Now this is an interesting possibility. We've all been howling about how a fake reporter (with a history of prostitution) got into the
elite White House press corps mere days after Talon 'News' was created.
WHAT IF he was already in the White House press corps prior to that ? What THEN ? Is there videotape and/or audiotape from the Feb 28 2003 daily White House press briefing ?
MORE BELOW FOLD
This is in the run-up to the Iraq war, of course, and I just saw these tid-bits in a comment on Rawstory.
First: 'Jeff Gannon' brags on a forum about asking a question of Ari Fleischer on Feb 28 2003 - and curiously no mention that this was his first time in there:
#45 from Jeff Gannon on March 5, 2003 03:26 AM
This is a question I asked Ari Fleischer at a White House press briefing on Friday:
Q There have been reports out of Maine that the children of deployed service personnel are being harassed as a result of their elementary school teacher's expression of anti-war views in the classroom. Could you comment on that?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm not familiar with any specific report, but I can assure you that the President, in all instances, believes that it's important for all to honor and respect the first amendment.
Not the answer I was looking for, but at least I was able to get the issue in front of the mainstream press.
SOURCE- http://www.windsofchange.net/archives/003115.php#c45
CONFIRMED BY-
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030228-5.html
MORE ON THIS AT-
http://www.intelligencesquad.com/id107.html
Questions & Comments
When did GannonGuckert first get in the White House ?
This apparently predates McClellan's press secretary tenure !
At the Feb 10 2005 gaggle, McClellan said, 'He, like anyone else, showed that he was representing a news organization that published regularly, and so he was cleared two years ago to receive daily passes, just like many others are.'
McClellan also says: 'I think he's been coming for more than two years now.' (Does this mean 2002 also ?)
Further, he says, 'No one's ever brought such an issue to my attention, in my -- during my time as being Press Secretary.'
And: 'My understanding was, when he started coming to the White House about two years ago, the staff asked to see that it -- that he represented a news organization that published regularly. And they showed that, so he was cleared and has been cleared ever since based on that time.'
Ladies & gentlemen, he did NOT represent Talon when he first got in the White House - 'Talon News' did not EXIST until Mar 29 2003 and that was LESS than 2 yrs ago.
Further we have a 'Jeff Gannon' claiming on Mar 5 2003 to have been at a White House press briefing where he asked Ari Fleischer the question above.
Was [update # 1:] Feb 28 2003 his first time in the White House - or does McClellan's 'more than 2 yrs ago' comment mean that 'Gannon' was in the White House posing as a reporter with NO NEWS SERVICE (not even Talon!) to hide behind.
This predates McClellan-as-press-secretary.
This gets curiouser.
[UPDATE # 2:]
And heeeeeeere's . . . a brand-new TERRALERT !
Officials Warn of Future Terror Attacks
1 minute ago White House - AP Cabinet & State
By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Speaking with one voice, President Bush's top intelligence and military officials said terrorists are regrouping for possible new strikes against the United States. . . .
Offering few specifics on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld warned that the government could reasonably predict attacks would come from terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and other means. . . .
[Update # 3:] Just for info purposes, McClellan was on the staff as deputy press secretary before he became press secretary. As a matter of fact, while he was deputy (and Fleischer was Press Secretary) McClellan did conduct a handful of 'gaggles' - Mar 30 2001, Apr 2 2001, Aug 9 2001, etc. Heck, even Karl Rove conducted one (co-conducted, w / 2 others) on May 29 2001! - what's on that videotape ?