Here in Washington, D.C., the press corps and the presidents used to be able to kick back and share good times on holidays like the Fourth of July.
Go to the National Press Club and photos will recall the halcyon days when former President Harry Truman used to come by to have some drinks and play the piano.
Now not only are presidents busier, but the media is more aggressive and presidents’ relationships with the Fourth Estate have soured.
Even I’ve got a Fourth of July story from back before that relationship really started to sour after the growth of cable news, the Internet and the Bush Administration. Christmas and the Fourth of July are two big events where the press who apply for White House passes can bring their families to kick back at a a presidential party.

In 1997, President Bill Clinton held a great Fourth of July garden party, and since my father had a White House press pass back then, we got to go with all the other reporters and their kids.
There was free Dove ice cream, free pop, free everything. There was the best view in town to see the fireworks and before the big show started, Bill and HIllary came out to greet their guests.

Bill even made jokes about “Independence Day,” which was like the biggest movie ever when I was 13.
“Today I got a great holiday present when I saw the first images from the Mars land rover,” said Clinton. “Last year they came to us, this year we went to them.”
The Clintons were really great letting reporters bring their families by for other events, like seeing championship sports teams get congratulated.

But then, times soured with the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky scandals. My dad might have liked Clinton’s parties, but he still wrote about screw-ups like Wen Ho Lee stealing atomic secrets for the Chinese under Clinton’s watch.
Invitations stopped coming and press passes became harder to get, all over town. And things didn’t get any friendlier for the press during the Bush years.
So President Obama is the darling of the media now and the White House is transparent. One of his true tests will be whether he starts to keep the press at arms length when his times get tougher.

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