Another little "media thing"

Here's an interesting article I read today on washingtonpost.com: "Obama Wrote Federal Staffers About His Goals." It begins: "In wooing federal employee votes on the eve of the election, Barack Obama wrote a series of letters to workers that offer detailed descriptions of how he intends to add muscle to specific government programs, give new power to bureaucrats and roll back some Bush administration policies." (emphasis mine) The piece doesn't give the date the letters were written so I don't know exactly what "eve of the election" means, but it does mention one letter written October 20. Another great "strategy" I guess. But here's what I wonder:

1. What media organizations knew this?
2. When did they know it?
3. Did they agree to wait until after the election to disclose it?
4. In exchange for what? Guaranteed access so they can continue to give us even more of those "according to government sources" stories we've read for the last eight years?

Given the fact he wrote letters to employees of seven different federal agencies, I find it hard to believe that nobody knew this before now.

According to the article:

"He made it clear that the Department of Housing and Urban Development would have an enhanced role in restoring public confidence in the housing market, shaken because of the ongoing mortgage crisis."

Hm-m-m, think he had Ms. Jarrett's prior "urban development" experience in mind when he made that clear?