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Bush's Barberini Faun (Barf Alert...MoDo cannnot let go)
New York Times ^ | 2/17/05 | Maureen Dowd

Posted on 02/18/2005 8:20:15 AM PST by Embraer2004

Bush's Barberini Faun By MAUREEN DOWD

Published: February 17, 2005

I am very impressed with James Guckert, a k a Jeff Gannon.

How often does an enterprising young man, heralded in press reports as both a reporter and a contributor to such sites as Hotmilitarystud.com, Workingboys.net, Militaryescorts.com, MilitaryescortsM4M.com and Meetlocalmen.com, get to question the president of the United States?

Who knew that a hotmilitarystud wanting to meetlocalmen could so easily get to be face2face with the commander in chief?

It's hard to believe the White House could hit rock bottom on credibility again, but it has, in a bizarre maelstrom that plays like a dark comedy. How does it credential a man with a double life and a secret past?

"Jeff Gannon" was waved into the press room nearly every day for two years as the conservative correspondent for two political Web sites operated by a wealthy Texas Republican. Scott McClellan often called on the pseudoreporter for softball questions.

Howard Kurtz reported in The Washington Post yesterday that although Mr. Guckert had denied launching the provocative Web sites - one described him as " 'military, muscular, masculine and discrete' (sic)" - a Web designer in California said "that he had designed a gay escort site for Gannon and had posted naked pictures of Gannon at the client's request."

And The Wilmington News-Journal in Delaware reported that Mr. Guckert was delinquent in $20,700 in personal income tax from 1991 to 1994.

I'm still mystified by this story. I was rejected for a White House press pass at the start of the Bush administration, but someone with an alias, a tax evasion problem and Internet pictures where he posed like the "Barberini Faun" is credentialed to cover a White House that won a second term by mining homophobia and preaching family values?

At first when I tried to complain about not getting my pass renewed, even though I'd been covering presidents and first ladies since 1986, no one called me back. Finally, when Mr. McClellan replaced Ari Fleischer, he said he'd renew the pass - after a new Secret Service background check that would last several months.

In an era when security concerns are paramount, what kind of Secret Service background check did James Guckert get so he could saunter into the West Wing every day under an assumed name while he was doing full-frontal advertising for stud services for $1,200 a weekend? He used a driver's license that said James Guckert to get into the White House, then, once inside, switched to his alter ego, asking questions as Jeff Gannon.

Mr. McClellan shrugged this off to Editor & Publisher magazine, oddly noting, "People use aliases all the time in life, from journalists to actors."

I know the F.B.I. computers don't work, but this is ridiculous. After getting gobsmacked by the louche sagas of Mr. Guckert and Bernard Kerik, the White House vetters should consider adding someone with some blogging experience.

Does the Bush team love everything military so much that even a military-stud Web site is a recommendation?

Or maybe Gannon/Guckert's willingness to shill free for the White House, even on gay issues, was endearing. One of his stories mocked John Kerry's "pro-homosexual platform" with the headline "Kerry Could Become First Gay President."

With the Bushies, if you're their friend, anything goes. If you're their critic, nothing goes. They're waging a jihad against journalists - buying them off so they'll promote administration programs, trying to put them in jail for doing their jobs and replacing them with ringers.

At last month's press conference, Jeff Gannon asked Mr. Bush how he could work with Democrats "who seem to have divorced themselves from reality." But Bush officials have divorced themselves from reality.

They flipped TV's in the West Wing and Air Force One to Fox News. They paid conservative columnists handsomely to promote administration programs. Federal agencies distributed packaged "news" video releases with faux anchors so local news outlets would run them. As CNN reported, the Pentagon produces Web sites with "news" articles intended to influence opinion abroad and at home, but you have to look hard for the disclaimer: "Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense." The agencies spent a whopping $88 million spinning reality in 2004, splurging on P.R. contracts.

Even the Nixon White House didn't do anything this creepy. It's worse than hating the press. It's an attempt to reinvent it.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: douglas; dowd; oldbat; zeta
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To: Embraer2004

Doesn't anybody follow rules anymore? CZ-J pics . . . no MoDo thread is complete with out 'em.


21 posted on 02/18/2005 8:31:03 AM PST by jayef
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To: Fudd Fan
very new to FR, but I love you guys. You validate my vilest intemperate thoughts!

Welcome to FR! Hope you'll share some of those "vile, intemperate thoughts" with us. :-)

22 posted on 02/18/2005 8:32:37 AM PST by TChris (Most people's capability for inference is severely overestimated)
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To: jayef

That's right, we need CZJ pictures on this thread!


23 posted on 02/18/2005 8:33:03 AM PST by Embraer2004
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To: TChris

I don't think there are words in any language that are vile enough for MoDo.


24 posted on 02/18/2005 8:34:18 AM PST by Fudd Fan ("...not bad. Not bad at all." -Ronald Reagan)
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To: Embraer2004

Limbaugh, Bennett, Gingrich, and now this guy. These guys are seriously undermining what republicans stand for in terms of family values.


25 posted on 02/18/2005 8:34:21 AM PST by freedom7
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To: dead

The really sad--and scary--thing is, this shrill voice truly believes most of what she says. She and many others of her stripe are so biased, hate-filled and in denial that she can't see how wacko she is. And useful idiots like this are leading passive 'young skulls full of mush' as Rush says ... over the cliffs in droves....

Let the bRats scream. The adults must drive.


26 posted on 02/18/2005 8:34:27 AM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (ATTN. MARXIST RED MSM: I RESENT your "RED STATE" switcheroo using our ELECTORAL MAP as PROPAGANDA!)
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To: Blurblogger

she's sooooo desperate when she invokes Nixon's admin as being not-so-creepy.


27 posted on 02/18/2005 8:37:22 AM PST by Fudd Fan ("...not bad. Not bad at all." -Ronald Reagan)
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To: jayef

28 posted on 02/18/2005 8:37:36 AM PST by MisterRepublican (Liberalism kills.)
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To: LauraleeBraswell

For Dems its only OK to be gay if you have AIDs and dont vote Republican.

Everyone else need not apply.


29 posted on 02/18/2005 8:39:12 AM PST by LongsforReagan (I hate Howard Dean and everything he stands for.)
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To: LauraleeBraswell

For Dems its only OK to be gay if you have AIDs and dont vote Republican.

Everyone else need not apply.


30 posted on 02/18/2005 8:39:12 AM PST by LongsforReagan (I hate Howard Dean and everything he stands for.)
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To: jayef

31 posted on 02/18/2005 8:40:01 AM PST by Embraer2004
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To: Embraer2004


It's a dirty job but someone has to do it!
32 posted on 02/18/2005 8:40:23 AM PST by Time is now (We'll live to see it......Does anyone see it yet?....)
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To: Embraer2004

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1345280/posts

Bush's Barberini Faun (Dowd Alert)
NY Times ^ | 2/17/05 | Maureen Dowd


33 posted on 02/18/2005 8:42:17 AM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: Time is now

34 posted on 02/18/2005 8:42:29 AM PST by Time is now (We'll live to see it......Does anyone see it yet?....)
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To: MisterRepublican


Why do Catherine Zeta Jones pictures always end up on Mojo threads. I just don't understand it. It's like the pictures of Cats with ZOT.


35 posted on 02/18/2005 8:43:17 AM PST by LauraleeBraswell ( CONSERVATIVE first-Republican second.)
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To: Embraer2004

36 posted on 02/18/2005 8:45:09 AM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: Embraer2004
Geez people, you think we read Maureen Dowd threads for the articles? I've seen some attempts but nothing posted yet that works.


37 posted on 02/18/2005 8:46:45 AM PST by faq
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To: Embraer2004
and a contributor to such sites

Am I wrong or was it his comapny that registered the domains. That he personally didn't contribute to the sites? Did the dried up one just commit yet another msm lie.

38 posted on 02/18/2005 8:47:26 AM PST by marty60
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To: faq

39 posted on 02/18/2005 8:52:16 AM PST by Time is now (We'll live to see it......Does anyone see it yet?....)
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To: Embraer2004
That's right, we need CZJ pictures on this thread!

What are you talking about? We need Catherine Zeta Jones pictures in EVERY thread.

40 posted on 02/18/2005 9:24:07 AM PST by Triggerhippie
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