Oh my

There's already a parody blog up about our boy, Jeff Gannon. Read More......

Open thread

La la la Read More......

Holy crap

Update: He just resigned.

Let me say again, holy crap.

The blogosphere has dug up some really really really creepy stuff about that pseudo-reporter with the pseudonym who the White House lets ask all the softball questions about their briefings. His pseudonym is Jeff Gannon, and well, the folks at DailyKos, and Eschaton, have been doing a little digging around on him.

It's a long and sordid tale, but let me give it to you in a nutshell. Mr. Gannon's home page is JeffGannon.com. Well, JeffGannon.com is owned by a person and company that owns the following Web addresses as well:

Hotmilitarystud.com
Militaryescorts.com
Militaryescortsm4m.com

And for those of you who are really straight or really clueless, "m4m" is a gay online term for men who are looking to have sex with other men, and "escort" means prostitute. And being a military escort is also against the Uniform Code of Military Justice in at least two different ways, if not more.

Now, I'm not one to judge how folks like to get their jollies (assuming no children are involved and it's consensual), but then again, I don't suck up to the family values agenda like Mr. Gannon does. I've been through Gannon's archives, and it's a horrendous accumulation of religious right suck-up pieces on gay issues. Some are concerned that perhaps it's not fair to hit him with the gay card, if he is gay. Well, take a look at some of the stories from Gannon's Talon News Service: here, here, here Talon is promoting "ex-gays," defending Bush on gay marriage, and Gannon himself writing a story defending Santorum on his man-dog-sex commments about gays. There are lots more, you get the picture.

Oh, and speaking of pictures, they found photos too.

The big issue here is whether the White House has been knowingly opening its doors to a pseudonymous male hustler (or pimp) so he'll pose softball questions to the president. If that's the case here - and in all fairness, we still need to hear from Gannon - it's not just creepy, it's outrageous and an incredible violation of the country's trust, and just as importantly, White House security. Do these people do a background check on anyone?

Just go and read it all for yourself. Read More......

Harry Reid blasts GOP for attacking his family

Yes!

Video of the speech is here:

http://democrats.senate.gov/speech.html

Text as written is here (differs from the as delivered)
http://democrats.senate.gov/~dpc/press/05/2005207830.html Read More......

Drudge blasts Bush

Bizarre. But for Drudge to post an embarrassing story about Bush, that's very interesting on multiple levels. First, he's a GOP stooge, and doesn't usually post stories criticizing the masters. Second, he posts stuff he knows his readers will like, so why does he think stuff that makes Bush look stupid will appeal to his readers?

Anyway, I wouldn't normally link to him, but as he is going after chimpy, it's worth it. Read More......

Sharon and Abbas Agree On Cease Fire

In the latest positive news from the two-step-forward, one-step-back, three-steps-back world of Israeli-Palestinaian relations, Sharon and Abbas have agreed on what is tantamount to an immediate cease-fire. Bush will want to claim credit for this -- it only happened because he bombed the hell out of Iraq, Bush will say. Saner heads will realize the only reason this opportunity is here is simply because Arafat is dead.
Read More......

Rove Really is Running the Country Now

Reuters reports "Rove Gets Bigger Role at White House." What bigger role could he have?

According to the article:

Rove, who was Bush's top political strategist during his 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns, will become a deputy White House chief of staff in charge of coordinating policy between the White House Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.

Rove will continue to oversee White House strategy to advance Bush's agenda and will "make sure we have an open and fair process for the development of policy and to make sure the policy is complementary and consistent with the various councils," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

"He is one of the president's most trusted advisers who has played an integral role in strategy and policy development for a long time," McClellan said.

Apparently, Rove is going to run domestic and foreign policy. So, basically, he is running the country. Read More......

Tuesday open thread

Have at it Read More......

More phone numbers for the RNC

Atrios has his folks calling the RNC as well to ask about Ken Mehlman and his relationship with the gay community. Might also want to ask him about Mary Cheney. Hell, she was on the board of one of those gay activist organizations that they're now using to discredit Senator Reid. I certainly hope Ken is planning on denouncing Mary.

More RNC phone numbers
Ken's office: 202-863-8700
Other RNC phone numbers: 202.863.8500, 202-863-8747, 202-863-8743 Read More......

GOP head Ken Mehlman again uses gays to bash Democrats

Ken Mehlman, the head of the Republican National Committee, again resorted yesterday to gay-baiting Democrats for political gain.

In an RNC press release intended to discredit Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Mehlman's RNC made clear that the simple fact that a gay civil rights group endorsed Reid for re-election means that Reid is not fit for national service. Mehlman also had the RNC bash Reid for not supporting the federal Gay-Bashing Amendment to the Constitution.

Which begs the question of what Mehlman's own links are to gay rights groups. Mehlman has been reported in the press to have had numerous contacts with gay Republicans in Washington, DC, going so far as to openly congratulate one senior DC gay republican on a recent victory. And Mehlman, 38 years of age and single, is now insisting on only answering reporters' questions about his own sexual orientation off-the-record. Kind of an odd position for a man running an organization that thinks gay issues are fair game - Mehlman himself has said that he thinks the gay issue is fair game. So if it's fair game, why is the media giving Mehlman a pass on this one, and not asking him on-the-record what his story is?

After all, if the RNC thinks that being on good terms with homosexuals means one is not fit to hold high office in Washington, DC, then the public has a right to know exactly on what terms Mr. Mehlman, the head of the entire Republican Party, is with America's gay community. Not to mention, I've not found in any research a single statement from Mehlman on what HIS position is on the Gay-Bashing Amendment. He does a good job of stating the president's position, but since Mehlman is bashing Reid for not supporting the amendment, we certainly have the right to know, on the record, whether Mehlman personally supports the amendment.

Here's the gay part of the GOP's hatchet job on Reid:

Reid Opposes Federal Marriage Amendment:

Reid Received 100 percent Rating From Human Rights Campaign (HRC) For 107th Congress. (Human Rights Campaign, "Presidential Candidates," Human Rights Campaign Website, http://www.hrc.org, Accessed 12/2/04)

-- HRC Endorsed Reid During 2004 Election Calling Him "A Leader We Can Count On." (Human Rights Campaign, "Candidate Profile: Harry Reid," Human Rights Campaign Website, www.hrc.org, Accessed 12/2/04)

-- "The Human Rights Campaign, The Largest National Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual And Transgender Advocacy Organization, Envisions An America Where GLBT People Are Ensured Of Their Basic Equal Rights, And Can Be Open, Honest And Safe At Home, At Work And In The Community." (Human Rights Campaign Website, www.hrc.org/, Accessed 1/31/05)

Reid Said Marriage Should Be Between A Man And Woman. "So marriage should be between a man and a woman, OK? I agree. But why do we need to have to amend the Constitution when we have the Defense of Marriage Act federally? We have the state Constitution, which has it in it." (Dave Berns, "Candidates See Religion's Role In Diverse Light," Las Vegas Review-Journal, 10/28/04)

-- But Reid Voted Against Federal Marriage Amendment. (S.J. Res. 40, CQ Vote No. 155: Motion Rejected 48-50: R 45-6; D 3-43; I 0-1, 7/14/04, Reid Voted Nay)

Feel free to call the RNC and ask tell them that since they feel Senator Reid's relationships with the gay community are relevant, you want to know what Ken Mehlman's relationships are with the gay community as well: 202-863-8614

More RNC phone numbers
Ken's office: 202-863-8700
Other RNC phone numbers: 202.863.8500, 202-863-8747, 202-863-8743 Read More......

Ellen MacArthur sets new solo, round-the-world sailing record

Pretty damned impressive. A few years ago she finished second in what is perhaps the most difficult sailing race in the world, the Vendee Globe and now this. To get a taste for just how difficult this kind of sailing is, check out Godforsaken Sea, which is about the 1996-97 race.
Read More......