James Guckert Back In The News

Faux-reporter James Guckert is back in the news, if we can call "The Raw Story" the news.  Apparently, James Guckert sometimes went to the White House on days when no press briefing was scheduled, did not always sign in (or out), and sometimes left by a different exit than where he entered.

Steve Soto has fun with the questions for the conspiracy-minded, but eventually get to the one question that needs to be answered before the others are relevant:

I wonder how many other reporters have similar anomalies with their Secret Service security records?  Just asking.

Exactly.  At this point, we have no idea whether Guckert's sign-in behavior is unusual. 

Now, the two Dem Congressfolks who filed the FOIA request for Guckert's records are more interested in creating controversy than establishing the truth, so we don't fault them.  In fact, we admire Congresswoman Slaughter, who is back on the horse after a humilation with the Guckert-Plame connection that might have daunted a lesser woman.

However, if my interest was news rather than controversy - if, for example,  I were a regular White House correspondent - I would file a FOIA request for my own sign-in records, and see if there were gaps, oddities, and discrepancies.  One way or another, a story might emerge - either Guckert's case is odd, or White House security is a bit slipshod, or something.

(Possible caveat - it may well be that, like legislation and sausage, security procedures don't look good up close.  Maybe, just maybe, the White House regulars are ocassionally cut a bit of slack by the security folks, and publicizing that will only annoy the guards, force a crackdown, and inconvenience the reporters.)

MORE:  A commenter at Steve's mentions that some days Guckert signed in that did not include a press briefing did include a photo-op.  Oh, boy, unraveling already?

Comments

[creepy dude]

So someone in the White House is being serviced by a male prostitute? It's Clinton's fault.

According to ex-FBI man and right-wing hero Gary Aldrich, as detailed in his Limbaugh promoted book-Unlimited Access, Mrs. Clinton decorated the White House Christams tree with condoms, 'pornographic ornaments' and sex toys, and gay and lesbian sex among staff was openly practiced in the Clinton White House. Sounds weird, I agree, but all the famous right wingers really went with those allegations.

So obviously there's a Clinton holdover practicing the old ways in the Bush White House, must be a randy assistant chef or something.

[Danny Carlton]

If you don't know whether his behavior is out of the ordinary, why do you refer to him as "faux-reporter"? I have yet to hear anything that would clearly define him as fake. Lots of reporters use "stage names" (Geraldo Rivera and Larry King to name but two) and lots of reporters have worked in other fields before they became reporters.

[byrd]

I'd take Danny's defense a step further and point out that "The Raw News" is as real a news source as many others out there.

I have yet to hear a single legitamate question raised about Guckert's bona fides as a reporter. It seems to me a blogger especially should be leery of allowing a particular interest group (whether Daily Kos and friends or anyone else) to define what constitutes a reporter.

[Cecil Turner]

"I have yet to hear a single legitamate question raised about Guckert's bona fides as a reporter."

Possibly the best criticism is that as a former prostitute, he was overqualified. (And since I have it on good authority that those guys typically do little in cocktail circuits but compare schwanz sizes, he was perhaps overqualified there, as well.)

[ed]

Hmmmm.

If I ever win the lottery I'm going to start an online newspaper, hire Guckert and park in the White House Pressroom.

Why?

It'll drive the lefties absolutely mad.

And it'll give me a chuckle every morning.

[Neo]

So exactly who is Johnny Gosch ? What does he have to do with Hunter S Thompson ?

Personally, I fully expect to find out that J.G. is the son of Robert Byrd.

[NOTR]

Maybe he did it for "De Lay"?

Excuse me, I have to go wash my mind out with soap!