday at a Washington institution -- the Gridiron Club dinner -- telling jokes about himself and his political opponents.

"My goal tonight is to speak for 10 minutes -- but don't worry," Walker said. "Once I get three-quarters of the way through, I'll drop out."

The Gridiron Club is a group of Washington journalists who put on an annual dinner featuring skits, music, speakers from each party, and occasionally the president. Walker and other speakers -- including President Obama -- cracked wise about themselves and each other, seeking to live up to the club's credo to "singe, not burn."

"I want to get this out of the way once and for all," Walker said at the start of his routine.  "I believe President Obama loves America and every single American in it -- except for Rudy Giuliani."

Walker also took after potential 2016 presidential campaign opponents, both Republican and Democratic.

"Jeb Bush isn't here, although I see that his campaign Brinks Truck is parked outside," Walker said. "Hillary Clinton isn't here tonight -- when I asked why, I was told you couldn't afford her."

President Obama also got into the act, taking a few digs at Walker's recent "stumbles," including the incident involving Giuliani.

"Governor Walker got some heat for staying silent when Rudy Giuliani said I don’t love America -- which I also think is a problem, " Obama said. "Think about it, Scott -- if I did not love America, I wouldn’t have moved here from Kenya."

The Democratic speaker -- Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia -- also singed Walker.

“I’m sure Governor Walker has some really neat accomplishments,” McAuliffe said. “I mean, it’s literally been years since his own constituents tried to recall him.”

Walker's routine got good reviews, especially for someone who doesn't do this kind of thing often.

“I really do have a lot of close friends who are Democrats,” Walker said at one point. "I even have Hillary’s private e-mail ... It’s HillaryClinton@Wallstreet.com ... You know the best part of that joke, Elizabeth Warren wrote it for me.”

Telling jokes and doing routines have become part of a president's job, at dinners like the Gridiron and the annual White House Correspondents Association fete.

If Walker has his way, he'll be telling a lot more jokes in the years ahead.