Washington Post: Online Nude Photos Are Latest Chapter In Jeff Gannon Saga

[tuvor]

ON EDIT: I'm posting this because I believe it's the first MSM outlet to run with the story.

The Jeff Gannon story is still bouncing around the Internet, and now there are pictures.

The kind you shouldn't open up in the office.

The X-rated twist has made for a lot of clandestine clicking in a town where Deep Throat conjures images not of a porn star but of a man in a parking garage. But it has also deepened the debate over blogging and the tactics used to drive a conservative reporter from his job as White House correspondent for two Web sites owned by a Republican activist.

In most Beltway melodramas, the resignation ends the story. The problem for Gannon, whose real name is James Dale Guckert, is that he told The Washington Post and CNN's Wolf Blitzer last week that he never launched the Web sites whose provocative names he had registered, such as hotmilitarystud.com. But a Web designer in California said yesterday that he had designed a gay escort site for Gannon and had posted naked pictures of Gannon at the client's request.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27730-2005Feb15.html

[Skink]

1. How bout a Gannon Reality TV show.

[Hatalles]

34. Look for Guckert Gannon on the next season of the Surreal Life!

[WilliamPitt]

2. This asshole is gonna wind up fighting Tanya Harding

in a celebrity boxing match on Pay-Per-View. Watch it happen.

[mattclearing]

4. I'd pay to see that. n/t

[Liberty Belle]

13. I'd root for Tonya.

[mattclearing]

20. Do we have to choose?

They both deserve whatever they get. Jesus.

[WilliamPitt]

26. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

[Duncan Grant]

11. LMAO!

Best one-liner of the day. Thanks, I needed that! :thumbsup:

[SoCalDem]

32. choice of weapons... hubcaps

:)

[Pithy Cherub]

3. Color me confused...

Haven't read all of it yet... but the debate about bloggers figures prominently in the first paragraph rather than the merits regarding access and the WH? :shrug: :eyes:

[WilliamPitt]

6. That's been the MSM tactic lately

To talk about how this guy was basically erased from the book of history by the bloggers.

I think the MSM guys are scared absolutely to death.

What is that line The Magistrate uses?

'Kill one, warn one hundred.'

Indeed.

[mattclearing]

9. Maybe if they did their jobs it wouldn't be an issue.

The shoddy journalism that goes on is just amazing.

It's like they're making it up or taking it as gospel because some official said it.

If they did their homework and got the whole story, bloggers wouldn't be an issue.

[janx]

17. They may also be hedging their bets.

They disparage bloggers just in case some info. they got from the bloggers isn't right--but if the bloggers are in fact right, they've at least mentioned the matter.

I think they're scared to death too.

[merh]

23. Do you mean that Ted Koppel could be concerned that his

name will be dragged into all of this again. I read last night where he was a guest at one of the parties thrown during poppy's term. :shrug:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

24. I agree, they're scared.

They should be. This is a blogger doing real investigating and producing results. Not to mention the fact that the informant came to a blogger and not a MSM source. It makes them look bad and they feel threatened.

[tuvor]

10. Read the whole thing, it's broader than that. n/t

[LynnTheDem]

5. "conservative reporter from his job as White House correspondent"

How about FAKE reporter with FAKE name from his FAKE job.

[tuvor]

7. Maybe they're saving that for later?

I know it's the Washington Post, but at least SOMEONE with brand-name recognition is finally printing this story. "Page C01," what is that, the third page?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

16. I believe that would be section C, Page 01

[tuvor]

18. Sometimes it's the other way around. Can anyone confirm?

[Virginian]

25. That would be Page One of section C. --Style?

Watergate broke in section B, the Metro section because it started out as a local news burglery.

I think Section C is the Style section -- the gossip pages, Culteral events, Book section and Comics.

[ElectroPrincess]

12. And what's with this Ana Marie Cox? The MSM quotes wonkette.com

Like it's some sort of satirical CULT of personality. Who is this bozo "Ana Marie Cox" who's quoted in this article?

"they are creating a buzz because "obviously pictures of naked people are titillating." But, she added, "bloggers are wrong to bring that into the mix of things of why he shouldn't be a White House correspondent. Aren't we bloggers in favor of a lower bar of access, not a higher one?"

CNN cable news has been taking quotes out of wonkette.com EVERY DAMN DAY THIS WEEK like she will be the new Drudge type solution to dispel the claims of those evil left wing elitist bloggers.

[chookie]

30. Huh?

>>Aren't we bloggers in favor of a lower bar of access, not a higher one?"<<

Um, is this relevant in this case? I mean, for heaven sakes, the man posted sickening obscene pictures of himself to solicit clients who would pay him to perform domination sex.

This "ana marie" is an asshole! It's not like Mr Guckert's "day job" was waiting tables or writing parttime in his home town paper -- rather, the guy was leading a double life. His "day job" was being a WHORE -- and it overlapped by many months with that of "Washington Burea Chief" for Talon News.

Sorry, Ana Marie, maybe YOU want to give the green light to people who prostitute themselves, and feel 100% okay with them having access to the President (as long as he parrots their message <apologies to parrots>) -- but, for as much as "conservatives" love to claim they are Main Street America -- sorry dear, there is nothing "Main Street" about selling rough sex online, and posting obscene pictures of yourself.

Again, their hypocrisy and abject lack of good judgement are totally mind boggling. What "Gannon" did for his day job is totally out of line, utterly creepy and sick. WHY all the self-proclaimed "conservatives" are rushing out to defend him, and people like Blitzer and Kurtz are offering him refuge -- is totally beyond me.

Sex-for-hire "boy" and WH correspondent are incompatible, in my view. I hold truth to be self evident! How "conservatives" or even "liberals" can see these two professions as complementary, as if its the most natural thing in the world to post photos of yourself pissing, or with your legs spread -- I JUST DON'T GET IT!!

Watch for it -- what if Condi and George W were discovered having a long time bonking relationship? (Gee, Condi did have "female troubles" a couple of months ago...) These fascists are so fucking NUTS and utterly hypocritical, that George W could say, on tv live, prime time, "Condi! -- you come here and blow me, girl!!" -- and they would all say it was the most natural and understandable thing in the world, that they were blowing off steam in a time of war, that Condi is beautiful and George W is hot, and Laura understands because she is Soooo Nice! -- and isn't it true that many great leaders have bonked extra-maritally on camera, etc.

Sorry -- anyone who gives "Gannon" a pass is NUTS.

[evlbstrd]

8. The spin will always be counter to the real meat of the story.

Charlie Rose hosted Wonkette, Andrew Sullivan and Joe Trippi tonight, and the subject was blogging. The only story of any substance they spoke of was "Rathergate." Otherwise, it was a shallow examination of the phenomenon, and very little of the news substance blogs attempt to maintain.

[Catherine Vincent]

14. Unbelievable.

Maybe the others will follow.

[Virginian]

15. Finally!!!

It is about time MSM paid attention.

[CindyDale]

19. Kurtz is being very fair, telling all sides

Surprising.

[NAO]

21. Somebody please notify Dr. James Dobson, Falwell, and Robertson

So they can whip their hordes of fanatical supporters into a frenzied witch hunt and burn this pornographer at the stake.

This is ever worse than *gasp* "Sponge Bob Gay Pants".

There is nothing these people enjoy more than condemning a sinner.

Jesus Condems the Social Conservatives AND the Economic Conservatives
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1581902

[caligirl]

22. What does Dina Powell, WH Director of Personnel and her

husband Michael Powell, sits on the board of GOP/USA and is in the Quinn Gillespie law firm(Ed Gillespie, former RNC until Mehlman got the job) have to do with Guckert?

Do you think there is a connection here being covered up?

Dina Powell meets every week with Bush and Rove concerning the hiring of WH staff.

[demgrrrll]

28. I don't know what to make of this. It is almost like he is trying to do

some actual reporting but....nah...not Kurtz.. Like they say you must know how to read Pravda. I'm still waiting for the other shoe or shoes to drop. Been waiting awhile for a lot of those damn shoes.

[caligirl]

29. KO thinks they will be dropping I hear.

[caligirl]

27. Now that I have read the artical I have to ask what provoked Kurtz?

He makes excuses for this, stating 'the white house said so' answers to Blitzers questions llast thursday and now this about face. It does state the facts and seems fair.

[Bluebear]

31. Probably couldn't ignore hard facts anymore

Oops, that really was no pun intended.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[CornField]

35. Setting all those graphics aside for a moment

Which I know will be a hard thing for all of us sexually repressed Americans to do...

Also setting aside the fact that this "conservative reporter" turned out to be only a conservative playing a reporter in the press corps.

Would someone please tell me how many get out of jail free cards have been given to the Bush* administration for intelligence failures?

From day one this administration has shown an arrogant openess in its refusal to act in the best interest of the American people. Don't believe me? Go look up when the final reports on the USS Cole attack were presented. As I was saying: from DAY ONE this administration has refused to act in the best interest of the American people. From day one this administration has chosen to look the other way as our national security was compromised and mocked. Instead of spending his first months in office organizing a manhunt posse for Osama bin Laden based on those USS Cole reports, Bush* made the decision to spend as much time as humanly possible on vacation. Yes, I realize how many Americans have benefitted from the systematic removal of brush and tumbleweeds in Crawford, Texas, but I tend to believe many more would have benefitted from the capture of bin Laden. Call me crazy.

As new warnings regarding bin Laden's determination to strike on our own soil emerged, the administration continued to do nothing. Eventually all of this culminates in the Sept. 11th attacks. Despite a lot of rough cowboy rhetoric for the benefit of news cameras, very little was done to capture bin Laden. Matter-of-fact, three months later, the nation's Commander in Chief announced he not only didn't know where bin Laden was but that bin Laden was "not a priority." Such a big change from the "wanted dead or alive" statements, isn't it?

For our highest officials to take their eye off an individual who had pinpointed as the mastermind of the worst terrorist attack on American soil there must have been an even larger threat looming, right? There was an attempt made to convey that belief to the citizens. We were told that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (and were trying to acquire more powerful ones), that it was a hot-bed of terrorist activity, that this nation posed a direct and imminent threat to our own. We took our eyes off bin Laden and Afghanistan to pursue Saddam Huissen and Iraq. Once again the Bush* administration acted in a manner counter-productive to the best interests of the American people.

Despite twisting Geneva Conventions and promoting officials based on past failures, we sit in almost the same spot as we were on day one, a little over four years ago. The threat of bin Laden has not been extinguished. Billions upon billions of our tax dollars have been poured into a foreign nation while we contemplate cuts to beneficial programs here at home. (And some believe a naked penis and pleas for anal sex were the only obscene things about this scandal.)

Now we learn that a man -- a criminal -- has been given direct access to our nation's highest officials for the past two years. Why? We simply don't know yet. It could be because this criminal was aware of other criminal activity and used that information to his own advantage. It could also be that our nation's highest officials felt their policies could not stand up to unbiased scrutiny by a true press corps. It could be simply no more than the "Good Ol Boy Network" rearing its ugly head.

Regardless of why, we now have yet another intelligence failure to lay on the pile. A security system which worked overtime to free officials in the Bush* administration of any unsavory individuals during the campaign failed when it had home court advantage. A man using an assumed name -- the same name he had used while commiting illegal acts -- was given a nod and a wave. Once again this administration has failed in its requirement to act in the best interest of the American people.

[Skwmom]

36. Conservative reporter?

Since when did this guy qualify as a reporter?

[CornField]

38. Since people stopped caring. nt

[NewJeffCT]

37. the Hartford (CT) Courant had a humorous article on it today

Dear Mr. McClellan:

I am writing you in regard to the now-vacant position of White House press corps plant.

It is my understanding that your previous press corps plant, James D. Guckert - to whom you issued White House press credentials under the name Jeff Gannon - is no longer with the administration.

I realize, of course, that because of the flap over the administration's policy of having conservative columnists on the payroll, it may not be politically feasible to fill Mr. Guckert's position right away. However, when you do begin hiring again, I hope you will consider me.
...

http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/hc-caucus0216.artfeb16,0,2153751.story

[Roland99]

39. Found a new "action" photo of Jeff/Jim