White House Press Corps Upset...No Pic's With The Prez This Year

The White House press corps is annoyed that this year, there will be no receiving lines with pictures taken of journalists with the President this year. In years past, it's been deemed to be a big deal that the President would take the time to have his picture taken with the various jouro's covering the White House. DeeDee Myers, Mr. Clinton's Press Secretary's comments are,

“It’s always been a big deal,” said Myers, who served as press secretary to former President Bill Clinton. “It’s exhausting [for the president] but it’s the one time when reporters feel like they’re treated like human beings and not just some guy behind the rope line. It’s the one time they can actually say hello.”

Her point is that even if you don't like the sitting President, you do have the privilege of actually being able to speak to him, if only to say "hello, Merry Christmas." And that by omitting such a "minor" privilege is because it's not convenient isn't endearing this administration to the press corps.

This year, however, the White House seems to be doing things a little differently. The invites went out late – and didn’t include journalists who have been invited in the past. And those who have been invited seem likely to be denied the traditional receiving-line photo.

At a party last week for Democratic political types and some donors, former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers watched Obama speak briefly behind a podium, welcoming party-goers to White House. Then, she looked on as Obama worked the room for a few minutes, shaking hands and posing for candid pictures — not taken by the White House photographer — before leaving the party.

Moe Lane, thinks that it's a reflection on a poorly run administration,

Maybe it’s just because Christmas is coming up, but I’m sympathetic to people finding out that a traditional perk of their not-entirely-pleasant jobs – and most of the folks reading this would like to have a photo of them meeting a President of the United States – has gone away because it’s inconvenient for the current President and his staff. Which latter, as the Politico article later reports, has thrown together the entire holiday party in its typical slapdash fashion. Informal invitations via email, seriously late formal invitations, rushed RSVP schedule, making the news organizations themselves decide who gets to go… it’s all there, and it’s yet another example of why there’s a White House Chief of Staff in the first place.

Say what you like about Barack Obama the man, as President he’s entitled to better personal service than he’s getting from Rahm Emanuel. It reflects badly on the entire country when these events don’t go smoothly, and if people who try to tell you otherwise, ask yourself this: would you attend one of their parties?

I think that while this one pales to the insults that this administration has been passing onto the British lately, it's merely a symptom of the arrogance that the "Chicago Gang" has for not just the press, but anyone outside their inner circle.