Stephen Colbert is chili. Rich Little is pudding. (Update below.)

WHCA says it didn't tell Rich Little to back off of the President and Iraq at the Correspendents' Dinner.

That's because it's not necessary. Rich Little understands what is expected of him.

Little said organizers of the event made it clear they don't want a repeat of last year's controversial appearance by Stephen Colbert, whose searing satire of President Bush and the White House press corps fell flat and apparently touched too many nerves.

"They got a lot of letters," Little said Tuesday. "I won't even mention the word 'Iraq.'"

Well, that's a relief! I was afraid we'd get the no-holds-barred, in-your-face Rich Little. Whew!

Steve Scully, the President of the WHCA, says that was never a concern, and that the WHCA had asked for no special limits.

Well of course not. That's why you call Rich Little. The money quote:

"When I called Rich Little, I said 'I want your brand of humor,'" Scully told E&P.

***

"Stephen Colbert is very sophisticated and if you've not seen his show you may not get it." With Little, he added, "you don't have to explain his humor."

When you have a sensitive stomach, you don't order (delicious!) vegetarian chili. Or at least you don't order it again.

Have a nice bowl of pudding instead.

Update: As was pointed out by Tom Tomorrow, this is nothing new, nor is it unique to Republicans.

In 1998, the headliner was Ray Romano, whose opener was that he said he knew nothing about politics, so they offered to double his fee. (Heh heh.) Given what Bill Clinton was in the midst of at the time, it's understandable that Bill and Hillary weren't eager to expose themselves to the slings and arrows of, say, Dennis Miller.

To paraphrase Chris Rock: I'm not saying I would have picked Rich Little, but I understand why they did.