Jeff Gannon - Am I the only one who thinks this will backfire on us?

[MessiahRp]

Look, I think the crap the guy pulled is ridiculous and sure the White House needs to be raked over the coles for allowing a fake reporter for a fake news organization roll in and feed softballs to Bush to help push his propaganda.

The fact that there's evidence that more than that occured sickens me.

But the problem I am having is this...

Republicans are known liars and they use their endless amounts of pawns on the Media to push the White House's company line day after day. Fact is Karl Rove controls the public discourse in the country as much or more than Hitler did in Germany because he's not using force, he's using supposedly legitimate media to con people into believing that this stuff is true and that they chose to believe it by their own "free will".

They've already managed to get their neocon buddies to turn the argument into the fact that he was just a gay reporter rather than realize the fact that he was never a reporter at all.

I think their next step is to take this issue and turn it on us. Making us seem homophobic and making it seem as if our attack has nothing to do with his legitimate press credentials or what he did for the White House but rather that it is us attacking a Gay man.

Hooker or not they can make that case because they did the same by turning us into racists over Alberto Gonzales or Condi Rice and claimed that we never pushed equality as far as they did. (*cough* bullshit)

I guess what I'm saying is that they have the capability to cheat and turn the tables on us with all of the media touting their talking points.

It's ridiculous that we live in a country where Free Speech was the first thing put into the Governing law of the land, and it happens to be the one thing we no longer have.

Rp

[aquart]

1. Well, let's give up and drop dead because we can never win.

Because they are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO clever and NEVER make a mistake.

The disinformation campaign usually crawls out from under its rock after midnight.

[MessiahRp]

8. I didn't say to give up

I just have a bad feeling about how we're going to be made to look when the final remnants of the story whither off the back pages.

Rp

[rainy]

48. they have already turned it into a blogger vs. blogger issue

and are distracting from the real issue of fake reporter allowed that close to the president.

[applegrove]

2. That is why we stop it with the gay stuff & just talk about the propaganda

and the illegal activity and the security breach. No need to specify or use the word gay at all! Replace all instances of gay with sexual orientation or something.

And if there is nothing new - then don't post.

[MessiahRp]

9. I agree

We can mention prostitute and leave gay out of it. It makes is look as sophmoric as they are when they throw out their racial inneundo.

Rp

[applegrove]

13. Yes the MSM instinctively did that when they finally covered the story.

They are much more aware of their words i guess.

I for one have not seen the term 'gay' used in a derogatory way here but the problem could be that my filter is very pro-be who you are ... and the filter of the freepers may not be (as demonstrated by their way of being easy prey to propaganda).

Also I have stayed away from most recent discussion of the issue - I hit my full point.

[Carolab]

31. Disagree. The "gay" thing IS GERMANE. It's their HYPOCRISY!

How DARE THEY speak out against gays left and right, while all the time being party to gay escort services. It's WRONG.

http://www.politick.info/

And about Gannon's "personal life".
Posted by Dylan- Feb 17, 2005 - 1:51 AM
This is one of the best blog posts I've read recently, so I'll repost most of it directly from John at AMERICAblog (who deserves credit for blowing this Gannon thing wide open). They're discussing a Hotline (a major DC publication that everyone out there reads) article questioning the focus on Gannon's personal life (i.e. the prostitution thing), and asking whether anything now goes...

Where was the high-and-mighty Hotline when George Bush, with the help of buddies like Guckert, tried to write me and 20 million of my friends out of the Constitution last year? Where was Accuracy in Media, the conservative bloggers, and everyone else who is defending Guckert's "private life" when my private life was going to singled out and savaged in our nation's most sacred document simply to get a few votes?

<SNIP>

Well newsflash Washington. The GOP is the one that rose gay-bashing and gay-baiting and sex-baiting to an art, and JeffJimGuckertGannon willingly joined the family values parade in print and in passion. They're trying to ban condoms, pornography, AIDS education. They take children away from gays, and want to make our very lives a crime. GOP Senators compare us to kleptomaniacs, alcoholics, and man-dog sex. And they can't even handle a bronze breast on a statue.

And we're the ones picking a fight over sex.

Spare me your sanctimonious bullshit now that those of us in the gay community and on the left have finally - finally - started to fight fire with fire by simply holding you to the very standards you legislate over us. We are simply giving the GOP the sex-less utopia it's always wanted. How does it feel?

Oh, gee, the Hotline warns, this might establish a precedent. Really? You mean the GOP might respond by using our sex lives against us as a weapon to destroy us and curry votes with bigots?

I don't like this battle, I don't enjoy this battle. I hate this battle. But the battle began years ago, and until now, we sat back and watched and waited and hoped it would go away. Well it's not going away. We have a choice. We can sit back and watch the GOP sex police destroy us. Or we can fight back. And I can think of nothing more poetic, nothing more just, than fighting back by simply holding them to their own standards.

It's the truth, and it's a good example of how we're going to have to fight on their level if we want to win. If we let a gay prostitute get away with writing articles condemning gays and supporting amendments that write them right out of our constitution, we're as bad as they are.

Fuck them. They wanted a street fight, so here we come. They thought gays would be an easy target, but we're bound and determined to make sure this blows up in their fat little faces.

FRAME IT AND FIGHT IT: "The Republicans are a bunch of hypocrites."

[Lorien]

73. Yep. THEY made it an issue

during the last election! They need to be HAMMERED on their hypocrisy relentlessly. Prostitution is illegal outside of Nevada, and we shouldn't run from that angle, either. They are counting on us to play "nice". After all the damage they've done to our country, I'm not about to be a "well behaved liberal".

[FreedomAngel82]

79. Hear hear!

Last night I thought about this, as in another post I made on this thread, but after reading this I don't care anymore. It's about civil rights and hypocriacy. Guckert deserves this and anybody who helped get him in! :grr:

[applegrove]

90. So call it hypocracy .. the word gay is not necessary (all the time)

[EVDebs]

16. Right on the money. Propaganda is the main event; the gayness

is a sideshow. Operation Mockingbird, taken to extremes here, is media manipulation domestically. PsyOps of military sigint is operating domestically too.

This is the real danger, not some perv's proclivities. Maybe that's what Rove is counting on...that Dems only look at the sideshow and not peek under the BigTop's tent.

[MessiahRp]

23. Coincidentally

David Brock's Media Matters had this included in their weekly briefing e-mail I just received (it's from Maureen Dowd's article in the NY Times):

Quote of the Week:

Bush officials have divorced themselves from reality. They flipped TV's in the West Wing and Air Force One to Fox News. They paid conservative columnists handsomely to promote administration programs. Federal agencies distributed packaged "news" video releases with faux anchors so local news outlets would run them. As CNN reported, the Pentagon produces Web sites with "news" articles intended to influence opinion abroad and at home, but you have to look hard for the disclaimer: "Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense." The agencies spent a whopping $88 million spinning reality in 2004, splurging on P.R. contracts.

Even the Nixon White House didn't do anything this creepy. It's worse than hating the press. It's an attempt to reinvent it.

-- New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, February 17

[Griffy]

72. Absolutly! PROPAGANDA PROPAGANNON!!! its the key to there success! nt

[applegrove]

91. The danger is that when you call the sexual experimentor a "perv"

that some freeper somewhere with their filter will take it as you calling a person a 'perv' because they are 'gay'. To me that is good enough reason to just keep it to the blatant hypocracy (if not outright acknowledgement of the Chumping of the Christian right) and the national security issue & the prostitution (not that important except when it talks about blackmail - which have been covered in my opinion). The big issue is the propaganda and the Chumping of the Christian Right.

IMHO

[Carni]

93. "sexual experimentor" ? Oh please--he sounds pretty seasoned

The guy advertised that he is seeking men who want to pay him for sex.

He is attached to Rove and the Whitehouse and knew about events BEFORE the rest of the press corps (he boasted that he did)

THAT is what should be reported.

Why would you caution people to *spin* this a particular way?

Why should there be spin on this?

[applegrove]

97. I would hate to see this scandal create more hate out there than already

exists for the average 14 year old child who is getting to know his sexual preference & having to deal with the fact he may be target and ejected by his family for that way.

Obviously if we wrote everything so that if looked at through the lense of a freeper it would not encourage them... we may have to resort to not writing anything at all.

I was just warning. When you call him a perv ... be clear that it was because he choose a life of prostitution when he was obviously not addicted to drugs or incapable of some other career. That is what is odd. IMHO

[Carni]

99. Why is it odd?

The stupid ass (Gannon) is obviously driven by power...and for that matter how do you know Gannon is even gay by nature?

He's obviously an opportunistic RW hack that will take it wherever he can get it (and I don't mean sex)

He's a prostitute in general and I am not going to apologize for the fact that I am calling him on being a whore and tying it to the bush admin.

This doesn't have a thing to do with 14 year old boys getting hassled

[applegrove]

101. Okay - got ya!

[MNAZ]

18. I don't understand why we make fun of him

because he's gay.

[Binka]

24. Stop It

The freeptard gay card tactic is sooooo old. We know what you are doing and we want you to knock this shit off. OK? Night now.

[MNAZ]

28. the making fun of all the gay stuff iritates me...

It's about sex not homosexual sex.

[Vinnie From Indy]

46. OK Let's make it about freeptard assholes! Where should we start? Hmmmm

LOL!

You know the original poster may have a point. If we push this Gaggin' Jimmy Jeff Gannon Guckert story we just might lose all three branches of government and we could find ourselves being subjugated by a fasicst regime. I guess on second thought, f&*k it, let's roll on this story!

[FreedomAngel82]

80. Whenever they bring this up

all you have to do is remember what THEY did to Clinton. :grr: They dind't care how things were so much better off. They just cared to get him out because of who he was. :grr:

[Blue_Roses]

41. It's never been about him being gay

who really cares--what it IS about is the HYPOCRISY and lies. This isn't just about a fake reporter doing Karl Rove's dirty work, this is now serious enough that it should be looked as a criminal case. It seems the guy was privy to classified documents and that's a breech in national security. THIS is what it should be about from here on out. WE should address this as a criminal case. I don't want some fake reporter having access to MY country's secrets especially when he can't keep his fat mouth shut. He's a known blabber and bragger.

This should have already been addressed by anyone who is President, but since it's Bush and it appears he and someone close to him was in bed with this fake reporter (no pun intended--well, maybe;)) that explains why it hasn't been addressed.

[0007]

96. Exactly, I agree.

[moggie12]

70. I agree - it's the propaganda angle that's criticallt important

The "gay angle" got the story tons of publicity but Gannon is just but one piece in a huge propaganda effort successfully being perpetrated on this country -- it's the fact that he asked questions full of lies and distortions at WH press conferences that is key.

[texastoast]

3. Are you going to lay down for it?

Not me. I fight fascism and will continue to do so.

And I don't agree that we appeared racist in arguing against the liar Condi or the torture memo writer Gonzales. And that is my argument from which I will not waiver. Race has nothing to do with it.

If the reporter is gay, so damn what? If the reporter is a plant to throw softballs and divert legitimate reporters from getting the story out, I have a problem with that.

And yes, they cheat, lie, and are fascists. And I fight that and do not ever give up.

This ain't over.

:grr:

[MessiahRp]

12. Like I said,

I don't care if the reporter is gay (even though the White House did when it outed the ABC reporter in 2003), but my issue is we're pointing out the gay part of it a tad bit much.

Sure the fact that the WH used a GAY reporter to lie for them is wraught with irony but we should be pointing out what they did to get this reporter in so he could propagandize the WH press room.

Rp

[merh]

42. Go look at his websites that were active when he was "reporting"

at the WH and tell me if his sexuality or his exploitation of gay men is not an issue. Just go look at how the good "christian" man that is being attacked because of the sins of his past (his spin in the WashPost) portrayed himself - advertised his talents and exploited his own body for greed, then tell me sex has nothing to do with this.

Sex, his choices or exploitations, has everything to do with the scandal that is jimmy-jeff!

[FreedomAngel82]

82. He's just a liar

to cover his ass. If he really was living in the past why did he still have his profiles up? Wouldn't he have deleted himself from those websites? And his aol profile?

[merh]

89. One would assume he would.

That is, if he activities were in his past.

[Carni]

94. I agree 100%

When they pegged Clinton it was suposedly about "perjury"

(YEAH RIGHT -like that was what drew the public's attention!)

[Goldeneye]

4. They spin everything. That's what republicans do...esp. these neocons.

But I won't give up on it out of fear that they will spin it. There are people being killed and tortured in our name, and it would a mistake to let up on anything that could potentially bring the Bush regime down.

[grace0418]

5. Oh of course they'll try to turn it around and accuse US of being

homophobic. But there are just too many ties, too many weird little co-inky-dinks that keep coming up. Of course BushCo is masterful at evading incredible amounts of hard evidence of wrong-doing. But I don't know, this story just feels a little different to me. I could be wrong, I've wrong many times before. But I hope, for all our sakes, that they aren't able to spin their way out of this one.

[Up2Late]

6. You may be right, but I say, attack any media that tries it

We have the advantage of Speed and Stealth, they can't attack all of us at the same time. And any MSM person who attacks us hardest, is probably on the WH payroll, Attack them first and hardest (and don't for get to look into their connections.

A tip off to the IRS might not hurt either.:evilgrin:

[louis-t]

7. I still say the gay issue will keep it on MSM

Even if they are only talking about access and propaganda.

[Lorien]

74. The MSM ONLY cares about sex

ANY kind of sex. Look at Michael Jackson, Monica Lewinsky, Gary Condit...this story would get no play whatsoever without the sex angle.

[Benhurst]

10. "Gannon" is a prostitute, not a reporter. That's what matters.

He happens to be gay, which is probably fortunate for him, since I doubt many women would find his pitch on the Internet seductive.

[DemoTex]

26. Let's say "Jeffrey" Gannon is a woman. I've known women named "Jeffrey".

Ceteris paribus, other things being equal, do you think a heterosexual woman (advertising on multiple prostitution sites on the internet) who charades as a "journalist" for a politically affiliated organization, under a nome-de-plume or nome-de-guerre, as the case might be, covering the White House, would be cut one inch of slack? No. In fact, the #1 question would be: Who is she fucking to get this daily pass? That should be the #1 question of Jeff Gannon, with all it's nefarious implications of security breaches, press manipulation, cynical propaganda, and blatant sexual hypocrisy in the Bu$h regime. Their brains really are in their pants.


BartCop

[Benhurst]

35. ...

:thumbsup:

[merh]

43. Exactly!!

Very well written, thank you. :thumbsup:

[Lorien]

75. Exactly!

I think there's a reluctance for those of us on the left to say anything negative about anyone who happens to be gay; it's as if we actually believe that harsh words against ANY gay person bashes all of those in the gay and lesbian community, which is nonsense. I'm white, female, and blonde. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't criticize Ann Coultier around me. I'm also mostly German. That doesn't mean that I share the delusions of Adolf Hitler. It's nothing less than stereotyping to assume that all people born into any demographic all possess the same set of morals and beliefs.

[Carni]

95. THANK YOU!

No bullshit and right to the crux of the situation - you are totally correct IMO

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. It's more of a catch 22 for them than for us

George Bush's attorney general was busy prosecuting prostitution while a male prostitute was in the White House press corps.

If they defend Gannon, then they alienate their fundy nutcase base.

We aren't condemning him for being gay. We are condemning the fact that they knowingly planted someone in the press corps who ALSO HAPPENED to publicly acknowledge being a prostitute...something that is against the law most everywhere else in America.

[rniel]

14. You have to go after the sex angle

You saw how repetitive it was when clinton was doing lewinsky. Over and over every magazine and news show.

The word sex and whitehouse in the same sentence is pure gold. We need to take advantage.

[Disturbed]

17. Facts are still important.

Gannon was actively advertising his sexual services on the Net to military men while he was posing as a "reporter" for GOPUSA.

[merh]

44. I wonder how members of the military feel about jimmy-jeff's

exploitation of the military and his self-promotion as a marine.

:shrug:

[Kahuna]

15. Whorie Kurtz and Wolf already tried that and failed miserably..

They tried to make the story the vicious liberal bloggers instead of the vile mess it has turned out to be. Score 1 for the good guys.

[bush_is_wacko]

19. It's the hypocrisy that will ultimately make THUG'S look bad!

There REALLY are conservative Christan's who think "gay" anything, anyone, anytime, or anyhow, is an abomination! They aren't going to take kindly to this story and I think for the first time in their lives they may be willing to throw the thugs they support to the wolves if the connection can be made to "the king" himself. From what I can see THAT connection is HIGHLY likely to be made. Rove, the supposed boy genius is being publicly connected to Gannon as we speak on CBS. There is a thread posted here somewhere.

Why are some liberals so damn afraid to jump on this thing and ride it for all it is worth and BTW, those same people that can't abide homosexuality aren't likely to buy ANY story from the WH or anywhere else that suggests liberals don't support homosexuality. all those Christians would become mighty confused if they thought some of their liberal enemies agreed with them on that issue and they are going to find it hard to condemn us for what they REALLY do. Any number of TV Evangelist's have spewed this hatred on tape!

I say what are we waiting for, let them accuse of us of whatever they want and then we can pull out the tapes to condemn them with.

I think there is a MUCH bigger story developing here and that is the Plame connection in all this. If Rove was the source to Gannon/Guckert he has committed a TRULY prosecutable crime. And I think we all realize that if Rove was the WH leak it most likely goes all the way into that oval office.

Will chimpy leave his boy wonder out to dry? You bet he would, but I'm not sure the boy wonder is going to do the same!

[MessiahRp]

25. The problem is...

Good luck getting the Republican Justice Dept., the Republican Congress or the White House to allow Rove to be prosecuted.

Someone should have slapped Janet Reno for allowing an Independent Counsel (especially one who was not independent) to go after Clinton after he appointed her. Especially in light of the fact that it was again us playing fair when they have no intention to.

Rp

[FreedomAngel82]

83. I agree

I think if one of them goes down you know good and well they'll take down every member of that administration. That's one reason why Rumsfeld hasn't left. They know he'd blab and any one of them will. They have all the dirt.

[MelaniaT122]

20. I'm starting to think you

may be right, but I'm not there yet. The reluctance of the Senate to get involved kinda makes your point, IMHO.

[Vogon_Glory]

21. I Think That The Gannon Affair Ought To Be Publicized

I think that the Gannon affair ought to be publicized. It's not that I have anything against legitimate journalists who are gay or that I have anything against gays in general.

I do have plenty against people like Gannon. Ideology aside, I think that there is something noxious about using paid propagandists as planted mouthpieces in press conferences not only to spread the Bushwah to the world at large, but also to protect George Deucey-U Bush from probing questions by deflecting the direction of the news conference. To me, this reeks of the habits of dictatorships and the ethics stink.

Moreover, this is a case of turnaround is very fair play. The Far Right, the Republican Party and their paid and allied stooges have accused progressives of gay prostitution and worse (Anyone remember Dick Armey railing about Barney Frank?) and here is Gannon far more intimately linked to Republican and Right-wing organizations (organizationally if not cohabiting the sheets) than that party associated with Barney Franks.

It's not about the sex. It's about the lying and the continuing corrosion of political discourse by the so-called "values" and so-called "personal responsibility" party.

[DemocracyInaction]

22. Honey bun, that's the genius of Rove and the Repbulicans..

..that just leave us blathering infants sucking our thumbs!! They hide Facism behind our "causes"...........Blacks, Hispanics, females, Gays. They are brilliant. We are dumb as whaleshit. They win. We lose. And we don't have any ideas of how to combat this. Do we?? If they fucked a hetrosexual they would have mega problems. If they fuck a gay, the issue can become all about the 'terrible Dems' assaulting gays. They can put forth their war agenda with a black AND female sicko bitch and hide it behind us attacking (gasp)
Blacks and females. Get the picture?? It's absolutey masterful. Got any way we can fight it?? I mean something more effective than our droaning blather???

[OrwellwasRight]

47. There you go, thinking like a Democrat, again...

Who is going to believe the Democrats are homophobic? Anyone that matters? No.

The only reason we are afraid of that label is that we know it is an insult. Republicans don't.

EVERYONE who actually cares anything about equal rights for homosexuals already knows what the score is: Democrats support that equality while Republicans exploit homophobia. Republican charges that Dems are homophobic won't fool any of these folks.

Anyone who doesn't care about equal rights for homosexuals already votes Republican and also knows the score. They'll either like the Dems for exhibiting the homophobia that they themselves do, or they will recognize the propaganda for what it is.

This is not an example of Rove's genius. It is an example of a silly attempt to hide his wrong doing and it will not garner him one vote, and in fact, may lose him many.

Who exactly do you think that we will lose by these charges?

On edit: Fixed typo, added a line for clarity.

[Eric J in MN]

27. The more they talk about Gannon/Guckert being gay,

the more hypocritical their previous appeals to homophobia will appear.

[OneTwentyoNine]

29. Uhh...did you see Gannon on 360 Anderson,stumbling all over himself...

He's about to do a melt down already,cool calm and collected he AINT. Keep the pressure on,he may spill his guts in a few days.

[sendero]

30. Look...

.... the country IS homophobic, that is one of the ways they won the election.

You think Joe Six Pack is going to start liking gays because of this guy. There is a limit to what spin can do - sure the 30% idiot-contingent will play along but everyone knows which party supports gays and which one doesn't.

The idea that this is some big Rovian plot doesn't wash with me. It is just another garden-variety fuckup, like the ones this administration has committed since day one. Eventually, the sheer number of fuckups is going to reach critical mass then the loyal public is going to turn on Bush.

[tinanator]

32. backfire?

wouldnt you have to be in front for that to happen?

[DU GrovelBot]

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[RapidCreek]

34. Well, of course you painted an accurate picture....sort of

While I'm sure you are spot on in your description of Republican motivations and subsequent actions and the depended upon DLC orchestrated, "Democratic" response.......I don't believe that quite a few of us would agree to play along.

Honestly, the Republican approach can be turned around quite easily. Simply ask them why they obsess upon bringing up ones sexuality or race. Why is it such an issue? Why do they keep bringing it up? To suggest that ones race, religion or sexual preference gives them an unassailable right to be a criminal, liar or cheat smacks of bigotry, any way you cut it. Bigotry isn't an American value. Now back to that lying and cheating we were remarking upon.

Peace and Inner Harmony,

RC

[BeFree]

36. Take it like a man

The whole bunch of them are gay Log Cabin Republickers.

If it takes exposing their sexual natures in order to bring 'em down, you gay folks need to quietly step aside.

In fact, were I gay I'd be so pissed at the hypocricy that I'd be using every gay trick on the books to wipe 'em away.

Like this:
Gannon/Guckert/Rove: Just another dirty gay trick.

[BR_Parkway]

50. As shitty as it sounds, I've wondered what would happen if a gay

guy just came out and claimed to have slept with someone like Falwell or Dobson. If you did a little research as to where and when you were both in the same city at the same time and no one could prove that you hadn't - he would be branded for life. Like I said, shitty thing to do to someone, at least until you think about what they try to do to us.

[Al-CIAda]

37. Squeeze play-

Squeeze play-

I think the conservative "Christian' communitty deserves to know the truth about its leadership. We should as good Americans, inform our citizens of conservative persuasion who may not know the whole story. Our job should be to inform them of every detail on their message boards and organizations.

We have a journalistic responsibility to give accurate complete information. If they have a problem with a certain area, let them address the homosexual aspects.

[dansolo]

38. I don't think so

The real question is whether people's loyalty to the GOP outweighs their homophobia. It's obvious that the powerful Republicans have no problem with gays that are useful for them. But will the average Republican who believes in "mainstream American values" going to be as accepting? They stoked the coals of gay hysteria, and it is going to come back and bite them on the ass (pun intended).

[TNMOM]

39. Our work is definitely cut out for us, no doubt

But the worse thing we can do now is let the thugs get away with this kind of hypocrisy (or worse if he was involved in the Plame affair or is blowing the chimp).

We have to protect the integrity of democracy. This administration is a joke. if we go down trying to save the country from a madman, let's go down in flames. and take few rethuglicans down with us.

[leyton]

40. If we treat it like the Republicans did Monica, it will backfire.

The Republicans *were* able to tarnish Clinton with it, but the public was fed up with their incessant investigations and punished them in the 1998 elections for it. I fear that if Democrats in Congress think that they can get away with not putting any proposals forward and not having a platform - if they think that merely standing up to Bush and investigating the White House when things go wrong will help them win - they are sorely mistaken.

[tsuki]

45. They are trying, but Americans are obsessed with sex. Sex

sells. They understand sex. And the TV media is all about ratings.

Gannon is now doing the "Christian victim BS." I personally don't think it will get him anywhere, but if the Fundies or Moonies, whomever, think that it will benefit them, then it may backfire.

[FreedomAngel82]

84. I think if he was serious

about being a Christian he wouldn't had still have up his gay escort sites, would he? He's using that to appeal to the average Bush base. To MAKE it appear as if we democrats are against him simply because he's gay. Are his website's and profiles still up? Does anybody know?

[tsuki]

88. Let them get into trouble, and they're all Christians. Everything

is to be "forgotten" b/c they have taken Jesus as their personal savior.

[Pepperbelly]

49. you're the only one.

No one else believes it.

I sure don't.

We'll never get our comuppence.

[Catchawave]

51. Is there an official investigation yet?

I'd like to see all the major playas under oath. What, if any, investigative reporters are seriously working on this?

[Mark E. Smith]

52. Set Yourself Free

The public loves this kind of stuff. And the issue is not "Gannon's" sexuality, it's the hypocrisy. That so much of the gay bashing done by Bush flacks and surrogates may have come from individuals who are gay themselves is a legitimate issue that merits much discussion.

Just because we're such fine people does not mean we shouldn't indulge in using dirt once in a while. Otherwise it gives the likes of Rove a monopoly on the stuff, and if we shouldn't want to do that any more.

[marcologico]

53. Are you kidding?? This is our ace in the hole!! (so to speak...) n/t

[justice4all]

54. It's a national security issue

Jeff Gannon was not simply another gay person exercising his right to privacy with another consenting adult. He was an unqualified person who posed as a reporter and was given access to the White House and to sensitive information. This was allowed by an administration that is otherwised obsessed with security and secrecy.

The fact that he was allowed to ask questions, while serious hard-hitting reporter Helen Thomas was banished to the back of the room, shows just how staged the press conferences have been.

The Valerie Plame outing was quite possibly a very serious blow to the intelligence community. Jeff Gannon was one of the people privy to her identity. I think it is completely fair game and appropriate to ask how in the world Jeff Gannon was allowed to be in a position (sorry!) that allowed him so much access to sensitive information and the opportunity to compromise national security.

Whether Gannon was the one to break the story is not the issue. Why was he even given the chance to learn all that stuff? Why was he given access by the same administration that said "We can protect you from terrorists"?

I have one question for any legal experts. Is it unsafe to publicly pursue the question of exactly how he learned about Plaume? We don't want to give those conducting the Plaume "investigation" the excuse to say it is being compromised by publicity.

[Spacejet]

55. It already has

because half of our people unfortunately play checkers while those of us who can see the big picture play chess.

The fact that 90% of discussion is either 1. focused on sexuality or 2. focused on prostitution shows gross misjudgment on the grassroots level, and frankly I'm getting sick of it.

People like to blame party leadership when bushco gets away with any number of things. But the fact of the matter is at the grass roots level most of our people fu** things up worse than any dino ever could.

I go around our web sites full of pictures of bush, et al captioned with moronic amusing quotes. It makes me wonder WTF the grass roots is smoking. Instead of taking time screwing with photoshop for giggles they could actually be doing something constructive for the party.

Let's go over some major screw ups.

1. 9/11 happened on bush's watch - what do half of our people do? Flood the internet with "bush planted bombs in the WTC" "bush MIHOP" etc instead of keeping their eyes on the fu**ing ball which SHOULD have been "9/11 happened on bush's watch. he failed us on national security" Period.

2. Congress recently works to pass legislation making homeland security above the law. (literally) Half of our people take the rove bait put out at the exact same time of "national IDs" and keep the focus on that instead of the real agenda. 24 hours later Fatherland security passes while national IDs disappear. Funny how that works.

3. Now Gannon. Let me explain for those who still don't get what Gannon SHOULD be about

Rove decided that even with a corporate whore press throwing softball questions bush was still too incompetent to hold his own. Solution? Pay off a fake reporter to sit around asking the moron questions along the lines of "Is it because democrats are so delusional that they can't see how great your social security plan is?"

THAT'S the big story. NOT prostitution. NOT Gannon being gay. Some of our people seem to think their doing everyone a favor showing the gay "hypocrisy" of the republicans. To which I can only say give me a freaking break. What the issue is REALLY about is an impeachable action. Here's how you weigh it.

A. Gannon being hired by Rove to deliberately deceive the american people - Impeachable offense.

B. Gannon being gay - hypocrisy of the republicans. = Feel good effect. That's about it.

Unfortunately this has been another scandal shot to hell because so many people can't focus on the real issue.

[tx_dem41]

56. Spot-on post, Spacejet.

Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[coffeenap]

58. YES!

[tx_dem41]

60. Hi, Coffeenap!

:hi:

Hope you and your son are having a better day than yesterday.

[coffeenap]

64. Hi tx! We made it through--mommabear was more upset than baby bear

Of course, that is how it usually works. Besides, Andy is back and called him this am and made him feel better!!

[merh]

67. Have to disagree with you!

I can chew gum and walk at the same time.

Focusing on how the admin puts its shills in the press room without requiring proper background checks is key to fighting their lies and propaganda, the same lies and propanda they use to sell their agendas, like their piratization of SS or a war in Iran/Syria.

It all ties together, the links are there, finding the weak links and pulling at them until they break will be how we stop the evil BFEE.

Sex sells and Jimmy-Jeff's sexual orientation and/or his exploitation of gays for money (and tax evasion for not paying taxes on the revenue he made from his illegal enterprise) are all part and parcel of who he is and why this is so illegal, immoral and just out and out wrong.

This story may well give the dems the power they need in congress. It may well cause the moderate repugs to pull their support from the weed and his illegal ways and put their backing behind the issues that are important and that protect the citizens.

It may weaken the gripe that the weed has on us all. Dems in congress had no power to defeat the legislation you mentioned and you know it, that is why this is so damned important. This may give them the leverage, this may give them the power.

Give me more on Jimmy-Jeff.

[nashville_brook]

69. you are leaving cash on the table. to some, that is unethical.

see my post:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1608728

[Al-CIAda]

71. Hot air IMO Space...there may be some frivolity, but we are the laymen

We all have a variety of skills. your wet blanketing of political cartooning is absurd. This tradition is as old as politics itself.

They provide comic releaf and commentary. According to you, there's something wrong with that. Sure some time is indeed wasted, but we need to keep a positive attitude and feed each others' spirits. We are alone, many members of our own party don't seem to be interested in fighting the treason. Its up to us.

In regard to your other commentary, we are fighting a level of hypocrisy and ugliness unseen in our lifetimes...we are fighting fascism. We are at great disadvantage, and the bloggers, god bless them, are using what little tools and ammunition they have left. I for one say explore ALL angles and leave no sttone unturned. It is all related.

To your A&B's-

A. Gannon being hired by Rove to deliberately deceive the american people - Impeachable offense.

Many here are exploring this, I see it, not sure why you don't.


B. Gannon being gay - hypocrisy of the republicans. = Feel good effect. That's about it.

Disagree. This may go to motive (blackmail, an affair inside the WH, etc.) but may also drive a wedge in the crime families' support. Others have expressed more eloquently and completely this thinking.

..and btw, 9-11 was at the least a LIHOP situation. I suppose we should all just ignore the evidence there too.


JMHO

[qanda]

78. Johnny Q Public has a hard time wrapping its mind around scenario A

Scenario B keeps their minds on it long enough to seek other questions. We've already seen where scenario A ended up with Armstrong Williams: "Aw, what a shame! You know they really shouldn't do that kind of thing. Now, let's move on." The only reason this story has any legs is that it has an aspect where the average self-righteous American can don their cloak of piousness and say, "Why I never!"

[marcologico]

57. Did MonicaGate hurt the GOP? Let's think. GOP White House, GOP Senate,

GOP House, GOP Supreme Court, GOP press... naw, I don't think this will backfire on us.

But it will fizzle if the Dem party doesn't get on it, pronto.

PAGING DR. DEAN!

[Imagevision]

59. Maybe it's time to mega-email Dean for more accountability From Bushco

This Gannon thing isn't about SEX! -- it's about how he got his credentials -- who approved him? -- who personally performed his background check? -- If this was watergate, Rove would instruct Bush to simply change the questions to non-issue items and walk away from it.

Democracy/Accountability! We need to band together stronger on this and do the email floods again, this time to Dean!

[tx_dem41]

61. So, it ISN'T about sex?!?

Could have fooled me by the DU posts the last few days.

[marcologico]

63. Obviously it's about sex. That's what makes it dynamite. But it isn't

JUST about sex.

[tx_dem41]

66. As evidenced by all the demonization of being..

gay on the forum the past few days.

[marcologico]

62. I really do think that's a great idea. This is urgent and it won't last.

Gannon won't be around forever, that's for sure, and the story's over once he's gone (out of "respect," natch).

[FreedomAngel82]

87. Maybe our leaders

can make it about the security and all that and we can make it about the sex and find out how he got there.

[merh]

65. Yeah, we have just been blowing this whole thing out of proportion!

{{{dripping sarcasm}}}

Maybe the corporate media whores can't stand being shown up by the bloggers?

Heat from press rises on White House over Gannon

By John Byrne | RAW STORY Editor

A broad array of mainstream publications and television networks are aggressively pursuing various angles of the burgeoning scandal surrounding discredited White House reporter Jeff Gannon, RAW STORY has learned.

Washington sources tell RAW STORY that calls are flying around the District as much of the mainstream press seeks to catch up with online reporting–including some from such prestigious magazines as The New Yorker.

The wire services have also begun digging, sources say, which could place the Gannon scandal in hundreds of smaller newspapers across America.

Some suggest that the mainstream media–which initially left blogs and online outlets like this site to flesh out the story–are now seeking to reestablish their grasp and perhaps break new elements of it themselves.

(snip)

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=103

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1608643

[nashville_brook]

68. two words -- gay marriage -- you can't fault us for taking up gay issues

and fault us for being homophobic. at LEAST HAVE THE BALLS to rhetorically fight this one down. seems to me you've totally given up on language and truth and communication. how then do you propose to fight them? with water pistols? ugly faces? a dance-off?

[uppityperson]

76. Prostitution is illegal.

Propaganda is immoral. Either the WH knew and have a problem, or they didn't know and have a problem
repeat over and over and over.

[FreedomAngel82]

77. I was thinking about this last night

And wondering myself. What if it was all a set up by Rove to make it appear as if we, as democrats, are racisits with the LGBT community? It wouldn't surprise me. Look what they did with Rice and Gonzalez. Those claims. What if they are doing this to drive them to their side and say "see, we do care about you." Could it happen? I don't know. Remember what happened with Kerry when he mentioned Mary Cheney? Even though it was no secret? They said he was a "bad man" and they all cheered with agreement?

[KissMeKate]

81. only if we try to impeach bush over a gannon blowjob.

otherwise, its fair game! plus, you have to admit, it IS pretty funny :)

[buffy1]

85. Perhaps Gannon is just another diversion...BUT

it's if there is a joke on somebody, I believe that would the MEDIA! Because NOW, nobody believes the MEDIA & that they are ALL SHILLS!!!

[earth mom]

86. Prostitution, Hypocrisy, Inexperienced Journalist getting coveted WH pass

This could be enough to expose the f-ers in the WH-without them being able to turn the tables on us. Though, admittedly, the gay angle is important and can't be discarded because it may well be The Key to destroying these corrupt, lying, hypocritical bastards!

For some to post that any discussion of the gay angle is gay bashing is, IMO, offensive. You want to talk bashing and inhumane treatment? Look at * & Co and their actions and crimes against humanity-straight and gay-the past 4 + years!!! Then we'll talk about discrimination and using people as pawns! :mad:

[Gyre]

92. Maybe, but they can hide their true selves for only so long.

Their shit will be exposed, with a statistical certainty, w/in a few years. Americans aren't complete idiots; just a little slow and too trusting in authority. Arrogance always dies an ignominious death.

Gyre

[applegrove]

98. Of course they will do this. That is why we are here to keep punching

through to the truth. And to be as clear as we can with our language. And to 'share' what we know.

The whole rest of the world is just waiting for this abomination to pass out of American history. So you are not alone.:hurts:

[ChiciB1]

100. Maybe I'm Too Niave...

But, I think this is just more unraveling that is going on. If you think of politics as being cyclical, this story is the beginning of the bud on a dead flower!

I think us bloggers have made so much noise that it's almost impossible to stop us. I've heard it over and over by the so called unbiased "media!" We have been at it for some time now and I think as long as we keep at it, there's nothing at this time to stop us.

On the other hand, given WHO we are dealing with, I would bet money on them trying to shut us up. Let's NOT let this happen. Let's keep the pressure set at HIGH and perhaps some of our agenda will filter through.

Hey, look what we did with Howard Dean. Does anyone think that the run of the mill Dems wanted him as the head of the DNC?? So they heard what the BASE wanted and in the end they had to listen to ALL of us. And we are a BIG tent that invites all to join our quest to expose The Boy King Idiot and his cohorts!

[elsiesummers]

102. If he was a female escort/prostitute it would be a big deal...

There are two reasons this isn't being covered in the MSM:

(1) They are afraid of the gay aspect when the focus should be on the escort/prostitution aspect.

(2) The media/reporters are afraid that their own lives won't bear scrutiny so they clam up. Many people have something to hide and they are afraid that if personal lives of press are highlighted then this will be used whenever political operatives choose to target a particular reporter. They don't want to have to measure up to any standard in terms of their personal lives - so it's all about the media protecting themselves.

[AntiFascist]

103. I don't think we understand the power of rumors.....

all it takes is one little freeper (and I am referring to the Free Republic forum) to start complaining about the dirty, filthy male prostitutes who are being given secret service clearance to the White House, and they may start questioning whether this "born again" president is really just taking them for a ride...which of course he is. They may then have a good basis for blaming him for other things, such as losing their job to outsourcing, or sacrificing loved ones in a needless war.

I wouldn't attack them on this as a Democrat vs. Republican issue because naturally they will just get defensive and fall back on the old defense that this president can do no wrong no matter how bad things get. I believe that in this case it pays to try to think like a Republican and understand what it would take to begin to unravel their faith in this administration.