Senate Democrats Pushing For Gannon Inquiry?

  •  February 23, 2005

Raw Story – The Senate Democratic leadership is privately circulating a letter calling for other senators to join a call for an investigation into discredited White House reporter Jeff Gannon, RAW STORY has learned.
The letter, issued from Minority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL), calls on President Bush to “order a full inquiry” into how a “fake” journalist working for a “sham” news organization got access to the president.
The letter was leaked to RAW STORY this evening. A decision on taking action on Gannon has been brewing for about a week, since Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) called on the White House to turn over all documentation relating to Gannon’s credentialing.

Raw Story has the text from this alleged letter. Of course, Raw Story isn’t a very credible news site so take this with a grain of salt.
If Democrats try to run with this they’re going to end up looking foolish. Bringing up the whole gay/prostitute angle will quickly be countered by the fact that the White House had no way to know about Gannon’s sexuality or his alleged work as a male escort. He was never convicted of being a prostitute so no such charge would show up on his criminal record and sexuality simply should not matter in regard to press credentials.
As to the bias charge. there’s the fact that the White House routinely approves press credentials for all manner of reporters from all sorts organizations including left-wing partisan publications. Even other reporters covering the White House beat have admitted that Gannon’s partisanship was only unusual in that it was right-leaning as opposed to left-leaning. Highlighting the bias issue would only serve the highlight the reality of the inherent left-wing bias in White House coverage.
At the heart of this issue the White House did nothing wrong. This story is a loser for Democrats.
On a related note, it would appear as though Ace has landed an interview with Gannon himself. He’s accepting questions now, so if you’ve got something you’d like answered head on over and submit it.

Tags:


«
»
  • http://www.captainnormal.org/ Don Myers

    The operative words, of course, being “I have not read anything.” That’s because you’ve repeatedly refused to read ANYTHING that clashes with your approved version of events.

    Tell ya what—in the spirit of “where there’s smoke,” will you join with Rep. Durbin and call for an investigation into the matter that is every bit as unrelenting and exhaustive as the Ken Starr witchhunt?

    That way we’ll both have the full facts.

    What do you say, Rob? Do you WANT to know the full unvarnished truth, or do you want to stick with whatever story Talon News is putting out this week?

  • Gonzo

    > So your point is that its ok to be a scandal monger because people on the right did it first?

    No. My point is that when a homosexual prostitute operating under a false identity somehow gets a White House security clearance and access to insider White House intelligence information for TWO YEARS … while many other more qualified journalists do not … well, something clearly doesn’t smell right, and the mainstream media should doggedly be pursuing the story. Maybe it’s not as big as I suspect — but we deserve to know the facts.

    My point is that the Gannon/Guckert scandal seems to have bigger national security and/or media manipulation implications than (yawn) Clinton having sex with an intern,(yawn) inane things some loser Univ of Colorado professor said three years ago about the World Trade Center attacks or (yawn) the Michael Jackson trial.

    And yet the mainstream media obsessed and obsesses over all of the above. I don’t give a crap who is on the Jackson jury. It would be nice, though, to know what the White House knew about Gannon and when they knew it. If apologists for this unprecedentedly secretive and manipulative administration truly believe this story has no legs, then let the investigative reporters discover that on their own. What are you afraid of?

    People forget that the role of the mainstream news media should not be to cheerlead for the President. (He’s got his own staff, Fox “News”, and talk-radio network to do that). Their role should be to ask tough questions and investigate suspicious scandals.

    Over the long term, my friends, that is the only way democracy can survive in this or in any country. Don’t count on the powerful — right or left, Democratic or Republican — to be forthcoming, honest, or liberal in sharing their power out of the goodness of their hearts …

  • http://www.captainnormal.org/ Don Myers

    And, as I’ve pointed out before, you has absolutely 0 proof that Gannon was a) a White House plant or b) that the White House had any knowledge of his activities as a gay man or a gay prostitute.

    Uh, dude…you left out a key phrase here. I do the same thing, esp. when I’m typing in a hurry, so I thought I’d help you out.

    And, as I’ve pointed out before, you has absolutely 0 proof on NewsMax or the Rush Limbaugh show that Gannon was a) a White House plant or b) that the White House had any knowledge of his activities as a gay man or a gay prostitute.

    Since the papers and the blogoshere is full of that proof—all of which bounce off your reality-proof force-field—that’s what your meant to say.

    No problemo….I’m just glad I could be of service.

  • JFH

    err… need more coffee before I comment, hopefully y’all get the gist of my inquiry, despite the poor spelling and grammer.

  • Jadegold

    Don is correct. The pro-values, anti-gay WH puts a plant in the WH press corps who happens to be a gay prostitute.

    If someone wrote a novel with this premise, no editor would believe it. Too over the top.

  • Gonzo

    Hello? Am I really reading these nervous messages from Bush apologists telling us to quit worrying our pretty little heads about this creepy and disturbing Gannon story??

    I’m sorry, but if this kind of story had broke when Clinton was president, the right-friendly mainstream media would be obsessing over the “Gannon-gate” story day-in, day-out, for weeks on end. Right-wing religious groups would be apoplectic with rage. Right-wing talk shows would be banging their fists and screaming for Clinton’s head. A special prosecutor would already be appointed to investigate. Repubs in Congress would be shaking their heads in horror.

    Are your memories really so short? Have you all forgotten about a little matter called “Whitewater” — which, after $150 million in special prosecutor expenditures, never yielded a single indictment. But it did reveal that Clinton lied about sex. I do remember that made a headline or two in America.

    The Right is such a back of lily-livered hypocrites.

  • Annie

    All of this brouhaha just shows the desperate measures the anti-Bush crowd will go to. It’s laughable that the same crowd that thought it was OK for Clinton to be ‘serviced’ by Monica while in the middle of a phone call with a foreign leader, is all indignant that Jeff Gannon was in the White House. Go ahead – investigate. We might say “bring it on”! Every gay journalist, every journalist that’s had an affair, etc is now screaming in their pillow “oh for Christ’s sake DON’T GO THERE!! Pretty hypocritical from the party of tolerance, wouldn’t ya say??

  • Jadegold

    Thanks, Annie. I hope you join us in demanding a full investigation.

    Just like President Clinton’s.

  • http://www.captainnormal.org/ Don Myers

    Dude, it’s y’all on the right that are making hay with the gay angle. Well, the right and the late night comedians—I still think that a bastion of homophobia like the Bush regime hiring a gay escort to be its ring is bloody comedy GOLD. The jokes just write themselves!

    You are, however, seriously misinformed on the White House’s role in this scandal. I keep tellin’ ya, ya gotta read something other that the right-wing nutjob press.

  • http://www.captainnormal.org/ Don Myers

    BTW, since your regurgitating the official GOP talking points to downplay this White House ethical breech, you should read World o’ Crap’s neatly done fisking of same:

    http://blogs.salon.com/0002874/2005/02/23.html#a1512

  • http://ThatColoredfellasweblog.bloghorn.com/ thatcoloredfella

    But you don’t think it will come up in the subsequent media coverage? I think it will, and its going to backfire for Dems.

    versus…

    If Democrats try to run with this they’re going to end up looking foolish. Bringing up the whole gay/prostitute angle

    Classic flip/flop Rob! ‘Coming up in the subsequent media coverage…’ is not the same as your charge of ‘if the Dems run with this…’.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

    Don Myers says, “I still think that a bastion of homophobia like the Bush regime…”

    and

    I keep tellin’ ya, ya gotta read something other that the right-wing nutjob press.

    These are immature stupid comments better suited for another blog. That is all.

  • JFH

    I lost explain to me the legal issues here, who determines the rules for press access to the exectutive branch, the legislative branch? I didn’t there were any laws REQUIRING or DENYING individuals or the press access to any government official.

  • http://slarrow.blogspot.com/ slarrow

    The whole thing bemuses me. I don’t know whether to encourage the Left in continuing to beat a dead horse or entreat them to stop making over-the-top, malicious, partisan fools of themselves. Who knew that within the paragons of respect for all and defenders of virtue lurked such gossip harridans?

  • http://www.captainnormal.org/ Don Myers

    So you think putting a ringer in the press room for the express purpose of lobbing pre-written softballs at the press secretary is “nothing wrong?”

    You and the White House have a Nixonian disregard for honesty and truth, Rob.

  • http://notaprelude.blogspot.com/ TomChicago

    Actually an investigation is warranted since for a large part of his tenure, Jeff/Jim was not really reporting for any existing organization. Further, reporters that have been interviewed in the MSM, such as Leslie Stahl, have consistently questioned how in the world he could have been credentialed without some sponsorship. The sexuality issue, while ugly and demonstrative of the great dumbness of any number of the players here, is secondary.

  • http://ThatColoredfellasweblog.bloghorn.com/ thatcoloredfella

    Right now Rob,

    The Raw Story article link and a link to the email addresses of every U.S. Senator is circulating the Lefty blogsphere, and will end up posted on almost everyone’s blog (like mine!), in short time!

    I have never been so proud that Richard Durbin is my Senator, as I am right now.

    If Democrats try to run with this they’re going to end up looking foolish. Bringing up the whole gay/prostitute angle…

    This is a blatant distortion on your part Rob, confirmed by the fact that you failed to quote any of Durbin’s letter to Bush. Nowhere, in his letter does he address the salacious aspects of this scandal, nor is there any mention of the words ‘gay’ or ‘prostitute’!

  • http://amiapunditnow.blogspot.com/ Ken McCracken

    Oh yeah, Dick Durbin SURE knows how to take on the TOUGH TOUGH issues!

    He is the chief obstructionist in the senate now, having replaced Daschel, and is an embarassment to Illinois.

    Doesn’t he have something or another to filibuster?

  • http://ThatColoredfellasweblog.bloghorn.com/ thatcoloredfella

    No, not a flip/flop at all. If Democrats run with this the media is going to latch onto the gay thing and it will blow up in their faces.

    You mean the Salon-integrity-challenged-Librrul Media is going to latch on to the aspect of the scandal they know is going to hurt the agenda that they are already in coordinated cahoots with the Democrats, to slime the President with salacious allegations?

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    The operative words, of course, being “”I have not read anything.” That’s because you’ve repeatedly refused to read ANYTHING that clashes with your approved version of events.

    Typical lefty thinking. I don’t believe because I haven’t gotten the message. Absolutely no consideration for the idea that the message might be, you know, wrong..

    Tell ya what—in the spirit of “”where there’s smoke,” will you join with Rep. Durbin and call for an investigation into the matter that is every bit as unrelenting and exhaustive as the Ken Starr witchhunt?

    I’m not against Durbin’s investigation per se. I just think its stupid. Pointless. It will be a muck-raking festival aimed only at tossing as much slime on Republicans as possible. Kind of like the Starr investigation (which I was against as well).

    But if it makes you happy, Don, sure. Let them investigate. They’ll find nothing of substance.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    Right. Salon. That bastion of journalistic integrity and equality.

    I think I’ll pass, unless you have more compelling evidence from a trustworthy source.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    No, not a flip/flop at all. If Democrats run with this the media is going to latch onto the gay thing and it will blow up in their faces.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    So you think putting a ringer in the press room for the express purpose of lobbing pre-written softballs at the press secretary is “”nothing wrong?”

    No, I think that would be wrong were it the reality of the situation. But the truth is that Jeff Gannon applied for White House credentials and was approved as the checks by the White House as the screening they use wouldn’t turn up prostitution activities that he wasn’t convicted of.

    The fact that he represented a right-wing partisan publication and lobbed softball questions is no more relevant than the fact that many journalists from left-wing publications are credentials and routinely lob rather pointed questions.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    Calling speculation, rumor and innuendo “proof” does not make it such.

    I have not read anything that convinces me that the White House was complicit in “planting” Gannon in the press room or that they could have possibly known about his sexuality and escort business.

    Gonzo:

    So your point is that its ok to be a scandal monger because people on the right did it first?

    That sounds remarkably like “they started it.”

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    Don is correct. The pro-values, anti-gay WH puts a plant in the WH press corps who happens to be a gay prostitute.

    And, as I’ve pointed out before, you has absolutely 0 proof that Gannon was a) a White House plant or b) that the White House had any knowledge of his activities as a gay man or a gay prostitute.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    Nowhere, in his letter does he address the salacious aspects of this scandal, nor is there any mention of the words ‘gay’ or ‘prostitute’!

    But you don’t think it will come up in the subsequent media coverage? I think it will, and its going to backfire for Dems.

    Actually an investigation is warranted since for a large part of his tenure, Jeff/Jim was not really reporting for any existing organization.

    I hadn’t heard this before. Do you have a link where I could read more?

Create a SAB Readerblog


Recent Comments

Powered by Disqus

Blog Advice and Support
Installs and Upgrades
Theme Modifications
Custom Plugins
Theme Design
Conversions and Relocations
Hacked Site Recovery
Mobile Apps Development