Book excerpt: Merriman Smith ruled the WH Press Corps with firmness and fairness. At the time of his tenure, the reporters assigned to cover the president were required to adhere to an unwritten rule not to embarrass the president or his family. Smith saw to it that this was accomplished. He was the liaison between the WH Press Office and the reporters. Watergate coverage abolished this once and for all. Everything is fair game now. The reporters now can dig into the personal life of the first family and expose any thing that is real or imagined. This book reveals the way Smith and the other reporters covered 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. up to the late 60s.