A major newspaper in Barack Obama's adopted hometown isn't going to be endorsing him this year.
And the White House isn't allowing questions about it.
The situation developed today at the daily White House news briefing held by press secretary Jay Carney.
He declined to allow Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House and the second most-senior reporter on the beat, to ask about the action taken by the Chicago Sun-Times.
That newspaper recently announced: "The Chicago Sun-Times editorial board will approach election coverage in a new way. We will provide clear and accurate information about who the candidates are and where they stand on the issues most important to our city, our state and our country. We will post candidate questionnaires online. We will interview candidates in person and post the videos online. We will present side-by-side comparisons of the candidates' views on the key issues. We will post assessments made by respected civic and professional groups, such as the Chicago Bar Association's guide to judicial candidates.
"What we will not do is endorse candidates. We have come to doubt the value of candidate endorsements by this newspaper or any newspaper, especially in a day when a multitude of information sources allow even a casual voter to be better informed than ever before.
"As many of you have told us, you can make up your own mind, thank you very much. We endorse that opinion."
Kinsolving had wanted the president's reaction.
He had planned to ask, "What was the president's reaction to the report that after 71 years the Chicago Sun-Times still not make any endorsements of candidates for public office?" and "Was the president disappointed or angry that this came in the same year as a president from Chicago is running for re-election?"
Carney declined to allow the questions.