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David Sanger of The New York Times is the latest to question the value of the daily White House press briefings:

After nearly seven years of covering the White House, stretched over two administrations, four press secretaries, endless hours tinkering with the fractured hinge supporting the New York Times seat in the second row and hundreds of questions that have resulted in artful and artless evasive answers, I have come to a few conclusions.

One is that the press secretary is not likely to return as a major force on the White House stage anytime soon. The second is that the daily briefings now have less to do with covering the White House than ever, and their value is diminishing every year. At some point between Monica and the missing W.M.D., the sparring came to obscure the imparting of information about how and why decisions were made.

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We don't mention it one time in Public Eye history, and now here we are referencing "The Swamp," the Chicago Tribune Washington Bureau's (pretty solid) newish blog, twice in one day. But, hey, how could we resist this, from today's gaggle?

Why was the White House relying on a Texas rancher to get the word of Cheney's hunting accident out over the weekend, asked [NBC News Chief White House Correspondent David] Gregory, accusing [White House Press Secretary Scott] McClellan of "ducking and weaving.''

"David, hold on… the cameras aren't on right now,'' McClellan replied. "You can do this later.''

"Don't accuse me of trying to pose to the cameras,'' the newsman said, his voice rising somewhat. "Don’t be a jerk to me personally when I’m asking you a serious question.''

"You don't have to yell,'' McClellan said.

"I will yell,'' said Gregory, pointing a finger at McCellan at his dais. "If you want to use that podium to try to take shots at me personally, which I don’t appreciate, then I will raise my voice, because that’s wrong.’’

"Calm down, Dave, calm down,'' said McClellan, remaining calm throughout the exchange.

"I'll calm down when I feel like calming down,'' Gregory said. "You answer the question."

Take that, Scotty! Now here's our question: who looks worse, the flack or the hack? (That is, the press secretary or the reporter. Ahem.) Seems like it could be a wash: Some will surely see a hyperactive gotcha-type reporter needlessly haranguing the President's spokesman while others will see a slick professional spinmeister doing everything he can do avoid answering the simplest questions.

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