Full Version: Bush admin's continuing media problems
There have already been a couple of accusations and confirmations of the White House
paying People with status in the media world to run supporting work in favor of Bush Administration policies--see Walter Williams.
Using Government money to support propaganda is not very ethical and even is borderline criminal.
Yet of all the allegations to come out so far is the one regarding Jeff Gannon and how he ever came to get any sort of Press Pass.
He has often been accused of being there just to toss softballs to the Administrattion when the questioning becomes hostile. There have also been questions regarding his status as an actual reporter or journalist and how he managed to gain access.
There have also been allegations that his "News Stories" have been nothing more than reprints of the RNC Fact Sheets.
Now he has apparently fled and gone into hiding as it was learned his name was not as he claimed but is actually James Guckert. He had actually been denied a press pass initially.
One question that has been raised is
How did this guy even get in the White House?
these questions from an article at Media Matters are relevant considering the white houses propaganda for pay problems.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200502110007#2
Should the White have to answer some of these questions to the public?
What does this say about the honesty of the Administration considering the problems that have recently come out about "ethical blunders" in regards to the media?
Just How did this guy get in ?
paying People with status in the media world to run supporting work in favor of Bush Administration policies--see Walter Williams.
Using Government money to support propaganda is not very ethical and even is borderline criminal.
Yet of all the allegations to come out so far is the one regarding Jeff Gannon and how he ever came to get any sort of Press Pass.
He has often been accused of being there just to toss softballs to the Administrattion when the questioning becomes hostile. There have also been questions regarding his status as an actual reporter or journalist and how he managed to gain access.
There have also been allegations that his "News Stories" have been nothing more than reprints of the RNC Fact Sheets.
Now he has apparently fled and gone into hiding as it was learned his name was not as he claimed but is actually James Guckert. He had actually been denied a press pass initially.
One question that has been raised is
QUOTE
This "begs further investigation," James Pinkerton, a media critic for Fox News, told the online magazine Salon.com. He recalled that in the six years he worked for Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, the White House was "strict about who got in. It's inconceivable to me that the White House, especially after 9/11, gives credentials to people without doing a background check. ... If [Gannon] was walking around the White House with a pass that had a different name on it than his real name, that's pretty remarkable."
How did this guy even get in the White House?
these questions from an article at Media Matters are relevant considering the white houses propaganda for pay problems.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200502110007#2
QUOTE
Important questions about Gannon, White House remain unanswered
There remain numerous unanswered questions reporters who are serious about covering this story should be asking -- several of them raised by the "liberal bloggers" who are so frequently blamed for delving into the "personal stuff." Below are just a few:
1. How exactly was Gannon allowed into the press briefing room?
2. McClellan has said, "I don't think it's the role of the press secretary to get into picking or choosing who gets press credentials." Does he really mean to imply that if, say, incoming Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean were to ask, he would be allowed into presidential press conferences?
3. Would Bush call on Dean? Would he answer Dean's question?
4. What if Dean first paid $50 for a two-day journalism course at the right-wing Leadership Institute, like Gannon did?
5. What if Dean started calling himself "Harry Dixon" instead of using his real name?
6. Gannon apparently obtained a copy of classified documents regarding CIA operative Plame. What specific steps is President Bush taking to ensure that his administration never again illegally hands classified documents that reveal the identity of covert operatives over to someone using a pseudonym?
7. Given that Gannon was using a pseudonym, the administration official who apparently gave him the classified documents presumably did not know his true identity -- McClellan himself claimed he only "recently" became aware that Gannon is not his real name. What are the national security implications of someone running around the halls of the White House, using an assumed identity while talking to people with security clearance about CIA operatives?
8. Did Gannon's misrepresentation of his identity constitute a security breach?
9. Was anything illegal done -- other than the disclosure of Plame's identity in apparent violation of the law?
10. Did the White House use Gannon to disseminate any other controversial or illegal materials?
11. When did McClellan find out Gannon was using a pseudonym? When did others on the White House staff find out? Who in the press office decided to allow Gannon into briefings?
12. Why did Gannon use a "daily pass" nearly every day for two years, rather than obtaining a "hard pass"? Was this an "end-around" the normal process, designed to hide the fact that a partisan operative was posing as a "journalist"?
13. At least one reporter -- The Washington Post's Dana Milbank -- has said he believes he saw Gannon walking around with a "hard pass." Which is correct? Will the White House release any and all documents relating to Gannon's visits to the White House?
14. President Bush is notoriously disinclined to hold press conferences, and even more notoriously likes to befriend the reporters who cover him. The Bush White House is also well-known for scripting Bush's every move. Is it really plausible that Gannon has been covering the White House for two years, and was able to ask Bush a question at a briefing, without Bush knowing who he is?
15. Did Gannon ever travel with the rest of the White House press corps? Did he accompany Bush to Crawford, Texas, or on any other trips away from Washington? Did he fly on Air Force One?
16. Who else regularly attends White House press briefings using "daily passes"? Do any of them, like Talon, pass off White House talking points as original reporting?
17. Talon is looking for a replacement for Gannon; will Talon again be allowed to send a fake reporter to briefings? Will he or she be called on?
There remain numerous unanswered questions reporters who are serious about covering this story should be asking -- several of them raised by the "liberal bloggers" who are so frequently blamed for delving into the "personal stuff." Below are just a few:
1. How exactly was Gannon allowed into the press briefing room?
2. McClellan has said, "I don't think it's the role of the press secretary to get into picking or choosing who gets press credentials." Does he really mean to imply that if, say, incoming Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean were to ask, he would be allowed into presidential press conferences?
3. Would Bush call on Dean? Would he answer Dean's question?
4. What if Dean first paid $50 for a two-day journalism course at the right-wing Leadership Institute, like Gannon did?
5. What if Dean started calling himself "Harry Dixon" instead of using his real name?
6. Gannon apparently obtained a copy of classified documents regarding CIA operative Plame. What specific steps is President Bush taking to ensure that his administration never again illegally hands classified documents that reveal the identity of covert operatives over to someone using a pseudonym?
7. Given that Gannon was using a pseudonym, the administration official who apparently gave him the classified documents presumably did not know his true identity -- McClellan himself claimed he only "recently" became aware that Gannon is not his real name. What are the national security implications of someone running around the halls of the White House, using an assumed identity while talking to people with security clearance about CIA operatives?
8. Did Gannon's misrepresentation of his identity constitute a security breach?
9. Was anything illegal done -- other than the disclosure of Plame's identity in apparent violation of the law?
10. Did the White House use Gannon to disseminate any other controversial or illegal materials?
11. When did McClellan find out Gannon was using a pseudonym? When did others on the White House staff find out? Who in the press office decided to allow Gannon into briefings?
12. Why did Gannon use a "daily pass" nearly every day for two years, rather than obtaining a "hard pass"? Was this an "end-around" the normal process, designed to hide the fact that a partisan operative was posing as a "journalist"?
13. At least one reporter -- The Washington Post's Dana Milbank -- has said he believes he saw Gannon walking around with a "hard pass." Which is correct? Will the White House release any and all documents relating to Gannon's visits to the White House?
14. President Bush is notoriously disinclined to hold press conferences, and even more notoriously likes to befriend the reporters who cover him. The Bush White House is also well-known for scripting Bush's every move. Is it really plausible that Gannon has been covering the White House for two years, and was able to ask Bush a question at a briefing, without Bush knowing who he is?
15. Did Gannon ever travel with the rest of the White House press corps? Did he accompany Bush to Crawford, Texas, or on any other trips away from Washington? Did he fly on Air Force One?
16. Who else regularly attends White House press briefings using "daily passes"? Do any of them, like Talon, pass off White House talking points as original reporting?
17. Talon is looking for a replacement for Gannon; will Talon again be allowed to send a fake reporter to briefings? Will he or she be called on?
Should the White have to answer some of these questions to the public?
What does this say about the honesty of the Administration considering the problems that have recently come out about "ethical blunders" in regards to the media?
Just How did this guy get in ?
Should the White (House) have to answer some of these questions to the public?
Yes, the White House should, but if things go the way they have been typically going for this administration, no one will be able to hold them to it.
What does this say about the honesty of the Administration considering the problems that have recently come out about "ethical blunders" in regards to the media?
This appears to be further evidence that Karl Rove and the Republicans know how to manipulate the media very successfully--they ride along the border between the law and breaking it routinely. Honesty doesn't seem to enter in.
You will notice that when George W. Bush goes to an area of the country to promote his Social Security plan, the Republican party continues to pack the audiences only with Republicans and/or those who sign oaths of loyalty. They are not going to risk ruining a media event by having someone ask an embarrassing or potentially troublesome question of the President--it might make him look like an idiot or discredit his plan. Gotta whitewash the whole thing.
Just How did this guy get in?
I would suggest that someone has been "looking the other way" when it comes to issuing day passes to "Gannon," possibly because their higher-up figured it could only help The Boss to have a partisan Republican lob him the softball questions.
Yes, the White House should, but if things go the way they have been typically going for this administration, no one will be able to hold them to it.
What does this say about the honesty of the Administration considering the problems that have recently come out about "ethical blunders" in regards to the media?
This appears to be further evidence that Karl Rove and the Republicans know how to manipulate the media very successfully--they ride along the border between the law and breaking it routinely. Honesty doesn't seem to enter in.
You will notice that when George W. Bush goes to an area of the country to promote his Social Security plan, the Republican party continues to pack the audiences only with Republicans and/or those who sign oaths of loyalty. They are not going to risk ruining a media event by having someone ask an embarrassing or potentially troublesome question of the President--it might make him look like an idiot or discredit his plan. Gotta whitewash the whole thing.
Just How did this guy get in?
I would suggest that someone has been "looking the other way" when it comes to issuing day passes to "Gannon," possibly because their higher-up figured it could only help The Boss to have a partisan Republican lob him the softball questions.
Should the White have to answer some of these questions to the public?
I am with you, christopher, that this is just bizarre. The security concerns alone are enough to justify serious inquiry into this matter. I think some sort of independent panel or council should be charged with investigating this, particularly in light of the other recent press debacles. If we're in fact engaged in a "war on terror", then this represents potentially treasonous activity. I don't know, but certainly some hard questions need to be answered here.
What does this say about the honesty of the Administration considering the problems that have recently come out about "ethical blunders" in regards to the media?
Let's get this straight: politicians are incented to dissemble. Don't ask, don't tell. I agree that there have been some ethical problems associated with seeding the market with pro-adminstration propagandists, but I'm not sure this new thing indicates anything about the honesty or dishonesty of the current administration. It does indicate, however, a serious lapse in security.
Just How did this guy get in ?
My bet (with absolutely no evidence) is that this is a Karl Rove special. It has that Machiavellian flair that I've come to appreciate of Mr. Rove.
I am with you, christopher, that this is just bizarre. The security concerns alone are enough to justify serious inquiry into this matter. I think some sort of independent panel or council should be charged with investigating this, particularly in light of the other recent press debacles. If we're in fact engaged in a "war on terror", then this represents potentially treasonous activity. I don't know, but certainly some hard questions need to be answered here.
What does this say about the honesty of the Administration considering the problems that have recently come out about "ethical blunders" in regards to the media?
Let's get this straight: politicians are incented to dissemble. Don't ask, don't tell. I agree that there have been some ethical problems associated with seeding the market with pro-adminstration propagandists, but I'm not sure this new thing indicates anything about the honesty or dishonesty of the current administration. It does indicate, however, a serious lapse in security.
Just How did this guy get in ?
My bet (with absolutely no evidence) is that this is a Karl Rove special. It has that Machiavellian flair that I've come to appreciate of Mr. Rove.
Just How did this guy get in ?
The guy worked for "Talon" news, right? Here's an interesting article on "Talon's" tendency to plagiarize FOX news. I wonder if they just copied the same "corporate memo's"? Once again, I suggest anyone who wants to sort this out watch the movie Outfoxed.
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=112
That's pretty much the point in a nutshell...
Hrmm...interesting
OK, so someone was paying attention...but...
Two years on a "Day Pass"...a bit suspicious...
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/02/...non/index1.html
AHA! That's it. It's part of the right wing conservative media Rovian propagandist campaign. Boy, that media sure is liberal...
The guy worked for "Talon" news, right? Here's an interesting article on "Talon's" tendency to plagiarize FOX news. I wonder if they just copied the same "corporate memo's"? Once again, I suggest anyone who wants to sort this out watch the movie Outfoxed.
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=112
QUOTE
In a White House obsessed, at least publicly, with security and where journalists cannot even move between the White House and the nearby Old Executive Building without a personal escort, Guckert's lenient treatment was likely unprecedented.
That's pretty much the point in a nutshell...
QUOTE
Yet, if there's one other person who did manage to receive the same type of kid-glove treatment from the White House press office, it was Guckert's boss at GOPUSA and later at Talon News, Bobby Eberle. A Texas-based Republican activist and a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2000, Eberle founded Talon News after he became concerned that the name GOPUSA might appear to have a "built-in bias." With no journalism background, he too was able to secure a White House press pass, in early 2003, on the strength of representing GOPUSA, dedicated to "spreading the conservative message throughout America."
Hrmm...interesting
QUOTE
Just how blatantly the White House press office looked the other way in regard to Guckert and his dubious status as a legitimate reporter comes into stark relief when examining his attempt to secure a similar press pass to cover Capitol Hill. Guckert submitted his application in December 2003 to the Standing Committee of Correspondents, a press group in charge of handing out credentials. In April 2004, the committee denied Guckert's request.
OK, so someone was paying attention...but...
QUOTE
The White House, in contrast, said that as long as Talon News or GOPUSA "existed," Guckert was free to attend its press briefings. Yet, in the past, a reporter seeking a permanent White House press pass has had to first secure credentials to cover Capitol Hill. Without those, the White House would not submit the application for a background check. But even though Guckert failed to secure Capitol Hill credentials, the White House waved him into press briefings for nearly two years using what's called a day pass
Two years on a "Day Pass"...a bit suspicious...
QUOTE
White House press secretary Ari Fleischer personally spoke with Eberle about GOPUSA, so concerned was Fleischer that it was not an independent organization. (Eberle convinced Fleischer that it was.) Additionally, Guckert attended the invitation-only White House press Christmas parties in 2003 and 2004, and last holiday season, in a personal posting on GOPUSA, Eberle thanked Karl Rove for his "assistance, guidance, and friendship."
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/02/...non/index1.html
AHA! That's it. It's part of the right wing conservative media Rovian propagandist campaign. Boy, that media sure is liberal...
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