Tom Hanks feels for the “poor slobs” of the White House Press Corps.

The Academy Award winning actor said as much while checking out the old Pony Express espresso machine he bought in 2004 for the hardworking men and women of the Fourth Estate after noticing they didn’t have a proper source of java.

Hanks couldn’t resist visiting the press room last month to see if the coffee maker was still there while at the White House for a special screening of HBO’s “The Pacific” with President Barack Obama.

Director Steven Spielberg and Hanks are Executive Producers of the ten-part WWII miniseries now airing on HBO.

Hanks showed off the coffee maker to pal Spielberg, along with their wives, actresses Rita Wilson and Kate Capshaw. He also promised to send the press corps a new one after declaring that “this one is on its last legs.”

Well, despite a question of ethics jokingly raised by veteran CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller (to which Hanks replied: “It’s just a gift — it’s not like it’s a pizza oven.”) Hanks has made good on his promise: a shiny new coffee maker and personal note from the actor were delivered this afternoon.

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More folks are clamoring for tickets to the 2010 White House Correspondents’ Dinner than ever before and we’re starting to learn who some of the lucky ticket bearers will be: WWD reports Time will be bringing Steven Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw, along with Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley.

Spielberg is no stranger to the WHCD or Washington; he was recently in D.C. to screen HBO’s latest miniseries “The Pacific” at the White House for the president. The Commander in Chief just happened to also be the number one person guests wanted to meet at last year’s WHCD, according to our random and unscientific poll at the 2009 Garden Brunch.

WHCI Garden Brunch 2009: Who Do You Want To Meet? from whcinsider on Vimeo.

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