The White House Press Corp pays their own way on presidential travel. Hotel, flights, food, everything. In fact some news organizations (Time, Newsweek) don’t travel on Air Force anymore because they can’t afford it.
Believe me, Obama doesn’t want the press hanging around on his vacation. The administration is obligated keep the press corp near the president wherever he goes. The only reason the WH is allowing the press Corp to brig guests is because these journalists won’t be home with their families for December 25th. It’s common courtesy.
As the press grows more crtitical of Obama the more he disdains them and the less access he lets them have.
I remember the press being kept at a distance during previous presidential vacations, and I distinctly recall the road block a half mile from Bush’s Crawford Ranch. Photo ops were always provided as a matter of courtesy, but I don’t remember ANYTHING like the last Obama in Hawaii orgy. Sounds like they want a redux to pump up the boy president’s numbers.