Jeff "the Oracle" Gannon

Damn! There’s been some talk around here about how getting on my bad side wouldn’t be a good idea, but how about getting on John Aravosis’ bad side?

BREAKING NEWS: Gannon reportedly knew about "Shock and Awe" four hours before it happened

A news producer for a major network just told me that Gannon told the producer the "shock and awe" campaign launching the Iraq war was about to happen four hours before President Bush announced it to the nation.

According to the producer, Gannon specifically told them that in four hours the president was going to be making a speech to the nation announcing the "shock and awe" campaign had begun. The producer told me they were surprised that Gannon, working with such a small news outfit, could have access to such information, but "what did you know, he was right," the producer said today. The producer went on to say that Gannon often had correct scoops on major stories, including information about Mary Mapes and the Dan Rather BUSH/AWOL scandal that this news outlet got from Gannon before any had the information publicly.

This more than a few questions and points:

1. Assuming this news producer is telling the truth, and I have no reason to believe they are not, how did Gannon get access to such highly classified information as to when the Iraq war going to begin?

2. Even if Gannon were part of a press gaggle that was told embargoed information about the upcoming war by the White House, this producer alleges that Gannon broke the embargo, which is a security risk to the operation, and more generally shows that concerns about Gannon's White House access posing a risk to national security are now warranted.

3. How would someone on a day pass, who hadn't gotten the requisite 3-4 month FBI background check that other full-time White House employees get, get access to such highly classified information? Certainly the White House didn't include someone with simply a day pass in the highly-classified pre-briefing about when the war was happening (assuming such a briefing even occurred)? If the White House did a briefing and Gannon were included, this would mean ANYONE could walk in off the street, say they're a reporter, and provided by they don't have a criminal record, the White House will simply tell them at what hour we're launching a major war? And if there was no briefing for reporters, then how did Gannon allegedly find out?

4. How would Gannon get inside information on the Dan Rather scandal BEFORE the rest of the major media? Assuming the producer is correct, did it come from a White House source, and if so, what does this say about possible White House involvement in creating this scandal in the first place?

According to my source, Gannon's insider tidbits were always on the mark. "Gannon's stuff was always golden," the producer says. My source says they kept asking themself, "how does this small news outfit get this info?"

How indeed.

Fuck man, this guy can dig!

As an aside, I believe John Aravosis used to be a Republican, but since he’s gay, and intelligent, and not self-loathing, that was destined not to last. Now check him out. Ditto Media Matters’ David Brock. Too bad your tent wasn’t big enough for out queens, GOP.