The Republican mandate

In consideration of the welfare of me and my
family I have decided to return to private life.
jeffgannon.com
2/9/2005

I'm baaaaaaack!
jeffgannon.com
2/17/2005

Right wing studmuffin James Guckert, aka Jeff Gannon, had the opportunity to slink off into a well-deserved obscurity. According to his relaunched website -- I refer to jeffgannon.com, not hotmilitarystud.com or militaryescorts.com -- his lawyers have advised him not to discuss "allegations about my personal life."

The most serious allegations aren't about Guckert's personal life. The issue isn't whether he's gay. If it were just a matter of a secretly gay right wing activist promoting an anti-gay agenda, that would just be garden variety GOP hypocrisy, of which there is no shortage in Washington.

First of all, an alleged $200 per hour escort is by definition a professional. Prostitution is a crime. The big questions are about Guckert's professional life.

As a journalist, how does Guckert reconcile his male escort business with his anti-gay coverage?

Calling Guckert a journalist may be charitable. He reportedly took press releases from the White House and GOP and ran them verbatim with his byline. That isn't journalism, that's plagiarism.

So there are questions for Talon News Service, the publisher of a plagiarist. Were they aware that he was plagiarizing? Did they know that one of their "reporters" is also allegedly a prostitute?

And of course there are many questions for the White House. As Gannon, Guckert was called upon numerous times by Scott McClellan and George W. Bush. Out of 2,000 members of the White House press corps, why do they know the first name of a prostitute plagiarist with no real journalism experience?

Did the White House have a partisan ringer in the press gallery to ask softball questions at press briefings, or does it only look that way?

How did an inexperienced, uncredentialed hustler using a pseudonym get through one of the most secure facilities in the country? Why were the FBI, White House press office, Secret Service, etc., unaware of what a handful of bloggers learned in a matter of hours? Cripes, he was within feet of the President.

It appears that Guckert has reactivated his site, now a sort of blog, and reclaimed the public spotlight in order to establish some journalism cred. Guckert is also involved in the Plame affair. He reportedly saw the classified memo revealing Valerie Plame as a CIA operative. If Guckert is actually a political operative and not really a legitimate journalist, should he be entitled to the protections that shield a reporter's sources?

If Guckert can do it, so can I. After all, I'm a blogger with no formal journalism training, using a pseudonym, who also maintains another embarassing web site. I intend to attend a White House press briefing and ask some of these questions. I'll let you know how it goes.

GUCKERT LINKS

America Blog
Daily Kos
dKospedia
Media Matters
The Nashua Advocate