President Obama exchanged pleasantries, but took no serious questions from the White House press corps during an unannounced visit to the press briefing room just moments ago.

As he shook hands with the reporters who remained late this afternoon, he joked about his workout routine and the lack of healthy snacks in the break room. But when a reporter tried to ask about the lobbying ties of William Lynn, his nominee for deputy secretary of defense, Obama grew more stern.

"I can't end up visiting you guys and just shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down," he said to Politico's Jonathan Martin. "I guess Jonathan didn't like my question, Mr. President," press secretary Robert Gibbs shouted from afar.

Obama stressed this was just a courtesy call.

"We will be having a press conference at which time you can feel free to answer questions. Right now I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys, that's all I wanted to do," he said.

The president asked for patience in learning everyone's names, though he recognized some familiar faces from the campaign trail.

He was also goaded into touring not just the briefing room but the narrow corridors of the downstairs area where reporters have workstations. There, he promised the members of the fourth estate to have a "relationship that's respectful, and where you guys feel like you're actually getting answers."

He then praised Gibbs' performance at his first briefing.

"I'm very proud of him today. He got a fist-bump from me," he said.

On his way out through the briefing room again, one reporter shouted out to ask for Obama's e-mail address. Needless to say, that was one more question he would not answer.