There are a lot of us who have been reading the Post and the NYT for a long time with a level of skepticism that has only increased over time; to so blatantly offer to sell access in this way - even though the word is they have abandoned this little money-making venture - takes them to a level that renders their content essentially worthless.

The Post's explanation is not consistent with their claim that the newsroom would not be compromised, and this:

Ceci Connolly, a Post reporter who covers health care, told POLITICO that she had been told there would be a dinner and that she would be invited. However, Connolly said, she "knew nothing about sponsorships and had not seen any flier or invitation."

is as insulting to the intelligence as Connolly's reporting.

There will always be that question of whether they found a way to back-door their plan.

Robert Gibbs is saying he thinks some people from the administration had been invited, but thought the invitation had not been accepted.  Is there any reason to believe that, absent Politico's story, we would ever have known one way or the other?

I didn't need his Greek Columns or brazen self-likeness logo to come to this conclusion. Think about this: A public servant, who had accomplished literally nothing for his constituents, felt the need at the ripe old age of 30 something to write, not one, but two autobiographies.

I really would love to listen to a discussion among psychiatrists regarding the Obama phenomenon.

Arguably the least prepared and most inexperienced person to hold the office of President is in charge of the most powerful country in the world at one of its most critical junctures in its history.

30 years of graduating functional illiterates has had its desired effect; mindless zombies, programmed to consume crap.