Daily News gossip boy Lloyd Grove launches an all-out attack on Page Six this morning, which is something no one in this burg's tried in a good while. (And we can't remember who tried it last, because they were run out of town so completely it's like their name was deleted from the Social Security database.)

According to Lloyd, Page Sixer Paula Froelich has a conflict of interest in reporting on Access Hollywood's Billy Bush. Froelich — who has contracts with Entertainment Tonight — claims she recused herself from writing on Bush and didn't work on the items. (A conflict of interest, here in New York? That's crazy talk! At least we never have any of those.)

This is great news for all of us: this announces either the end of Lloyd's career in New York or the beginning of his career as a muckraising bastard. Either way, tabloid readers win! Now Lloyd had better hope he doesn't run into Page Six's Ian Spiegelman in the bathroom at a premiere — Spiegelman will get all Aileen Wuornos on his ass. Unfortunately, he and Lloyd would most probably both be too drunk to report on the fisticuffs with any accuracy.
Messy flap over mud-slinging [NYDN]