Senior officials say the snub was the work of White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater. He and his aides “gleefully sliced up” the invitation list, cutting dozens of reporters whose stories displeased them, the officials say. Among those axed were correspondents from NEWSWEEK, The Washington Post, The New York Times and the TV networks. The Bushes were said to be furious about the bad publicity caused by the snub. “Marlin blew it,” says one official. To appease the press, a number of last-minute invitations were rushed out. Fitzwater did not return calls for comment.
