Posted on 02/09/2005 11:10:04 AM PST by hipaatwo
Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (NY-28), long time champion of media reform and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Rules, sent a letter to President George W. Bush today asking him to explain how discredited "reporter" Jeff Gannon was credentialed as a member of the legitimate media by the White House.
The letter follows: Wednesday, February 9, 2005 The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: In light of the mounting evidence that your Administration has, on several occasions, paid members of the media to advocate in favor of Administration policies, I feel compelled to ask you to address a matter brought to my attention by the Niagara Falls Reporter (article attached), a local newspaper in my district, regarding James "JD" Guckert (AKA Jeff Gannon) of Talon News. According to several credible reports, "Mr. Gannon" has been repeatedly credentialed as a member of the White House press corps by your office and has been regularly called upon in White House press briefings by your Press Secretary Scott McClellan, despite the fact evidence shows that "Mr. Gannon" is a Republican political operative, uses a false name, has phony or questionable journalistic credentials, is known for plagiarizing much of the "news" he reports, and according to several web reports, may have ties to the promotion of the prostitution of military personnel.
Several weeks ago when it was revealed that radio/TV host Armstrong Williams had received payment from your Administration in exchange for his vocal support of the 'No Child Left Behind' initiative, I was stunned. For years now I have been leading the fight in Congress for fairness and accountability in the media; the Williams revelation only underscored the need for a media that has integrity, is balanced and expresses the local interests and concerns of its consumers. Since that time, two more members of the media have been found to have received money from your Administration in exchange for their vocal, yet undisclosed support of Administration policies. And just this morning we have learned that "Mr. Gannon" has resigned his post at the, so called, Talon News amid growing concerns over his controversial background and falsified qualifications. In fact, it appears that "Mr. Gannon's" presence in the White House press corps was merely as a tool of propaganda for your Administration. Mr. President, I am sure we both agree the White House Press Corps is an honored institution in America that should be beyond the scope of partisan meddling, and that a free and independent media is the cornerstone of our success as a democracy.
Likewise, I am sure we can both agree the American people have the right to expect that journalists who question their President everyday are experienced, independent, and perhaps most importantly, unbiased in their approach. I was already concerned about what appears to be an organized campaign to mask partisan propaganda as legitimate news by your Administration. That we have now learned this same type of deception is occurring inside the White House briefing room itself is even more disturbing.
That is why I am asking you to please explain to the Congress and to the American people how and why the individual known as "Mr. Gannon" was repeatedly cleared by your staff to join the legitimate White House press corps? Mr. President, your Administration has driven the so-called "values" debate in this country. But the most important value for those of us in public service should always be honesty and integrity, particularly when considering the manner in which we conduct our affairs of state.
I would appreciate your prompt response on this matter. Respectfully, /LMS Louise M. Slaughter Ranking Member, House Committee on Rules
From the Niagara Falls Reporter on Monday, February 7, 2005 AN OPEN LETTER TO LOUISE SLAUGHTERDear Rep. Slaughter, As a small newspaper located in your district, we are asking for your help. It has come to our attention that an individual who calls himself "Jeff Gannon" has been credentialed by the White House to attend press briefings and presidential news conferences.
He is affiliated with an organization called Talon News, and is frequently called on by White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan and President Bush. This individual has no background in journalism whatsoever, and his "syndicated column" appears solely on his personal Web site, www.jeffgannon.com. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, "Jeff Gannon" isn't even his real name. In his biography at the Talon News site, where he holds the title of "Washington Bureau Chief," he claims to be a graduate of the "Pennsylvania State University System" and the Leadership Institute Broadcast School of Journalism. While the 23 schools in the Penn State system award diplomas, the system itself does not, and the Daily News investigation has thus far failed to turn up a "Jeff Gannon" who holds a degree in education from Penn State, as this person claims he does. Furthermore, the Leadership Institute Broadcast School of Journalism is a right-wing diploma mill where anyone with $50 and two days to waste can receive a degree. As for Talon News itself, it seems to consist solely of a Web site that links directly to a Republican site called www.gopusa.com.
Both Talon and GOPUSA have the same mailing address, a private residence in Texas. It isn't clear whether anyone at Talon News is paid, as one portion of its site asks, "Want to join the Talon News team? Click here to find out more about being a volunteer reporter for Talon News." Looking at the staff biography section of the site, none of the 10 individuals listed appear to have any training or previous experience in journalism, although all list credentials as Republican activists.
We respectfully ask your office to look into how a partisan political organization and an individual with no credentials as a reporter -- and apparently operating under an assumed name -- landed a coveted spot in the White House press corps. Sincerely, Bruce Battaglia, publisher, Mike Hudson, editor in chief, Rebecca Day, senior editor, David Staba, sports editor, Bill Gallagher, national correspondent, John Hanchette, senior correspondent, Frank Thomas Croisdale, contributing editor, Bill Bradberry, contributing editor, Niagara Falls Reporter.
Bill Gallagher's lovely too. He's written for the Smirking Chimp, hates Bush and calls Karl Rove Bush's religious minister.
Mike Hudson used to be a punk rocker, BTW. I wonder what the rest of his CV looks like.
Excellent! Thank you for doing that.
I have a feeling the Niagara Daily News reporter simply repeated something he read in a liberal blog without doing any fact-checking. Which means they have egg all over their faces, given they were ragging on someone else's journalistic integrity.
There are some names coming out now that have been paid by the left.
Definitely rabid libs....
John Hanchette wrote about Vince Foster; said there was no evidence (yet) that he was murdered but his body was obviously moved.
http://www.namebase.org/xham/John-Hanchette.html
Rabid is right. I've read through some of their stuff and they are the radical left.
Perversely, I kind of wish it would, and continue to expose the left-wing wacko loonies for what they are. But I'm afraid with collective America's short memory, it wouldn't make a difference, just waste Taxpayers' monies in defending it.
(((sigh)))
Are you referring to some of the Niagra weekly staff or did I miss something?
According to the Philadelphia Daily News, "Jeff Gannon" isn't even his real name.
Media Matters for America
... WASHINGTON -- January 27 -- Talon News Washington bureau chief and White House
correspondent Jeff Gannon, who accused his colleagues in the press corps of "work ...
www.commondreams.org/news2005/0127-17.htm - 41k -
White House Directed Effort to Discredit Envoy
... Greg Hitt and Paul Gigot, The Wall Street Journal. John Solomon, The Associated
Press. Jeff Gannon, Talon News. © Copyright 2004, Newsday, Inc. ###.
www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/ print.cgi?file=/headlines04/0306-02.htm - 6k -
White House Directed Effort to Discredit Envoy
... Greg Hitt and Paul Gigot, The Wall Street Journal. John Solomon, The Associated
Press. Jeff Gannon, Talon News. © Copyright 2004, Newsday, Inc. ###. ...
www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0306-02.htm - 15k -
Bush Gives Green Light to CIA for Assassination of Named ...
... John Gannon, told the Post. But history suggests that covert assassinations remain
fraught with danger and carry a high risk of failure. Jeffrey Richelson, an ...
www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1029-04.htm - 15k -
*A Smoking Gun*
This comes from the official-sounding Democratic Party Women’s Vote Center website, carried by the Democrats.org pages.
Posted by Thomas 8 21 04
http://www.americanthinker.com/comments.php?comments_id=511
NewsMax Uncovers Kerry's Ties to Anti-Bush Groups
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/8/23/153719.shtml
Let's not tell her for now.
And i just went to the Philly paper's web site. Couldn't find any mention of Jeff Gannon in recent or archived articles.
Last link is John Gannon not Jeff.. ???
That was a search at the Common Dreams site.
I think the letter just got the citation wrong. It doesn't matter, all they said was his name isn't really Jeff Gannon. Well duh! A lot of reporters use fake names. Gannon himself said his was just a reporter's name.
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Roger that! :)
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