Crush the Press

Bush jokes with reporters Wednesday, August 2, 2006, during the last day of operation of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room before it undergoes a renovation. Joe Lockhart, Dee Dee Myers, Marlin Fitzwater, Tony Snow, Ron Nessen, James Brady and his wife Sarah Brady. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

Trouser press, garlic press, bench press, sup-press, no press. The White House is now a Press-Free Zone. It was only a matter of time. All those messy questions were irksome. This lying administration is annoyed by having to answer for any of their actions. Most of the reporters are afraid to ask questions of substance anyway and roaming around the White House finding unattended unnamed sources is verboten. But having anyone in the building who isn't on the PNAC payroll is a bit too risky. Solution: Ban the press to another building down the street and say it's time to replace the air conditioning...and it will take almost a YEAR. Who's handling the contract? Halliburton?

U.S. President George W. Bush (R) greets veteran reporter Helen Thomas (L) during a surprise visit to the last-ever briefing from the press briefing room of the White House in Washington, August 2, 2006. The famous press room will be demolished soon for major renovations. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

On February 10, 2006, Bush said, "I support the free press, let's just get them out of the room." It took a few months but MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
--->


On May 1, 2006, shortly after taking over as Dumbya's Chief of Staff, Josh Bolten said, it may be worth considering whether to end the daily televised press briefings where reporters and the press secretary frequently air disputes in front of the cameras, but he will leave that decision up to Snow.
"I think that will be Tony Snow's first test - to see what kind of power player he really is and whether he's able to establish the right kind of relationship with the press that we need going forward," Bolten said, appearing on the same show that Snow hosted for seven years.

July 31, 2006 The press is out of the White House
Mark Knoller: Press Corps To Lose Their West Wing Digs -- For Now
The stated reason for the ouster is the long overdue need to replace the heating and air conditioning equipment in that part of the West Wing occupied by the press
Starting next Monday, the media covering the White House will be working in a conference center across the street and down the block from the Executive Mansion
Oh, this bit's good....
And the press can still cover presidential events in the White House – but they’ll need special escorts from their new workspace on Jackson Place across from Lafayette Park. And they’ll have to return there when the events are over.


Bush Glee
"Looks a little crowded here, and so, you want to double the size? Forget it!" Bush said in an impromptu visit to the briefing room with his wife, Laura, after spokesman Tony Snow completed the last briefing there.
Bush showed up with nothing of substance, just the obvious glee on his stupid face and nobody asked him substantive questions...he looked very, very happy. Snowjob can pace himself now...meander over to the new digs at his own pace...nobody there to bug him. He can phone it in to Faux Gnus first...a perfect arrangement for the most secretive administration in U.S. history. And really, why WEREN'T Ari Fleischer and Scotty McClellan there for such a historic occasion? Very strange. And why aren't there any AP pics of Pickles sharing in the joy?

Crammed in like sardines...


White House version of the joyous occasion.

Hey, I'm the funny one here...


And, who are you? Worked fer my dad? Oh, Reagan, okay.