I wrote a post that became a long thread that was even copied around the blogosphere about the possible connections between Gannon and a gay mafia in the White House.
I used both reputable new sources, but also blogs, including TBRNews. One central idea in that post was that a certain Todd Blodgett might be involved in a gay escort service in DC, an allegation that was made in a number of blogs.
Some time after, I realized that I could trace all these allegations about Todd Blodgett back to TBRNews. It was the sole source of that rumor.
I knew then that TBRNews had unsavory right wing connections. Buyt only later did I discover that Blodgett actually had worked for a TBRNews former affiliate, The Barnes Review.
Then I found court testimony in which Blodgett testified that the owner of all these RW publications, Willis Carto, had defrauded a bankruptcy court.
In other words, whoever published TBRNews was using it to savage some RW schmuck bottom feeder because of his court testimony. This strongly suggested that much of what appears in TBRNews is not just unreliable, but outright lies.
Because the Cannonfire blog sometimes uses TBRNews, I sometimes post stuff about TBRNews there, arguing that it is unreliable. By a remarkable coincidence, I had just posted something there this morning. I will copy it here:
<From my Cannonfire post>
Here's one part of the Gannon White House gay mafia conspiracy theory I think we can put to rest. I even hesitate to bring this up yet again -- it's about conspiracy theories promoted by TBRNews. TBRNews seems to be a prime source of innuendo that Gannon's "client" in the White House is W, himself. But the very interesting information about Gannon's log ins and log outs was developed by other bloggers. They did not jump to conclusions about who Gannon was "doing" in the White House during overnight visits -- if indeed, these logs even show there were overnights, rather than simply the secret service not logging all Gannon's entries and exits.
TBRNews seems to be the main source of innuendo suggesting that Gannon's "client" is none other than W, rather than Scotty or Rove or someone else.
I feel that any theory promoted by TBRNews should not only be taken with a grain of salt but absolutely doubted. Here is proof of TBRNews unreliability:
Remember that TBRNews promoted the idea that a certain Todd Blodgett was running a gay escort service whose clients included administration officials. I am only beating this dead horse because TBRNews recently ressurected this idea, on May 21, here:
http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a1611.htm(quote)
There have always been gays in the White House, especially during the Reagan years. The Blodgett case is one I recall. He was a little, hyper blonde with serious emotional problems who got so randy he was booted out and sent over to the RNC. He proved to be so active there that they got rid of him and he promptly opened a male whorehouse over at the Kenendy-Warren. Eventually, he got so bad they threw him out of his club and town. He and von Kloberg were both devoted Republicans and both gay as hell.
(unquote)
What TBRNews doesn't tell you is that Blodgett used to work for a TBRNews affiliate, the Barnes Review. In this very interesting testimony by Blodgett, in the Carto/Liberty Lobby bankruptcy case, Blodgett testifies that he sold add space for Carto's publications, including The Barnes Review:
http://homepage.mac.com/lsf/litigation/bankruptcy/990701hearing.html(quote)
Q. You also mentioned that you sold something for an organization called Barnes Review?
A. Well, I didn't -- well, okay. TAB Agency sold -- when I first started with advertising, we also sold ad space in the Barnes Review, but I did not sell any ad space in the Barnes Review for the final nine or ten months I was there.
(end quote)
Later Blodgett's testimony provides detail of how Carto committed fraud on the bankruptcy court:
(quote)
Q. Could you tell me what the money was for that you received here?
A. In this case, the direct mailer had rented The Spotlight subscribers.
Q. The subscribers?
A. To The Spotlight. They made payable to Response Unlimited a check for those names. Response Unlimited, under the terms of its contract, took off a management fee, then remitted to me the balance. I then took off 20 percent as per my contract and the remainder was $3,000.
Q. Why is this check written to GEF?
A. Well, I was in a meeting with Willis on that day in his office and I had reminded him that TAB Agency was sitting on this money that belonged to Liberty Lobby and at that point he said to make the check out to -- he said under the circumstances, we should make the check out to GEF, Government Education Foundation.
Q. Do you know why Mr. Carto directed you to make the check payable to GEF rather than to Liberty Lobby?
A. Well, it was done for -- it was -- they wanted to buy a computer for GEF and they wanted GEF to own the computer, so I made the check payable to GEF for the computer.
Q. The date of this check, was this after the bankruptcy filing?
A. Yes.
Q. Did Mr. Carto know about the bankruptcy when he gave you these instructions?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you know that?
A. Well, because the bankruptcy was May 15 and the check was made payable three months after that or four months after that.
(end quote)
Now, Blodgett may be gay, he may even run an escort service; hell, he may even be Gannon's pimp to the White House. But for TBRNews to no disclose this prior relationship is unconsciounable, journalistically, even for a blogger.
In other words, all the innuendo about Blodgett that misled bloggers (including me), is probably a very vindictive right wing company savaging a former agent who spilled the beans on their fraud in open court.
I like to read TBRNews "Voice of the White House" as much as anyone else -- but for entertainment, not for informed speculation.
HamdenRice from DU
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(560 posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
