toledoblade.com --

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) believes the man who helped thrust her remarks two years ago comparing Osama bin Laden to American revolutionaries into national prominence is nothing more than a "double-agent" and a "phony plant."

Jeff Gannon, a conservative reporter whose controversial access to the White House cost him his job and ignited a national firestorm, says "Gannongate" is a monumental battle between old media and new media.

Last month questions about the former Talon News and GOPUSA.com online reporter began to emerge as political opponents discredited his journalistic credentials, saying he was planted in the White House briefing room to pitch pro-GOP questions and spread propaganda.

Two years ago Mr. Gannon, born James Guckert, used his seat in the White House press room to put a national spotlight on Miss Kaptur when he asked former press secretary Ari Fleischer why the President had not commented on the "offensive remarks by Democratic Congressman Marcy Kaptur, who likened Osama Bin Laden to our founding fathers?"

The question is among dozens posed by Mr. Gannon at the White House under scrutiny since it came to light that commentators have been paid to promote administration policy.

Kaptur

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"From the first day I opened my mouth there, people knew where I was coming from," Mr. Gannon said during a phone interview with The Blade. "I've never represented myself as anything else. I'm a conservative journalist."

After all, Mr. Gannon, who allegedly has been linked to a gay escort service, said, "If you want a plant, wouldn't you pick a better one than me?"

Miss Kaptur, though, believes there's more to the story, and she's joining calls by fellow Democrats for an investigation into Mr. Gannon's relationship with the White House. She said political opponents - including Mr. Gannon - "twisted" her words published in The Blade in 2003 as part of a well-orchestrated scheme to intimidate her.

"It lit the fuse for the entire network of Bush propagandists around the country and their media affiliates to commit a backlash based on a lie," said Miss Kaptur, who later apologized to those offended, saying she meant to draw an analogy between the motivating forces behind rebellions. "They twisted it and turned it into something I never said."

In a March 1, 2003, article in The Blade, Miss Kaptur explained that revolutionaries used religious passions to "cast off monarchical Britain" with help from the groups like the Green Mountain Boys, a militia organized in Bennington, Vt., in 1770. She continued, "One could say that Osama bin Laden and these non-nation-state fighters with religious purpose are very similar to those kind of atypical revolutionaries that helped cast off the British crown."

Her words quickly became fodder for talk radio hosts. She was criticized from all sides, including opponents like Lucas County Auditor Larry Kaczala, her challenger in last year's congressional race, who called for her resignation. As the storm began to settle in the political media, Mr. Gannon brought the comments up during the White House press briefings on consecutive days - on March 10 and March 11, 2003. Responding to Mr. Gannon, Mr. Fleischer characterized the remarks as "reprehensible," saying he knew of "no basis for anybody to have said that or believe in it."

During a news conference in late January, Mr. Gannon asked President Bush a question pertaining to the Democratic view of Social Security reform, saying: "How are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?" Questions about his credentials arose soon after the President fielded his question. He resigned from his reporting position last month.

Mr. Gannon is now blogging on his online site, jeffgannon.com. He believes it's ironic that "the one conservative voice was one too many for the White House briefing room."

"There's a whole new world out there of information gathering," said Mr. Gannon, who denied that he has any ties to the Republican party. "These other guys are trying to protect a franchise."

Contact Steve Eder at:
seder@theblade.com
or 419-724-6728.

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