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neadodsI never thought I'd see Daily Kos (which has an LJ feed at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif)
daily_kos cited in the Washington Post, much less cited in the WaPo and Salon on the same morning. But the Jeff Gannon scandal is finally hitting the main news streams (Post) and large established sites (Salon) - and they had to admit, it was Atrios & Kos who first started blowing the whistle loud and urgently. (Although Google news shows me that the Chicago Tribune edit of the Post article removes that paragraph, among others.)
Jeff Gannon, for those who haven't heard yet, is the reporter for Talon News who lobbed the infamously twisted softball question asking Bush how he was going to work with Democrats after the 2004 election because they are "so divorced from reality." If he wanted attention, he got it. If he wanted notariety, he got it.
If he wanted a bunch of REALLY pissed off politically-connected liberals focusing on him like a laser beam, he got that too.
What they found, aside from some dubious and unused webnames that are beside the point, is that "Talon News" is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GOPUSA, created soon after GOPUSA was told it couldn't get a reporter into the White House press briefings because they weren't enough of a news corporation. They found that Jeff Gannon is not this man's real name, despite it being on the press pass that let him get close to the President. They found that this man's journalistic credentials exist entirely of having taken a 2-day class and that his news releases - presented as no-spin investigative reporting - were verbatim reprints of White House talking memos.
Mr Gannon is gone now; Talon's website has a notice from him saying that he is withdrawing due to threats against his family. Considering that there are wingnuts on both sides of the political spectrum, he may be telling the bare truth for once, and if so, I hope his family remains safe.
On the other hand, the stink lingers. First there were advertisements touting the White House plans for the restructure of Medicare which looked like newscasts - but weren't. Then we found out that at least three pundits were paid by the White House to push Presidential programs without the vital step of disclosing their payments. (Kos admits up front that it is a) shamelessly liberal and b) has accepted payments from Dean's campaign.) Now we find out that a "reporter" with false credentials has been spinning White House press conferences.
Aside from the travesty that this makes the news into, what does it mean for White House security when someone can lie their way up to a front-row seat for a Presidential appearance. Were y'all THAT sure he was safe because he was on your side? Maybe not, since rumors are starting to fly that Gannon was part of the outing of Valerie Plame... and the outing of an active security agent is treason against the United States, plain and simple.
Rep. Slaughter of NY has responded to a call from one of the smaller NY papers - one which was shut out of White House press conferences - to publicly call for an investigation and explanation.
daily_kos cited in the Washington Post, much less cited in the WaPo and Salon on the same morning. But the Jeff Gannon scandal is finally hitting the main news streams (Post) and large established sites (Salon) - and they had to admit, it was Atrios & Kos who first started blowing the whistle loud and urgently. (Although Google news shows me that the Chicago Tribune edit of the Post article removes that paragraph, among others.)Jeff Gannon, for those who haven't heard yet, is the reporter for Talon News who lobbed the infamously twisted softball question asking Bush how he was going to work with Democrats after the 2004 election because they are "so divorced from reality." If he wanted attention, he got it. If he wanted notariety, he got it.
If he wanted a bunch of REALLY pissed off politically-connected liberals focusing on him like a laser beam, he got that too.
What they found, aside from some dubious and unused webnames that are beside the point, is that "Talon News" is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GOPUSA, created soon after GOPUSA was told it couldn't get a reporter into the White House press briefings because they weren't enough of a news corporation. They found that Jeff Gannon is not this man's real name, despite it being on the press pass that let him get close to the President. They found that this man's journalistic credentials exist entirely of having taken a 2-day class and that his news releases - presented as no-spin investigative reporting - were verbatim reprints of White House talking memos.
Mr Gannon is gone now; Talon's website has a notice from him saying that he is withdrawing due to threats against his family. Considering that there are wingnuts on both sides of the political spectrum, he may be telling the bare truth for once, and if so, I hope his family remains safe.
On the other hand, the stink lingers. First there were advertisements touting the White House plans for the restructure of Medicare which looked like newscasts - but weren't. Then we found out that at least three pundits were paid by the White House to push Presidential programs without the vital step of disclosing their payments. (Kos admits up front that it is a) shamelessly liberal and b) has accepted payments from Dean's campaign.) Now we find out that a "reporter" with false credentials has been spinning White House press conferences.
Aside from the travesty that this makes the news into, what does it mean for White House security when someone can lie their way up to a front-row seat for a Presidential appearance. Were y'all THAT sure he was safe because he was on your side? Maybe not, since rumors are starting to fly that Gannon was part of the outing of Valerie Plame... and the outing of an active security agent is treason against the United States, plain and simple.
Rep. Slaughter of NY has responded to a call from one of the smaller NY papers - one which was shut out of White House press conferences - to publicly call for an investigation and explanation.
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no subject
Date: 2005-02-10 03:45 pm (UTC)Why am I not surprised? :)
JSM
no subject
Date: 2005-02-10 04:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-10 06:14 pm (UTC)Yeah, right. This is the last possible bid for sympathy -- when you've been well and truly exposed, run away and say it's because your political enemies have threatened your life. Which is not to discount your comment, but in this particular instance I simply don't believe it. It's one last attempt at spin-and-smear.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-10 06:16 pm (UTC)I'm sure it is too - but just in case, I put that in. After all, Rove must be FURIOUS that Gannon finally said something so stupid that it led to his being exposed.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-10 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-12 07:48 pm (UTC)So...you read Kos? Me too. The bloggers tend to be ahead of everyone else. It's good to see Kos getting some notice.