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The Homeland Security angle: How can someone who is so suceptible to extortion and blackmail get so close to the (p)resident? God knows what he could have been coerced into doing to keep his 'cover'. Why was he included in the distribution of the Plame memo? Who does security checks at the White House? If the Secret Service vetted this guy, the (p)resident better start walking around in body armor and a helmet. They suck.
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Lambert at Corrente today:
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NOTE It would be very interesting to know if blackmail—it wouldn't have to be very explicit—had anything to do with the mystery of Gannon's continued access. Personnaly, I'd think that a closeted married man would be the most vulnerable...
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Now, during my military career I held a top secret security clearance. When I was with SOCOM, I was privy to shit that could have started a major war. When I was with SAC I dealt with our nuclear arsenal. They never stopped impressing upon us the fact that our actions in our private lives would leave us open to blackmail. Doing drugs, homosexuality, were especially important on their list, adultery too. There were, they said, enemy agents (Soviet) always looking for American military members who could be turned to work for the Soviets.
My point being that subterfuge of the 'Gannon' sort is a security crisis. I don't give a shit he's gay, don't give a shit he's a prostitute, what I do give a shit about is the potential for blackmail, not of 'Gannon', but of other high-level White House officials. Those who gave him access. Especially with the anti-gay culture in the government right now. Especially with the amount of money floating around within the Beltway earmarked for political influence.
As our distinguished, esteemed colleagues at AMERICABlog, Kos, and World O'Crap have suggested, 'Gannon' quite possibly had a sexual relationship with someone at the White House. I wonder what that person would do to keep his job? I wonder what that person would give to keep his job? Did 'Gannon' blackmail this person to gain access to the White House in the first place? Why isn't anyone asking these questions beside the Lefty Blogs?
Armstrong Williams and the others, now 'Gannon'. It's one thing to use the press to push the White House agenda, those ethical questions are for another post. It's another for high-level government employees to put themselves in a position to be blackmailed. Those that deal with sensitive secrets could be swayed to divulge them (did someone say Valerie Plame?), or those dealing with policy could could be coerced to change it in favor of one group or another. When the government puts itself in this position, it affects the security of not only the Presidency, but the nation. This is unconscionable and another on the long list of crimes this administration and the Republican Party have committed against the people of the United States.
