Did White House S&M ring order special videos from Abu Ghraib?

[tuvor]

The GOP's many Talons
Did White House S&M ring order special videos from Abu Ghraib?

By Wayne Madsen
Online Journal Contributing Writer

February 23, 2005—There are interesting connections between the White House credentialed Talon News Service, owned by Houston-based GOP activist Bobby Eberle, Jr., and two other "Talon" entities. One is investment and management company Talon LLC of Detroit, co-founded by Michael T. Timmis, a major contributor to conservative Republican causes. Talon Equity Partners LLC is an adjunct of Talon LLC. The other GOP-connected "Talon" firm is Talon LLC of Houston, a "special purpose entity" established by the now defunct GOP bankroller, Enron.

In April 2000, Enron and LJM2, a co-investment entity headed by Enron Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow, set up Talon LLC. Fastow was later indicted and found guilty of multiple counts of fraud. His boss at Enron, CEO Ken Lay, a close friend of and contributor to George W. Bush, was also indicted and is awaiting trial. The Talon entity experienced a 370 percent annualized return on an original investment of preferred Enron stock and made $41 million for LJM2. Investigators in Houston are still trying to determine what happened to Enron's original profits before its stock tanked. There are suspicions that much of the money ended up in well protected and hidden Bush family and GOP coffers.

Timmis is a major contributor to The Fellowship Foundation, a powerful "Christian" fundamentalist operation headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The Fellowship has interlocking relationships with the Leadership Institute, also of Arlington, Virginia, where Talon White House correspondent "Jeff Gannon," a.k.a. James Dale Guckert, took a two-day course at the institute's Broadcast School of Journalism. The Leadership Institute, headed by Virginia Republican official Morton Blackwell, counts such right-wing members of Congress as Tom DeLay, Frank Wolf, Sam Brownback, John Ensign, Todd Tiahrt, Charles Grassley, James Inhofe, Zach Wamp, and Joseph Pitts as members of its "bi-partisan" congressional Board of Advisors. The above Republican members of Congress are also core members of The Fellowship. Gannon has been linked to Fellowship members who are active in two northern Virginia churches heavily influenced by the Fellowship: Little Falls Presbyterian Church in Arlington and McLean Bible Church in nearby McLean. Gannon is also linked to Rev. Rob Schenk, the founder of Washington's National Community Church, a Pentecostal congregation that counts John and Janet Ashcroft as members. It currently meets in a movie theater at Union Station in Washington, DC.

The Fellowship is financially backed by companies with lucrative defense contracts with the Pentagon, many of which are based in northern Virginia. Some of these companies are involved with prisoner detention contracts in Iraq, Cuba, and Afghanistan.

More at

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/022305Madsen/022305madsen.html

[tuvor]

1. I'm kicking myself.

I'm surprised no one smarter than me (i.e. 98% of you) has commented on this.

[necso]

2. Very little would surprise me about the neocons.

The problem is, no matter how valid one's claims, if the evidence is not extensive and (almost uniformly) unimpeachable -- and if it doesn't get wide and prolonged favorable, or at least neutral, media play -- then the counterspin (these are wild allegations, a crazy conspiracy theory, etc) might actually be strengthened by these (even perfectly true) allegations. -- And this can overshadow the unimpeachable and extensively documented part of the claims. Moreover, some of these "angles" might even be "plants" -- "plants" that the other side knows will dead end -- and/or will backfire.

We have a great deal to learn about this game, but as a general rule, attacking is best -- something just might get through. Besides, we want the other side to be playing defense as much as is possible. Their resources are tremendous, but not unlimited -- and time is a limited resource for all men. But, of course, we must not let ourselves be made to look ridiculous -- although this matters most for those who are the most public figures (and we would be wise to realize that in many cases, public figures can never go as far as the "ranks" can -- just witness the neocons' past behavior (although they are "outing" themselves more and more)).

When we get better at the game, we can "test-market" any potential "message" -- and only use (widely) "messages" where they have a good chance of working -- and not backfiring. But that will take some time -- and it will only happen if we can muster the necessary discipline.

Now, I am not criticizing this piece in the least, the great bulk of it is straight-forward reporting of reality (with a few "suspicions" -- and these based on the evidence -- included). I'm just saying that people have reasons for being slow to pick up on it. And the subtitle ("Did White House S&M ring order special videos from Abu Ghraib?") uses stronger phrasing than the piece itself generally does (a common literary device for trying to get people to read something). The text, for example, says this: "...has a number of observers looking for a connection with the documented cases of prisoner sexual abuse by U.S. military members and contractors." And: "The presence of cameras in prison facilities had many Washington insiders wondering if the gay S&M prostitution ring centered in the White House had access to pornographic videos from torture centers such as Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay."

But again, very little would surprise me about the neocons

And to make my point perfectly clear, the subtitle could have said "A number of observers wonder if there is a White House S&M ring -- and if this ring ordered special videos from Abu Ghraib?" -- This would have been more consistent with the tone of the text -- since this piece generally only opens the door to this line of questioning -- but this would lack a certain "grab". But this is a good piece and the "shocker" title is fine in its place -- but this "line" may be a little much for a lot of people to grab onto.

Besides, who likes to think about these kinds of things? I imagine that a fairly small percentage of the population is "into" S&M -- much less some particular genre thereof. And for most people, I imagine that this sort of thing is rather appalling.

[anarchy1999]

3. Can all of this possibly get anymore twisted, out of control and sick?

It just becomes mind boggling at some point and most serious, thinking logical brains, just shut down. It just makes you want to say no more. How can this all be, and no, we all are not a bunch of "Conspiracy Nuts"!

[AntiFascist]

4. I was jumping off the Madsen bandwagon....

but this article is just too "juicy."

It's only a matter of time before the Freeper's begin to buzz about all this, if they haven't started already. Notice, also, the discussion of fraud surrounding all the interrelated defense contracts. Has * been using his power and taxpayers' money to create very expensive pornography?