A gathering of asskissers

"Not enough sycophants and enablers in the West Wing? Bush called in reinforcements yesterday, inviting a slew of conservative columnists to the Roosevelt Room for a 90-minute group grope in which he tried out a lot of the sound bytes he ended up using at [yesterday's] press conference."

Crooks and Liars reports:

As he is inclined to do, the president assembled a group of sycophantic media guests to boost his ego at the White House yesterday, the latest in a series of gatherings between Bush and like-minded allies who enjoy telling him exactly what he wants to hear — and agrees with every word he says.
At yesterday’s press gaggle, Press Secretary Dana Perino read the names of the invited guests:

Michael Barone (U.S. News), Tony Blankley (Washington Times), David Brooks (New York Times), Ron Kessler (NewsMax), Charles Krauthammer (Washington Post), Bill Kristol (Weekly Standard), Larry Kudlow (CNBC), Morton Kondracke (Roll Call), Kimberly Strassel (Wall Street Journal), Kathryn Lopez and Kate O’Beirne (National Review).

When she was done, some White House reporters literally laughed. Out loud.

Later, one reporter asked: "Regarding the columnist roundtable, was there any logical standard used in issuing the invitations?"

That got even more laughs.