It would help clarify things if the WHCA addressed the issue of Fox News' new front-row briefing room seat in the light of its parent company's recent seven-figure donation to the Republican Party.

As Media Matters reported yesterday, outgoing president Ed Chen called the decision to upgrade Fox News' WHCA standing a “travesty”:

“The vacancy was created because of an ideological conflict,” he said, referring to Thomas' anti-Israel comments that led to her resignation. “To fill the vacancy with another cloud of ideological conflict was most unfortunate and inappropriate.”

...

“You had Helen go out on this conflict over politics and a question of fairness,” Chen said. “You fill the seat with someone who drags in all of this controversy.”

Ron Hutcheson, another former WHCA president who served from 2004-2005 while covering the White House for Knight-Ridder, said “a big political contribution by any news organization raises some questions. Clearly the management of Fox has political views. It raises questions and I don't know the answer.”

In the Media Matters report, current WHCA President David Jackson of USA Today did not address the issue of the million-dollar donation. Instead, he commented on how the WHCA board came to the decision to upgrade Fox News' press room standing. But that decision came before the revelation of the $1M political gift to Republicans.

Shouldn't the WHCA be on the record in terms of the $1M gift? Does the association think it's fine and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it? If so, why not just say so? Why not just go on the record saying that if, for instance, next week NBC's corporate owners gave $1M to Democrats while stiffing Republicans, the WCHA would have no problem with that, and that kind of open and partisan political gift-giving wouldn't affect NBC's standing inside the WH press room?

At least that way everyone would understand the ground rules.