Five Democratic Senators Sign Letter to Bush Calling for Gannon Inquiry

[marcologico]

By John Byrne | RAW STORY Editor
2/25/2005

Democratic senators Durbin, Kennedy, Kerry, Lautenberg and Reid issued a letter Friday to President Bush calling for a full and transparent investigation into the discredited White House reporter writing under the pseudonym Jeff Gannon, RAW STORY can reveal.

The letter, which was dispatched to the president early this afternoon, cites possibly security breaches and questions whether Gannon was given special access in the context of three other columnists the Bush administration has been secretly paying.

Backed by Senators Reid, Durbin and Kerry, the letter carries the imprimatur of the Senate Democratic leadership. It does not, however, carry the full weight of the caucus.

(snip)

Republicans have declined to comment on the Gannon affair. Spokespersons for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) both declined to comment on the Democrats’ move or anything related to the Gannon scandal.



full story here:
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=128

[Nite Owl]

1. Why are the rest of them

afraid to sign on?

[MeDeMax]

13. perhaps fear that their expression...

will be misrepresented by W.H./Conservatives if g'gate should spin out of control into a gay-bashing-fest.

I can picture dem politicians being demonized

by Fall-Well and Roberts'son

as being "hateful liberals", while the right was doing the "christian" thing in embracing a fallen brother with a different lifestyle.

They have to navigate this carefully.

[FreedomAngel82]

16. From what I'm seeing of this

they're framing it on the security issue which is the important thing and way to go. Only the republicans are saying we're gay bashing and whatnot. :eyes: And Robertson and Falwell sticking up for a gay man? LOL. I can't see it. What will they tell the children?! :silly:

[WildEyedLiberal]

2. Four of those guys are my favorites

The other (Lautenberg) I just don't know that much about. He must be pretty cool, though. I'm really surprised Boxer hasn't signed onto this.

[Sparkly]

5. He's a good guy

Committed and loyal to the Democratic party.

[marcologico]

6. It might be because of the Congressional recess. . .

Here's the fourth paragraph of the article (snipped it to meet the DU 4-paragraph rule):

"Aides say Durbin’s effort to collect signatures was frustrated by the fact that most members have returned to their home states for the Congressional recess."

[WildEyedLiberal]

7. Ah

Yeah, that's probably why. (But that won't stop every Dem in the Senate from getting flamed by irate DUers who could, like, do the job sooooo much better.)

Well, at any rate, I am very glad Kerry, Durbin, Reid, Kennedy, and Lautenberg signed on, since they are some of the most prominent and nationally known Dems.

[AuntiBush]

21. True, True, True! Thank you for that reminder!

I feel bad now, calling the others "spineless." How does one self-delete a post?

[MeDeMax]

11. my best guesses as to why...

Barbara is one gutsy lady, she signed the most important petition in recent times that, theoretically, had the potential to change the outcome of the election.

Senators & congress-persons have to budget their political capital, if you sign on to every petition that comes your way you may not be taken seriously come crunch time, she spent her political capital wisely when she forced the debate in the two houses, well atleast in my opinion.

Also, gannongate will bring to bear a mixture of voices & messages, those opposed to such blatant media manipulation by the W.H./conservatives, and others who are turned off by the gay factor.

A sizeable part of Boxer's constituency is very sensitive to the way homesexuals are portrayed in the media.

Since g'gate has the potential to spin out into a gay-bashing-fest barb has to tread this one very carefully.

g'gate could be a planted story like CBS-Docugate to trap dem politicians into saying things that can be used as ammo against them later.

[Kahuna]

12. Lautenberg totally totally rocks. He came out of retirement in..

02 to try to help us maintain a senate majority after that Lieberman-like weasel Robert Toricelli was about to lose an incumbent seat in NJ.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kahuna]

14. "Yawn?" Don't be so coy. Tell us what you really think..

"Yawn" could be taken different ways.

[DemoTex]

4. Nothing like a show of unity.

Democratic Party style.

[MeDeMax]

8. I luv the graphics in your sig line...

esp the '08 part, any 'pub who sees it is gonna sign "oh sh** here we go again"

Here is to Kerry & (Boxer/Clinton/Conyers/Edwards/Jones) in '08, or perhaps sooner


:toast:

[marcologico]

10. LMAO, I'm hoping sooner too

and the way things are shaping up the chances are pretty good!

:toast:

[MeDeMax]

15. is LMAO...

laughing my (another word for donkey) off ?

if so, I concur, it has been two weeks of victories of sorts, or atleast exposing hypocrisy of those on the right.

[marcologico]

29. That it is.

p.s. let's hope this ol' donkey stays on its feet!

[alevensalor]

9. kick

:kick:

[TheDonkey]

17. Patriots. (nt)

[autorank]

18. So Lieberman condemns Clinton but lets Bush slide on WH prostie!

Remember blow-hard Joe when he spoke out against his Yale classmate Clinton after the Monica disaster. Couldn't say enough about the morality issue back then. But, noooooooo, do you think he says anything about the WH male prostie his press boy smuggled in the WH. Fuck Liberman!

[AuntiBush]

20. You and I Think Exactly alike! Lieberman is a F'in JERK!

Edited because I need to hit the sack!

[autorank]

22. Sweet Dreams. You and I will both contribute to his primary opponent.

[AuntiBush]

19. THANK YOU Five with Spine! Now, the rest...???

Thank you Senators for having "spine" standing-up for the right thing for the American people! As for the rest, shame on you!

[marcologico]

23. Meanwhile, "The Nation" claims that Ganny-boy is getting "a quasi-bum rap"

Gannon-Guckert-Gate
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2005
(CBS) This column from The Nation was written by David Corn.

The emails keep pouring in with this plea: Investigate Gannongate! These messages are obviously part of a campaign among liberal Internet activists who believe the controversy concerning Jeff Gannon (aka James Guckert) has not received sufficient media attention. Gannon/Guckert was a conservative reporter for a marginal news outfit who obtained a daily pass to the White House press office and who also apparently was seeking customers as a gay, military-oriented prostitute.

(snip)

But throughout this scandal, I have wondered if the Gannon affair may be smaller than it seems. I expressed several concerns in an earlier column. Still, in response to the emails, I decided to heed the call and look further. What I found leads me to ask--gasp!--if Gannon/Guckert, on a few but not all fronts, has received a quasi-bum rap.

Let me stipulate that how Gannon/Guckert came to be permitted into the White House press room is a worthy topic of inquiry. But his pursuers ought to be careful on this point. Talon News was a fly-by-night (or phony) news operation with a political agenda. But White House daily briefings should be open to as diverse a group as possible. There is a need for professional accreditation; space is limited.

Yet there is nothing inherently wrong with allowing journalists with identifiable biases to pose questions to the White House press secretary and even the president. And if such a reporter asks a dumb question--as did Gannon/Guckert (which triggered this scandal)--the best response is scorn and further debate. Bloggers should think hard when they complain about standards for passes for White House press briefings.

rest of article: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/25/opinion/main676554.shtml

[Q]

25. Guckert didn't ask a 'dumb question'...

...he attacked DEMOCRATS within the context of supporting Bush.

The free press is dead.

[cestpaspossible]

28. What is Corn smoking?

'journalists with identifiable biases' else one thing. Political operatives posing as journalists are something else.

[No Exit]

24. "John Galt's" theory on Gannongate

Last week someone on DU was asking about a freerepukelic poster named "John Galt". I think they were curious b/c that poster had been seen arguing with Gannon on the freeperland site.

There is a "John Galt" posting on one of the many spin-off forums (spin-offs from freerepukelic, where freepsters go when they get banned.) His theory about why Gannongate happened seemed sensible. To paraphrase he said: My theory is that once the election was over, someone got tired of funding the thing (presumably Talon News) and pulled the plug, leaving Gannon and Talon unfunded. This person figured Gannon/Talon had done its job; the election was over, no need for it now.

[Nashyra]

26. Frame it with security and add Kerik

Use it as an investigation to serious flaws in security as in vetting officials in the WH as well as vetting persons for the cabinet, Kerik. 2 very serious breaches, leave the "gay" issue out of it as there could not be two people more different in there preferences, but both of them "no morals" liars, cheats, prostitutes and both of them a lack of serious security vetting. It's not the sexual preference it's the selling of sex that is the moral issue.

[No Exit]

27. Very good ideas...

And here's something that might touch a nerve among those almost-unpersuadable Bush-lover-terror-fearing-wingnuts: Let's not forget that Kerik and his paramour (at the time), Judith Regan, had (gasp!) sex in a NYC apartment which had been DONATED FOR USE AS A RESPITE PLACE FOR EXHAUSTED NYC 9/11 RESCUE PERSONNEL!

[Ashamed_American]

30. Keep them signatures coming.

Looks like I need to add a few names to my 'favorites' list.


www.BlackEyedSundays.com