Over the years, members of the White House press corps have been lap dogs for the Bush administration. Oh sure, once the poll numbers dropped, some of them managed to get a spine. But, over the years, many of them have just not been not done the job. Basically, the White House lied to them for years and the reporters let it happen.
Now that even the WH press corps has to acknowledge Bush is a failed president, the WH staff have come up with a new strategy for dealing with them. They know that the reporters who cover the White House love the one-on-one contact with the big guy. So, the Bush team is giving them face time. The press are taking that time even though it means keeping it secret from the viewers and readers:
President Bush has been holding informal off-the-record sessions with major news organizations over the last several days.Give them a tour of the White House, tell a few jokes, serve some lemonade. They can't report on it, but they can tell their friends. No wonder Karl Rove thinks the media are a bunch of patsies.
Starting Thursday, he began meeting with groups of about a half-dozen reporters from newspapers, television, news agencies and magazines. They have discussed a variety of issues including the war in Iraq, said a reporter who attended a session.
The meetings, which the journalists have agreed not to describe publicly, have been in the White House residence. They come as several news organizations have assigned new reporters, who had no relationship with Mr. Bush, to cover the White House.
