HE IS WHO THEY THINK ROVE WAS:

The Audacity of Audaciousness (Dana Milbank, February 13, 2009, Washington Post)

[Obama campaign manager David] Plouffe was listed as the keynote speaker at the luncheon yesterday for "Transition 2009," sponsored by Georgetown University and Politico. The public was invited to the event -- students free of charge and everybody else for a fee. But at the last minute, Georgetown announced that Plouffe's speech would be "closed press," even though the speech was being given in the National Press Club ballroom, described on a plaque at the door as "the sanctum sanctorum of American journalists."

National Press Club President Donna Leinwand fired off an e-mail to Plouffe and his agents stating her "strong opposition" to the press banishment from its own club. "If Mr. Plouffe wants to keep secrets," she said, "Mr. Plouffe should stay at home."

Politico editor John Harris called it "a surprise to me and an unhappy one." Harris pulled out as moderator of the speech and said his publication was disassociating itself from the luncheon.

Un-sponsoring part of the two-day event, however, was rather tricky. The Politico emblem was still emblazoned on signs outside the ballroom and on the lanyards and name tags for attendees.

This sort of mess has become a trademark of the former Obama campaign manager.

The speed with which the UR and team has alienated a press that was only too happy to play lap dog during the campaign has been impressive.

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Posted by Orrin Judd at February 14, 2009 10:34 AM