Thanks to Beth Gillin and her “Newsmakers” round-up in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer for the reminder that Lloyd Grove, former gossip columnist for the Washington Post and an old favorite with the Rittenhouse set, made his New York debut in the Daily News yesterday.

Advance word in the Sunday New York Times (“For New Gossip in Town, Buzz and Drawn Daggers”) was mixed. Reporter Jacques Steinberg wrote, “The knives are already out for Lloyd Grove.” And while Steinberg’s story included a favorable quote from Cindy Adams, a somewhat grudging welcome from fellow Daily News gossip George Rush, and a valiant attempt to assign a smidge of wit in Grove’s persona, he added a barb or two from MSNBC’s Jeannette Walls and a subtle jab from Liz Smith.

Grove’s debut column, entitled “The Bush Family Laff Riot,” begins with a story about Jonathan J. Bush -- uncle of Bush II, brother of Bush I -- and his penchant for “remote-control fart machines.”

Ever the consummate professional, Grove nabbed this juicy morsel about the president of the U.S. and leader of the free world from first cousin Jonathan S. Bush: “George was a great one for whoopee cushions when he was a drinking man and a cutup, but I’d be surprised if he was into that sort of thing anymore.”

Wonder what he’s talking about. The whoopee cushions or the drinking?

And from there, readers, it’s all down hill.