"Tensions have escalated far beyond the inevitable grousing
between press secretaries and journalists, who said they
could not remember a White House that was more grudging or
less forthcoming in informing the press. ... Certainly, there have been strains between reporters and the press secretary in previous White Houses, and every administration has tried to prevent leaks and control spin. But complaints about White House secrecy have reached new levels. White House reporters say they have been given very limited information about the cost, the length, and the risk of any military action in Iraq. They also contend that after Sept. 11, many more policy and governmental decisions are security."