Thursday, May 12, 2005

Like London During the Blitz

The Cessna Mess that put official Washington in a tizzie Wednesday isn't scaring people the way these evacuations used to. The White House Press Corps was directed outside and across the street to Lafayette Park. But some journalists were in no hurry -- so the security types sent them to the basement for protection.

There was also no formal announcement of the threat -- despite a public address system in the White House used in the past for announcing evacuations.

But there seems to be a growing calm in the face of such alerts. Mauybe it's the "crys of wolf" or just a sense of being secure. Or maybe we're finally listening to the administration's insistance that we "go about our lives as we normally would."

Over at the Capitol, an AP reporter tells Editor and Publisher that veteran reporters took their time walking out of the building after the warnings. The Capitol Hill Press Corps say the evacuations are becoming routine. One reporter says he and his collegues now make sure they have their keys and Blackberry with them.

About 35,000 people left the Capitol and Congressional Office Buildings, another 200 left the White House during the evacuations. (Editor & Publisher)

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