In this endeavor, the Bush-Cheney faction relied heavily on the media, and the Libby trial demonstrates how the administration took a campaign to, and through, major media figures to attribute purported nepotism to a CIA office. But just as a reminder, “Jeff Gannon” -- actually James Guckert --- demonstrates that small fish also had their uses; it wasn't only the Tim Russerts of the world who served.
The excerpts below from White House Press Briefiings and Gaggles during Scott McClellan's tenure represent only a fraction of the faux-journalist Gannon/Guckert's White House-friendly lines and, undoubtedly, helpful Administration-approved attacks on Wilson...
[October 1, 2003]
MR. MCCLELLAN: Jeff?
Q Thank you.
Q (Inaudible) --- answer the question.
MR. MCCLELLAN: You have a hypothetical? (Laughter.) I asked for a hypothetical.
Q (Off mike.) You know, I'm no Bob Novak, but my feelings are really hurt that nobody leaked anything to me. (Laughter.)
Has the White House asked George Tenet or anyone else at the CIA why they would send a partisan like Ambassador Wilson on this mission? And because he is so partisan --
MR. MCCLELLAN: Has who asked? Has who asked anybody?
Q Has the White House asked George Tenet or anyone at the CIA why they would send a partisan like Ambassador Wilson on this mission? He's proven himself to be partisan, and does that cast doubt on the report that he filed in this matter?
MR. MCCLELLAN: Yeah, I think we've kind of been through this issue already. I don't know of any such conversations. Certainly --- you know, I don't think it's my position to get into speculating about someone's motives. I think that is a role for you in the media to determine how to follow, and how to --- and how to present --- but I --
Q Is --- is the White House the least bit curious about how they --- how the process was that Ambassador Wilson was chosen to go on this very important mission
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