Crying Crocodile Tears for the White House Press Corps

Target of Press Corps Hissy-fit

The usually pliant White House Press Corps is in high dudgeon, kept at arms length throughout the President's boys-only golf weekend in Florida.  Twitter has been aflutter with passive aggressive posts from the Bought and Paid for Media, in a tizzy that they were not afforded access to the President while he presumably golfed, played cards and had a few beers with the boys--activities I commend to the obviously over-stressed Press Corps.

But this weekend is just the latest example of the complete and utter control this Administration has extended over the sheep reporters who cover it, and the extent to which it shapes and manages its own message through social media.  Poltico has a decent story about this today, generally informative though it does attempt to keep up the fiction that the Press Corps is not in the bag for Obama:

"Conservatives assume a cozy relationship between this White House and the reporters who cover it. Wrong. Many reporters find Obama himself strangely fearful of talking with them and often aloof and cocky when he does. They find his staff needlessly stingy with information and thin-skinned about any tough coverage. He gets more-favorable-than-not coverage because many staffers are fearful of talking to reporters, even anonymously, and some reporters inevitably worry access or the chance of a presidential interview will decrease if they get in the face of this White House."

This is of course, rubbish.  Or partially rubbish. Conservatives do not assume a cozy relationship, though they clearly exist.  Conservatives are able to see clearly how the President's team manages the news and keeps reporters at bay.  And yes, Conservatives also understand that reporters are reticent to "get in the face" of the White House for fear of having access cut off.  But the 800 lb gorilla here is blithely dismissed...and that is, that the White House Press Corps is generally supportive of the policies of the President and so gives him a pass when such largesse was clearly not extended to Presidents less to their liking....such as George W. Bush.