The White House's "Good Cop"

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Nicolle Devenish, the new White House communications director, was "once fired for being too nice to reporters," writes the New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller. Devenish's goal is "to improve the contentious relationship between a secretive White House and the press." She was previously the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign communications director, the White House regional press head, and Florida Governor Jeb Bush's press secretary. "Now her job is to free up [presidential counselor Dan] Bartlett to do more long-term planning and, of course, spin reporters." CJR Daily critiques Bumiller's profile of Devenish, writing, "Bumiller's fawning wouldn't seem so objectionable if her subject wasn't someone who she has a clear interest in cultivating as a source."