While most Right wing bloggers have ignored the Gannon story, Poliblog takes a shot at it, and says the same thing I did yesterday: it is a non story:
The Gannon thing (some background here if you have no idea what I’m talking about) strikes me as largely a non-story insofar as I already was pretty sure that Talon News wasn’t the next version of the AP or Reuters (and despite whatever gripes one may have with their editorial policies at times, the bottom line is that both major news wire services doing a fairly good job of reporting the news). It’s not like a) the guy was exactly reporting to the masses, and b) it wasn’t as if it wasn’t obvious that he was something of a shill. Of course, there are other more widely read shills who have been asking questions for year (*cough* Helen Thomas *cough*) , so it isn’t as if this is a whole new situation.
Still, it does seem pretty obvious that the guy’s credentials were lacking and there is a legit reason to think he doesn’t need to be in the White House Press Room. Now, I am not sure what his past dealing in gay porn domain names has to do with anything, but so it goes.
Over at the DailyKos, the Contrarians take a shot at explaining why it is important, via Digbysblog:
I personally have no problems with the Bush White House needing to blow off some consensual adult steam. It’s a stressful job. If gay hookers are going to help them relax then who am I to argue? I’m a liberal. I have nothing against gays or hookers.
But for a moment let me think as a Republican would, if the shoe were on the other foot:
So many questions so few answers. Just why did JimJeff get such special treatment? It’s not like they didn’t already have a bunch of ready made shills to ask softball questions. Les Kinsolving’s been throwing partisan bombs for years. They certainly didn’t need JimJeff to transcribe RNC talking points when they have the Beltway Boys to do it on national television.
Scotty said that the president called on JimJeff of his own volition. A coincidence? Or did someone request that JimJeff get a special treat that day?
And has it ever been logical that this nobody from a vanity web site would get access to the Plame story? Why him? JimJeff claims that he never actually saw the Plame memo, yet he clearly knew of it. Could it have been pillow talk?
I don’t have a clue. But, I do know that if this were 1998, we’d be knee deep in congressional investigations into the gay hooker ring in the White House. Every news crew in the DC area would be camped out on JimJeff’s front lawn. A wild-eyed Victoria Toensing and panting Kelly Ann Fitzpatrick would be crawling up on the Hardball desk rending their silk teddies and speaking in tongues while Matthews’exploding head spun around on his shoulders.
But, it isn’t 1998 and it will probably not even be mentioned. And I’m not a Republican so I don’t think, as they would, that it’s necessary to dig into every single White House staffer’s sex life to find out who leaked a confidential memo to a gay hooker.
As a Democrat, however, if gay hookers are running around the White House I do find it somewhat frustrating that we have to put up with this shock and horror bullshit from the right wing about average Joe and Jane gay person wanting to get married and have a family. Please.
And this explains what, exactly? Kos ends with the word "Amen." Amen for what? To show that it is a big story because Dems have a problem with gays now? Or because, if this was the 90’s and Clinton was the President and this happened, the Republicans might just possibly have an issue? This comes nowhere close to explaining why it is an issue of such importance that it dominates the Lefist blogs and conversation. Try again, folks.To me, it just looks like penis envy. The saw what many on the Right did to Kerry, Rather, and Eason Jordan, and they want to do the same, no matter how low grade the story. Try again.
BTW, has anyone else noticed that the Lefty blogs seem to be constantly asking for money for the DNC? Not something I see that much on Right wing blogs.
Update: Secure Liberty has a pretty good roundup and discussion on the Gannon/Guckert issue. And, just for reference for the Left, the Gannon issue is what is truly a quagmire, which is really just an minor issue.
Right on, Teach. And … re: their collecting $ for the DNC, you hit another interesting point. I am going to put up something on this soon.
Not to pick on PW, but he is one of the ones with that new money raising java script, and I went through about 20 other lefty blogs that had them. Got sick of looking at the hate in falsehoods on their sites after that.
I am pleased to announce that school is in session
Teach is just right on. Smart. Armed with facts. He is a trained hypocrisy-spotter, and he nails the Left for now appearing to be upset that some one with homosexual proclivities may have gotten favorable treatment from the Bush Administration.