Somebody told me Flowers, Romney had lunch at the Palm

By John Katsilometes

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011 | 6:59 p.m.

Mitt Romney and Brandon Flowers had lunch at the Palm at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. This was reported elsewhere Wednesday morning and confirmed that afternoon by Jen Appel, PR rep for Flowers and The Killers.

It was a private lunch, she said in an e-mail, so Flowers has nothing to say to the media about it.

Of course, “private lunch” can be translated to mean, “It is time to take creative license with this lunch.”

The conversation:

Mitt Romney: Good to see you, Brandon. Good to see you.

Brandon Flowers: Thank you.

Romney: I love the name. Love it.

Flowers: Which name is that, Mitt?

Romney: “Brandon Flowers.” It’s so theatrical. It is brazen, yet peaceful …

Flowers: It’s just my name.

Romney: Of course. But how did you come up with it? It’s so imaginative, like Johnny Bravo.

Flowers: It’s not a stage name. It’s my real, given name. Brandon Richard Flowers.

Romney: How very fortuitous! It reminds of the late ’60s, the flowers favored by that subculture of spotty young people. What were they called?

Flowers: Hippies? Flower power, the Summer of Love, the people who led that movement? They were the hippies.

Romney: Right. Of course. I wonder what became of them.

Flowers: Most of them are still around. They just got older, became employed.

Romney: Became part of our overtaxed middle class!

Flowers: Probably, yes.

Romney: Can I ask you a theoretical question?

Flowers: You just did.

Romney: So clever. So clever.

Flowers: Thank you.

Romney: If one were to name his band The Killers, would he not promote a violent temperament?

Flowers: There is no particularly deep meaning to the name. We are not actually killers.

Romney: That is so very reassuring. What a positive message to impart for our youth.

Flowers: Thank you.

Romney: So tell me about your music. How would you describe your music?

Flowers: It’s hard to categorize, but I think most people would call it alternative.

Romney: Alternative to what?

Flowers: Rock.

Romney: Oh. I’d always thought rock, by definition, is alternative.

Flowers: To what?

Romney: Um … country?

Flowers: Well, we’re alternative to many accepted rock classifications. We borrow from all styles.

Romney: Well, I am a big fan.

Flowers: Of the band? Of my own solo work?

Romney: I am not speaking of yours personally, but the whole genre of the rock and roll. … In fact, my hair’s getting pretty shaggy. I’d better stay away from you, or people will think I’m part of the band.

Flowers: Are you familiar with the movie “This Is Spinal Tap”?

Romney: Can’t say that I am, no. Why do you ask?

Flowers: Somehow you remind me of a character in that movie.

Romney: I am insulted! I joke, of course. So, Brandon, are there any songs you’re particularly proud of?

Flowers: I’m proud of “All The Things That I’ve Done.”

Romney: I mean a song.

Flowers: That is a song.

Romney: How very clever.

Flowers: “Somebody Told Me,” too.

Romney: Told you what?

Flowers: That’s also a song.

Romney: This is like, “Who’s on first!”

Flowers: What?!

Both: Second base!

Romney: Well, Brandon, I have had a great talk here. As you know, I might run for president next year, and I could really use your support.

Flowers: I know. I can’t make any promises other than I, too, am a frontman.

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