White House Media May Get Temporary Boot

[norml]

White House Media May Get Temporary Boot
Cramped, Stuffy Space Is Being Considered For August Renovation

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 28, 2005; Page A15

The Bush administration is considering kicking the Washington press corps out of the White House -- at least for a month or so, that is.

The stuffy, packed, run-down White House briefing room has become something of a safety hazard over the years and may require a top-to-bottom renovation this summer, according to administration officials. President Bush, who sometimes holds news conferences in the room, recently made a personal pitch for a new, airier briefing room, taking some reporters by surprise.

"Listen, whoever thought about modernizing this room deserves a lot of credit," Bush said at the end of the news conference. "Like, there's very little oxygen in here anymore. And so, for the sake of a healthy press corps and a healthy president, I'm going to end the press conference."

snip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5283-2005Mar27.html

[high density]

1. I don't think it will make any difference in the news coverage...

They might as well just demolish the briefing room.

[la la]

12. in Las Vegas-

oxygen is pumped into the casinos, to keep those gamblers awake and hypnotized into gambling all day and night - maybe that will be the next bush trick- pump oxygen into the press room to hypnotize the 'corpse'- as someone here mentioned--Hypnotize them into being even more pied piper rats than they already are.

[radfringe]

22. it's an excuse

because PLANTS don't need oxygen

[paineinthearse]

2. If memory serves me well

It was President Jounson who converted the WH swimming pool into the pressroom.

[Old and In the Way]

3. It will take at least 3 years to refinish.....

Why do I think this will be the end of the WH Press Corpse? Just as well, they were really stinking up the joint. Better to not have one, then one that can't do their job...

[kainah]

4. they'll never get back in

I'd bet money that they will never be let back into the White House. On the other hand, that might be good for them. Maybe they'd feel a little scrappier if they weren't sitting there all day waiting to be spoon-fed.

[LiberalFighter]

26. If there is no press conferences then press should write what they want

Makes it more difficult for gw*dip to control the press if they don't provide access.

[More Than A Feeling]

5. "Like, there's very little oxygen in here anymore."

Our president is a teen valley girl. God help us all.

[norml]

10. Questions make him dizzy. He needs more oxygen.

Or I suppose he could find some way to throw out the Press Core. Could there be something planned for late Summer, which they might want to control the coverage of to a greater degree?

[xxqqqzme]

15. is that the hump on his back?

his own little oxygen supply?

[Rose Siding]

6. I re-decorate when there's extra money in the budget

But I'm fiscally conservative that way :eyes:

[MaineDem]

25. Good point!

It's not like the government has a surplus burning a hole in the Treasury.

Joining you in :eyes:

[truthisfreedom]

7. well, i guess bush's activities over the next months will be more

controversial than ever, since he's got this cover story for why nobody from the press is meeting with anyone at the WH.

[shraby]

8. They were kind of useless in there

anyway. They'd ask Scottie a question, he'd give a non-answer and then they'd have a follow-up question and Scottie would repeat his non-answer.
Far as I can see, nothing lost.

[KaliTracy]

9. how convenient -- a plant meant to bring "oxygen" into the press meetings

gets discovered (or did this room have this problem (publicly stated) prior to Gannon getting sniffed out?), so they just close down the press conference all together. Though * isn't speaking to them all of the time, I personally think it's important to have the press at least see him in person once in awhile.

[IndianaGreen]

11. I think they should restore the swimming pool that Jerry Ford had there

and then drown the entire press corps! They are all useless parrots for the Bush regime.

[barbaraann]

13. AHA! I predicted it!

Well, at least one of my predictions was right. :-)

[oscarmitre]

14. Since the White House is sending out

prepared video packages which compliant network "news" programmes run without revealing that they are essentially using McNews from the White House then there's no need for a press room. Perhaps they can crowd around the fence on Pennsylvania Avenue and yell their questions. Bush can then put his hand up to his ear as he's heading for Marine One.

[subtropolis]

16. Don't let the door hit you on the ass

Rove the boy genious: let's just kick 'em out!

i haven't been able to take them at their word for, well... ever. I see it as one of three things:

installation of electronics of some sort (why, i don't know),

* really was starting to feel a bit light-headed,

or they want the press kept at more than arm's length when they kick off pee-wee's next adventure.


Check out this Ray McGovern article. For those who don't know, Mr. McGovern doesn't seem like the cry-wolf type.

[warrens]

17. It really is bad in there

But don't believe for a second that this is aimed at reporter health. It is an excuse to not have any press conferences, period.

[Daphne08]

31. Yep, I agree.

The reporters seem to be asking more difficult questions these days.

[anarchy1999]

18. How incredibly convenient. Just when he should be holding a conference

a week, it is time to renovate the room for health reasons, himself and the poor, suffering journalists. Have I got it right, yet?

This is the king of ass holes! Suffer me please and please forgive my use of bad lanquage. Just look at the family pic coming out of the chuch this am, where are his daughters', are they by his and Laura's side as if it where the Kerry or Edwards family?

Nope, they are a long way off. It looks to me, just as a bystander, they hate where they are. I'd just like to know why? First time in my lifetime that I've seen the "beloved" "first family's" daughters not stand right with Mom and Dad at a very important photo op moment. Maybe the daughters have something on them both...........

I do believe the daughters of Bush have something on him and Grandpa, how else would they get away with what they do?

Okay, tin foil coming down to low levels now..........putting back on high.

[intheflow]

19. Like the WH doesn't have large enough rooms elsewhere

to hold the press corp? Don't they have a ballroom? For that matter, couldn't they use Lincoln Center or someting? They've spent our tax dollars on far stupider things. This is just bald-faced fascism. :grr:

[Solar]

20. Well the room originally had a swimming pool for FDR iirc

Perhaps Bush wants to fill the pool underneath the floor up with water again and then install trap doors to get rid of journalists who actually try to get answers out of him.

[AndyTiedye]

21. Stocked With Piranhas, No Doubt

[Media_Lies_Daily]

23. I wonder who is going to be invaded during the next "month or so"?

[Earth_First]

24. I thought of the same thing...

perfect opportunity for little WH access during something BIG.

[msanthrope]

27. LIHOP a 'coming, that's for sure .....n/t

[unhappycamper]

28. if * invades another country while the briefing room is unavailable,

how will the word get out?

[NNN0LHI]

29. I suggest closing the entire White House down and fumigate the whole area

Then start all over.

Don

[Mnemosyne]

30. Do they have room on the yacht? Move them there.

[Ouabache]

32. Get 'em out of the White House for the Iran bombing in June?

Does this coincide with more death and destruction, war and crimes?

[norml]

33. White House media wary of press room makeover

White House media wary of press room makeover
By Jim VandeHei, Washington Post | March 29, 2005

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is considering kicking the Washington press corps out of the White House -- at least for a month or so.

ADVERTISEMENT

The stuffy, packed, run-down White House briefing room has become something of a safety hazard over the years and may require a top-to-bottom renovation this summer, according to administration officials. President Bush, who sometimes holds news conferences in the room, recently made a personal pitch for a new, airier briefing room, taking some reporters by surprise.

''Listen, whoever thought about modernizing this room deserves a lot of credit," Bush said at the end of the news conference. ''Like, there's very little oxygen in here anymore. And so, for the sake of a healthy press corps and a healthy president, I'm going to end the press conference."

The renovation, which might begin in August, appears to be the brainchild of Joe Hagin, a deputy White House chief of staff who has broached the idea with at least one reporter.

If the administration moves forward, the dozens of reporters who work and virtually live in the cramped quarters will be relocated outside the White House, a scenario that doesn't sit well with some journalists concerned about long-term access to the president and administration officials. Temporary accommodations likely would be in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building nearby.

snip

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/03/29/white_house_media_wary_of_press_room_makeover/