Gannon/Guckert: What probably happened

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.  

--------

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.

1.  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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

•  So what if...

  Gannon comes "clean" and presents a list of his clients, mostly Democrats, with a token Republican fall guy or two.

  That's basically what I expect Rove to pull at this point, and maybe why the Democrats are backing off.

  by ignu on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 08:46:52 PM PDT

  •  Actually, I agree

    I thing that there may be a shitload of Dems who are as terrified of this breaking as Bush may be.  However, since they are not driving the boat, they may not be able to do anything to stop this.  But I wouldn't count on much help from D.C. Dems.

    by space on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 08:50:25 PM PDT

    •  But don't forget

      the Reagan/Bush WH gay escort scandal in 1989. . . the investigation wound it's way to a big repug donor at the Franklin Credit Union in Nebraska and a child porn ring that tracked back to DC and implicated daddy Bush. . . like father, like son?

      by ddr711 on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:18:06 PM PDT

    •  Would that be because

      there a closeted gay DEMs among our DC representatives and they saw what happened to McGreevy or would it be because they fear a Cheney Presidency?

      by Marie on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:33:51 PM PDT

  •  Then the Dems better fill Louise Slaughter in

    She's certainly not backing off.

    by jamfan on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 08:51:46 PM PDT

  •  I guess we will just have

    to depend on our female senators to demand an investigation!
    Didn't Hoover use sexual information to blackmail people? Tinfoil cap here---is Gannon an undercover CIA operative?

    by mattes on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 11:41:12 AM PDT

•  No probably

  
   All these diaries suggesting that Guckert was having sex with anyone in the White House, particularly Bush have no evidence.

    They are pure speculation.  And frankly, harmful speculation.

    The facts are bad enough.  No need to come up with fantasies that can be picked apart and used against those who are trying to do a real investigation.

  by ari on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 08:49:29 PM PDT

  •  B.S.

    It's all speculation. It's called a hypothesis.  The point is that you have to come up with a likely scenario so that you know how to proceed.

    Am I advocating that Kossacks declare that they have "proven" that Guckert is Bush's gay sex lover? Of course not.  But thinking through what makes sense can help people decide what avenues to pursue in terms of further investgation. It also may trigger recognition if someone comes across otherwise unremarkable data.

    by space on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 08:54:09 PM PDT

    •  No, I'm with ari

      To call this diary "What probably happened" is a disservice to all the responsible researchers here at dKos. You pulled this out of your ass.

      There's no evidence that anybody at the White House even knew about Guckert's escort business, since he kept that separate from his "Jim Gannon" identity. So to speculate that he was buggering someone in the White House with no evidence whatsoever is beyond lame to flat-out irresponsible.

      by hamletta on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:04:23 PM PDT

      •  So

        space, you can help clarify your diary by calling it 'What MIGHT've Happened' or something along those lines.

        Frankly, space, I have no way of course of knowing whether your hypothetical scenario is true or false.  However, it has a logic to it.

        by RobertInWisconsin on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:10:44 PM PDT

      •  Your opinion

        I fully admit that this is speculation.  No question.

        But to say that it is a disservice to researchers is just asinine. This is my opinion based on the research that has been done, not in spite of it.

        You say that there is "no evidence that anybody even knew about Guckert's escort business".  You are absolutely correct.

        But given that Guckert was a male escort with no experience in journalism, I find it more likely than not that Guckert was not placed in the White House for his reporting skills.  So why would a hooker be in the White House?  I find hooking to be an excellent possibility.  your mileage may vary.

        by space on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:19:10 PM PDT

        •  It's the only thing that

          easily explains all the facts collected to date.  Every other hypothesis breaks down too easily.

          Now what was the real story behind the pretzel choking bs one they fed to us?  (And when was that?)

          Jeffgannon.com was born 6/02; I would date this story begins shortly before then.

          by Marie on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:41:45 PM PDT

          •  Whoa ...

            If the undeniable injuries on Bush's face came from an overly-aggressive fuck-spree with a tough former-military "top" on a White House rug ... it sure would explain why the support team thought that the "pretzel" angle, for all its laughability and late-night comedian potential, was a vastly preferable story.

            Now wouldn't it?

            by soundacious on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 12:59:49 PM PDT

      •  Lay off

        Space. He's just presenting a hypothesis. What's wrong with that?  He backs it up too, not with facts, but it opens up a what-if, that could point some reporter in the right direction.

        by Rhett on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:30:38 PM PDT

        •  Backs up what?

          It's 99% speculation, 1% fact. We know Guckert was involved in escort services, but there's no proven link yet to that and his tenure as a White House "correspondent."

          Look: I'll admit I'm conservative on these matters, because these flights of fancy tend to take on a life of their own, and can discredit the strong, proven stuff. I was arguing against connecting him to actual prostitution before Americablog came up with proof.

          But I don't think you'll ever find proof of anything this elaborate, even if it did happen.

          by hamletta on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:12:21 PM PDT

      •  This sort of speculation can't hurt. Here's why

        I made this comment in another thread.
        Btw, I suggested exactly the same thing in diary two days ago, and rebutted this criticism then.
        The problem with the freeper backlash is that we know Guckert is a prostitute. So what are they going to say? "Those VILE Kossacks are saying that the White House brought this gay prostitute into the White House to have sex with someone there. Why, that's just .. ridiculous.. isn't it? Isn't it?"
        No, in this particular case, I think it doesn't hurt to speculate about White House clients for
        USMCPT Jeff.

        by BoringDem on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:04:26 PM PDT

      •  Agreed

        If we had any evidence at all for this, that would be one thing. But there's nothing. He apparently is/was a whore, he's in the WH, voila, Bush is the one fucking him. I just don't buy it.

        The only way anybody figured the Lewinsky thing out was because Lewinsky was dumb as a post and Tripp was taping their conversations without telling her. If the most powerful man in the free world wants some ass, he's got the entire Secret Service to help him cover things up, plus whomever or whatever Rove has up his sleeve. (Besides, since he's the guy with his finger on the button I think maybe he should get as much action of whatever variety that he feels he requires....)

        Seriously though, I do think this line of thinking is irresponsible until we get more solid evidence. Just my $.02.

        by nota bene on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 12:03:05 AM PDT

        •  We have lots of evidence --

          not the sort of iron clad case one can make in a court of law - but the evidence for this hypothesis is compelling.

          by Marie on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 12:34:44 AM PDT

          •  What evidence is that?

            I'm not completely discounting the possibility, but it strikes me personally as farfetched. You describe the evidence as "compelling" but I don't see any, let alone compelling. space's deductive reasoning (re: why Guckert and not somebody else) is pretty sound but the gap in space's argument is the assumption that somebody in the WH was having an affair with Guckert.

            The reason I say "affair" is because I find it hard to believe anyone would go to such lengths because they liked a particular hooker that much. I mean, weeks, months, maybe, but years? I just don't find that credible.

            The other problem I have with space's hypothesis is the assumption that the john is Bush. I think McClellan seems like a much more likely candidate. (space, not trying to get down on you, you've clearly been doing some thinking on this.)

            [Come to think of it, we do have some weird circumstantial evidence about Bush possibly having some sort of baldness fetish, and some bizarre quotes about the attractiveness of some random men. I don't see what that demonstrates.]

            Anyway, I'm not saying this is completely out of the question but I think there are plenty of puzzle pieces we don't have still. If others feel this is a legit hypothesis let's run it down but I'm skeptical this is going to pan out.

            by nota bene on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 01:21:57 AM PDT

            •  Problem with McClellan

              I admit those are possibilities, but here is where I think they fail.

              First, Guckert was in the press corps, with Talon cover before Scottie took over.  I doubt he'd have the ability to pull this off before Ari left (even then, I question whether a press secretary could and would do it unsolicited).

              Second, if it was Ari, why would Guckert be there after he left.

              Third, if it isn't those two, who in the WH would have the pull to get Scottie to go along?

              Just asking.

              by space on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 04:59:35 AM PDT

              •  That's pretty much

                the same thought process I went through in trying when I considered all of the possible Johns in light of the facts that we know.

                The only "dots" that I think you fail to incorporate is that Guckert did go to college (I think someone confirmed that he graduated but I'm not positive of that at the moment), was in a fraternity and had or attempted to have a court reporting business.  The latter was likely some sort of scam because DEL passed some legislation to crack down on scam court reporting operations in the state.  That suggests that Guckert is a bit of a con man.  The educations suggests that he's of average intelligence -- not bright but not dull either.  That along with the fraternity membership suggests a high need to be somebody.  His recent interaction with the fraternity had him posing as a man of mystery perhaps an undercover CIA operative -- attention and adulation from young men. (The picture of him attending the WH Correspondent's Dinner was not of someone forced to go to it but of someone who was enjoying the status of attending it.)

                That all leads me to conclude that getting him into the WH may not have been the sole reason for the reporter ruse -- it was also to keep him happy by letting him be a somebody, and that somebody was also happy to do whatever was asked of him to keep his john happy.  It worked beautifully for two years and then Guckert overplayed his hand by embellishing the question he got to ask GWB -- although even there it would have escaped attention if not for bloggers.  

                by Marie on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 07:08:04 AM PDT

                •  I think you might be right

                  about that that "keeping him happy by letting him be a somebody". Otherwise, if the sole purpose of having him there was only to get him into the WH for sexual services, there would have been no reason for him to try to ask questions, and succeed in getting called on, so often. He could have simply attentively participated. He did seem to need some ego stroking.

                  Also, you've mentioned his interaction with his old frat buddies. This is something I've both wanted and been reluctant to bring up. In addition to the group's meeting minutes where they mentioned that Guckert was "not in the CIA, NSA, or any other crazy super duper secret government agency. He is a reporter..." (May 1, 2004), there's another meeting with a comment that I find quite unsettling. It's from the August 24, 2003 meeting:

                  The Board of Advisors met on the 17th of July at Scott Uhl's House.
                  (...)
                  Jody Yozviak was absent but sent a report and JD Guckert was busy entertaining the Prime Minister of Great Britain (not a joke).

                  It's that added comment "not a joke" that set off my radar. So I did just a tiny check, and found that, as a matter of fact, Tony Blair was in the U.S. at that time, and on exactly that day, July 17, he and Bush held a joint press conference. There's also an icky sugary picture of Bush and Blair together, that looks almost as if they're holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes. Does anyone know if there might be a video clip of that press conference, just to see, out of curiosity if nothing else, if Gannon/Guckert attended it?

                  Someone has already expressed suspicion over some sort of "relationship" between Bush & Blair, even mentioning the possibility of blackmail.

                  Maybe the "truth" (always a relative thing in the Bush WH) is even more contorted?

                  I don't know what to think. I really don't like the idea of going down this road, but it might be another possibility: GWB sharing dear JG with his best friends. (Yich)

                  P.S. Luckily we have designer tin foil hats over here - Armani, Versace, etc. Look quite nice, really.

                  by Donna in Rome on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 12:02:25 PM PDT

                  •  Problem with con-artists

                    and pathological narcissists is that they weave together fact and fiction so frequently that it's hard to know which is which in anything they say.

                    My guess is that the WH would have kept Jeffie out of the sight of cameras in public appearances by GWB.  Who knows about Blair.  GWB's emotional development seems to have stopped somewhere during his prep school days.  And I can imagine that anyone who has attended prep school would have a natural affinity for someone else who did as well.  No need to bring in a sexual component for that.

                    Jeffie could not have bragged about entertaining GWB -- but anyone involved with an important person has a difficult time not bragging about it.  So, my take on this is that he just used Blair as a substitute for what he couldn't say and it still made him look important.  

                    by Marie on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 01:39:02 PM PDT

                •  JD Guckert graduated from WCU in 1980, a TKE bro

                  According to Wikipedia, he graduated from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, so I did some research in the West Chester University Alumni Online Community, and found a JD Guckert graduated in 1980.

                  According to Jim Jones, a history professor there, who happens to be running for mayor and is the faculty advisor to the College Democrats:

                  "Regarding Gannon, by now you probably know that his real name is J. D. Guckert.  I cehcked (sic) the relevant yearbook and found that he graduated from WCU in 1980, was involved in TKE fraterity, was a resident assistant for two years, played soccer one year and was the sports editor of the Quad.  He's from Conneaut Lake PA, wherever that is." (personal email to me, 3/2/05, 6:48 PM)

                  For more, check out my thread about it on DU.
                  

                  by Kire on Thu Mar 03, 2005 at 07:06:15 PM PDT

                  •  I created a diary all about it

                    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/3/22513/75463

                    by Kire on Thu Mar 03, 2005 at 08:55:55 PM PDT

              •  Who is in charge...

                of determining which reporters get in? Is it the Press Secretary? Or is it the Assistant Press Secretary?

                Who has the final say? And would it be relevant if the Press Secretary was handed a list of people and picked out the 'No' people based on name recognition re: bad press?

                I know Dowd didn't get in until after Scott took over. Guckert/Gannon might have passed simply because he wasn't on a refusal list...

                by kredwyn on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 12:24:09 PM PDT

    •  Awesome diary, Space

      Very clear-thinking, very logical. Excellent analysis. It really does fit the facts, as well as the look and feel of the story.

      Besides the clear, occam-like rational deduction, there's the touchy-feely side too that seems to fit. Bush loves bald heads, touches/kisses them all the time, as has been noted in other diaries and in the press, for years. Laura has always seemed like window-dressing, and oddly asexual herself. I agree with commenter below that I can somehow picture Bush w/Jeff easier than Bush w/Laura (that is, if you can stomach the notion of either).

      I also think this somehow relates (very oddly) to Abu Ghraib -- besides the horrors of torture, coercion, and abuse -- there was something excessively homoerotic about it all -- and there was this excessive fixation on photography -- it was way beyond just making people suffer and/or gathering intelligence information. Why?? The torture orders came from pretty high up, SecDef or CoC level probably. Maybe they just wanted a bunch of icky, sadistic, kinky pictures??

      Bush being closetly gay and filled with self-loathing could explain (but never justify) a lot of things policywise too perhaps...

      by Em on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:16:01 PM PDT

      •  P.S. Recommended!

        And also I put a link to it in the current top diary (re: Frank Rich column).

        by Em on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:24:52 PM PDT

      •  This administration and their appeal

        to male voters is completely homoerotic.  Let's not forget Chris Matthews response to GWB's Top Gun stunt -- Chris practically salivated at that Bush imagery.  (I don't think that Matthews was even conscious of what it was they so turned him on about it.)

        by Marie on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:38:51 PM PDT

        •  I'll never quite be able to wrap my mind around

          why the very homophobic act so very homophilic...

          by Em on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:49:40 PM PDT

      •  those cheerleader pyramids

        at abu ghraib are becoming very very interesting.

        by let the golden age begin on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 10:52:50 AM PDT

    •  Well, I agree with space.

      I think the most logical, straightforward explanation for the Gannon's presence in the WH is that he was involved with someone high up.  Of course we don't know if it is Bush, but how do we find out without forming hypotheses?  

      I have long suspected that Bush is closet homosexual.  I know these are stereotypes, but his mannerisms and use of language are swishy and he loves to dress up in outfits and play roles.  Most of all, he expresses lots of animus toward gays.  

      Freud called it reaction formation. It's a defense mechanism in which you overreact to something (often sexual) because you are really drawn to it and you can't deal with those feelings.

      by Boston Boomer on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 01:49:01 PM PDT

•  I could believe Rove's

  lover but not Bush.  Just doesn't do the "ah-ha!" thing with me.  Doesn't feel right.

  by nolalily on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:03:11 PM PDT

  •  Bush does use

    "fabulous" a lot.

    by hoosierspud on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:22:35 PM PDT

    •  Katty Kelly

      did Katty Kelly say Bush was gay at Yale?

      by xejn on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:40:53 PM PDT

      •  Oy...

        did i post that? Time for bed!

        by xejn on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:41:17 PM PDT

  •  Not sure this is one of those ah ha

    type things because we have seen this man in a particular way for too long and never questioned that what we saw wasn't real.  A couple of days ago, I realized that it was easier for me to envision Bush embracing Jeff than Laura.  

    by Marie on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:35:04 PM PDT

    •  I tried that

      and it didn't gel.  I've never viewed George as just a "good old boy" like the people who voted for him, so please, don't include me in the "we" category.  He scared me from the beginning.

      I think he's more of a sadistic, hostile frat boy with connections.  Very immature.  What I see as snickering and swaggering, smirking and strutting, others view as confidence.  Perception is a funny thing, isn't it?

      by nolalily on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 01:41:51 PM PDT

      •  You're right about all of that

        but don't neglect to note the homoerotic quality to his administration.  His "Top Gun" - Mission Accomplished stunt was one of the more graphic examples and it had other men like Chris Matthews slobbering over it and completely oblivious to the fact that they were responding to sexual cues.

        Look at the women he surrounds himself with -- all adoring asexual mommy types.  To me his psycho-sexual development looks as if it was arrested in adolescence -- when he was in prep school.

        Lots of things we don't know about the behavior of Mr. Bush over the years but some very broad outlines suggest a very different profile from the package that was sold to America.

        by Marie on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 05:57:24 PM PDT

  •  What about Condi?

    Bush was the only guy in the administration whose wife also lives at the White House! That would put a crimp in one's "down low" activities. Plenty of other married guys needing attention while they work "late hours" to focus on.

    Is it too much supposition to surmise that Guckert was brought in to satisfy the needs of Condi? From JD's point of view that'd still be the same as doing a guy. And they'd be safe from gossip since the common belief would be no amount of money could induce anybody to touch her with a 10 foot aluminum tube.

    by mrblifil on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 12:40:13 PM PDT

•  Who cares if it's true

  that was a great read.

  by mrblifil on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:15:36 PM PDT

•  a good theory

  It seems some people here would like to stop the speculation.  But even the police come up with different stories so that they know where to begin with their investigation.

  by TeresaInPa on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:17:00 PM PDT

•  Where's the blackmail stuff?

  I liked the debunking of the blackmail claims from that previous diary best. OK, I admit that that's because I'd been making the same argument elsewhere, but it bears repeating here.

  Short summary: Theories involving Guckert's "blackmailing" the WH in exchange for admission as a reporter.

  Response: What kind of blackmail is it when you demand that your "victim" permit you to make his life easier?

  That aside, I still don't see anything from this investigation that tells me that Guckert couldn't have gained access to the White House without resort to prostitution or the connections he may or may not have made as a result of it. We still don't know exactly what information and vetting is necessary for day passes. That's crucial information, without which we are wasting our time in constructing ever more complex theories of how sex was the weapon used to pry open doors that may never have been closed that tightly to begin with.

  Not that I would deny anyone the entertainment that comes from speculating that the president is a repressed homosexual.

  by Kagro X on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:18:22 PM PDT

•  the simplest explanation tends to be the right one

  no way this disciplined white house hands a shilling job to a character like JG. And no way he sneaks in under an alias without anyone knowing his real name and background.  Someone wanted him there. Who and why are still speculation.

  by Liberal4ever on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:20:57 PM PDT

•  Research Suggestion?

  So perhaps some digging should be done comparing and contrasting when Gannon has been at the WH, and when Bush has been at the WH.  

  Does Gannon only show up when Bush is in the WH?

  Does he ever file from another city?

  Hasn't he been to Crawford?

  Very interesting.  I'd still be shocked if W and JG were an item.  Ha!

  by tyler93023 on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:28:11 PM PDT

  •  Yes

    I posted this in the prior diary.

    What would be key would be cross-referencing Guckert's movements with all senior WH staff.  To Crawford, etc.

    by space on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:52:14 PM PDT

    •  hmmm...

      sorry for the duplication.

      so let's say JG takes a trip to Crawford at the same time as the inner Bush team.

      how then might one investigate any unauthorized trips to or from Crawford, for instance?  Can a congressman FOIA Crawford's front gate logs?  Maybe he stays in a different motel?  

      by tyler93023 on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:21:02 PM PDT

      •  What we need is

        another Linda Tripp to gossip on the phone with poor Jim/Jeff about how he's been so victimized by the left wing blogs and SCLM.

        by Boston Boomer on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 02:01:06 PM PDT

    •  You made me think of something...

      Was he one of the Thanksgiving Trip pool reporters?

      Cached link here:

      Bush Stuns Troops With Thanksgiving Visit to Baghdad
      By Jeff Gannon
      Talon News
      November 28, 2003

      (Talon News) -- Members of the 1st Armored Division and the 82nd Airborne were probably expecting some dry turkey and even drier speeches when they were told Ambassador L. Paul Bremer would headline the dignitaries at their Thanksgiving dinner at the Baghdad airport. The 600 soldiers waited impatiently to dig into the feast that might fill their stomachs, but would still leave an empty place in their hearts, being so far away from their families on this holiday.

      Bremer stood at the front of the mess tent alongside Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of coalition forces in Iraq to deliver a message from the President. He observed that military protocol gave the duty of reading such a message to the most senior individual.

      "Is there anybody back there more senior than us?" Bremer asked.

      That was the cue for President Bush to step out from behind a curtain. The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers at the sight of their commander-in-chief.

      A tearful Bush embraced an equally emotional Bremer before saying, "I was just looking for a warm meal somewhere."

      The idea for the secret mission was first discussed in October, but the daunting security problems made such a trip unthinkable. Planners relied on that as well as a warning to pool reporters who would be brought along that a single leak of the trip would result in the immediate cancellation of the trip -- even as the president's plane was en route.

      by kredwyn on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 12:35:49 PM PDT

•  I can come up with an alternate theory

  Given your premise, which is, I believe, fairly well founded that this WH not only values loyalty but I'd say demands it too I have a different theory.

  They wanted Guckert because of what he is sure enough but what if it was to put the screws to anyone who was - shall we say - wavering in their support for what is basically the PNAC agenda.

  Either the people who are afraid because they are in Jeff's little black book or who realize that they could easily appear in it.

  And that may be why Gannon showed up involved with the Plame.  Not everyone inside the Beltway has a secret agent for a spouse to trash if they step out of line.

  If everyone knows he's a GOP shill, all it takes is a quiet word to say he's got connections you don't want to mess with.  And this applies to anyone whether or not they knew of his after hours proclivities or not.

  But imagine it for a second, how many do you think started shitting bricks when a guy they knew was a gay escort, because they had hired him, saw him in those press briefings acting as he did?

  To me, that is the more exquisite "Rovian" cat and mouse game than jumping through hoops to get your favorite hooker in the building.

  And he would know exactly who was in the book and they would know that they would only be protected as long as they went along.

   

  by Bionic on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:32:59 PM PDT

  •  Here's where I disagree

    Okay, you want to use Guckert as a threat?  Here's the problem:

    (1) You are only going to use him against people who are gay and have had sex with Guckert.  Anybody else you can just threaten.  You don't actually have to drag up a male escort to say to someone. "Don't screw us or we'll fuck you."

    (2) If he's your weapon, why would you stick him in front of the President and place the White House at risk?  It doesn't make any sense.

    Also see my Updat regarding Eberle.  Why introduce this convoluted threat/blackmail theory when there is a simpler one?

    by space on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:49:18 PM PDT

    •  And here's where I support my suppositions

      I disagreed with  your first premise when I wrote "If everyone knows he's a GOP shill, all it takes is a quiet word to say he's got connections you don't want to mess with.  And this applies to anyone whether or not they knew of his after hours proclivities or not."

      That means you didn't have to know he was a hooker to know he wasn't to be touched with a ten foot pole.

      Secondly, one of the tricks Rove is known for is deniability.  Scotty might go down for this, but I doubt it. (And I'm not apologizin' for nuffin' BTW.)
      Gannon came in on Ari's watch and he's long gone. By that time it could be reasonably argued that everyone "knew" Jeff and let him in whenever he wanted.

      Plus he was hired by Eberle.  And he can't be expected or required to do an extensive background check on a volunteer employee, who is, after all, going to spend most of his time rejigging press releases.  Which is apparently how he started with Talon.  He was doing it for free.

      So does this point to Rove?  That's the beauty of it.  It doesn't.

      You could bet dollars to donuts he's behind it, but you can't prove it.

      by Bionic on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:13:55 PM PDT

      •  Yeah, but what's the point?

        Rove can just tell anybody "Don't fuck with me, I'm Karl Rove."  What do you need a hooker for?

        The whole journalism thing is bullshit, okay? It's just a cover story.

        Karl Rove would never let a gay hooker get within a mile of the President unless he specifically wanted a gay hooker within a mile of the president.  And he wouldn't want a gay hooker within a mile of the president unless a gay hooker could provide something that no non-hooker could provide.  Frankly, I can only think of one thing that fits that criteria, but I'm open to suggestions.

        by space on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:21:17 PM PDT

        •  I guess you don't think like Rove

          I think he gets far more jollies from mind fucking than being a top or bottom with anyone anyday.

          No one can prove that Rove let a gay hooker into the White House. Or even connect him to this story.  That's Rove's MO.  The dirty work happens but you can't pin the blame on him.

          I've already given you my suggestions as to why I think Rove did want not just a gay hooker, but that specific gay hooker in the White House Briefing Room, but it doesn't sound like you're too open it.

          Well, I'm off to bed!

          by Bionic on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:36:05 PM PDT

•  I think it

  coud've been Laura. As in "George, to get back at you and all your stupid asshole friends that are always hanging out here, I want me some Marine man meat."

  by Rhett on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:33:16 PM PDT

•  My off the wall theory

  This is my "I need sleep" off the wall theory (note: in the morning this will sound nuts to me too):

  This is all wild speculation, but perhaps entertaining

  Gukert is/was CIA -- or some other sort of spy for another alphabet soup agency or private neocon group.

  As an escort he was being used to hunt down people in both the military and in power in D.C. to either out them under don't ask don't tell or for political leverage against his "clients".

  That opperation not netting the desired bog fish (or perhaps netting enough) Gukert is redeployed as Gannon for OPS.

  This is all wild speculation, but perhaps entertaining
  

  by xejn on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:38:17 PM PDT

  •  That was a scenario I played

    with when we started looking a this.  It was the only way to integrate those male sex website domain names that we had early on.  At some point it began to seem less and less plausible to me.  The way Guckert's name finally surfaced told me that he was in fact gay, and therefore, it was not a likely scenario.  The website pictures of Guckert completely destroy this as being even remotely possible.  

    by Marie on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:25:25 PM PDT

    •  Marie - some links for you

      .
      Source Watch -- Frontiers of Freedom

      dKos has forgotten about Jeff Gannon in SD court case of Michael & Ben Marino?
      Jeff Gannon in SD court case
      -FF financial support-

      District Court - SD -
      Abourezk vs Probush pdf file

      AIM  & FR - Jeff Gannon talks to prairiebreeze

      Blogger "1461 dead" -- Chief WH headhunter married
      to head of GOPUSA and Talon Press founder

      In 2005 - Be liberal: Support our Allies of Democracy on Human Rights, the Environment, Gay and Minority Rights & EU and UN Third World Development Programs & Our Friends

      by creve coeur on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 08:13:11 AM PDT

      •  Dina Habib Powell

        is married to Richard Cruze Powell -- the GOPUSA Director is Richard M Powell.  It appears that Dina has lived in DC for years, predating her job with the Bush Administraton, and there is no indication that Richard M Powell migrated out of TX.  GOPUSA from a directors/officers standpoint seems to have been strictly a TX operation.  This is a prime example of how blogs can get something wrong, but it is so tantalizing that it takes on a life of its own and is hard to kill.

        The Marino piece sticks out like a sore thumb.  However, if we had the full story on the role   Gannon was tasked with playing in the Daschle  take down, it might fit it better.  Or maybe Gannon just went "off script" by getting involved with Marino.  He isn't all that bright and does seem to enjoy playing at what he thinks reporters do.  The timeline on this suggests that having Gannon play a role in the Daschle takedown was one of the earliest assignments that he was given.  The model for how this would work came from the 2002 SD election.  Josh Marshall exposed some of the GOP dirty tricks in the Johnson-Thune race, and that exposure may have been enough to tip the balance to Johnson.  A DC reporter and blogger played a role in a SC Senate election.  Gannon is not skilled or informed enough to have followed JMM's lead, and therefore, it would have to have been Rove's office who put this together for Gannon.

        The FF is an important link in how turning Gannon into a WH reporter was executed.  Could have involved Wallop but I'm leaning towards the WH, or more likely an intermediary, simply directly using Kerri Houston and Eberle.  They would only have known that they were creating a rightwing faux news service and that Gannon was a talented conservative guy that would give them cache by having something called a DC Bureau.  I doubt that Kerri would have been the least bit suspicious because the rightwing noise machine is filled with people who have been promoted because someone with power likes them and not because they have any tangible track record -- in fact Kerri looks like one of those people herself.      
        

        by Marie on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 09:19:09 AM PDT

  •  Also,

    It seems to me that if he were 'on a mission', he'd be focused on just that. That is, he'd either be a decoy gay hooker, working on outing gay military men; or working as a paid propagandist for the DoD. Not both.

    by indyjones48 on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 03:05:29 AM PDT

    •  Not to say

      that I didn't consider this angle too when this story started to break on dKos...

      by indyjones48 on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 03:06:13 AM PDT

•  metaphorically speaking?

  Why choose a guy that could potentially explode in your face, metaphorically speaking?

  Not just metaphorically.

  by drewthaler on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:04:09 PM PDT

•  A non-sexual hypothesis, involving Bush.

  I think this one fits the facts pretty well:

  I think Bush was directly involved; either that, or the choice of Gannon was tailored to his tastes. annon is another macho-looking, rough, BALD guy,just like Kerik.
  Bush may have seen the guy being a fake reporter once and said "keep that guy. He's the sort we want", or maybe the choice was made for him.
  Bizarre as my theory sounds, it explains how Gannon could have gotten past security---once Bush personally wanted him, a way had to be made to get him in.
  

  by BoringDem on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:06:35 PM PDT

  •  Here's the problem

    You can get anybody to lob softballs at Bush. Why pick a hooker?  I just don't see any reason why he would be in the press corps for Bush to notice in the first place.

    by space on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:14:01 PM PDT

    •  D. Parker to O. Nash (aside)

      NOT WHISTLING SHOW TUNES WHEN HE RODE THAT DIRT BIKE WITH HIS MILITARY ADVISOR*

      Some men like girls and some like dollies,
      Others need churls to get their jollies,
      A memorable craft is reborn as High Art
      And parades to a dirge for military tarts.

      ____
      *May 2004

      by Heteraetcaetera on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:29:54 PM PDT

      •  Have a 44 Het.... ;) ::n/t::

        by Marisacat on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:56:22 PM PDT

  •  bald secret service men.

    that is what it seams bush has done with his personal secret service detail. i watched as he came out of church last sunday, and 3 of his ss were of the bald persuasion. they only showed the 3 in the screen shot, there could be more. i bet he requested them personally. it would be interesting to find out how many of them are actually bald. i bet when these ss hear about his fetish they will be freaked(they may have already figured it out).

    by let the golden age begin on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 11:02:03 AM PDT

•  Okay, clearly they knew

  he was a prostitute.

  Plus he's in pretty good shape, and could be physically intimidating.

  Could this be related to controlling the WH press corpse?

  As in all things bush, gannon's values or behaviors really wouldn't be all that important to rover/BigTimeDick, now would it?  All they care about is power, they don't really give a shit about sexual orientation or values or anything else, just power, and their favorite power tool, money.

  Maybe he filled dual purposes, intimidator, why else would the press tolerate his presence anyway, and pleasurer for someone.

  And another thing, they may be cunning and cruel and ruthless etc, but that does not make them intellectual genuises either.  Especially at the thug level like gannon.

  And their overwheening self righteousness blinds them to fallibility too.  But this definately bears further tought.  Keep it up folks, I'm going to bed.  

  by Duckman GR on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:50:26 PM PDT

•  Confirmatory info would be mighty interesting

  Such as - Guckert traveling when/where Bush travels; previous gay affairs of Bush's; info from confidants of Guckert's (some sort of Linda Tripp-type figure). Have any of the more gossip-mongering biographers or inside-the-beltway types (gaah, everything is somehow a suggestive pun!) speculated about this at all?  

  It's a highly entertaining storyline, as well as a logical one.

  by Em on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:36:57 PM PDT

•  Space's Theory is Simple and Elegant

  and has no loose ends. Aren't Eberle & Bush long-
  time friends?  The walls of the Whitehouse have ears. Given Bush's experience with former colleagues' revelations about the goings on inside the Whitehouse, he might prefer a close friend who   didn't frequent the Whitehouse to be his "procurer".  Some recent evidence of Eberle's and Bush's friendship and Eberle's knowledge of Guckert being a prostitute would be necessary for this idea to hold up.  I think Space is right.

  Was it Gannon or the real Guckert who said "I'm hiding in plain sight"?

  by Emmy on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 01:50:01 AM PDT

  •  Simply wrong

    
    Sure there might be a 0.0000009% chance Bush was fucking Guckert (almost anything is possible), but that chance isn't even worth commenting on until there is evidence.
    

    by ari on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 04:47:51 AM PDT

    •  There wasn't any "evidence" at all

      about Jim/Jeff until people started asking questions and forming hypotheses.  You are recommending the route traveled by the mainstream press these days.  Wait until someone issues a press release and then "report" the contents.

      by Boston Boomer on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 02:09:54 PM PDT

•  Close, but no cigar....

  Ok, sorry, I had to get a cigar ref. in there somewhere! :) I think space's theory is close, but still doesn't meet acum's razor, though it's close.

  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.

  Spot on, and we know that there's a spider web of connections between these GOP operatives. Guckert got in because of his connections.

  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.

  I think is pretty accurate too, though I wouldn't characterize the reasons behind it quite the same way. Guckert got in because someone wanted him in; but Guckert's work as a journalist didn't end at the WH. No, he goes and creates several Web sites where he can spout off his conservative crap, he produces some kind of radio show?? If he was only 'playing' journalist as a cover, why do the extra work beyond what was required to get him in the WH? Here's the way I think it went down. * Guckert is boinking someone on the WH staff, probably in the communications dept. * Someone in the admin hatches their propaganda plan that involves paid journalists. Said plan is disseminated to the communications dept. * Guckert's lover gets wind of it and tells Guckert. The leap from getting paid for sex, to getting paid to shill isn't that far, so Guckert, or his lover get him in contact with GOPUSA -- perhaps they're looking for any outlet to begin with, but Eberle is the final connection. * Guckert starts 'reporting' for GOPUSA. He sees, perhaps via discussions with Eberle, or just by taking the pulse of Freeperville, that there's a lot of EASY MONEY to be made as a whore journalist and grabs hold with both hands. McClellan and crew are happy to continue to use him as a 'lifeline'. * His well-placed lover in communications pulls the necessary strings to get him a day pass, etc. Perhaps McClellan, or Ari agree to use their position to get Guckert in because they can use him as a lifeline; it falls under their directive to get someone 'friendly' in the gaggles.

  by indyjones48 on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 03:36:59 AM PDT

•  Are you keeping up? In case you missed THESE

  items, I'm posting them to you. I thought you might want to do another diary.

  http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/2/17/1874/11865/243#243

  This one's dynamite, you'll love it!! http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/2/17/1874/11865/312#312

  Yeeeeehaaaaw!!

  by Heteraetcaetera on Fri Feb 18, 2005 at 11:16:03 AM PDT