At 4:52 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, The Observer emailed The New York Times‘ executive editor, Bill Keller, to ask whether the dinner–an affair wherein journalists who are tasked with covering beltway power spend an evening socializing with it–is at worst, an outright conflict of interest, and at best, well … a bit unseemly. Former New York Times columnist Frank Rich, who recently left the paper to become a columnist for New York magazine, had criticized the paper’s attendance at the event and was said to be influential in curtailing its official appearances a few years prior. (Mr. Rich, who was out of the country, did not respond to The Observer‘s requests for comment.) The Observer wondered whether Mr. Rich’s departure changed the paper’s thinking on the issue. “GROAN,” Mr. Keller responded via e-mail. “SUCH a done subject. Why don’t you try Dean Baquet in the Washington Bureau? I’m sure he’d LOVE to answer your questions.” Seven minutes later, The Observer received an e-mail from Washington bureau chief Dean Baquet.

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From the aforementioned story. While all of this was happening, the White House was finalizing plans to assassinate Bin Laden. Continuing:

And it had not leaked. Except perhaps at 10:24 to Urbahn, and via Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock. ‘Just got word that will shock the world – Land of the free… home of the brave DAMN PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!’

Mr. Johnson did not attend the dinner.

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