Sign o' The Times

There's a reason the New York Times faces such a huge amount of scrutiny for a daily newspaper - the paper's really good.

That's obvious, yes, but I think we forget it sometimes. It's assumed the stories come easier, because who wouldn't want to talk to the New York Times? Even if the reporter calls with a story where your caught dead to rights, you're much better off playing ball and trying to get in your side of the story. That is some very impressive clout.

I bring all this up to highlight today's front page story on how President Obama decided on the latest Afghan surge. It's one of the best things I've read in months. With many deep-background quotes, Peter Baker tells a very intimate story of the meetings with Obama's closet advisers.

The best part was this leaked quote:

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"'What I’m not going to tolerate is you talking to the press outside of this room,' (Obama) scolded his advisers. 'It’s a disservice to the process, to the country and to the men and women of the military.'”

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The access they have in the White House is stunning, especially considering Obama's predecessor. President Bush once infamously called Times reporter Adam Clymer a "major league asshole" while on the campaign trail in 2000 and ripped the paper during his entire administration. Rahm Emanuel supposedly calls up Times reporters just to shoot off about whatever crazy thing is bugging him that day.

Here's hoping that kind of access is kept through, you know, good journalism, and not holding great stories that would be detrimental to the White House. Because if another paper picks it up and the Times' critics (your Hannitys and Becks) have more ammunition to accuse the paper of censoring the truth, everyone would suffer.

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Enjoy.