So where are all those new stories about Gannon this morning?

[Walt Starr]

Buried. That's where.

And Gannon is looking at suing Media Matters.

As I said, it's been turned around and now the scandal is about the evil leftwing bloggers attacking Jeffie's "Personal Life".

Shit.

[Clark2008]

1. Let him sue Media Matters

He won't win.
I don't see anything printed there that he hasn't ADMITTED TO; therefore, there was no libel.
We'll all just kick in donations for lawyers fees to fight his lawyer.
Don't be intimidated.

[Walt Starr]

2. Winning or losing such a suit does not matter

It's a demonstration of where the scandal has gone. Now, instead of Gannon's whoring being the scandal, the leftwing bloggers attacking his "personal life" has become the scandal.

He doesn't even have to file a suit! Just mentioning the possibility at this time was all that was required to move the scandal back at the bloggers!

[Eric J in MN]

8. When Fox News sued Al Franken, it was great for his career.

Media Matters can get publicity off this.

I don't get why you're so pessimistic. A couple of weeks ago, we'd have been thrilled with any mention of "Jeff Gannon" outside of blogs and message-boards.

[Clark2008]

24. Hmmm... that's not what I'm hearing

What The Correction would like to know is how you sue someone for telling the truth over information found in the public domain? It wasn't Media Matters or Americablog who originally posted your services as a male escort and it wasn't Media Matters or Americablog that lied about having posted images to a porn site. It seems if he does indeed sue, it would be one of those frivolous lawsuits the right is so against.

http://www.thecorrection.org/blog3/archives/2005/02/jeff_gannon_thr_1.php

Be bold and turn it BACK around. "Another frivolous rightwing lawsuit."

[Al-CIAda]

39. Full steam ahead!

:evilgrin:

[Sparkly]

25. I think it makes him sound like a whiner.

It's not as if he was being discreet -- HE posted all those photos of himself.

I hope he does sue! I'd love to see Media Matters serving subpoenas!! Drag in Scottie, Ari, the Eberle's, and Jim/Jeff and get 'em all under oath. Find out all about Jim/Jeff's past and who he's connected with.

[Igel]

54. I wouldn't be to sure that statements have to be false

or unadmitted to to count as libel. Or maybe I'm thinking defamation. Just has to affect one's livelihood.

Slander's false statements, I believe.

[K-W]

3. Until we win a war over the media, our political battles will not go well.

Thats what it comes down to.

[Walt Starr]

4. This was the main battle engagement

and we are now losing.

[Zeke]

5. As I've Said...

Unless Guckert starts coming out of
the TV screen, then nothing will happen.

And Guckert's not on the defensive, but the offensive,
spinning the matter into he's a victim and many
will buy that.

Sueing is part of the victim strategy he's conjured.

It's spin calling MediaMatters "attack dogs," no?

Of course.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

47. This is EXACTLY why Dean was destroyed by the corporate media

The "Dean scream" incident was orchastrated to kill Dean's chances by a corporate media that wants Repuke power. Period. Populist politicians and views will NOT be tolerated by a corporate hegimony as it threatens its very power base...people as sheep.

JB

[Malva Zebrina]

6. If he sues, whether he has a case or not, whether he wins or not

it will serve to shut up a lot of people involved. Can't talk about a case if it is under litigation and one is the party being sued. Not to mention scaring off others who would be inclined to back off for fear of being sued.

On the other hand, if placed under oath, Gannon will have to supply a lot of information, that is if indeed he would ever take the stand. I suspect not. There are ways to just keep it below the radar and out of the newspapers, drag it on for years etc.

Which reminds me. Where is Ken Lay?

[Walt Starr]

7. BINGO!

And as of today, the word "prostitute" has yet to be broadcast by any of the MSM outfits with regards to this story. I have yet to see it used in any story about this scandal.

It has died on the vine.

[Eric J in MN]

10. Reporters cover lawsuits all the time. Court TV, for one (nt)

nt

[charlie]

15. That's if the suit even goes to trial

If he sticks to the claim his public behavior cost him his job, the judge may tell him he's suing the wrong people. Talon owes him for wrongful termination. Brock and company merely linked to websites.

[Clark2008]

26. Bullshit

Unless the judge places a gag order on the proceedings, then there is no reason for anyone to remain quiet. And, even if he/she does, then it makes it all that much MORE juicy for leaks to occur.
Obviously, you people have never covered a court proceeding.
I don't think Gannon can win. Of course, in the real world, no attorney would take this losing case, but, of course, some attorney from the right will, but it won't serve as any scare tactic to bloggers. Libel suits against the media didn't serve to quiet them - it took the repealing of the Fairness Doctrine and vast corporate ownership to do that.
For the record, someone once wanted to sue me for libel. Since the accusation came out as the result of trial testimony in another case and was info was true (yep, the guy was being investigated for being a major drug dealer), no lawyer would take the case. I know from where I speak.

[Malva Zebrina]

55. Well, I don't know if it is bullshit

I think there are plenty of lawyers that would take the case. From whence they would come--you take a guess. Once more, I point to Ken Lay. I also think that there are plenty of judges who would gag the procedures.


While it is true that I have never "covered" a court proceeding, and assume that you have "covered" one and may know more than I, I am taking a second look at your post.

At this point, after years of Rove's tricks, I must say, that "justice" has been severely compromised and tend to go toward the skeptical and pessimistic at this point.

[tx_dem41]

9. That's what happens when...

one tries to make it solely a "gay sex" issue. Too bad, so many aren't interested in the important aspects of the story, only the "salacious" ones. Oh well, I guess if it makes you feel good, go for it. Just don't whine when it blows up in your face.

[Eric J in MN]

12. Media Matters hasn't emphasized the male prostitute aspect.

They have emphasized the plagiarism, Valerie Plame issue, unfair access he was given, etc.

www.mediamatters.org

[tx_dem41]

16. I agree with you on that. I'm a fan of the site.

I was talking about the broader approach we are taking to this issue. It wasn't fair of me to intimate mediamatters.org in that statement. Thanks for calling me on it.

[Walt Starr]

14. IT was about prostitution

and nobody used that word because they were scared to.

[tx_dem41]

18. Heck, Walt...I've seen that phrase all over the internets the last few...

days. Its always qualified with the word "gay" though. Plays better to the bigoted masses, you know?

NOTE: I commend you for NOT qualifying it. And, I agree a small part of the issue MIGHT have be the prostitution angle (w.r.t national security/Plame). Its a SMALL part though.

[charlie]

19. It was never *solely* about gay sex

And without the salicious twist, what media coverage we've gotten likely would never have happened.

[tx_dem41]

20. Looking at a large majority of the threads and posts...

I would argue that it was almost solely about the gay sex angle. Some DUers have wallowed in it with glee.

Hey, anything to appeal to the bigoted masses. It's just gays anyway. Who cares about them. That's what * says at least. I guess we're learning from him. :eyes:

[charlie]

21. Declench and spare me the chiding

Postings at DU have had nil effect on the news cycle. It's not what Walt or anyone else in this thread is talking about.

[tx_dem41]

23. I'm not lumping Walt into this at all.

So please don't attempt to do it for me, please. I commended him for NOT doing it.

[charlie]

28. *or anyone else*

For someone who spends the bulk of his time parsing posts to atomic bits looking for the taint of unenlightenment, how could you miss that? You're the only one yammering about posts on DU. Do you think these forums drive the agenda in the major media?

[tx_dem41]

29. You aren't following me.....

Walt has not introduced the GAY angle to it (in the posts I have addressed). Although I find the prostitution angle overemphasized, I'm not discounting it entirely. (If you had read my post carefully, you would have discovered that).

[charlie]

30. Where did I say you discounted the "prostitution angle"?

I didn't have to discover it, I didn't know I should be looking for it.

No, Walt didn't introduce the "gay angle." Nobody did, except you, in your zeal to condemn DUers for homophobia. It had squat to do with the topic of this thread. Unless you really believe that postings in this forum drive the agenda of the major media.

And get a friend with a star to search my posts, see if I deserved that eye-rolling "fuck 'em, they're just gays" jab.

[tx_dem41]

31. You're right, Charlie

That jab was not deserved, and I apologize for directing it at you.

[charlie]

35. Gaaahh

We could've passed a fine day shouting and fighting, and you've gone and spoiled it.

:hi:

[tx_dem41]

44. LOL....

I needed that laugh.

Never let it be said that I can't make a mistake. Good talking with you.

:hi:

[CindyDale]

11. Yeah, right

This guy is a clown, and the lawsuit is a joke.

What is he going to do, sue them for lost income as an escort?

[justiceischeap]

13. It's called Discovery and fear tactics

If he sues, I'm pretty certain there would be a discovery phase and he would have to probably supply his client list for his escort services.

Also, I think this is more about scaring the bloggers off the story because we're getting close to something.

[Clark2008]

27. Excellent point.

He sues, the bloggers request his client list.

THAT would be a hoot.

[merh]

17. If you read Newsjock's thread, you will see that it is up to us to

make this an issue the media cannot ignore.

The weeks leading up to the certification of the votes we DUers, along with members from other forums, inundated Congress with emails, faxes, snail mail and telephone calls demanding that a senator stand up with Conyers and Tubb-Jackson. Media blasters were set up and we went to town letting our representatives know that we wanted them to take a stand.

THEY DID - they heard us, we were not ignored.

We have to do the same thing with this story, we have to bombard the media with our telephone calls, emails, snail mails and faxes demanding that they investigate and report on jimmy-jeff and the breach of our national security he posed when allowed unfettered access to the WH.

It is up to us to keep this alive and to make the focus Gannon's lies, the WH's planting of partisan shills and attempts to control the media not about us.

FYI - CNN's Reliable Sources is covering this now

[bush_is_wacko]

22. This is a good thing! Exposure!

The evidence has been collected in large enough amounts to prove this guy is a prostitute. Guckert can't really deny this story. On top of that his "lawsuit just might save his life. If this has enough exposure he isn't likely to have an "accident" because the media will be all over it.

This may be Gannon's attempt at preventing his disappearance!

Quit being such a weenie! It is time for Dem's and Liberals to play hardball. When the swiftboat veterans were exposed as liars too many were willing to let the story drop. It wasn't pursued to it's bitter end and EXPOSED for what it was. This time the party damn well better ride this horse until it implodes on the thugs!

http://prorev.com/2005/02/all-jeff-gannon-all-time.htm

[julialnyc]

34. great link

[moggie12]

32. Walt, Walt, Walt.

Don't you remember Watergate? It took more than a year to bring things to a head, during which time the story looked like it was dead.

We've got to do what we can to help. See my post, "5 things you can do to make Guckert a household name":
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3145658

Don't give up, get typing.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Domitan]

36. I wouldn't say buried...look here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38531-2005Feb19.html

Here's how one reader put it: "I don't understand why The Post has turned the 'Jeff Gannon' story into yet another piece about bloggers. The story happened to be broken by bloggers, to their credit. But the story has two serious elements that The Post should report out on its own: 1) How is it that in an era when we have to take our shoes off to get on an airplane, a guy gains access to the White House with an alias on his ID badge? I don't believe that has yet been answered; 2) To what extent was granting 'Gannon' access another form of buying or manipulating the news? These are important questions." I agree.

Frank Rich's NYT article today
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/20/arts/20rich.html

ow this happened is a mystery that has yet to be solved. "Jeff" has now quit Talon News not because he and it have been exposed as fakes but because of other embarrassing blogosphere revelations linking him to sites like hotmilitarystud.com and to an apparently promising career as an X-rated $200-per-hour "escort." If Mr. Guckert, the author of Talon News exclusives like "Kerry Could Become First Gay President," is yet another link in the boundless network of homophobic Republican closet cases, that's not without interest. But it shouldn't distract from the real question - that is, the real news - of how this fake newsman might be connected to a White House propaganda machine that grows curiouser by the day. Though Mr. McClellan told Editor & Publisher magazine that he didn't know until recently that Mr. Guckert was using an alias, Bruce Bartlett, a White House veteran of the Reagan-Bush I era, wrote on the nonpartisan journalism Web site Romenesko, that "if Gannon was using an alias, the White House staff had to be involved in maintaining his cover." (Otherwise, it would be a rather amazing post-9/11 security breach.)

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/10945073.htm?1c

This Kansas newspaper included an article from NYT.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002184419_pitts20.html?syndication=rss

So planting a party stooge among the real reporters hardly seems out of character.

The thing is, a government that is not scrutinized by an energetic and adversarial press is a government that is not accountable for its actions. A government that is allowed to create its own reality is a government that can get away with anything.

So where is our outrage?

Frankly, the only thing more galling than the brazenness with which the White House abrogates the public's right to know is the sheeplike docility with which we accept it, with which we become complicit in our own hoodwinking.

When the history of this era is written, people will wonder why we didn't challenge its excesses, why we didn't know the things we should have. If you're still around, remember the uproar you do not hear right this moment and tell them the truth.

Ignorance was easier.


So Walt, it's frustrating, but it's no time to be discouraged. Just give it time

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

40. A few PRINT media sources is NOT the same as TV media coverage

Unfortunately, the majority of Americans DO NOT READ deeply enough to catch on to the scandal. We need television coverage (i.e., pictures of Guckert spread-eagle) to WAKE UP THE REPUKE and disinterested masses.

JB

[Domitan]

43. Did you see Anderson Cooper's hardhitting interview on Friday?

That was a start for the TV media. I know they're way behind right now...but just give it time...let it fester in the blogs and the newspaper media. Let them run till they can no longer hide. Let's be stubborn about this.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

50. "Just give it time"...just like the Iraqi weapon dumps, Plame case, etc.

I SO SICK OF WAITING. Nothing is sticking because its being slow pedaled by a corporate media, which doesn't want to upset their constitutency or monetary gains. At what point do we say, "enough is enough."

Thank heavens for ordinary citizens working through the blogs and sites like DU. We are the last bastion against the force of corporate fascism.

JB

[Domitan]

51. It's a hard battle

but remember Joe Wilson's words that Fitzgerald is likely very close to opening up the Plame case.

Let's see what happens with reps like Slaughter's request for open information on this Gannongate. I know what it's like to want everything to happen right away today...but it's patient and purposeful minds that win wars. We're doing our part on forums and blogs and grassroot movements.

So at what point in the future timeline would you feel you've had enough of waiting?

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

53. 2009

Bush needs to pay for his crimes BEFORE leaving office, not after...

JB

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

37. NBC - Nothing, ABC - Nothing, CBS - Nothing, Fox - Nada, CNN - Howie Kurtz

WE HAVE JUST SEEN A COMPLETE MEDIA BLACKOUT ON GUCKERT/GANNON.

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, MY ASS!

If this were happening under Clinton, the Sunday shows would be wall-to-wall on salacious details and scandal. This morning we were witness to nothing short of a corporate media blackout on the story.

This sucks.

JB

[spanone]

38. To be fair, Howard Kurtz on CNN did have it on his show.

Wolf & Leslie Blitzer are too busy talking about the NBA all-star game.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

42. Kurtz had it on his show to DISMISS IT COMPLETELY as a blogger problem

With media coverage like Kurtz's right-wing (probably psyops) slant on the story...it's no better than covering the story at all.

Kurtz is more invested in saving his reputation as a "journalist" from bloggers who have revealed that he is nothing more than a SCUM SUCKING corporate media lapdog.

JB

[troubleinwinter]

45. It was on our LOCAL CBS this morning (San Francisco!!!??!!)

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

48. Preaching to the choir...too bad it wasn't covered nationally. n/t

JB

[Catherine Vincent]

41. I thought republicans didn't like lawsuits?

Bring it on, bulldog...and let's see all the evidence.:-)

[Catherine Vincent]

46. And by the way DUers,

Guckert did say he was <b>considering</b> sueing. This could be just a lot of whining. I mean, that's like Monica wanting to sue Matt Drudge cause he broke the story.

[troubleinwinter]

49. Or like suing over the words cleanup crew?

[bettyellen]

52. Mainstream press picks up pace on Gannon.........

Heat from press rises on White House over Gannon

By John Byrne | RAW STORY Editor

A broad array of mainstream publications and television networks are aggressively pursuing various angles of the burgeoning scandal surrounding discredited White House reporter Jeff Gannon, RAW STORY has learned.

Washington sources tell RAW STORY that calls are flying around the District as much of the mainstream press seeks to catch up with online reporting–including some from such prestigious magazines as The New Yorker.
The wire services have also begun digging, sources say, which could place the Gannon scandal in hundreds of smaller newspapers across America.

Some suggest that the mainstream media–which initially left blogs and online outlets like this site to flesh out the story–are now seeking to reestablish their grasp and perhaps break new elements of it themselves.
snip
Reporters are trying to flush out how the conservative escort/reporter got such access to the president and possibly to classified state secrets.
The tenor of calls, it appears, has reached a fevered pitch.

Mainstream journalists are scrambling to be the first to hammer down a solid connection between President Bush’s White House and the conservative reporter with a dubious history who was given daily access to White House briefings and invited to the White House Christmas party.

snip

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=103

gives me some hope..........

[sadiesworld]

56. "Gannon is looking at suing Media Matters"

Bullshit! Notice how he very carefully avoids words like "libel" and "false allegations"--b/c he could very well be at the receiving end of a lawsuit if he uses them. I must have missed the "political assassination" cause of action in law school. :eyes: He doesn't have a leg to stand on and why you lend any credence to his drivel is beyond me.