Fair is fair, so I have no problem at all with this story:
The conservative reporter who asked President Bush a loaded question at a news conference last month resigned yesterday after liberal bloggers uncovered his real name and raised questions about his background.
Jeff Gannon, who had been writing for the Web sites Talon News and GOPUSA, is actually James Dale Guckert, 47, and has been linked to online domain addresses with sexually provocative names. He has been under scrutiny since asking Bush how he could work with Senate Democratic leaders “who seem to have divorced themselves from reality.” The information about Gannon was posted on the liberal sites Daily Kos, Atrios and World o’ Crap.
Under the headline “A Voice of the New Media: The Voice Goes Silent,” Gannon wrote on his personal Web page that because of the attention “I find it is no longer possible to effectively be a reporter for Talon News” and that he is quitting “in consideration of the welfare of me and my family.”
The guy misrepresented himself in a partisan effort to make the President look good, so hounding him out of his job seems more than fair. But that’s not what interests me. And no matter whether you agree or disagree, Gannon’s plight shouldn’t be what interests you about this story, either.
What’s interesting is, Howard Kurtz wrote the story. On Wednesday. As the story broke. And without giving much (if any) sympathy to Gannon.
Compare and contrast that performance with Kurtz’s week-long delay and effort at “public relations” (Mickey Kaus’s phrase) in favor of Eason Jordan this last week.
Howie, it’s time you got a new beat or one fewer boss to sign your many paychecks. Choose wisely.
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