2005-02-15
Jeff Gannon / James "JD" Guckert
I have to weigh in on the whole Jeff Gannon /James “JD” Guckert issue. There are so many items out there regarding this, I will not even try to link to any specific item, but America Blog has probably more of the story than anybody else.
My points:
There is nothing wrong with him being gay. However, mentioning that fact is relevant to pointing out that he is a hypocrite since he has written many anti-gay things and is actively supporting anti-gay politicians and their policies.
He is not a journalist. He does not have anywhere near the credentials of other White House press corps reporters and was not qualified to be there. He was given special privileges he did not deserve so that he could act as a propaganda device for the Bush administration. This, to me, is the heart of the scandal.
I do not feel there is anything necessarily morally wrong with being a prostitute. I support the decriminalization of prostitution (and I vigorously support sex worker unionization and labor laws to protect them from exploitation, ingredients sorely lacking in the east Asian sex industry). I am a bit uncomfortable with some people (even fellow liberals) implying that his being a prostitute means that he is somehow morally tainted and rightfully disqualified from participating in certain aspects of society. However, Republicans are being hypocritical since they do not support the goals I mentioned, yet they would still use a prostitute as a shill.
If they did know that that "Jeff Gannon" was not a real reporter and was engaging in technically illegal activity (prostitution), then they did something very wrong in giving him press passes. If they didn't know, then the security at the White House is horrible. Either way, the Bush administration FUCKED UP. Incompetent or corrupt, take your pick.
My points:
There is nothing wrong with him being gay. However, mentioning that fact is relevant to pointing out that he is a hypocrite since he has written many anti-gay things and is actively supporting anti-gay politicians and their policies.
He is not a journalist. He does not have anywhere near the credentials of other White House press corps reporters and was not qualified to be there. He was given special privileges he did not deserve so that he could act as a propaganda device for the Bush administration. This, to me, is the heart of the scandal.
I do not feel there is anything necessarily morally wrong with being a prostitute. I support the decriminalization of prostitution (and I vigorously support sex worker unionization and labor laws to protect them from exploitation, ingredients sorely lacking in the east Asian sex industry). I am a bit uncomfortable with some people (even fellow liberals) implying that his being a prostitute means that he is somehow morally tainted and rightfully disqualified from participating in certain aspects of society. However, Republicans are being hypocritical since they do not support the goals I mentioned, yet they would still use a prostitute as a shill.
If they did know that that "Jeff Gannon" was not a real reporter and was engaging in technically illegal activity (prostitution), then they did something very wrong in giving him press passes. If they didn't know, then the security at the White House is horrible. Either way, the Bush administration FUCKED UP. Incompetent or corrupt, take your pick.
