Dear Amy:

Bathroom Bowl

Dear Amy:

Global warming was the talking point last night at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner when singer Sheryl Crow and “Inconvenient Truth” producer Laurie David walked over to Table 92 at the Hilton Washington to chat with Karl Rove — and the resulting exchange was suitably heated.

Poor Michael Kelly. The late columnist and Atlantic Monthly editor always gets the blame for transforming the historically insider-clubby White House Correspondents’ Association dinner 20 years ago by bringing Iran-contra It Girl Fawn Hall — which, legend has it, started the celebrity-guest arms race among the media types who populate the affair. But at least Hall was a bona fide D.C. newsmaker, as was 1988 attendee Donna Rice, the woman who sank the Gary Hart campaign. No, the true responsibility lies with the Clintons: Not until ‘93 did the dinner start drawing busloads of infatuated Hollywood types. Add the draw of Vanity Fair’s glamorous after-party, and the night grew to its current surreal form: yet another pit stop on the Red Carpet Highway. Based on the warm welcome or cold shoulder they received, here’s our ranking of VIP guests over the years:

Dear Carolyn:

Dear Amy:

Another Round of Pet Names

Dear Amy:

Tough town, D.C., powered by the sweat and fervor of the young idealists who throw themselves into their work before they inevitably burn out. Fellows like David Ginsburg, who finally made the decision to leave the law-firm grind this week.