On Thursday morning’s Fox and Friends, Eric Bolling asked why bombshell revelations from the Jodi Kantor book The Obamas, like supposed tension between the East and West Wing and the Secret Halloween Party That Wasn’t A Secret, were “not exposed by the White House press corps.”

Fox News contributor Andrea Tantaros‘ diagnosis: “most reporters” are “lazy and liberal.”

Before today’s White House daily briefing, I found myself surrounded by something of a Holy Trinity of Conservative Media, so it seemed like a good time to ask them what they thought of the chatter surrounding NJ Gov. Chris Christie‘s possible (if unlikely) entry into the 2012 Republican presidential field. John Gizzi from Human Events, Fred Lucas from CNS News, and Les Kinsolving from World Net Daily all responded to the question “Will he, and should he?” with a resounding negatory.

As the news that Osama bin Laden is dead begins to sink in, other, less weighty stories can begin to waft over, or wriggle under, that steel media curtain. The bin Laden story blotted out the usual post-White House Correspondents Dinner fluff, but in its cooling embers, we can now marvel at Joan Rivers‘ prime example of that sweetest of celebrity truffles, the pre-gamin’ red carpet political rant. The veteran comic (and former contestant on Donald Trump‘s Celebrity Apprentice) had some choice words when asked about President Obama, imploring him to “stop campaigning,” and “Take care of the f**king country!”

After falling prey to a particularly adept Robert Gibbs Jedi mind trick last week, CNSNews reporter Fred Lucas waded into the fray again at yesterday’s briefing. This time, in quizzing Gibbs on the recess appointment of Donald Berwick, Lucas formed a tag-team with Human Events’ John Gizzi, but he ignored the advice I gave him last week: “Next time Gibbs asks you a question, say ‘No comment!’”

Just a few quick observations from my time in DC today.

In between today’s East Room remarks by President Obama and the daily briefing, I spotted something amusingly incongruous as I copped a smoke outside the briefing room. Perhaps confirming the cliche´ about the versatility of duct tape, I noticed that someone had temporarily fixed a hole in the side of the briefing room with what actually appeared to be gaffer’s tape.

At today’s White House briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked, by CNSNews.com reporter Fred Lucas, to comment on President Obama‘s use of the term “tea-bagger” in an interview for Jonathan Alter‘s book. Gibbs replied that he hadn’t read it. I followed up by asking Gibbs if he could find out if the President was aware of the controversy, or if he had any comment about his word choice. Short reply: Not a tea bag’s chance in hell.

It’s the end of the year, the time for handy lists and timelines recapping the touchstones of the past 12 months, freezing them in our ever-shortening collective memory.

Of course, some people just have to be different. Mediaite contributor and White House reporter Tommy Christopher pulls back the curtain on covering politics in 2009, and shares photos and videos that have never been seen before. Find out who the Secret Service did manage to keep out of the White House, what Joe Biden told his young mentorees, and much more.