Gannon and Rove: One degree of separation

[Carolab]

http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/extra/archives/001437.html

"Jeff Gannon" and Karl Rove -- one degree of separation
Who is the conservative pseudo-journalist who calls himself "Jeff Gannon" and has a hard-to-get White House press pass, so he can toss softball questions at President Bush and rewrite press releases for a right-wing outlet called Talon News?

We wish we knew. We're on the trail, though. Here's a few more interesting things about Gannon, whose unlikely West Wing access is shedding new light on the unseemly White House propaganda machine.

One thing is that there's an excellent chance he's a native Pennsylvanian (wouldn't you just know it?). His "bio" on the Talon News site states "Jeff is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University System and holds a Bachelor of Science in Education." The vast majority of students who attend Penn State, either at State College or its many satellite campuses, tend to be in-state residents.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[Liberty Belle]

1. Morton Blackwell? Any relation to Kenneth Blackwell, perhaps?

[zann725]

3. That's what I was thinking. It's not a real common name.

n/t

[Joy Anne]

8. prominent Blackwells

There's a Democratic family of prominent Blackwells in Philadelphia--city council, etc.

[autorank]

2. Great link. Just real speculative journalism. I like these folks. Thnx!

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

4. Will this fiasco be *'s Watergate...fagettaboutit.

They have control of everything...ya think they will prosecute themselves? Some people just can't get it through their heads that we live in a fascist state. Its hard to accept, I know, but lets be realists and wipe the fairy dust out of our eyes...democracy is a thing of the past.

[EFerrari]

10. You may be right, for now.

At my last show, I sold Ts that say, "You elected Bush/ Enjoy your Fascist Regime!"

Doesn't me we have to sit on our hands, now, does it?

:tinfoilhat:

[EFerrari]

5. Getting the dope on Mr. Morton Blackwell sure would

have an impact, no?

[EFerrari]

6. From Demopedia

http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/index.php/Morton_Blackwell

Last two graphs:

Blackwell ran the Youth for Reagan effort in 1980, served on Ronald Reagan's White House staff, and has been a Republican National Committeeman from Virginia. He is a close associate of the ultra-reactionary Paul Weyrich and it was Blackwell, Weyrich, and Viguerie who met with Jerry Falwell in 1979 to found the Moral Majority. In 1991, Blackwell became executive director of the secretive Council for National Policy.

Morton Blackwell appears to share many of Weyrich's elitist views and wrote a forward to Plinio de Correa de Olivier's book, Nobility & Analagous Traditional Elites, in which he said: "One does not have to accept Papal infallibility to appreciate a case persuasively made, using theological, moral, and prudential arguments. This book will convince many readers, whatever their faith, that good elites are legitimate, desirable and, yes, necessary."

[EFerrari]

7. More Blackwell links

http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Morton_Blackwell


Blackwell, as it turns out, is one of the founding members of the ugly side of the American Conservative movement. He was there at the creation with jokers like Brent Bozell, William F. Buckley, and Phyllis Schlafly. His "non-partisan" Leadership Institute has trained thousands of conservative footsoldiers, including Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed.

So, he's no mere activist like your local Rotarians or county NRA secretary-treasurer. He's in the inner circle of Republican power, having worked his way in as a leader in the Draft Goldwater movement and bought his way in with thousands of dollars in contributions ($16000 over the last four years alone; see the FEC database).



"To succeed inside a political party, one must cultivate an ability to sit still and remain polite while foolish people speak nonsense"

[Joy Anne]

9. BSE

With the Pennsylvania State University System and a Bachelor of Science in Education, he's more likely to be a graduate of one of the state's former teachers' colleges. Given that he's been living in Delaware--at least that's where he owes back state income tax--I'd guess the closest of these universities to Delaware, which I think is West Chester State University. Anybody got old yearbooks?

[DulceDecorum]

14. Yup: Guckert attended West Chester U

and joined up with TKE which is how his identity came to be known.

What I'd like to know,
are the particulars of his court reporting and secretarial services and whether he ever actually had clients.

[emulatorloo]

11. Thanks for posting this. . . .it is all coming together

EOM

[Moderator]

12. Carolab

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.


DU Moderator

[Carolab]

13. Right. Sorry. n/t