Why Gannon Matters

Apparently the right side of the blogosphere is shrieking like harridans at this Eason Jordan story, which concerns his comments at the World Economic Forum about the US government targeting journalists as a matter of policy (I guess Glenn Reynolds and his charges haven't seen the movie "Control Room," nor have they ever heard of Tarek Ayyoub). Since the Jordan story and the "Jeff Gannon" story have hit the blogosphere at roughly the same time, people are instinctively comparing them.

Let's see. As Kos puts the Jordan story, better than I could:

So apparently, a CNN news executive, at worst (according to Glenn) repeats something false at a conference, none of which was recorded, was aired, or was printed on any site. So at worst, Jordan was a victim of the Right's new speech code for playing to the audience with a lie (something that Bush, Cheney and Co. can do with impunity, remember). More likely, the CNN guy exaggerated. This is what Glenn and others are deeming a "scandal".

Ironic, but the Right has become the new champions of Political Correctness.

Meanwhile, "Jeff Gannon" used a fake name and a fake news organization cover to gain access to the White House, sit in on press briefings, and come within 30 feet of the President. And, as Bruce Bartlett notes:

Having worked in the White House, I can assure everyone that not only would it be impossible to get a White House pass using an alias, it is impossible even to get past the gate for an appointment using an alias. Thorough FBI background checks are required for the former and a picture ID is necessary for the latter. Therefore, if Gannon was using an alias, White House staff had to be involved in maintaining his cover.

That's the big story here, folks. The gay military prostitution websites is just window dressing. Sleazy, but window dressing.

In addition, it seems that "Gannon" was also involved in the leaking of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame's name, a federal offense now under grand jury investigation. Gannon did an interview with Joe Wilson in 2003, where he mentions a leaked 2002 CIA document that apparently only he knows about, since it hasn't appeared in any other media source ever. He also reported on the Rather memos before the report on 60 Minutes was even finished broadcasting.

So he's potentially a government operative using trhe front of "Talon News" for GOP-created stories, in addition to being a man with White House access using an alias.

No contest.