The Phony "Gannongate" Scandal

Accuracy in Media ^ | February 25, 2005 | By Cliff Kincaid

[tgslTakoma]

NBC News reporter Campbell Brown reports that Jeff Gannon's troubles with the liberal media "started when he was called on by the President at a January 26 news conference and took a swipe at Democrats" with a loaded question. In an interview, Campbell pressed Gannon with her own loaded question: "You don't deny you were writing news with a perspective, with a partisan perspective?" It was as if Brown was implying that other members of the White House press corps would never even think of approaching the news in such a manner. Brown also asked several questions about whether Gannon was linked to pornographic websites or homosexuality.

If these questions are appropriate for Gannon, why not the rest of the White House press corps? Watching the "Gannongate" scandal continue to unfold, blogger Daniel J. Phillips suggests that the White House send out a questionnaire to members of the media and news organizations that reflects "the matters that find them in such breathless anxiety" when it comes to Gannon.

(SNIP)

The Boston Phoenix, a counter-culture publication, has taken the anti-Gannon campaign to a new low, citing a left-wing blog as reporting "rumors" about an unnamed "high-ranking, married White House aide who may or may not have had a homosexual affair with Gannon" and who "may or may not" have provided Gannon with a confidential document about CIA employee Valerie Plame. There is no evidence cited for any of this, but that doesn't seem to matter at this point.

...

[tgslTakoma]

Follow the link to AIM, to read the entire column by Cliff Kinkaid.

[JesseJane]

~fyi ping~

[Clintonfatigued]

In an interview with Andreson Cooper, Gannon asked a very relevant question:

"Does the fact that someone has a past mean that they shouldn't have a future?"

While what's become known about Gannon reflects badly on him, it doesn't mean he's not qualified to be a reporter.

[JesseJane]

~fyi ping~

[TheOtherOne]

While what's become known about Gannon reflects badly on him, it doesn't mean he's not qualified to be a reporter.

What does qualify him to be a White House reporter? Journalism school? Experience? a lucky break?

Oh yea, he fired himself too. Why is he a cause celeb, he was not fired or refused a press pass. He took himself out of the game because his publicly posted Internet pictures became public?

[John Thornton]

The CBS producers fired for Rathergate will have a "future" with another network the day they leave CBS. Probably with a substantial raise to reward them for their good work.

[Darkwolf377]

So where do we sign the petition demanding all White House reporters reveal their sexual pasts before getting a White House press pass? Come on, Campbell, fess up. And that snarky little **** from ABC, Terry Sneer. And Helen T-- OK, there should be a grandmother clause in this...

[zoosha]

Thank goodness for the Bloggers of the world since they are in the vanguard leading the rest of us to learn of the disinformation, misinformation and vile stupidity of the anti-Bush press/media. Keep it up guys 'cause you've got the miseries shaking in their boots.

[End Times Sentinel]

Personally, I've had just about enough of this partisan bickering, and in the spirit of bipartisanship, fairness, and openmindedness, I think all members of the W/H press corps should be deeply investigated for homosexuality.  Then, when, say, David Gregory or Helen Thomas turns out to actually be a sodomite, they should be outed in the most brutal manner, hounded from the press and have their families harrassed.

 

If the left can take part in vicious gay baiting, we should be able to uphold their standards as well.

 

Is Wolf Blitzer really named that, or is it an alias?  What about David Gregory, that sounds fake to me.

 

Is Helen Thomas really a woman?  That seems highly unlikely.

 

When the regulars continue to ask questions based around fake quotes ("The President said he'd catch Saddam Dead or Alive...",  "When the President said 'Mission Accomplished'..."), we should take a deep, probing and painful look into their non-media activities for any evidence of bias.  I'm sure our friends on the left would agree, since  they're so sure there's no media bias.

Owl_Eagle

"You know, I'm going to start thanking
the woman who cleans the restroom in
the building I work in.  I'm going to start
thinking of her as a human being"

-Hillary Clinton

(Yes, she really said that

Peggy Noonan

The Case Against Hillary Clinton, pg 55)

 

[MisterRepublican]

Once again the left have pinned there hopes of toppling President Bush on a dud "scandal".

Andrew Sullivan summed it up well by saying:

"The substantive case against Gannon is trivial; the irrelevant case against him (the one that's fueled this story) is that he's gay, has allegedly been (or still may be) a prostitute, and may not agree with everything the gay left believes (although I agree with David Corn that the evidence that Gannon has written anything even remotely "anti-gay" is laughable).

The real scandal is the blatant use of homophobic rhetoric by the self-appointed Savonarolas of homo-left-wingery. It's an Animal Farm moment: the difference between a fanatic on the gay left and a fanatic on the religious right is harder and harder to discern.

Just ask yourself: if a Catholic conservative blogger had found out that a liberal-leaning pseudo-pundit/reporter was a gay sex worker, had outed the guy as gay and a "hooker," published pictures of the guy naked, and demanded a response from a Democratic administration, do you think gay rights groups would be silent? They'd rightly be outraged. But the left can get away with anything, can't they? Especially homophobia."

[Joe Miner]

Is Helen Thomas really a woman? That seems highly unlikely.

LOL!

[indcons]

In an interview with Andreson Cooper, Gannon asked a very relevant question: "Does the fact that someone has a past mean that they shouldn't have a future?"

That a whole lot of BS. He was accused of moonlighting as an escort when he was a "reporter." What "past" is he talking about? BTW, I don't agree with the witchhunt that was organized by the leftist bloggers. However, Gannon was far from the ideal person to masquerade as a "journalist." There is little difference between him, Helen Thomas, and Dan Blather.

[tgslTakoma]

My favorite story by the non journalist Jeff Gannon is this one, Daschle Claims Questionable Tax Credit for DC Home.

For someone without a Columbia Journalism degree, he did some very good reporting.

Hmmmmm, maybe that's why the left went after him with such a vengeance; and not the fact that he isn't really a trained journalist?

Did you know that Wolf Blitzer is self taught?

From that interview link:

JOURNALISMJOBS.COM: Where did you get your start in journalism?

BLITZER: My first job was working for Reuters News Agency in 1972. I was a very junior reporter in the Tel Aviv bureau. I had just received a master's degree in international relations when I heard about the Reuters program to train young journalists. To my amazement, I was accepted. That was my first job ever in journalism. I didn't have any college experience in journalism. I never took a course. I sort of fell into it and realized, I like this. It was a challenge learning to type. I self-taught myself how to touch type. I was blessed with some excellent senior journalists who trained me patiently and taught me the basic skills of being a reporter.

[End Times Sentinel]

I may be a Bacon Double Cheesburger Genius!!! I just came back from a Google search on Helen Thomas/ Biography/ Husband and you know what?  Never married.  84 years old and never married?  Sure, I know what you're all thinking, "Owl, her face would scare a gargoyle", but I'm still suspicious, VEY suspicious.

 

In fact, I've jumped head first beyond suspicion to actually "knowing" that she's a lesbo.  Snap her credentials from her and let's get to hectoring the shrew's family... oh, that's right, she's a lesbo, she doesn't HAVE a family!

Owl_Eagle

"You know, I'm going to start thanking
the woman who cleans the restroom in
the building I work in.  I'm going to start
thinking of her as a human being"

-Hillary Clinton

(Yes, she really said that

Peggy Noonan

The Case Against Hillary Clinton, pg 55)

 

[TheOtherOne]

You mean he started at a "Reuters program to train young journalists." not as a White House correspondant?

What was your point?

[popdonnelly]

Saw Helen Thomas once in a Starbucks. She was carrying on about how underhanded the Bush Administration was. This stuff about bias in the White House Press Room is a case of pots pointing the finger at a kettle.

[Triggerhippie]

Q:What does qualify him to be a White House reporter? Journalism school? Experience? a lucky break?

From the original post:In an interview, Campbell pressed Gannon with her own loaded question: "You don't deny you were writing news with a perspective, with a partisan perspective?"

A:If the guy is writing news with a partisan perspective, I'd say that he's definitely qualified to be a reporter!

[gitmo]

The recent letter from 4 Democrack senators to the President requested an investigation of the Gannon issue. They said,

Given the unprecidented level of security in Washington since 9/11, it is troubling that a non-journalist using a false name and working for a sham news organization could have gained regular access to the White House for such an extended period of time.

Who are they suggesting should verify whether someone is a bonafide journalist? Perhaps the administration should set up some standardized tests that anyone wanting to be certified as a journalist must pass. The Freedom of the Press was established so that anyone who wanted to publish their perspective would be free to do so. There was never anything in the law that discriminated between one 'journalist' and another.

And they are pitching a hissie fit over the fact that Gannon somehow had ties to the Republican Party.

We have also learned that the questions he posed at White House press briefings ... < snip > ... and the stories he filed for Talon News frequently mirrored Republican Part talking points, that the Talon News agency is a news organization in name only and that it has apparently close connections to the Republican Party.

How is this different from Stephanopolis, Carville, and the plethora of Clintonites appearing nightly as 'journalists' on national news?

[Mo1]

Gannon, who may or may not be homosexual, was targeted because there are some in the left-wing blogging community who believe homosexuals can't be conservatives in good conscience. But it's perfectly fine to be a left-wing homosexual in support of the Democratic Party.

BINGO!

[Mo1]

How is this different from Stephanopolis, Carville, and the plethora of Clintonites appearing nightly as 'journalists' on national news?

They lean left, so it's ok

Seems to me the Dem Senators lead by Dick Durbin believe in Censorship and that Congress should tell the people of our country what they can and what the cannot read