Will this White House ever get its groove back?

Student newspapers denied access to presidential visit
DES MOINES -- Three student newspapers were not allowed to cover President Bush's visit to Des Moines on Thursday.

The Iowa State Daily; the Daily Iowan, the student newspaper at the University of Iowa; and the DMACC Chronicle, the student newspaper of the Ankeny campus of Des Moines Area Community College, were all left off the approved list to cover the presidential visit.

A reporter and a photographer from WQAD in the Quad Cities were also left off the list because of a late fax request to the White House press office, but were later let in to cover the event.

"We took all the right steps to get in, and we got screwed in the end," said Scott Mussell, photographer for the DMACC Chronicle.

Mike Allsup, reporter for the Chronicle, said the paper had faxed press credential information to the White House press office at 11 a.m. Tuesday, a full day before the due date.

"I think they missed out on a huge opportunity for getting the president's message out to students," he said.

Allsup said he was later contacted by the White House press office and told the president didn't want students covering the event in Des Moines.

"The fact they called me and told me that really pissed me off," he said.

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