Hush, hush

Andrew Malcolm reports on a weird “rule” the Obama admin has set for an upcoming press award ceremony (via Memeo):

Barack Obama was elected commander-in-chief promising to run the most transparent presidential administration in American history.

This achievement and the overall promise of his historic administration caused the National Newspaper Publishers Assn. to name him “Newsmaker of the Year.”

The president is to receive the award from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House ceremony this afternoon.

The Obama White House has closed the press award ceremony to the press.

From the president’s official schedule: 

“Later in the afternoon, the President and the First Lady will attend a reception with the National Newspaper Publisher Association in the State Dining Room, where they will be presented the Newsmaker of the Year award. This event is closed press.”

Maybe they’ll let the newspaper people pass the award through the fence.

Wouldn’t want average folks to get the impression that a big reason why he was such a  “newsmaker” last year was because the media (both white and black) has helpfully aided him on that front for the last four and a half or so years (starting with his 2004 speech to the DNC).

Move along here, nothing to see …