The congressional leaders and other big names in Congress proved a tempting target at Saturday’s 121st annual Gridiron Club spring dinner show.

The parodies stay this side of wicked, under the club policy to singe, not burn.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) was roasted to the tune of “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” from “Grease.”

Look at me, I’m Nancy P
Far too left for Kennedy
Not up to speed, I’m no Harry Reid
I rage too fancily

And new House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) was portrayed in the show as running away from convicted GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff in a song to the tune of “Hit the Road Jack.”

I don’t know Jack, just ask my flack,
Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know, don’t know
I don’t know Jack
I don’t know Jack no more

A famous Johnny Cash song was the inspiration for a number on the presidential ambitions of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), in a take-off of “I Walk the Line.”

At sixty-nine
I’m in my prime

All the stories about the dinner gave high marks to Democratic speaker Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.). Obama even sang using his recent dustup with McCain over ethics legislation for inspiration. To “If I Only Had a Brain,” Obama lamented, “If I only had McCain.”

(For complete Obama lyrics and excerpts from speeches by Lynne Cheney and President Bush, see my blog at www.suntimes.com.)

• Rahm road trips. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chief of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, heads to south Florida on Wednesday for political and financial meetings and a funder for Florida hopeful Christine Jennings. On March 27 and 28, Emanuel hits New York City and New Jersey for funders and visits the New York Times edit board, plus a press event for New Jersey challenger Linda Stender.

Emanuel has a stake in the outcome of a Dem congressional primary in Tuesday’s Illinois balloting, where he backs wounded Iraq war vet Tammy Duckworth over Dems Christine Cegelis and Lindy Scott. The winner faces GOP Illinois state Sen. Peter Roskam.

• Hastert hustles. Catching up with Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.): March 6, he hosted a funder for Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) at a Chicago reception; same day, same city, he headlined a funder for Roskam.

On March 9, Hastert traveled to Richmond, Va., for a twofer: a funder for his own KOMPAC and a reception to benefit Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

• Boehner at bat. Boehner hits Florida tomorrow for a series of events. He starts with Rep. Clay Shaw (R-Fla.) and stays in the sunshine for a Monday funder with a Cuban-American political group.

On Wednesday, Boehner is in the Orlando area for a funder with Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.) and stays on for a GOP “outreach” event with Feeney and Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla.). On Thursday, he headlines a funder breakfast for Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) before heading to Alabama to be the name at a reception for Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.).

Sweet is the Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it