Just as the whole Karl Rove v. Sheryl Crow thing was blowing up in the news, I was arriving in Washington, D.C. to cover … Sheryl Crow. Taking on climate change. You can read about Crow’s big arrival over on my blog, but a few quick thoughts on the Rove encounter before I head for the airport to come home.

When I mentioned this story yesterday morning, I had no idea this would become the story-of-the-moment on all the major mainstream media outlets. But Sheryl Crow’s candid telling-off of Karl Rove has blown up, landing in the Washington Post, Hollywood Daily, some random news channel in Iowa, Fox News, and the New York Times, among tons of others. As I was pulling on my shoes this morning, it came on CNN, where, exhibiting the highest standards of journalism, the reporter remarked that the exchange “must have been awkward” before focusing the rest of the segment on a quote from an interview yesterday in which Crow (obviously joking) suggested imposing limitations on how much toilet paper Americans can use.

Of course, the toilet paper comment has been all over conservative blogs today. Because as we all know, Crow, like all loony Hollywood leftists, wants us all to sacrifice so they can have giant houses and fancy cars. And, she’s fat a celebrity, making her inherently hypocritical.

Reader support helps sustain our work. Donate today to keep our climate news free. All donations DOUBLED!

Or maybe the toilet paper is just a good distraction from the fact that Rove got told off by a sassy, beautiful woman on his own turf. As cynical as I might be sometimes, if someone like Crow can use her star power to take on the Bush administration and land climate change in the headlines (if even for the wrong reasons), all power to her.

Grist thanks its sponsors. Become one.

To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. Here's How

Crow really put it best herself yesterday, responding to the one question I got in during their press conference about the problems that come from speaking out on social issues when you’re a celebrity:

“We get a bad rap for putting ourselves out in front on issues, but my response to that is, with this particular issue, I don’t really care,” said Crow. “It’s so dire at this point. If people are going to be critical, they’re missing the point. The point is to get people in a room.”