Former President Clinton was a master at playing the MSM. He schmoozed them. He played their distaste for the barbarians-at-the-gates Republicans. And he used access to himself and members of his administration as a carrot and the threat of denial thereof as a stick to keep reporters in line.
Until recently, President Bush's administration has conducted media relations rather differently. For five years, the MSM has belittled and attacked President Bush and his administration, and President Bush and his people put up with it. This may be changing. Helen Thomas has been working hard to be obnoxious, and her humor hasn't been improved by being ignored when reporters ask questions. In the past couple of days the MSM have been frantic to manufacture Mount Everest from an anthill, Vice President Cheney's hunting accident. It is very likely that they are, in part, expressing pique at the apparent loss of access symbolized by Mr. Cheney not notifying the White House press corps. Poor babies ...
