On Saturday night, May 9th, President Obama took the stage at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. “Tonight, I’m going to speak from the heart, and speak off the cuff …” Obama said, as a teleprompter rose into place.

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Michelle Obama wore a sleeveless Michael Kors shift dress. From Obama’s opening remarks: “[Michelle] has helped to bridge the differences that have divided us for so long because no matter which party you belong to, we can all agree that Michelle has the right to bare arms.” (h/t NY Mag)

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“Michael Steele is in the house tonight,” the president said in his opening remarks, “Or as he would say, ‘In the heezy.'”

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The black tie dinner was attended by a mix of politicians, journalists and celebrities. Pictured here: former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

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Michelle Obama gives a congratulatory fist bump to a scholarship award winner.

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President Obama with Jennifer Loven, President of the White House Correspondents Association.

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Comedian Wanda Sykes gave the keynote address.

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Bill O’Reilly.

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Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

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From left to right: CNN’s Ed Henry, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, President Obama, and NBC’s Brian Williams.

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Gov. Sarah Palin withdrew from the dinner at the last minute, and her husband Todd “First Dude” Palin went in her place (with Greta Van Susteren of Fox News). During the keynote address, Wanda joked: “You know, somebody should tell her [Palin] that’s not how you really practice abstinence.”

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Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

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Colin Powell.

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Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag.

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The New Republic literary editor Leon Wieseltier (left) and Larry Summers, Director of the National Economic Council.

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Meghan McCain.

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Will Arnett and Amy Poehler.

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Alan Greenspan and wife Andrea Mitchell.

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Michael Bloomberg.

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Steve Forbes.

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Paul Volcker.

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James Franco

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Joe Klein and Colin Powell.

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Barbara Walters.

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George Lucas and Samuel L. Jackson.

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David Axelrod (left) and Wolf Blitzer (right).

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Al Sharpton.

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Kyle MacLachlan and Dana Delany of “Desperate Housewives.”

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Newt and Callista Gingrich.

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Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, and Wolf Blitzer.

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