Eleven months ago, I wrote about plans for the renovation of the White House Press Briefing Room. It was originally projected to take a month, then three months, then nine months. So today’s announcement that the new facility is finally opening means that they were only two months or ten months over schedule depending on which projection you use.

But this ribbon cutting ceremony for the new hub of Official Mendacity has already set the symbolic course for a future of coloring and/or dodging the truth.

First, as the AP reports, the entire affair was a sham that excluded much of the press for whom it was intended.

“Bush’s appearance was timed for network morning shows, though media attendance in the room was severely limited to make space for White House staff and construction workers.”

Then, in this room where the White House is expected to answer reporter’s questions, the President appeared briefly and flippantly refused to answer any questions:

“I’ll, like, listen, internalize, play like I’m going to answer the question, and then smile at you and just say, gosh thanks, thanks for such a solid, sound question.”

That’s a pretty good start, and tells us much about what we might expect to take place here in the future.