I recommend this common sense blog post about the James Guckert/Jeff Gannon story as a good source of background.
The left-wing idiots of the blogosphere are making a big deal about how giving James Guckert access to the president was a big security violation. Why? Because he sold his body to other gay men? Exactly how does this make him dangerous? Are the left-wingers afraid that Mr. Guckert was going to unzip his pants and stick it into the part of W's body where the sun doesn't shine? The fact is that Guckert may have had a sleazy sex life, but he was no danger to the president.
As I am blogging anonymously, you may choose to ignore the following if you wish and call it a made up story. But yours truly, the Libertarian Man of Mystery has a Secret Clearance and a Public Trust clearance. Now, before you bow down in awe, know that hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, have these clearances, so it's really no big deal.
Now, if the process required to get a White House press pass is similar to what's required to get one of the clearances I have, I doubt that Mr. Guckert would have been spotted as a risk. What is the security clearance process looking for? Bad financial history, drug use, alcohol abuse, criminal history, connections with radical or anti-US groups (Guckert's connection with the Republican Party wouldn't have raised any red flags) and unaccounted for absences from employment.
Guckert may have been a "homosexual prostitute" (whatever that is), but unless he was arrested for it, the investigator wouldn't have known about it.
Some have said, "if bloggers could use Google to find Guckert's sordid sexual history, why didn't the government investigator(s)?" Well first of all, it hardly suprises me that hundreds of internet-savvy idealogically motivated bloggers could find dirt where a single retired FBI guy in his sixties (the typical security clearance investigator) with a big caseload of clearances to work on would not.
And even if the FBI guy found a gay website operated by Mr. Guckert, well, being gay isn't a crime, is it? I don't think the security clearance investigators look into this anymore; no one ever asked me my sexual orientation.
The fact is that Guckert may have had a sleazy sex life, but he was no danger to the president.
I don't really care about whether or not he was a "danger" to the president (because I don't really care if this president lives or dies), but I think the idea is that he was easily blackmailable due to his "career". I'm not sure why that's a danger, exactly, but ...
Guckert may have been a "homosexual prostitute" (whatever that is),
It's when a man fucks other men and/or lets other men fuck him in exchange for money.
Posted by: dadahead | February 22, 2005 at 02:57 PM
(1) I'm not sure exactly what a blackmailer could get out of him. It's not like a reporter is privy to actual secret information. I'm sure the only purpose of the background investigation is to make sure that the reporter isn't a physical danger to anyone.
(2) Prostitution is illegal because of the unequal power relationship between the sexes. This isn't really an issue between two homosexual men.
Posted by: Libertarian Man of Mystery | February 22, 2005 at 03:34 PM
Disagree. There needs to be Affirmative Action for twinks! (Okay, I'm not actually contributing anything constructive to the discussion. :)
Posted by: Karen | February 22, 2005 at 04:12 PM
I guess some people are arguing that he WAS privy to secret info -- the whole Plame thing.
Posted by: dadahead | February 22, 2005 at 05:34 PM
I guess some people are arguing that he WAS privy to secret info -- the whole Plame thing.
But that had absolutely nothing to do with his security clearance.
Posted by: Libertarian Man of Mystery | February 22, 2005 at 10:39 PM
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