You don't usually get much insight into people from their Vanity Fair Proust Questionaire; usually it sounds like they're just trying to show off. But not Karl Rove, whose answers in the latest issue are so interesting and thoughtful, we found ourselves, well, not hating him. Indeed, the Questionaire seemed to have brought out a new side of the former chief of staff, as the sunlight brings out the rainbows in a prism. For instance, could you have imagined that the earnest Texan is a fan of high-society satirist Evelyn Waugh? Or that his most overused phrase is "Fabulous!"? (How could that have worked at the White House? "Let's start a war with Iraq." "Fabulous!" "Let's start a warrantless wiretapping program." "Faaaaaaabulous!") Also, he says his most deplored trait in others is not being authentic.

Okay, now he's just fucking with us.

Proust Questionaire: Karl Rove [Vanity Fair]

UPDATE!: Someone just pointed out to us that VF editor Graydon Carter was not as enchanted by Karl Rove's Proust Questionaire as we were. In fact, he devoted half of his editor's letter to making fun of Rove's answers and the man himself!

"As I write this, Bush’s “Brain”—a cruel put-down if ever there was one—is making the rounds of book publishers soliciting offers for his forthcoming memoir," Carter snarfs. "You really have to admire the fellow’s positive attitude. It’s as if the captain of the Titanic landed ashore and began soliciting offers for his monograph on water safety." Then he goes on to refer to the ex–chief of staff as "arrogant" and "deluded." Well. That's all well and good to say, and that Titanic line is actually pretty funny, but we don't think this is very good behavior on VF's part. Isn't it mean to invite someone into your magazine, and then shit all over them, while they just sit stupidly back there, unable to defend themselves? God, sometimes Graydon Carter reminds us of those frat boys who invite fat chicks to parties just so they can make fun of them. [VF]