What was happening in Iraq when Gannon walked into the WH briefing room?

[althecat]

It struck me it might be interesting to see what was happening in Iraq at the time that Jeff Gannon walked into the WH briefing room. As we now know Talon News was set up on 29th April, over the next few days it published nine articles. Gannon walked up Penn. Ave on about May 4 2003.

If Gannon was indeed a White House plant, I was interested to see what he might have been planted to counter in the media.

The situation in Iraq being the front of everyone's agenda at that time it is logical that it might have been that. That said at that time as I recall Bush was not getting any problems from the MSM that I know of.

And this may partially explain Gannon being an internet journalist.

While the MSM was continuing the cheer the war on with great enthusiasm, online sites like Scoop, Truthout and InformationClearingHouse were experiencing a huge surge in traffic and content at this time.

As I recall this was a period before the right wing blogosphere had been deployed in any force. Perhaps, and this is sheer speculation, Rove et. al. realised they were being caned in the online alternative punditry market and Gannon was part of their solution.

To further explore this thesis it might be interesting to see if any other right wing blogs appeared at around this time.

THE RESEARCH

Below are the http://scoop.co.nz commentary pieces on Iraq published at the end of April and beginning of May 2003. On this page Scoop has been archiving its Iraq war commentary chronologically since the beginning of the war so it was not hard to find. I have now placed some jump in tags in the page so you can enter the narrative at the relevant points.

You may recall Baghdad fell on April 8th. (Jump Point)

By April 11th the Blogosphere at least was already looking somewhat askance


Does This Look Like The Fall Of The Berlin Wall? (Jump Point)

As you scroll up from this point you see that the liberal online media at least was having something of a field day.

The first headlines above this read///
Firas Al-Atraqchi: Operation Iraqi Chaos
Guest Opinion: How It Feels To Be An American
How Things Will Be For Iraqi Natives From Here On
Embedded Journalists: Sleeping With The Enemy

On April 15th Will Pitt wrote his http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0304/S00142.htm"> "How America Lost the War"

Scroll a bit further up and you pass through the period during which the Gannon plan would have been hatched if indeed it was a plan. The fact that Talon News was set up and Gannon moved into the WH so quickly indicates that whoever was pulling the strings on this gig was in a hurry.

Then you get to the period that Talon News was launched. The following articles all appeared on Scoop at the end of the month of April. (Jump Point)

Kidd Millennium: The Joker In The Pack - Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, the former Information Minister of Iraq delivered mega doses of comic relief offsetting a war filled with images of bedlam and mayhem. See... Kidd Millennium: Joker’s Wild

Iraqi Nuclear Scientist On The Search For Iraqi Nukes - In late August 2002, I listened with trepidation to President Bush's burgeoning false allegations about Iraq's nuclear military capability. See... The Mirage Of Iraq's Weapons Of Mass Destruction

U.S. Indispensable Possibly, But Hated Almost Certainly - The vision espoused by the Bush administration and other American elites is one in which the United States plays the role of the "indispensable nation," needed by the global community to preserve world order. See... Ash Pulcifer: The U.S. Should Not Rule By Force

A Beginners Guide To The Iraq War Aftermath - What with Shia and Sunni and Ba'ath and imams and Syria and Abu Mazer and WMDs, it's no wonder many are confused in this post-Iraq-war period. Time once again to turn to that franchised series of books for easy-to-comprehend answers to difficult questions. See... Bernard Weiner: U.S. Iraq Policy for Dummies

A Better Class Of Playing Cards Released - In the wake of the U.S.'s "pre-emptive" destruction of Iraq, her people, and her culture, the Trade Regulation Organization is issuing a "55 most wanted" playing-card deck similar to the one that the Pentagon issued two weeks ago. See... Playing Card Deck Shows Way To Regime Change In The West

Judith Miller Super-Reporter Scoops Again - Editor’s Note: We are grateful to Dennis Hans for bringing to our attention the latest blockbuster scoop by Judith Miller, the embedded super-reporter of the New York Times. This story was filed back on February 7, several weeks before Miller traveled to Iraq to expose the WMD programs of the deposed dictator Saddam Hussein. It’s publication was delayed until today, for reasons explained in the article. See... Judith Miller reveals Raiders won 2003 Super Bowl

Scoop Cartoon: G.I. Joe Millionaire - Cartoon by kiddmillennium.com… See... Scoop Cartoon: G.I. Joe Millionaire. See also links: Army recovers $13.1m allegedly taken by US troops in Iraqand US Forces Make Iraqi Theives Strip and Walk Naked in Public

Anyways..

Just an idea I wanted to explore. Plus a bit of a blast from the past... and the good old days before powerline and the swift boat vets.

:)

[Old Mouse]

1. A good thread

I think there must have been some shill sites to prop Talon up and give it an air of legitimacy, but i don't think Rove expected the blogs to launch such an effective series of investigations. I think they were just hedging bets.

[LosinIt]

2. Does the time of Gannon's WH arrival coincide with Ari's departure

as Press Secretary? Maybe old Ari wasn't up for the phoney journalist game? I have no idea what time that was.

[MinneapolisMatt]

3. Looks like...

his last Press Conference was July 14, 2003.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0714-10.htm

[Cooley Hurd]

4. Ari left the summer of 2003...

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/19/fleischer.resigns/

Tuesday, May 20, 2003 Posted: 12:14 PM EDT (1614 GMT)

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer smiles during Monday's briefing.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer will leave his post this summer. CNN's Bruce Morton examines the history of presidential press aides

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Declaring "it's time to say good-bye," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said Monday he is stepping down after 21 years in government and politics.

"You just reach a point where you have to look into your heart and know that it's time to go," Fleischer, 42, told reporters at the White House briefing.

"I will leave being able to say that I love my job. I believe deeply in President Bush, the man and his policies. But it is my time to go."

Perhaps Guckert's inclusion into the WH Press Corps was the straw that broke Ari's back?:shrug:

[althecat]

5. I seem to remember that his departure was flagged a while b4 he left

[Cooley Hurd]

7. Guckert gets admitted into the briefing rm on May 4th...

...Ari announces, "I'm outta here," on May 19th. Possibly, after being told to let Guckert into the briefing, Ari decided to seek new work...

[LosinIt]

10. it is all coming together (no pun intended)

Talon News is born
Jeff Gannon arrive at the WH
Ari leaves the WH
Scotty gets kicked up to lead role

Sounds like it was all planned out.

[UL_Approved]

6. Very topical, very good post

This really ties the quick ascendancy of Gannon/Guckert together.

If I am to understand this correctly, Gannon was created out of thin air in just one week? How did this slip past all other inside correspondents to the White House? How did this sudden creation pop up in a pretty exclusive club without anybody knowing? And more importantly, what about the creation of this Talon News? Didn't that raise even more flags?

Most news organizations have a missions statement and have some other news outlet cover their inception. This whole thing just appeared, like a science fiction demon: huge mysterious objects appear over night. Or the pod people: aliens come in, grab a human body, take over its life, memories and knowledge included, but suck out all of the life like a spider. This guy just appeared as a credible White House correspondent, with credentials and loaded questions.

But nobody notices.

Until he asks about "liberal bias" and what Bush is doing to combat it.

Then people wise up, get a little curiosity, since he beat FOX at its own game, and then do a little investigation.

Lo and behold, the guy is pure fiction.

AND he is tied to gay prostitution!

AND he is a tax evader!

AND he had no security clearance to the White House!

But the dirt just keeps on pouring in. This would have made the RW pundits in Clinton's day so ecstatic that they could have put down their food and pain killers for a day (Limbaugh).

Now we see a cautious news media take up the information and slowly run the articles. But the damage is done to Talon News and Gannon. My what fun times we have over at DU. When it rains, it flash floods.

[pamela]

8. I think the White House gig...

was a gift to Guckert from one of his Johns. The question is who? It would have to be someone very high up. My money is on Bush or Rove. This guy went from call boy to White House correspondent almost overnight. It's the stuff of Hollywood movies and fairy tales.

[MSgt213]

9. Its funny to see how some are trying to spin this as no big deal, but we

all know that if this was a Clinton or even an Kerry administration the MSM and the likes of Fox News would be running with it 24 hours a day. There would be panels and calls for congressional investigations and bringing back the special prosecutor. Ann, Pat, Tweety, Larry, Rush, Hannity, O'Lielly and the rest of the attack dogs would be breaking their necks and foaming at the mouth to get this story to the American people.

In this case though the media has tried there best to portray this as all about Gannon or whatever his name is, but the real story is not about Gannon. Its not about him being a gay, nor is about him being a so called conservative. The story is about the manipulation and propagandizing of the American people by its own government. Something I thought was a violation of the law.

[EFerrari]

11. A little OT: Did they pay him to take a dive?

(I almost used another cliche.)

Because these people are polished felons. I just don't buy that they put him in and thought no one would notice. In the Press Corps(e)? With all the scrutiny the media gets from us?

I've been reading here that the WH response is disorganized. And tend to read it differently, as they may be waiting to see if their little game will work.

Or? Was he blackmailing someone? And in exchange for the gig, he backed off? And they went for it because they knew he'd be outed?

In any case, warblogging.com has some fine postings that you might want to check out to cross check or fill out your time line.

/spelling

[sunnystarr]

12. Which came first ... the talon or the test-tickle?

We keep saying that Gannon was only with Talon 4 days before he was in the Press Corp.

I think the real point is that it's more likely that Gannon was selected to be in the WH Press Corp. and needed a vehicle to make him seem legitimate.

So Eberle who already had some webspace and had WH contacts was enlisted to quickly set up a site and make Gannon a journalist.

The person that got Gannon into the WH Press Corp. then would be Eberle's contact.

[sunnystarr]

27. Looks like I was right about this one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1601199

Gannon in the WH Press Corp before Talon in Feb '03.
There were probably questions and they needed to make him a "journalist." So a weekend course and a phony news site and voila instant pro.

You know that the reporters that are part of the Press Corp. had to know. They were silent then and they're silent now. What are they hiding?

[blm]

13. It also coincided with the Swift Boat Liars initial attack on Kerry.

.

[BigBearJohn]

14. Great thread. Good job. We need more analysts.

[flyarm]

15. these are some headlines that were on buzzflash may 1st and on 2003

these are some headlines that were on buzzflash archives from may 1st on 2003!

ok so the beginning of may was when * went on the aircraft carrier...and we know the * cartel wanted everyone to think * had suceeded wonderfully in iraq..it was all propaganda...and i am sure gannon was brought in then to paint * as the war hero!!..




This Should be Grounds for Impeachment: White House Continuing to Cover up 9/11 Evidence from Committee Investigating 9/11. This is Simply Unacceptable in a Democracy. We Want the Truth. Don't We Deserve It as Americans?


BIG BARF BAG ALERT, VERY BIG: "Bush plans to make history today by landing in a small plane on a moving aircraft carrier hundreds of miles from shore to declare an end to the combat phase of the war in Iraq."


New Charges are Expected in Enron Case 5/1


9/11 Panel to be Challenged for Letting Bush Cartel Screen Documents 5/1


Iraqis Being Shot by U.S. Soldiers. Our Soldiers Dying in Afghanistan. Osama and Saddam on the Loose. We're Leaving Saudia Arabia, But Bush to Declare Iraq War Over. 5/1

New dispute brewing over fate of Florida's 2000 ballots, hanging chads 5/1


Seven US soldiers have been wounded in a grenade attack on their headquarters in the tense Iraqi town of Falluja. But Bush to Say, in Staged Speech on An Aircraft Carrier that the War is Over. Not for these Soldiers. 5/1


may 2nd..buzzflash archives..

Bush's Top Gun Photo Op, A Crass Political Stunt at Our Expense


Karl Rove May Dress Bush Up In a Real Man's Uniform, But BuzzFlash Remembers the Truth: These Men Died in Vietnam While George W. Bush and Dick Cheney Avoided Combat Like Cowards


fly

[althecat]

17. The top gun stunt coinciding with all this is interesting.

Clearly the spin-meisters were in the ascendency at this time. Making up things like the end of the war. My guess is that Guckert - if anything - was a small not particularly important sideshow in this operation.

It seems to me that the fact that he has disappeared so quickly and so thoroughly can potentially be seen as evidence that he was connected in some way. I reckon this is a rock that ROve's boys do not want turned over - hence the coverup operation.

If Guckert were really what he says he is, a bona fide conservative journalist, I can't see why he would so quickly give up his potential opportunity for national media attention, whether it be ignominious or not. Instead he is behaving remarkably like monica, a reluctant witness for the prosecution who would rather it all just went away.

:)

[notadmblnd]

16. there's speculation today that Gannon/guckert was in the WH

before the end of March 2003. Talon news went live on 3/29/03.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/16/155840/912

snip:
#45 from Jeff Gannon on March 5, 2003 03:26 AM

This is a question I asked Ari Fleischer at a White House press briefing on Friday:

Q There have been reports out of Maine that the children of deployed service personnel are being harassed as a result of their elementary school teacher's expression of anti-war views in the classroom. Could you comment on that?

MR. FLEISCHER: I'm not familiar with any specific report, but I can assure you that the President, in all instances, believes that it's important for all to honor and respect the first amendment.

Not the answer I was looking for, but at least I was able to get the issue in front of the mainstream press.

apparently this was a post of his at the following site.

http://www.windsofchange.net/archives/003115.php#c45

[althecat]

18. That's not speculation... its a smoking gun.

That's not speculation... its a smoking gun.

Who was he working for then?

[althecat]

20. You have to love those folk over at DK.. they are eating this up....

[notadmblnd]

21. remember the special propaganda office rumsfeld wanted to get going

I'm thinking it' up and running and gannon.guckert is somekind of plant. What for? I don't know. Was it to make things easy for the president? Could it be his assignment was to get dirt on other correspondents? Is it something more salacious or more sinister? We need to keep looking at everything.

I was thinking of checking the C-Span archives to see how far back they keep the press conferences.

[althecat]

23. What doesn't make sense is this...

Why would a propaganda operation, presumably well funded, employ someone who could so easily become a liability as Guckert? Even if Mclellan et al are stupid, I would have though Douglas Feith with have a reasonably decent handle on any covert operatives he was working with - even if they are not aware that they are working for some kind of propaganda plantation (and Guckert may well have not known all the details.)

[notadmblnd]

24. I found this after I posted

I thought about posting this in a thread of it's own, but there are som mannt Jimmy/Jeff threads. This little snip is interesting and runs somewhere along the lines of my thinking on this.

The Gannon scandal may not be that he was undeserving of accreditation, or a shameless cheerleader, or even a prostitute. (It ain't for nothing that members of the press are called "media whores.") The scandal may be that "Jeff Gannon" was a honey pot: a lure, floated in the press pool by the White House to compromise persons of influence. Something Gannon, or rather Jim Guckert, certainly was not.

http://rigorousintuition.blogspot.com/2005/02/stirring-white-house-honey-pot.html

follow the links there some great stuff about gay call boy rings and articles of BushI back in the 80's.

[althecat]

25. That makes more sense than most of the other theories...

[notadmblnd]

26. I'm thinking there may be many more Gannons in many more

professions in DC. Although, it could be that I've sat in front of my monitor too long and cooked too many brain cells.

[Hugin]

19. Superb thinking...

I noticed the confluence of dates as well...

1. They yank all could be controversial shows off
the air. (Donahue for example.)

2. Plants like Gannon are inserted.

Tell me it isn't a plan!

[sandnsea]

22. Gee, ya think?

That was my immediate take on the story. I only added the Plame stuff because that's where everybody else was going. We actually HAVE evidence to point to press manipulation by the White House. I don't know why we never use what we have to get the story going instead of immediately jumping into stuff we can't prove. Why was he allowed in the White House and does it have anything to do with all these other known cases of the White House manipulations of the press? Links are in my link below.


Integrity of the Press
Feb 9, 2005

Yesterday, Ron pointed out the fall of CNN when even Frank Lutnz puts them in the category of Fox. Certainly we've all heard the stories of the journalists that have been paid by the government. to promote Administration policies. Last week I pointed out new tactics from the Pentagon, web sites that look like legitimate foreign news sites but are reviewed to insure the U.S. message is “more closely reinforced”. At the time, I forgot about the Pentagon Channel, where you can get your propaganda direct and totally scrutiny free. It has recently been added to the Dish Satellite lineup and I would imagine it's only a matter of time before it comes to a cable company near you!

What I had unfortunately breezed over, is the story of Jeff Gannon. This is the guy who has managed to repeatedly get White House press corps credentials, even though he apparently has no journalism background and his "syndicated column" is just his web site, jeffgannon.com. MediaMatters has been pressing hard on this story, and many others. They report that his news organization, "'Talon News' is virtually indistinguishable from an organization called GOPUSA, which describes itself as "dedicated to promoting conservative ideals." Both are run by Bobby Eberle, and websites for both entities are registered to Mr. Eberle at his home address. The contact information listed for Talon News includes Mr. Eberle's GOPUSA.com email address." Becoming a reporter for "Talon News" doesn't appear to be too difficult, they recruit "journalists" through a contact form.

Rep. Louise Slaughter has taken up this bizarre situation and is calling on the President to explain how this happened, stating "In fact, it appears that "Mr. Gannon's" presence in the White House press corps was merely as a tool of propaganda for your Administration." It is a scathing letter, bringing together the many concerns of this Administration's use of propaganda in the news. She is exactly right that these are the kinds of values that are at stake, they point directly to the "honesty and integrity" of the Bush Administration.

Everyone needs to take a moment and contact Ms. Slaughter and thank her for addressing this. Then contact your own Congressman, regardless of political party, and encourage them to stand up to this blatant abuse of the public's trust.

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=346