Here's the relative tempest in a teapot that happened on Thursday:

Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe made an unusual request for his speech today at the National Press Club: he wanted it off the record.

..... Politico editor-in-chief John Harris said that after hearing of Plouffe’s request, and decision not to reverse course, he backed out from moderating the lunch-time event.

Harris said that as a news organization, he doesn't want Politico "being in the the business of sponsoring, or co-sponsoring, an off the record talk with a newsworthy person.”

Here's a much more relevant issue: How is David Plouffe (picture above is at Media Bistro) a "former" campaign manager?

Based on this e-mail I received on Friday, I'd say he's still in that role (bold is mine):

Thomas --

Congress is preparing to vote on a final Economic Recovery bill.

President Obama is urging action in Washington because families across the country need help right now.

In the past week, thousands of you came together at house meetings to talk about how the economic crisis is affecting your communities. And thousands more shared your personal stories on our website.

Your voices were heard. Help is on the way.

Take a few minutes and read some of the stories your fellow Americans shared.

..... Ordinary people are telling the real story of the struggles and pressures families are facing right now. They drive home the importance of this recovery plan and the need to put it into action immediately.

The President's economic recovery plan is an important first step in getting our country back on track. But recovering from this downturn will require the faith, confidence, and hard work of all Americans.

Thank you for staying involved during this critical time for our country,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

I guess these are silly assumptions, but here goes -- When somebody who was Barack Obama's campaign manager during the presidential campaign sends me an e-mail and calling himself a "campaign manager," I am inclined to believe that:

• He either wrote it, or bought off on its contents.
• He's still a "campaign manager."

I still have nine e-mails from Mr. Plouffe that arrived after the election (I received many more and have thrown them away), four of which arrived after Inauguration Day. Every one is from "David Plouffe, Campaign Manager, Obama for America," -- the same title and organization he referred to in e-mail sign-offs I saw in e-mails I received (some of which I have retained) during the presidential campaign.

So why is the press calling this guy a "former campaign manager"? Surely they get his e-mails too.

And I wonder: What the reaction would have been if Karl Rove had sent out e-mails after the 2000 or 2004 elections on policy issues immediately before Congress and had called himself "Bush campaign manager"?

—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters