Obama Closes Press Award Ceremony... to the Press? Where's Outrage?

OK, this story has GOT to have been written by that satirical website The Onion! Barack Obama is about to be crowned "Newsmaker of the Year" by the National Newspaper Publishers Assn. The ceremony is to take place this afternoon,March 20, at the White House.

And here is the kicker... it's CLOSED to the press!

Seriously! This dude is getting an award from the press and he's closed the ceremony to the press. Where is the outrage? Where is the screaming about how Obama is the most "secretive president" since Bush? Where are comments about the lack of "transparency"? More to the point where are the guffaws about just how ridiculous this move is?

Well, at least Andrew Malcolm over at the L.A.Times covered it and he was as amused by this absurd situation as we are. Kudos to Andrew.

Here is the notation on the president's 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.

Well, I guess this is par for the course, at least. After all, Obama had a "bi-partisan" stimulus bill that was closed to one of the parties. So, he's used to doing things that are closed to one group or another.

So much for "transparency," though.