The Dallas Morning News, one of the three publications kicked off of Obama's campaign plane, isn't holding a grudge against the Democratic candidate.

But we don't have evidence that the newspaper's endorsement of Sen. McCain had any bearing on the campaign's decision to boot us from the plane. No one from the campaign ever mentioned it to Todd… We think the Obama campaign's decision is to some degree more a function of limited seats, and while we're a large regional newspaper, we're not national and we're not in a swing state. We've been on the road with them at key moments, but we've not been along for the entire ride, like, say, The New York Times and The Associated Press.

And while that is a sweet sentiment, we still have a hard time swallowing why The New York Post and Washington Times would be kicked off, while Ebony and Jet magazines were allowed to stay on, unless a calculated political decision was made to reach out to more African-American voters over the readers of a predominantly Republican-leaning paper.

Journos beware: If you work for a notoriously biased newspaper, don't expect the oppositional candidate to save a place for you on his private jet. This close to the election, you'll be replaced quicker than Sarah Palin's original wardrobe choices (moose hide vest didn't go with shoes).

And no, it's not all John McCain and the cranky GOP doing this, although so far Maureen Dowd and Joe Klein have been nixed from their in-flight list. (Hopefully Ana Marie Cox won't fundraise all that money in vain once the McCain staffers figure out she used to write for Wonkette.)

Make of this news what you will:

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KOSHER STYLE The conservative Washington Times is changing its style guide as well as its leadership. Gone is "homosexual" (for "gay") and "homosexual marriage" ("gay marriage," without quotes, is now suitable), as well as "illegal aliens" ("illegal immigrants" is now proper). Naturally, Michelle Malkin sees a snowball effect on the horizon. [Salon]

We sort of understand why the Army, the Navy and all those soldier fighters aren't allowed to blog. They'll be blown up or get BCTs dropped on them or something. But the Washington Times staff? According to the Chicago Tribune, journos qualify as the type of "brilliant people" who should be allowed to blog. We don't understand.

Our bloggod Jim Romenesko explains: when Audrey Hudson's ran her mouth about Jack Abramoff on her personal blog, Wesley Pruden got a little pissed.

Memo from Washington Times editor-in-chief Wesley Pruden:

Any staff member who plans to set up or regularly contribute to an Internet blog, Web site, or other electronic billboard, posting service or message distribution system must first request and obtain permission from senior editors. We anticipate that most such requests will be granted if they come under these general conditions:

Oh, we so wish we could be there to watch the staffers run their Myspace and JDate accounts past Pruden for approval. Full memo after the jump.

Memo from Washington Times editor-in-chief Wesley Pruden [Jim Romenesko, Poynter]
Earlier: Operation Blogger Freedom

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