Press Corps Enjoys Cookies, Access

Dan Froomkin of the "White House Briefing" gets up on his high horse about Bush's off-the-record barbecue with the WH press corps, but this time he has company: "And later, a small handful watched askance as the rest fawned over Bush, following him around in packs every time he moved." How big do you think that "small handful" got by the time the press vans got back to the hotel? We wouldn't be surprised if Froomkin's scolding has the cranky Crawford corps in a snit, though we'd argue that there's nothing wrong in and of itself with sucking up to someone to get a story. It's the stabbing in the back afterward that we miss.

 Bush's Secret Dinner -- With the Press [WP]

RELATED: NBC producer Antoine Sanfuentes made the scene and describes the same spread as Froomkin, though he does note that "Wild grasses and various flowers and trees surround the First Family's residence. The roof is made of metal and the large windows framed in natural rock overlook the property that includes canyons, streams and various indigenous trees." Yowza. Developing. . . [ Daily Nightly ]