As the Crow Fights

I spent Saturday with Sheryl Crow and Laurie David. No fist fights. No verbal insults. Just a couple of Hollywood heavyweights and a red state guy talking about saving the planet.

Whether you agree or disagree with their environmental message, I suspect you would be impressed with these women's dedication if you got the chance to spend the day with them. On the tour bus after Crow and David's University of Maryland concert, I told Laurie she had the passion of a Southern Baptist preacher.

This is a woman on a mission from God.

The female version of the Blues Brothers took their ministry to save the planet Saturday night from the tour bus to the White House Correspondent's Dinner, where Laurie tried to convert Karl Rove. She soon found out that college kids listening to a rock star are more open-minded than presidential aides who feel besieged.

Mr. Rove was in no mood to hear a sermon about the environment. After the women pressed Karl on the issue, Sheryl touched his arm to emphasize a point. That's when the President's main man snapped.

"Get your hands off of me!"

And that was that. The only time things got uglier Saturday night was during Rich Little's Catskills comedy routine. But that's another story, too grim to discuss here.

Most public servants would find Rove's response surprising. Congressmen, senators and presidential aids are always bombarded by people pushing one position or another. And anyone in politics knows that patiently listening to citizens--no matter how much you disagree with what they are saying--is the price of admission to this profession. Besides, you may just learn something if you keep an open mind.

But apparently Team Bush is tired of talking and has adapted a bunker mentality. Seven years of bad press, foreign wars and personal attacks (every bit as nasty as those Bill Clinton endured) have left people like Karl Rove on edge.

The Bush Boys had better get their second wind. They still have 21 months to go before heading back to Texas. As for the Blues Sisters, their tour could not have gone better. Great crowds, great press and a messy finale that only brought more attention to the Global Warming crusade.

Can I get an Amen?