Grow Up

The right just doesn't get it. They don't understand why we on the left are up in arms about Jeff Gannon. Check out this choice quote from World Net Daily.

In the last week, reports in New York's Gay City News and 365Gay.com and other homosexual-friendly publications and blogs have made specific allegations about individuals based exclusively on unnamed sources and rumors and playing off the sensational revelations about Jeff Gannon – by daylight a credentialed "reporter" covering the White House for two politically partisan websites, while allegedly moonlighting as a $200-an-hour male escort and purveyor of explicit websites like HotMilitaryStud.com and MilitaryEscorts.com. Those sites have since been removed from the Internet.

It turns out Jeff Gannon was a pseudonym and alter ego for Jim Guckert, the name under which Gannon allegedly posed for pictures on those sites and advertised his services. He resigned his position with Talon News and GOPUSA.com following the disclosures by bloggers. [Emphasis mine. -CRK]

First of all, there is no "alleged" about it. The web sites were registered under Guckert's name, nude pictures of him appeared on the site and Americablog has even turned up invoices for the design services of at least one of those sites. Let's face facts, right-wingers: We went to war with less evidence.

Let me get one thing straight. I'm not gay, nor am I a member of the "homosexual press." But I am very concerned that someone with Guckert's background can get a White House day pass day after day and sit only a few feet from the President. I'm not concerned that he is or was gay. I'm not even concerned that he was once a gay escort.

What I am concerned about is someone repeatedly getting a day pass with virtually no press credentials. Guckert spent no time on Capitol Hill, a pre-requisite for a White House hard pass. He didn't write for any news service other than Talon. He threw softball questions at the President and press secretary based on bogus "facts." The FBI apparently missed his $20K tax bill to the state of Rhode Island and his writing sucks. While I don't claim to be Walt Whitman, you won't see anything like this come from my keyboard:

Social Security reform has long been regarded as the “third rail” of American politics, a comparison of an attempt to change FDR’s retirement program to making contact with a subway car’s electrical source. The warning is clear: touch it and you die. It has scared off politicians for decades, but President Bush has decided to defy those who lack the moral courage to save a system that most young people doubt will ever pay them benefits.

The right is fielding a soft defense of Guckert. Rather than taking the issue on, the right is trying the bait and switch tactic. Rather than admitting a mistake they are gay baiting by blaming the "homosexual press." The right (to my knowledge) has yet to ask how someone like Gannon can get through the FBI background check, not because he was or is gay, but because he owes $20,000 in back taxes to the state of Rhode Island and has no real press credentials. I try not to bring up the Clinton administration, but had this happened with a left-wing writer during the Clinton years, the right would have been blasting this story to every corner of the Earth.

It's time for the right to grow up and face their problems. Quit acting like children and blaming someone else. The President does it. Rumsfeld does it. The right-wing press does it and the majority of rank-and-file Republicans I meet does it.

Face the facts and fix the problem. That's all the people ask.