Saturday Night Lively

At their annual summit this weekend--the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner--politicians and press witnessed an historic confrontation of Karl Rove with show business’ Sheryl Crow and Laurie David, which unfortunately has been mis-reported as a spat.

Emphasizing conflict, as the media always does, has obscured the deeper meaning of the event, explored herein.

Ms. Crow and Ms. David describe it thus: “We asked Mr. Rove if he would consider taking a fresh look at the science of global warming. Much to our dismay, he immediately got combative. And it went downhill from there...

N.B. “Combative” is Mr. Rove’s normal mode; the ladies have never seen him snarling while watching Democrats on TV.

“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."

N.B. At this point Mr. Rove may have been mindful of Ms. Crow’s proposal for reducing emissions by limiting “how many squares of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting...one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where 2 to 3 could be required.” Source: The Autopsy blog

The Crow-David transcript continues: “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’...

N.B. There is a failure of communication here. Mr. Rove never quips, and it is more likely he said “I work over the American people,” in the dual sense of hierarchy and as a synonym for massaging the truth. Believe Ms. Crow was "unfazed," unless they meant to say she was dismembered.


“To which Sheryl promptly reminded him, ‘We are the American people.’”

N.B. This is show-business-speak for “I voted once.”

Mr. Rove offers a more succinct account: “She came over to insult me, and she succeeded.”

N.B. This may be the real news. Washington observers have always believed Mr. Rove is insult-proof.