A Delusional Dinner

"We reminded the senior White House advisor that the US leads the world in global warming pollution and we are doing the least about it. Anger flaring, Mr. Rove immediately regurgitated the official Administration position on global warming which is that the US spends more on researching the causes than any other country.

"We felt compelled to remind him that the research is done and the results are in ( www.IPCC.ch). Mr. Rove exploded with even more venom. Like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum, Mr. Rove launched into a series of illogical arguments regarding China not doing enough thus neither should we. (Since when do we follow China's lead?) . . .

"In his attempt to dismiss us, Mr. Rove turned to head toward his table, but as soon as he did so, Sheryl reached out to touch his arm. Karl swung around and spat, 'Don't touch me.' How hardened and removed from reality must a person be to refuse to be touched by Sheryl Crow? Unphased, Sheryl abruptly responded, 'You can't speak to us like that, you work for us.' Karl then quipped, 'I don't work for you, I work for the American people.' To which Sheryl promptly reminded him, 'We are the American people.'"

Rove, it turns out, was the guest of the New York Times.

Joe Strupp writes for Editor and Publisher: "Just a few feet from the podium, Rove was found at The New York Times table, in discussions with the likes of D.C. Bureau Chief Dean Baquet and columnist Maureen Dowd. When asked why the paper, which often battles the White House, chose to invite Rove, Dowd said, 'I don't do the inviting anymore.'

"Reporter Jim Rutenberg said he had asked Rove because 'we cover him and I just asked.' Was he getting any scoops from the White House insider? 'He's telling us everything,' Rutenberg joked."

So how did Rove's host cover the blow up? Rutenberg writes his account in today's New York Times as if he hadn't dished with the man at all. He acknowledges that Rove was a guest of the Times, then writes: "Mr. Rove did not respond to a request for comment on the women's Internet posting on Sunday."

Rutenberg did, however, get a blistering response from the White House: "Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman said, 'We have respect for the opinions and passion that many people have for climate change.' But, Mr. Fratto said, 'I wish the same respect was afforded to the president.'

"He accused Ms. Crow and Ms. David of ignoring the president's environmental initiatives, like pushing for alternative fuels, and for 'going after officials with misinformed assertions at a social dinner.'

"'It would be better,' Mr. Fratto said, 'to set aside Hollywood histrionics and try to help with the problem instead of this baseless, and tasteless, finger pointing.'"

But what did Rove tell his tablemates from the New York Times afterwards? Was it all off the record? What's the point of sitting next to a newsmaker if you can't quote him when he makes news?

The Little Death

Little's painful shtick was mostly composed of lame impressions of long-dead political and entertainment figures, intermixed with jokes about such things as choking smurfs and the difference between asteroids and hemorrhoids. Easily the worst part was a Little ditty, sung as refrain in between impressions: "Tell a little joke/ and we're going to poke/ a lot of fun./ Poke a lot of fun at Wash-ing-ton."