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By Greg Pierce

FRIENDS OF BARACK

"Reporters from roughly 30 television networks, newspapers, magazines and Web sites celebrated the Fourth of July with Barack Obama at the White House last weekend. Why didn't you know that? Because they were sworn to secrecy," John Cook writes at Gawker.com.

"We reported [Wednesday] that Politico's Mike Allen was spotted milling about as a guest at the White House's 'backyard bash' by the pool reporter, who was allowed into the event for 40 minutes and kept in a pen before being ushered out. When Allen quoted from the pool report in his Playbook column the next day, he deleted a reference to his own name and didn't bother to tell his readers that he was actually at the party," Mr. Cook said.

"Well, he wasn't alone. Gawker has learned that the White House gave tickets to virtually every major news organization that covers the president - the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, ABC News, NBC News, CNN, CBS News and so on, about 30 in all. The reporters were invited to attend on the following condition: 'You are being invited to attend this event as a guest. Blogging, Twittering or otherwise reporting on this event is not permitted. If you feel that you cannot agree to abide by these ground rules, please don't claim a ticket.'

"That's right: Much of the White House press corps spent the Fourth schmoozing with White House staffers, catching performances by the Foo Fighters and Jimmy Fallon, and watching the fireworks from the most exclusive vantage point in the D.C. metro area, all off the record - not to mention off the Facebook and off the Twitter. These are the same people who just a week ago were whining in the press briefing about Obama's malicious and dastardly attempts to 'control the press.' (Well, not the self-same people - we're not sure if Chip Reid and Helen Thomas, the primary antagonists in that exchange, were in attendance.)"

READY FOR BATTLE

Sen. Robert C. Byrd got out of the hospital last week after a monthlong stay for a staph infection, and the 91-year-old West Virginia Democrat appears eager to do battle over climate-change legislation, notably the carbon cap-and-trade plan passed by the House and supported by President Obama.

"I cannot support the House bill in its present form," Mr. Byrd said. "I continue to believe that clean coal can be a 'green' energy. Those of us who understand coal's great potential in our quest for energy independence must continue to work diligently in shaping a climate bill that will ensure access to affordable energy for West Virginians. I remain bullish about the future of coal, and am so very proud of the miners who labor and toil in the coalfields of West Virginia."

A spokesman for Mr. Byrd told the Wheeling (W.Va.) News-Register that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will begin marking up the "cap and trade" bill later this month, with floor debate scheduled for September or October.

BLOODIED LITIGANT