FROOMKIN ON WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER

Dan Froomkin's White House Watch in today's Washingtonpost.com describes last Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Dinner as "a delusional dinner." Froomkin points out the inappropriateness of reporters laughing and drinking with the objects of their reporting, as well as the hypocritical seriousness of Bush about Virginia Tech with not one word from his lips on the omnipresent and continuous blood-letting in Iraq.

"But I was struck by what seemed to be among the sentiments emanating from the head-table:
* That a has-been impressionist was a more appropriate choice for entertainment than the acerbic and brilliant political satirist who last year hurt some people's feelings.
* That the tragic Virginia Tech massacre required solemn observation and expressions of great respect, while the seemingly endless war that often claims as many victims in a day deserved virtually no mention at all.
* That a night full of journalists sucking up to their sources is not just defensible but actually honorable because of all the aggressive reporting that goes on every other day."

I commented several days ago on this Correspondents' Dinner, and complained that because it is crammed with apparent conflicts of interest, it should be cancelled. Reporters have a duty to readers to report the truth even though it means making enemies of those in power who are consequently held to account. By cozying up to Bush and Co. and drinking and joking with those guys, reporters will be less likely to hold Bush & Co. to account.