Lunch At Michael’s: Roger Ailes & Jon Klein

mediabistro founder Laurel Touby has spotted Fox News chief Roger Ailes lunching with CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein at Michael’s this afternoon.

> Update: 4:25pm: She e-mailed this note from her table: “Court TV’s Henry Schleiff made a grand entrance. Upon seeing his lunch guest (Alex Ben Block of TV Week) sitting alone, he exclaimed: ‘Not since Thomas Jefferson dined alone has there been so much intelligence at one table!’ But before taking his seat, he strode over to Fox News’ Roger Ailes’ table (Roger was seated with arch-enemy Jon Klein, Pres of CNN), slapped both men five and yelled: ‘Breaking news. Dewey lost!'”

Imagine what Ailes and Klein are saying to each other. Klein believes CNN and Fox are two different things: “We report the news. Fox talks about the news. They’re very good at what they do and we’re very good at what we do,” he told the NYT in January. Last month, he said Fox should be “a little nervous” about CNN.

Meanwhile, Ailes is — arguably — partly responsible for CNN/U.S.’s gradual trend toward sharks, missing blondes, and other tabloid fare. Ailes has called CNN International an “anti-American channel.” And his anchors like to take shots at CNN occasionally (especially Shep Smith and Fox & Friends).