Why was "Gannon" there all this time? -- A Theory

[Nothing Without Hope]

The current administration is completing the final stages of hijacking this country and cementing into place a totally unrestricted fascist dictatorship. However, there is still a sliver of possibility that this scheme might be derailed at the last minute by aggressive investigations into the most important scandals and schemes.

The "Gannon" scandal is a good distraction to get attention away from the more important, life-and-death-of-democracy issues now faced by this nation. Oh, I don't doubt that there are some very juicy disclosures to be made -- indeed, I believe that both Bush administrations have probably used blackmail of closeted gays and pedophiles to coerce support. Indeed, that may be a deliberate fringe benefit to the demonization of gays by this administration:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1609452

But why have "Gannon" right there in prominent sight all this time, when at any moment he might be unmasked as an embarrassment to the administration? Wasn't he a "ticking time bomb"? Even sheer stupidity doesn't usually go THAT far, especially with Rove watching.

I saw a thread on the DU board yesterday to the effect that the corporate media knew about "Gannon's" fake credentials back in 2003 but did nothing. Even now, most of the talking heads and newspapers are either silent or are protesting poor "Gannon's" terrible victimization by all those vicious "liberal bloggers." We all know just how deep in the administration's pockets the corporate media of this country really is, particularly the most broadly influential parts of it like Fox News, conservative radio, and, increasingly, all the other networks and newspaper chains.

With the corporate media in such a stranglehold, I believe that "Gannon" in the White House press room wasn't so much a ticking time bomb as a just-in-case potential diversion set into place for later use as a distraction.

I think the internet-driven exposure of this planted shill with the outrageous sideline has pushed forward the planned diversionary expose, but there is no way that "Gannon" would have been allowed in his position for so long without it being part of a larger plan.

When Rove and his fellow monsters point gleefully in one direction, it's time to look for the knife in your back. Invading Iran, removing the last constitutional restraints on absolute unchecked power (forced acceptance of the same judges Democrats already rejected, new Patriot Act expansions and concretions), new massive looting of the environment and the treasury (the Social Security scam) , and who knows what other monstrous crimes.

We're at the tipping point into total fascist corruption and Rove and the other lead neocon strategists want the moment of transition to be overlooked and therefore unfought. This could be promoted by carefully timing an especially juicy gay sex expose so that the public is so titillated that they look the other way while it happens. Not just us, the progressive Democrats, but the administration's many mostly-honest but blind Republican supporters, who get all exercised about gay sex while missing the point on the larger issues of what has been happening to this country.

THAT is what is going on. In my opinion. Distraction and diversion of attention, arranged for in advance. I think the expose happened a bit earlier than planned, but I do believe it was planned all along.

I am still expecting an attack on internet freedom, as that is pretty much the last bastion of the free press in this country:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=109x18717
But hell, if they can grab so much attention with juicier, more entertaining, less scary scandals, even the free internet isn't much of a threat to them. (But that shouldn't keep us from taking steps to protect it.)

[iconoclastNYC]

1. Diversion for what? What story was going to break?

Why now? If they spent all the time having him there why would they waste all that effort now? What are they trying to push out from the news cycle?

[Nothing Without Hope]

5. I think they didn't INTEND for it to be now

I think they were saving the diversion for a later time when they needed a major one to cover something especially big. The internet-driven expose exposed him prematurely in this theory.

[FreedomAngel82]

16. I also think

if this was part of a plan they'd want to have to divert us from other things then the MSM would be talking about it more. This is hardly getting any press coverage so they're trying to hide this story with other things out there I think. I do think we have to keep an eye on them though while still investigating Gannon.

[Nothing Without Hope]

18. The fact that the MSM is largely silent on Gannongate suggests

to me that, along with the fact that some of them knew about it earlier but did not break the story, that if this was planned as a future diversion, it was not intended to be triggered yet. The internet investigators broke the story and have forced it so far, against the weight of most of the MSM trying to remain silent or even protecting "Gannon" by giving out his lies as facts.

If it was a planned diversion, it got triggered ahead of schedule.

If it wasn't a planned diversion, then I guess it must just be another blatant example of just how blindly arrogant this administration is -- they feel invulnerable and unstoppable. In that case, I'd think "Gannon" had clients highly placed in the White House who liked having him so convenient and pampered. Hard to imagine that level of hubris, but hey. With this bunch, nothing can be dismissed as below their level.

[bunny planet]

2. I heard the other day that Delay has introduced legislation for a 23%

federal sales tax on all purchased items. That's right I said, 23 PERCENT. Someone called up Malloy's show with that information, so far I haven't been able to find it anywhere else. It would be just like their 'three card monte' style of governing to slip a huge 'hidden in plain sight' tax increase that will only affect the middle class while everyone is talking about 'Mangate' and SS. Of course the 52 warnings to the FAA about 9/11 was in the news for all of five nanoseconds too.

[EVDebs]

4. This is a good question, as is 'how do Repubs pay for this war' ?

You'd think that missing $2.3 trillion (see CBS News' War On Waste article quoting Rummy) would be found by now. But no, they're going to hit the (non-existant) middle class one more time.

[FreedomAngel82]

17. With the money

Sometimes I wonder if they really did "lose it." Know what I mean? Or maybe they're using it to pay back people or something.

[Nothing Without Hope]

9. A 23% sales tax? I can't see that being passed if it is across-the-board

No way the congressmen would try to hit their people with that, not if it was on EVERYTHING.

Now, if it were just on, say, computer and interent-related things...that would fix those "liberal bloggers" and not trouble all that many Rethug supporters.

edited to add: and yes, the 52 FAA warnings and so many other blatant leads to the truth about the 9/11 attacks have pretty much been banished from public consciousness. Compliant media, just as for Hitler.

[bunny planet]

11. I did more research. It is being proposed to replace the payroll tax, will

be waived for those below the poverty level, and it will also be used as a reason to dismantle and discontinue the IRS. Of course, the wealthy will have loopholes to get around paying this sales tax and so only the middle class will be hit. Doesn't seem as if it will get off the ground but then you never know....... in bizarro world, stranger things have happened and continue to happen.

[Nothing Without Hope]

12. Yeah, one thing they like to do is propose something UNTHINKABLE...

...and then, in a grand public relations extravaganza praising their own flexibility and reasonableness compared to the inflexible and unreasonable people who dare to oppose them, they propose what they REALLY expect to pass, which is merely HORRIBLE.

This may be one of those. It would be sort of an inside-out variant of the old "bait and switch." If this is it, we should be watching for a "compromise" position that would be unpassable except as an alternative to this ridiculous proposal.

[bunny planet]

15. Yup.

:grr: :grr: :grr:

[EVDebs]

20. If the Congressional Dems stick together on SS this will forever

be remembered as 'Their finest hour' !

Never before in the history of the nation will so few have done more for so many and probably not get much recognition in the end...but the ones who are 'in the know' (DUers) will know and we'll salute these Congressional Dems from the congress of 2005-2006 !

Fightin' Harry Reid and Fightin' Nancy Pelosi.

Besides that, Bush & co. will have wasted sooo much political capital on SS that they won't be able to deal on the matter that really is crucial-- Medicare and Medicaid. National health insurance is coming and a failed HMO/PPO system is tottering even as we speak.

Frist and the other duffuses are spending their time on SS Fiasco, the sinking liner, or as Thomas put it the 'dead horse'.

[earth mom]

19. The Tax WILL pass if they slip it into another bill in the dead of night!

Damn! I am beyond pissed at all this shit! I've been thinking too that the Gannongate story is a perfectly planned distraction so that we won't notice something they are doing RIGHT NOW! It could well be this tax or SS or Iran or gawd knows what the F**K else!

Can you all imagine the Gannon story emerging in October right before the election? All hell would have broken loose! How convenient that it's over 2 fricken months later that the story breaks! Even more so since the M$M has known about it since 2003!

:mad:

[Technowitch]

3. Maybe...but my own theory is that was merely...

...the arrogance of unchecked power.

Think about it: Guckert wasn't picked at random for this gig. He had no political connections, initially.

Somehow, he ended up connected to GOPUSA. And somehow, he ended up in the Press Room, as a blatant propaganda plant -- and not a very good one, either.

We all know about his "escort" websites. THAT is the connection. Somebody associated with the Administration, whether directly or indirectly, clearly made use of Guckert's 'services' -- and then liked him well enough to try to bring him into the fold.

It was a stupid move -- but this is an Administration that's made hundreds of stupid moves, getting away with them through the foulest of practices.

The next link in the chain is the answer to this question: Who in the GOP leadership and/or Shrub Administration HIRED Guckert for sex?

Get that answer and it'll all unravel and be made clear.

[EVDebs]

6. Follows the exact same m.o. Rove used with J H Hatfield

see Amy Goodman's interview with Hatfield on Democracy Now
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/08/11/1447218

""Hatfield had previously refused to reveal the source of his information about Bush’s alleged cocaine arrest. He now to decided to name him. He claimed it was none other than Karl Rove, Bush’s closest political adviser.

If Rove did indeed leak the information, he couldn’t have leaked it to a better subject. Soon after publication of the Fortunate Son, Hatfield’s credibility came under fierce attack.

The media followed the trail laid out for them. They diverted inquiries about Bush’s drug history to stories about Hatfield’s checkered past. He lost two other book contracts and faced financial ruin and obscurity.""

Once again, the media follows the trail laid out for them...Only this time the trail leads to Operation Mockingbird, mililtary psyops domestic activity ... things the media never wanted to talk about but now MUST. Rove's tactics have finally backfired on him ! Instead of leading AWAY from the WhiteHouse, this trail leads directly TO the WhiteHouse.

[Nothing Without Hope]

8. Yes, that's the only other theory I've been able to think of

Other than a planned diversion, I can't think of anything else that really fits, other than that they are so stupidly arrogant in their assumption that nothing would be said without their approval that they felt exposure would never happen. After all, they control the corporate media, which even now is trying to suppress the scandal as much as possible.

Who knows? Maybe the Shrub or Rove or both are "Gannon's" clients? I can surely see the blivet** insisting that his favorite be put in such a prominent, conveniently accessible position. And he's always been a fan of in-your-face power games to emphasize how unstoppable he is.

If the explanation isn't simple blind arrogant stupidity, then the only other thing I can think of to explain "Gannon's" long position of prominence is the planned diversion theory I outlined in the OP. If this is nearer the truth, then I think the internet-driven reporting on him just moved up the timetable for a planned exposure at a chosen opportune time when a big distraction would be needed. That exposure would have been designed for maximum media frenzy without any real damage to anyone they wanted to protect.

Arrogant stupidity or planned diversion -- can you think of any other possibilities? I can't.

[FreedomAngel82]

21. I really am not sure myself on this

Rove probably has watched and knows how things work on the "other side."
Either this is a very clever diversion or something else. Only thing is we know they control the MSM and they know how paranoid we are about things so I could see this. Only thing I know to do is to still stay on this (just in case there is something) and still be on the look out for other things. I know I'm waiting for something big to happen to divert us from Guckert.

[Goldmund]

22. Whether the arrogance is also stupidity, we shall yet see.

These guys have gotten away with murder... x a million. They may still get away with this -- unless it was a planned diversion, as you propose, being uncovered before its time. Either way, what I think needs to be said is WE SHOULD NOT STOP DIGGING INTO THE GANNON MATTER.

[Nothing Without Hope]

24. I agree - we should not stop digging into the Gannon matter

and we also should keep our eyes and ears wide open to what ELSE the blivet** cartel is trying to slip by. Looks like multitasking time.

[Goldmund]

25. I agree

[Vinca]

7. Interesting theory, but I still think he was "doing" somebody. nt

[Nothing Without Hope]

10. . n/t

[DemocracyInaction]

13. I'm afraid that if it was what you theorize then

..it would be MAJOR news and screaming from the tv screen as we speak. It has been doused, hidden and swept under the carpet. But two points come to mind: 1) I agree that it does reflect real badly on the mainstream news to be sitting there with this yahoo, watching him being called on and asking softball questions, and not one of these "reporters" had the most remote curiousity of just who the hell the guy was!! That says to me that these overpaid clowns couldn't find a story if it came up and bit them in the ass. 2) I wonder how many other "Gannons" are also in that press room. We know they try to get rid of nasty, questioning reporters and only have lap dogs in there----so it would be interesting to see who else is there. But, then, again, that would take their fellow journalists to think, investigate and dig which is totally impossible for them.

[Nothing Without Hope]

14. I think it's being suppressed because it is premature

The scandal doesn't serve much useful purpose now, having been triggered prematurely. It's just an embarrassment, so they'll bury it if they can.

I do think that the level of competence and integrity in the highly paid journalists of this country has gone WAAAAY down, with a few glowing exceptions. For most, as long as they get their check and their ego stroking and don't have to work too hard, they don't give a damn. In fact, with this administration's policy of suppression, it's all too sensible a position to take. Well-paid laziness is safe and popular.

If "Gannon" wasn't a deliberate plant for a later deliberate, timed scandal frenzy, then this whole thing is nothing but another example of the incredible arrogant stupidity of this administration in their certainty that they are unstoppable. And "Gannon" is indeed "doing" somebody -- maybe Rove or the blivet** himself (who did seem to go for Kerik in a big way, another ultramacho Mr Clean type).

[Nothing Without Hope]

23. New development - suddenly JimmyJeff has a DIARY

which is going to be subpoenaed. Highly suspicious, it seems to me, that this daily journal should suddenly appear now. It's reported and discussed in this interesting thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1260642

What does it mean? Is it legitimate or a plant? The plot thickens.

[Nothing Without Hope]

26. kick! n/t

[BluePatriot]

27. Gannon = part of plan to take down indy media

With close scrutiny of what constitutes a "journalist" and journalists' backgrounds, it's easy to put independents and bloggers in a negative light and create a system / pass laws that restrict their access to information. (Yes, yes, freedom of the press and all, but I bet this administration would try and derail even THAT!)

[Nothing Without Hope]

28. I agree that freedom of information on the internet will be attacked

I started a thread on "protecting internet freedom" here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=109x18717
It's not about "Gannon," it's about the expected attacks and how we need to prepare ourselves for them. I'm thinking that DU needs to have a Group or a Forum on the subject of internet freedom. It's the last bastion of the free press and virtually our only source of facts as opposed to RW propaganda. If it goes, so will the last threads of democracy.