christian grantham
Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later was a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD.
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February 17, 2005

Besides his career as a prostitute, who did James Dale Guckert work for prior to Talon News? Bobby Eberle's GOPUSA.

How did "Jeff Gannon" gain daily access to the White House for over two years under the guise of a "journalist" and then obtain a highly confidential intelligence memo used to smear the source of intelligence refuting the White House's WMD justifications for war?

Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer was so concerned about Talon News reporter James Guckert's potential ties to the Republican Party that he stopped calling on him at press briefings for about a week in 2003, Fleischer told E&P today.

"I found out that he worked for a GOP site, and I didn't think it was my place to call on him because he worked for something that was related to the party," Fleischer said in a phone interview. "He had the editor call me and made the case that they were not related to the Republican Party. He said they used the GOP name for marketing purposes only."

He said he resumed calling on Guckert, who used the alias Jeff Gannon, after Bobby Eberle, owner of both GOPUSA and Talon News, "assured me that they were not part of the Republican Party." Eberle is a Texas Republican activist and served as a delegate to the 2000 Republican National Convention.

Fleischer has not previously commented on the Gannon/Guckert affair.

"I don't think that party organizations should have people in that room acting as reporters," Fleischer said, explaining his initial concerns. "They are advocates, not reporters, and a line should be drawn." But, after speaking with Eberle and looking at Talon News, he was convinced that GOPUSA.com and Talon News were not official party sites.

"It looked like a conservative news organization," Fleischer said. "If I thought that they were part of the party, I would not have [resumed] calling on them."
[Ari Fleischer Tells E&P He Spoke to Gannon/Guckert's Boss - Editor & Publisher - 02-17-05]

How could I ever forget the White House Press Briefing three days before Gannon's first known appearance in the White House on February 28, 2003 February 25, 2005? It was one of the most memorable over the past three years! Watch this video (forward to the end) for one of the most revealing moments in the Bush Administration's White House Briefing Room. As Ari wrapped up the last question, the press corps literally laughed a very embarrassed and perturbed Ari Fleischer out of the room.

QUESTION: Ari, just to follow up on Mexico. Is it true that the administration is willing to give Mexico some sort of immigration agreements like amnesty or guest worker program, to assure the Mexican vote, as the French press is pointing out today and is quoting, actually, two different diplomats from the State Department?

MR. FLEISCHER: No, it's exactly as I indicated, that we have, on this issue, a matter of diplomacy and a matter of the merits. We ask each nation on the Security Council to weigh the merits and make a decision about war and peace. And if anybody thinks that there are nations like Mexico, whose vote could be bought on the basis of a trade issue or something else like that, I think you're giving -- doing grave injustice to the independence and the judgment of the leaders of other nations.

QUESTION -- the French press is quoting actually two different diplomats from the United States State Department that -- they're highlighting that the United States is giving some sort of agreements or benefits to Colombia -- and other non-members of the Security Council --

MR. FLEISCHER: I haven't seen the story. And you already have the answer, about what this will be decided on. But think about the implications of what you're saying. You're saying that the leaders of other nations are buyable. And that is not an acceptable proposition. (Laughter. Lots and Lots of Laughter.)
[White House Press Briefing - White House - 02-25-03]

Three days later, And there was our "Jeff Gannon" (30:07), the same "Jeff Gannon" that would later report having reviewed a highly confidential intelligence memo he used to smear Joe Wilson, who had intelligence refuting the White House's WMD justifications for war.