Yes, the White House received scads of negative coverage for colorful blunders such as thoughtlessly sanctioning an Air Force One photo op near the Statue of Liberty and carelessly allowing some uninvited guests to traipse into a state dinner. In the politico-media age in which Obama must govern, even the smallest flap can be blown up into a cause célèbre. But the Administration has avoided truly weighty controversies — no major confirmation battles, no staff indictments, no crippling malfeasance.