The weather in Washington is glorious — warm, a little wind, sparse clouds. The White House grounds look spotless. So why is the president’s press conference in the stuffy, gold-draped East Room? Inside, it’s like a casino: No clocks, narrow windows, and lots of fancy chandeliers. It feels insular, a place of palace intrigue. Why not hold it the Rose Garden? President Bush, for example, held his post-election press conference there after the Republican “thumpin’”of 2006. Optics, of course, matter little long term, but they can cast a certain shadow, or light.