President Bush poked fun at his would-be successors during his final appearance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, noting that none of the candidates were in attendance.

"Senator McCain's not here. He probably wanted to distance himself from me a little bit. You know, he's not alone. Jenna's moving out too," Bush said of his daughter, who is getting married in two weeks.

Taking aim at the Democrats, Bush quipped, "Hillary Clinton couldn't get in because of sniper fire and Senator Obama's at church." (Watch video clip)

The evening's most memorable moment came when Bush surprised guests by fulfilling what he said was a dream of his -- conducting the U.S. Marine Band. Bush bounced and bobbed with a gleeful smile as he conducted a medley of patriotic marches.

With his days in office dwindling, Bush is apparently determined to secure his legacy as someone who can not only sing, dance, and tap, but who can wave a baton with the best of them.

Admitting to being "a little wistful" after eight years of playing comedian in chief at the annual dinners, Bush showed some amusing video clips from years past, incuding his close encounter with his lookalike, and Laura Bush's "Desperate Housewife" routine.

Watch the full video of Bush's comedic farewell, plus see this compilation of Bush's Bush's greatest comedy hits.

Bush was followed by comedian Craig Ferguson, host of CBS's "Late Late Show," who got in some funny jabs at the media, Bush and Cheney. Here are a few of Ferguson's best lines:

On what Bush should do after leaving office: "You could look for a job with more vacation time."

On Cheney moving out of his residence: It takes longer than you think to pack up an entire dungeon."

On Bush's promise to restore dignity to the White House: "By the way, I thought you were fantastic on 'Deal of No Deal'"

On the New York Times boycotting the White House Correspondents' Dinner: "They felt, I just want to make sure I get this right, they felt that this event undercuts the credibility of the press. It’s funny, you see, I thought that Jayson Blair and Judy Miller took care of that."

On the feud between FOX News Channel's Bill O'Reilly and MSNBC's Keith Olbermann: "What I see is sexual tension."

On the news media in general: "It's your task to watch the government, to make sure they don't exceed their power. Well done on that, by the way, the past eight years."

Watch video of Ferguson's comedy routine.

See more:
Star Power Lights Up Correspondents' Dinner (Washington Post)

Related:
Highlights from Washington's Silly Season
Stephen Colbert's Bush Roast
Laura Bush's 'Desperate Housewife' Routine
Bush Sings Farewell at Gridiron Dinner

(Photos by Getty Images)