This diary is an attempt to state what I believe most likely occurred in the Gannon/Guckert affair.
I know a lot of people don't want yet another Gannon diary clogging the recent diary list. I apologize for that. However, I wanted to write this because I have noticed that, ironically, as more has become uncovered regarding Guckert, the theories of what the truth is have become increasingly elaborate. However, as we go forward and try to explain to our friends, families, and the media why this story matters, I think it will help to have a coherent message.
I don't claim that this theory is original or "mine". It's just the one that I fnd most plausible.
This diary is based on discussions that took place earlier today in another diary.
"Why James Guckert?"
Why was a male escort used to lob softball question to Scott McClellan and George Bush. There are literally millions of people who support Bush and would be happy to help him out. Some of those people have actual journalistic experience. So why Guckert? Why choose a guy that could potentially explode in your face, metaphorically speaking?
Some have suggested that there was blackmail involved. Or that this was part of an elaborate Rovian plan to leak information. Or that this was part of a DoD misinformation campaign.
I believe the simplest answer is the correct one.
James Guckert was in the White House because someone wanted James Guckert in the White House. Not a patsy. Not a cheerleader. Not a shill. Not a GOP plant. Not a DoD agent. James Guckert.
Let's not make this more complicated than it has to be. Why would someone want James Guckert at the White House? Well, who is James Guckert? James Guckert is a prostitute. Prostitutes sell sex for money. Isn't the most probable reason that Guckert was at the White House that someone in the White House wanted to pay Guckert for sex?
Now, let's say you were at the White House and you wanted to hire a prostitute for have sex. How would you go about it? Sure, you could just invite Guckert over. No problem. But what if you wanted to pay to have sex a lot. People would start asking questions. "Who is this guy? Why is he showing up all the time?"
Okay, maybe you could put the guy on the payroll. That might work. Unfortunately, the FBI is going to do a rigorous background check. And besides, didn't the country just go through an intern sex scandal? Not such a hot idea to have boy toys on staff, hanging around the West Wing, showing their thongs.
Okay, so you decide that maybe the person could work at the White House for a private company. Yes, that would be more discreet. But what private employees have to show up every day? Reporters!
But don't reporters have to go through a background check? Yes, but it's less rigorous. Even better is the daily pass.
But what if someone looks into Guckert's background? No problem. He'll check in using his real ID. But then he'll have a professional alias. Everyone will know Guckert as Jeff Gannon. Just send him to a press seminar so he gets an overview of what to do. Just set him up as an independent, web-based reporter. Get Eberle to do it. He's done stuff for Bush in the past.
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As you see, there is no need for blackmail or anything else. No need to suspect that a loyal GOP operative (Eberle) is undermining the most loyalty-demanding administration in American history. No need to come up with bizarre theories that James Guckert, hooker, had a burning dream to become a WH journalist. No need to believe anything other than the reason a hooker was in the WH was because someone in the WH wanted to hire a hooker. No need to believe anything other than that having a hooker in the WH required a credible cover story that would survive a minimum of investigation.
If this is true
If this theory is correct, a few things spring to mind.
- Although I consider this to be the "simple" explanation, this is still a rather elaborate setup just to get some sex. Clearly, the person who might be having sex with Guckert was high up in the White House.
- The most likely candidate is George Bush. Why? Fairly simple. (a) Karl Rove could presumably go get some action elsewhere - although he might get a kick out of doing it in the Log Cabin Bedroom. (b) Only Bush lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and can't take a brief detour to an undisclosed location. (c) This all started before Scottie was press secretary. He certainly wasn't doing this on his own. And Scottie likely wouldn't cover for someone other than Bush, Rove, or Cheney.
- This story, unfortunately, is about gay sex. Yes, we all want the Plame scandal to finally develop into something. No, we don't want uncredentialed "journalists" lobbing softballs. But if this theory is correct then Digby's suggestion that Guckert heard about the Plame memo through pillow talk seems pretty plausible. In fact, the possibility remains that, although Guckert appears to have been an escort in the past, he may have been engaged in a legitimate homosexual affair with someone in the WH, and not prostituting himself.
I know a lot of people will have a hard time believing that the President would hire a male prostitute for sex, despite their personal dislike for Bush. Their minds will cry out for an explanation that seems less...well, shocking.
But aren't the alternative explanations, at the end of the day, much less plausible? That Rove trusted a male hooker to leak info on Wilson and Plame when he could just call up Novak & friends? That the DoD would entrust the credibility of a newly formed propoganda office to a hooker? That Guckert or Eberle threatened the Bush White House in some way? Are these really more probable?
Update [2005-2-17 0:40:16 by space]: By popular demand, here's why I don't think there was blackmail involved.
If there was blackmail, it seems like it would have been either Guckert or Eberle blackmailing someone in the White House.
Guckert
First, I find it fantastical that a nobody like Guckert could successfully blackmail the Bush White House.
Second, I find it absurd that Guckert, with no apparent journalistic experience, would blackmail the White House and ask for...wait for it...the right to sit with the press corps and ask suck up questions to Bush and McClellan. Not exactly an island in Tahiti, is it?
Eberle
Is it possible that Eberle was angling to blackmail the president? Sure. But that strikes me as unlikely in the extreme. It seems like gratuitously injecting blackmail into the story for no reason.
If Eberle wanted to blackmail Bush or Rove with a gay hooker, it would be only because he thought they were open to having gay sex. He would only think they they were open to having gay sex if they were, in fact, having gay sex. If they were having gay sex, it would likely be with someone like Guckert...a gay prostitute sneaking into the White House.
Why rely on a theory of Eberle blackmailing Bush or Rove, which would likely involve at least another hooker sneaking into the WH, when there is a simpler theory with only one hooker sneaking into the WH? Sure it might be true, but it also might be true that Eberle is a Saudi agent trying to pressure Bush into backing off making demands for more reforms.
And, as with Guckert, Eberle deciding to stab George Bush in the back by threatening him unless he lets...wait for it...a hooker sit with the press corps and lob softballs? Sorry, doesn't pass the straight-face test.