I don't think such preferences are abnormal, not at all. It is a natural desire for an administration to want softball questions. However I don't think most ad

I don't think such preferences are abnormal, not at all. It is a natural desire for an administration to want softball questions. However I don't think most administrations would attempt to achieve them by disrupting the press corps. That claim probably can't be tested or evaluated fairly, partially because it's a fairly novel action, and partially because it's a complex hypothetical. I must admit it is just my political leanings driving me to this conclusion. I guess another (unfair) way to look at is: I would rather have someone appear not to attempt to manipulate public opinion, regardless of if they actually are, because when you are at that level of power, I at least want you to ave your act together enough to keep halfway-decent PR. Thus the fact that it appears to me that they are making such weak attempts to manipulate says something, independent of the ethics of the action itself.