Reruns

Leno Recycled Jokes at White House

Mined material from canceled Jay Leno Show.

Somewhere out there, Conan O’Brien is smiling: As the followup act to Barack Obama’s much-hyped speech at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday evening, Jay Leno used some of his best material… from old shows. In something of a “gotcha” reel, Politico has rounded up clips of attempted zingers that the comedian previously used on The Tonight Show, as well as on his defunct The Jay Leno Show. One example? “They said President Bush did a better job throwing out the first pitch,” Leno quipped Saturday night. “But on the other hand, President Obama can talk.” The joke was first delivered almost verbatim in a Jay Leno Show monologue. Recycled jokes aside, many rated Leno’s bumbling routine Saturday as an unfortunate omen for his reinstated tenure on The Tonight Show. Leno has so far declined to comment.