Left to right: Folkenflik, Dana Milbank, David Brock
Posted on 02/09/2005 8:19:29 PM PST by tgslTakoma
All Things Considered, February 9, 2005 · A reporter for the conservative news site TalonNews.com resigns. The reporter, who went by the pseudonym Jeff Gannon, drew critical attention at President Bush's Jan. 26 press conference when he referred in question to Democrats "who seem to have divorced themselves from reality" on the issue of retooling Social Security.
Liberal bloggers have disclosed that Gannon, who has little previous journalism experience, was easily granted a coveted White House press pass -- even though he did not work for a traditional or established news organization. He also routinely asked "softball" questions at press conferences. There are also allegations that Gannon is linked to Web sites with homoerotic themes.
Gannon spoke with NPR's David Folkenflik the day before he resigned. He says he is open about his conservative point of view, but that he is just as valid a journalist as other reporters in the White House press corps.
What a group of losers that is. lol! I could probably whip all three of them with one hand tied behind my back. It would probably scare them more than hurt them though. lol!
Gotta wonder if Keith Olberman is keeping any secrets.
Tonight he claimed that they tried to search for Gannon articles on Talon News...but they had all been removed.
Big problem.....I have checked...COULD NOT FIND A SEARCH OPTION ON TALON NEWS.
Dag nab it. I should have put Sidney in that montage. He would've fit right in.
******
There's no indication in the column of when McClellan said this, however. Kurtz did get one important thing out in the open: that Gannon uses a pseudonym "he declines to reveal." (No one has yet attempted an explanation of why the Secret Service would approve a "reporter" with a false name, which tells me that they know very well what his real name is.) In an effort to find out a bit more, and to see if he could tell me how to apply for White House press credentials, I called Kurtz. But he never called me back. I guess when you're a big-time columnist, you're awfully busy.
However, a long-time friend who writes for one of our larger metropolitan dailies was able to give me the name and phone number of the person who handles administrative matters for their international news desk. That person was extraordinarily helpful and, once I had explained that I was trying to discover the process to apply for White House press credentials, offered to call the DC bureau for me.
The information returned from the large metropolitan daily's Washington bureau confirmed what I suspected all along: Anyone seeking a White House press pass must write, on official letterhead, to Jeff's friend Scottie.
******
They had better watch what they wish for. It could come back to bite them!
Well, the WH Talon News position is now open, and according to their website, they are looking for applicants.
I can tell good writing, and though he did not really have formal journalistic training, Gannon's writing was good.
I am not excited that he quit, but oh well.
???
They are going to keep this going. Fine. I hope they like what is going to happen when people fight back!
Email and call every conservative radio, television show and columnist you can think of. Let's see if they REALLY want to "go there".
Then let's see if we can't contact our respresentatives about NPR, PBS and anyone else that gets OUR TAX DOLLARS. Either STOP IT ALL or they need to SHUT UP about anyone being paid to deliver "news".
Half of them with such high opinions of themselves in the "news" business would be without a job if that were the case! Let's compare who works in "news" today that was working as a DEMOCRAT political hack or connected to DEMOCRATS as opposed to Republicans.
They want war. Bring it on.
******
Gannon Story is NOT over
by NYBri
Tue Feb 8th, 2005 at 23:46:39 PST
As many of you have noted, Jeff Gannon was a small part of a bigger story that we all signed on with SusanG to uncover.
Jeff has quit and with his departure Talon News is no longer in the White House Press Room. They are history, no thanks to the other press members who worked along side him every day and refused to do anything about it. But you, kossacks, did something about it. You motivated, you researched, you supported each other and came together in a way that is pretty incredible....and exposed, and I mean exposed, these guys for who they were
BUT, The man is still behind the curtain
Fip over with me.
If I didn't have a 6 year old.....................
What was that story about?
And why am I not surprised you're all over this.......LOL.
Well, if I am not mistaken, somebody on this very web site who is no longer among the "living" put some crap out about you.
BS; it's Sidney Blumenthal.
First off...the interview you refer to seems to be set to mediacitizen. A liberal group that will call anyone who does not agree with their liberal politics as a racist or homophope.
At no point does he say it is not his real name.
He states he does not want to give out personal information. There are points where it seems it may be a different name issue.
But for the sake of accuracy....he does not state that he uses a different name. FR usually prefers that people post what actually was in the interview or article when quoting an interview or article.
"Well there's still uncomfirmed reports as to whether I use a pseudonym or not and probably I would have addressed this question differently a week ago until I have became a target of threats against myself and family. And I am reluctant to reveal any personal informationREGARDING HIS REAL NAME?
Would you stop for a moment . . I'm not going to answer the question no matter what name you throw at me and there have been like half a dozen names that have been put up there and I am not going to confirm or deny that whether this is for broadcasting or not . . . because . .
IS JAMES GUCKART YOUR NAME?
I am going to decline to discuss that. If that information is coming from the Senate Press Gallery. . . In telling you those kind of details they have already broken a confidentially clause in the application process and I will deal with them accordingly . . . If they did tell you something like that, you know, they have no right to do that.
WHY USE A PSEUDONYM?
There are many people in this business who do that. Perhaps we were not all born with a name that's commercial . . . people in Hollywood do it. On air personalities do it. Radio people do it. A lot of print people use their own name. But there are reasons to do such a thing besides being part of a CIA conspiracy or having something to hide. It could be a very innocent . . .
WHAT'S YOUR REASON?
I'm not even going to acknowledge that it is a pseudonym. . .
These are reasons why people do it and it's nothing to hide anything. It probably is just a commercial consideration, frankly.
If you have a name that's difficult to pronounce, difficult to remember, difficult to spell, it doesn't have great commercial appeal and if you have the oportunity to make it more appealing and more memorable then one would want to do that and there is nothing wrong with that.. . . Like Batman's true identity really doesn't have anything to do with the story. I have been very forthcoming about the fact that I . . . what my ideological background is and the fact that I have never supported a campaign, that is given money to a campaign, worked for a campaign, worked for anybody who has been elected, worked for anybody who was running for election. I have never been a candidate for anything myself . . .
"
I would like to see if we could find out just WHO was getting "PR" money from the Clinton administration.
As for the Kos, I could hardly believe what I was reading last night and today. You could almost hear them clucking while they were posting.
And several people have pointed out that they believe that the "posting" on the Kos has "changed" in the last week or so; much more "activist," as in straight bashing.
I've seen too many FReepers on threads about this today totally trashing Jeff based on 3 things:
1. What is being said on the leftist websites and blogs
2. He isn't here posting front and center defending himself
3. 1+2 equals the leftists are right this time
I've gotten attacked for defending his silence...in fact one poster claimed that my defense practically proved that not only was he being fed his questions/lines by Karl Rove, but so was I.
As I said on another thread, I'm inclined to believe his silence is based upon very good advice, as he indicated on his website there had been some threats made.
I've been there, both as a reporter and as a lobbyist, it's scary
For the life of me, I have never understood that "watch FR and post on another forum" syndrome. I mean, get a life.
I myself have quite a few "admirers" at other sites.......LOL.........at one time half the people at LP had "Howlin" in their nicknames: i.e. HowlinSux, HowlinBanshee, both of whom turned out to be a poster from this very site, thinking she was being cute.
Don't make me say it......LOL.
It looks like a Pansy Parade, doesn't it?
Do you see where they're going with that?
Can you tell me where you found that post...
perhaps a direct link.
Who ever wrote it is as dumb as Keith Olberman....dumb in the fact that they don't think they will get busted in a lie.
The White House does not issue press passes.
It is done by the Congressional Press Galleries people.
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