[Davis Democrats] Stop President Bush's Propaganda Machine

[John Chendo]

----------
From: "Rep. Louise M. Slaughter" <dccc at dccc.org>
Reply-To: "Rep. Louise M. Slaughter" <dccc at dccc.org>
Date: 22 Feb 2005 08:42:12 PST
To: jac07 at dcn.org
Subject: Stop President Bush's Propaganda Machine


Dear  john, 

For any other White House, the fact that a partisan operative managed to
masquerade as a reporter in the White House press corps might be taken as a
slip.  But this is no ordinary White House, and in fact, this was no
ordinary partisan operative.  It has now become clear that the reporter for
Talon News known as "Jeff Gannon" was actually James D. Guckert, an
individual who had no journalistic credentials whatsoever.

Sign the Petition to Stop the Propaganda.
<http://whatcounts.com/t?ctl=BC576C:293ED79>

During the February 10 White House briefing, Press Secretary Scott McClellan
stated that Jeff Gannon, "...like anyone else, showed that he was
representing a news organization that published regularly" in order to
receive his day pass to press briefings.  It has now been confirmed that
Jeff Gannon was in the White House briefing room, actively participating in
these briefings, as early as February 28, 2003 a full month before Talon
News even existed. 

For almost two years Gannon breezed through security and was allowed to lob
softball questions to spokesman Scott McClellan and even President Bush
himself - culminating in an absurd and factually inaccurate question to the
President on national television about how he could deal with Senate
Democrats "who seem to have divorced themselves from reality." Wait, there's
more. 

We've also learned that in December of 2003, Gannon bragged to Talon News
that he'd had access to classified documents revealing the identity of
former Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife as a covert operative for the CIA.  At
the time Gannon said, "For something that is supposed to be classified, it
seems that this document is easily accessible." He added, "Washington is
leaking like a cheap umbrella." Talon News, the "news outlet" that Mr.
Guckert worked for was at best a front for a Republican activist website
called GOPUSA.com owned by a Texas Republican.  Worse yet, Gannon's news
"stories" consisted mostly of verbatim Republican press releases and claims
that John Kerry "might someday be known as 'the first gay president.'"

Sign the Petition to Stop the Propaganda.
<http://whatcounts.com/t?ctl=BC576C:293ED79>

It has been well over a week since I wrote President Bush seeking answers in
this matter. I have not yet received a reply. Along with Rep. John Conyers,
I have also submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for all DHS
records regarding Mr. Guckert's admittance into the White House.  With each
new revelation it becomes more and more clear that the relationship between
the White House and Jeff Gannon was anything but typical.

It is time for this Administration to stop the stonewalling and come clean
with the American people.

I have worked on media fairness and reform throughout my stay in the House,
and never have I seen such an open assault on the standards of a free press
as I have in the past four years.  We have seen several right wing pundits
who were being paid with tax dollars to promote Administration policies with
no disclosure.  We have seen fake news reports distributed to media outlets
with no indication of their origin; we have seen those fake segments deemed
"illegal covert propaganda" by the General Accounting Office; and then we
have seen the White House simply continue on with the technique completely
unphased.  We now know that prior to the war in Iraq, Iraqi exiles with
checkered pasts, allied with (and paid by) the White House distributed bogus
intelligence on WMD to produce perhaps more than 100 newspaper articles
hyping the case for war!  Even now President Bush flies around the country
at taxpayer expense holdin g televised "town hall discussions" on Social
Security in which nobody who does not support him is allowed in.

This must stop, and it must stop now.  This sort of manipulation of the free
press - one of most pivotal checks  balances in our Constitution -
demonstrates a contempt for democracy, the rule of law, and the great people
of this nation, many of whom trust this president with all their hearts.

I ask you to stand with me - and the DCCC - in demanding an end to the
propaganda.
 Please sign our petition:

http://www.democraticaction.org/propaganda/index.php?source=feb22email
<http://whatcounts.com/t?ctl=BC576C:293ED79>

Sincerely, 

Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (NY-28)
Ranking Member, Committee on Rules







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