'Gannon' Signs Off: Guckert Says He'll No Longer Talk to Press (Will only talk to lawyers)

Editor and Publisher ^ | 2/15/05

[MJemison]

Can someone explain to me why this is a story? How can I take the "White House Press Corps" seriously while that raving nutter Helen Thomas remains a member?

Indeed. Last week someone (on the Beltway Boys)(?) said that the White House Press Corps (paraphrasing) had always been a bunch of oddballs and weirdos! Wish I could remember which show it was; anyone else see this?

[Sloth]

Geraldo.

[EllaMinnow]

I believe that it was Brit Hume who said that, during the round table segment of Fox News Sunday.

[CaptRon]

Guckert, who says he is 47

Nothing says "you can't trust this man" like implying that you can't even believe what he says his age is. They are relentless.

[Quilla]

I just saw a portion of last week's Beltway Boys and recall that Bill Sammon was sitting in for Fred Barnes. Sammon speaks unfavorably about the majority of the press in his book Misunderestimated. He could very well have made the oddball comment.

[jla]

James D. Guckert, the former White House reporter who's been accused of everything from asking partisan questions to being a male prostitute, is no longer speaking to the press, claiming it does not help his cause,

And what's "his cause"? Lobbying to be the next Maplethorpe pin-up boy?
Good riddance.

[Wolfstar]

...questions about who should gain access to White House press events have grown...

This is a very, very common MSM formulation. "Questions have grown." Yeah, right. The only people asking "growing" questions are the White House press corps, which has it's collective panties in a bunch that some rank outsider with a bias TOWARD the President actually got into their "august" presence.

Informal WH press briefings are called "gaggles." Well, the WH press corps -- and the MSM in general -- are a gaggle of SNOBS who don't want anyone they see as an interloper intruding on their turf. That's just the facts. Pure and simple.

[bad company]

Guckert, who says he is 47

Nothing says "you can't trust this man" like implying that you can't even believe what he says his age is. They are relentless.

That's one of the problems with the story. The male prostitute in question has his age listed as 32.

[Peach]

A poster just sent me this via freepmail:

Al Franken just said this on Air America!

"When you bring a male prostitute into the White House Press Room, there is the potential for extortion. Let's just say he was having sex with Scott McClellan, not that we have any reason to think that. Or what if Jeff Guckert was having sex with the President?"

[dirtboy]

"When you bring a male prostitute into the White House Press Room, there is the potential for extortion. Let's just say he was having sex with Scott McClellan, not that we have any reason to think that. Or what if Jeff Guckert was having sex with the President?"

I'm glad the liberals are finally grasping the potential dangers to national security of presidential sexual misconduct. I just wonder where this concern was during the last adminstration, when there was ACTUAL presidential sexual misconduct, as opposed to this baseless supposition.

[Peach]

The leftists ARE a little late to the party, aren't they? Good post.

[Zacs Mom]

This is really a non-story ~ it is actually a classic example of MSM's most widely employed diversion tactic. "Look, look over here, everybody..." it screams, drawing attention away from matters of real importance and consequence.

Spawned and nurtured under slick willie's administration, this "baffle 'em with your b*ll-sh*t" method of manipulating the public opinion has really taken root in the fertile ground of a "Free Press" corrupted by consolidation.

This use (or misuse) of Gannon is simply a technique to keep attention focused away from real scandals and the screams for hearings into how this 'non-real reporter' gained access to the White House sound shrill and mocking when compared to the silence by these same people after the president of a major news network stated that US Troops are targeting journalist to kill.

[indcons]

Well said....don't remember Media Matters or the other usual culprits doing any stories on Jordan/CNN.

[seamus]

Speaking of aliases, John Roberts of CBS News -- the man who would replace Dan Rather -- does not use his real name at the White House.

According to a White House reporter friend of mine (impeccable source), when "Roberts" was in Iraq, they were passing out passports and press credentials at the hotel. The name they called out, and the one John Roberts responded to, was "John Robertson."

Not a big deal. But the idea that Gannon's use of an "alias" is inappropriate or unusual in the White House Press Corps is wrong.

[OXENinFLA]

In addition, evidence emerged on the site Americablog yesterday suggesting that Guckert not only set up sex sites but also offered his services as a male prostitute. When asked by E&P today about such accusations, Gannon declined to confirm or deny. "I am not going to talk about that," he said.

Let me see if I've got this. E&P is writing a story about how JG "Will no longer talk to the press" and then go on to ask him a question.

So they know he's not going to answer but ask him anyway just so they can spread the rumor.

Hummmmmm Bias anyone?

[kayak]

OK, let's call them at their game ... anyone know of "aliases" for prominent (or even not-so-prominent) members of Old Media?

I can't verify this but it was posted on another thread about Gannon. Perhaps someone else has time to check out these 'aliases.'

Yeah, he used a fake name. We should sic Gerald Riviera on him."

Or Lawrence Harvey Zieger, er Larry King ...

or Myron Wallace, I mean Mike Wallace.

142 posted on 02/15/2005 7:05:45 AM EST by maggiefluffs

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"Jeff Gannon's" secret life

[maggiefluffs]

Yeah, he used a fake name. We should sic Gerald Riviera on him."

Or Lawrence Harvey Zieger, er Larry King ...

or Myron Wallace, I mean Mike Wallace.

[Bahbah]

Of course there would have to be license qualification and renewal requirements that would be put in place, yearly license fees...etc

I also insist that there be a Continuing Legal Education requirement, and that I get to set up and run the program. "Journalists" will be forced to attend a certain number of hours per year and pay for the seminars. A similar program has created lots of jobs for otherwise unemployable lawyers.

[DBeers]

these gannon threads are troll bait....

[Ann Archy]

I think he's a LIBERAL PLANT!! How long has he been with Eberle? He could bring down Bush and Eberle in one Fell Swoop!!