Blogging from the White House

The NY Times reports that a writer for Media Bistro's FishbowlDC has become the first blogger to score White House press credentials.

Another signal moment for bloggers is to occur this morning, when Garrett M. Graff, who writes a blog about the news media in Washington, is to be ushered into the White House briefing room to attend the daily press "gaggle."

Mr. Graff, 23, may be the first blogger in the short history of the medium to be granted a daily White House pass for the specific purpose of writing a blog, or Web log. A White House spokesman said yesterday that he believed Mr. Graff was the first blogger to be given credentials.

About the only thing left to certify blogging as fully mainstream now is the release of a big movie flop like 1985's John Travolta/Jamie Lee Curtis Perfect. In that neutron bomb of a flick (the theaters remained standing but the crowds were killed instantly) Travolta played an investigative reporter for Rolling Stone who got too close--dammit--to his aerobics instructor source on an expose of health club ripoffs. (Yes, it was the '80s, when a peculiar combination of the Cold War, parachute pants, and Kenny Loggins' hit singles drove us all a bit mad.)

The precise blogger analogue eludes me at the moment, but I'm sure between the Bush girls, the Jeff Gannon scandal, and rogue nuclear nations, something will present itself.

Suggest your scenario in the comments.

Times' thing here. [Thanks Drudge.]

FishbowlDC site here.

Comments

[Ball of Confusion]

Ben Affleck plays a blogger whose wild conspiracy theories about a thinly-disguised Gitmo substitute are on the lunatic fringe -- and yet, guys in suits are suddenly trying to shut him down. Is he getting too close to the truth? J. Lo plays herself as the pop star and ex-romantic interest who aids and abets him against her better judgment. Cedric the Entertainer plays a bit part as the computer pawn shop owner who somehow keeps Affleck connected to "the net".

[James B.]

Do we really even need a Presdiential Daily Briefing. Couldn't Scott McClellan just set up a blog and then we could all ask questions in the comments section?

[joe]

I like Scott McClellan. He at least has the class to look sheepish while telling transparent lies.

[Matt]

Title: Scotty and Me.
Genre: Buddy Comedy

White House spokesman Scott McClellan (Jim Belushi) has a problem -- too many hard questions from the liberal media. Things take a turn for the interesting when Andy Pressman (Jonathan Lipnicki) shows up as a reporter for Teen World magazine. What could a world-weary White House spokesman possibly have to learn from a thirteen-year old with a computer and an attitude? More than you think. Including stellar performances in supporting roles from Robert Loggia, Chris Kattan, and Rick Moranis (as uber-blogger Glenn Reynolds), and a special appearance by Jared from Subway, Scotty and Me is hilarious fun for the whole family.

Rated PG-13 (partial nudity, some offensive language regarding social security, and candid discussion of weapons-of-mass-destruction-related program activities).

[Stevo Darkly]

They already had a blogger-type drama on the small screen, in the "A Current Affair" episode of Sliders. The gang arrives on an alternate Earth where, in a reverse "wag the dog" move, U.S. President Jeff Williams pretends to have an extramarital affair in order to distract the mass media's attention from U.S. involvement in an ethnic civil war in Switzerland. (Anyone see that episode? When the girl's death is faked to embarrass the president, in a press conference he pushes his thumb toward the camera and says vehemently, "I did not have homicidal relations with that woman, Maggie Beckett.")

One of the characters who exposes the truth behind the president's affair was an "Internet journalist" based on Matt Drudge. (But does Matt Drudge qualify as a blogger? He doesn't think so.)