# White House caught planting a stooge in the press corps **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 9, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296 "2005-02-09T23:26:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/21 "2005-02-10T00:39:49Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Yes! Exactly! Lol, which? ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/22 "2005-02-10T00:43:07Z")
I would much rather my president be an honest liar than a dishonest liar. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/23 "2005-02-10T00:49:25Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Yes! Exactly! We wouldn’t be talking gay military websites would we? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/24 "2005-02-10T00:49:47Z")
The story is developing in a _sub rosa_ sort of way, lots of bloggery (try eschaton or Americablog for a start…) Paltry coverage in the tedia, so far, but the Plame connection might strike a spark. But he resigned due to concern for his family. When I hear that, I smell blood in the water… I have entirely too much personal integrity to link you to cites which _purport_ to show our Mr. “Gannon” in what looks to be gay-type photos (about which I know _bupkiss_, but that’s what it looks like to me…) You can find them readily enough, you deve. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/25 "2005-02-10T01:20:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Jeff Gannon calls himself the White House correspondent for [TalonNews.com](http://TalonNews.com), a website that says it is “committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news coverage to our readers.” It is operated by a Texas-based Republican Party delegate and political activist who also runs [GOPUSA.com](http://GOPUSA.com), a website that touts itself as “bringing the conservative message to America.” On top of that, I hear he’s stolen the Triforce and kidnapped Princess Zelda. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/26 "2005-02-10T01:26:27Z")
I think the whole thing is outrageous and reprehensible, but since I’m apparently one of those retarded liberals who hates America, I must not be correct in thinking so. I sure hope **Brutus** comes along soon and explains just why I shouldn’t pay any attention at all to this issue. I mean, **duffer** tried real hard to be as dismissive as possible, but his response was just _lacking_ somehow. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/27 "2005-02-10T01:30:13Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > The story is developing in a _sub rosa_ sort of way, lots of bloggery (try eschaton or Americablog for a start…) Paltry coverage in the tedia, so far, I heard it covered big on NPR on the way home tonight. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/28 "2005-02-10T01:39:58Z")
[Link](http://msgboard.snopes.com/message/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/53/t/001346/p/1.html#000013) to the Snopes thread on this scandal-bubble. My goodness…not only is he allegedly involved in a military gay prostitution ring, there’s something about a connection to the Plame affair in there, too. I seriously thought **luce** was making a joke… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/29 "2005-02-10T01:44:47Z")
Hehe, this should get interesting then. ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/30 "2005-02-10T01:53:37Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > On top of that, I hear he’s stolen the Triforce and kidnapped Princess Zelda. Yeah - big funny joke. This is seriously wrong. Not funny, not small. This guy (apparently invented around early 2002) was pitching softballs to the CIC from the 4th row for years. Can YOU get that close without a background check? This isn’t planting rumors and spinning news, this is scripting press conferences. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/31 "2005-02-10T01:57:27Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > …I seriously thought **luce** was making a joke… :eek: You never expect the puckish elucidation. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/32 "2005-02-10T01:58:28Z")
> [@stockton](#): > > Yeah - big funny joke. This is seriously wrong. Not funny, not small. Gosh, ya think? And here I was, not giving it the proper outrage on this internet message board. I hope my irreverence in this critical medium has not damaged the Union. > [@](#): > > This guy (apparently invented around early 2002) was pitching softballs to the CIC from the 4th row for years. Can YOU get that close without a background check? No, I doubt I could. What’s your point? > [@](#): > > This isn’t planting rumors and spinning news, this is scripting press conferences. Someone should really start a thread about that. ---
**Author:** ![annaplurabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@annaplurabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annaplurabelle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/33 "2005-02-10T02:04:07Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > [Link](http://msgboard.snopes.com/message/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/53/t/001346/p/1.html#000013) to the Snopes thread on this scandal-bubble. My goodness…not only is he allegedly involved in a military gay prostitution ring, there’s something about a connection to the Plame affair in there, too. He’s also posted on FreeRepublic, bragging about his role in breaking the Dan Rather/Memogate affair. This guy is all over the place. Funny that amidst the gay military porn/escort domains, he also registered _[ExposeJesseJackson.com](http://ExposeJesseJackson.com)_… > [@](#): > > I seriously thought **luce** was making a joke… :eek: Keith Olbermann just referred to him as “Ali G. without the satire” and summarised the story as “the scandal that keeps on giving”. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/34 "2005-02-10T02:19:13Z")
Sigh. As much as I hate to say it, I agree with **Diogenes** on this one. This isn’t good. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/35 "2005-02-10T03:41:31Z")
There is a detailed timeline of this guy’s role in the Plame matter over at daily Kos > **[\`Jeff Gannon' and L'Affaire Plame: Summary of CIA leak](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2005/2/9/91343/-)** > > (From the diaries -- kos) > > This diary condenses the huge and detailed timeline laid out in the previous diary "Plame leak timeline II". > It lays the case for the leak of the classified 2002 CIA m... The central question posed is this: > [@](#): > > So how is it that a journalist who only set up shop in March 2003 and received WH press credentials on April 3, 2003 and posts regularly on the [FreeRepublic.com](http://FreeRepublic.com) bulletin boards, was “in the loop” enough to have knowledge of a classified CIA memo by October 2003, that supposedly only “inside-the-beltway types” knew about and no one at the CIA would confirm? There is only one conclusion. He was planted by, and used to help, the administration. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/36 "2005-02-10T03:43:51Z")
So a guy with no real journalistic credentials, who’s not even using his real name gets a day pass, day after day, to occupy space in the press room at the White House. Even if his questions didn’t sound like Karl Rove was holding a cue card, that would be really odd. Remember scandals? I recall millions of dollars of public money spent investigating some real estate deal in Arkansas that turned out to be nothing. In this administration, almost every week, over and over for years now, stuff comes up that should be a major scandal, yet it doesn’t seem to have any effect. We’re living in a near-future satirical version of our own country. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/37 "2005-02-10T04:06:01Z")
> [@](#): > > …There is only one conclusion. He was planted by, and used to help, the administration… Not necessarily. There is always the gay/military/Republican underground as a source of classified documents. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/38 "2005-02-10T04:09:44Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > Remember scandals? I recall millions of dollars of public money spent investigating some real estate deal in Arkansas that turned out to be nothing. In this administration, almost every week, over and over for years now, stuff comes up that should be a major scandal, yet it doesn’t seem to have any effect. We’re living in a near-future satirical version of our own country. C’mon, **Baldwin** …didn’t you hear? Our brand spankin’ new Attorney General considers special prosecutors, like the Geneva Conventions, ‘quaint’… ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/39 "2005-02-10T04:10:41Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Dude, he/she said “goodnight.” Don’t demand another post; people need their sleep. Dude, I demanded nothing. I responded to his post. He’s a big boy, I bet he can figure out that I don’t expect him to jump out of bed. But thanks for looking out for him. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-caught-planting-a-stooge-in-the-press-corps/289296/40 "2005-02-10T04:14:23Z")
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