Ari Fleischer Tells E&P He Spoke to Gannon/Guckert's Boss

[Walt Starr]

Ari Fleischer Tells E&P He Spoke to Gannon/Guckert's Boss

By Joe Strupp

Published: February 17, 2005 4:45 PM ET

NEW YORK Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer was so concerned about Talon News reporter James Guckert's potential ties to the Republican Party that he stopped calling on him at press briefings for about a week in 2003, Fleischer told E&P today.

"I found out that he worked for a GOP site, and I didn't think it was my place to call on him because he worked for something that was related to the party," Fleischer said in a phone interview. "He had the editor call me and made the case that they were not related to the Republican Party. He said they used the GOP name for marketing purposes only."

He said he resumed calling on Guckert, who used the alias Jeff Gannon, after Bobby Eberle, owner of both GOPUSA and Talon News, "assured me that they were not part of the Republican Party." Eberle is a Texas Republican activist and served as a delegate to the 2000 Republican National Convention.

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http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000807754

[BurtWorm]

1. Thanks for clearing that up, Ari.

Real credible witness there. :eyes:

[grasswire]

2. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

And ha!

Hilarious!

Feeling a little squeezed, there Ari? Hm?

[Lex]

3. "He said they used the GOP name for marketing purposes only."

Oh, okey-dokey then. No problem.

:wtf:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. Ari's afraid.

He should be. He may not be as deeply involved as McClellan is but he still knew. He won't be able to avoid catching some fallout.

[DulceDecorum]

10. Doesn't the pass name the news organisation?

I would think it did.
If so, then what did Gannon's pass say?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. A hard pass does

They claim he had a daily pass. However, there's reason to believe that's a lie.

Read this:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3130107

edit: clarity

[IndyPriest]

5. I called Don Corlione and asked if he was the godfather. He said

no. So I can't understand why people keep asking questions about it!

[DulceDecorum]

6. What shall we tell the chil -- I mean, Bob Boudelang??

[Neecy]

7. oh, whoo-hoo

NEW YORK Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer was so concerned about Talon News reporter James Guckert's potential ties to the Republican Party that he stopped calling on him at press briefings for about a week in 2003.

"About" a week, eh? Gee, that must have really hurt. And then he went right back to calling on him.

Marketing purposes....unbelievable. Looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck - hey Ari, can you finish the sentence, jackass?

[qanda]

8. Just get them on record

Then we can begin to dismantle their lies.

[elehhhhna]

9. "I called his boss and he said they're not GOP" mya$$.

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. Oh PUHLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE.

I beloeve every word you said, Ari. :eye:

[Langis]

13. So who let him in!?!?!?