Gannon involved in smear campaign against Daschle

[suegeo]

John (introduce a federal bill to ban gay marriage) Thune secretly paid bloggers to trash Tom Daschle. And the bloggers used a lot of fake reporter Gannon's/Gukert's fake news stories to do their trashing.

Moreover, the bloggers should be people who are beyond reproach, a history professor, and a lawyer (then a student).

The history professor got like $27,000 for his lies, and the law student only 8K. But, the student then got a job in Thune's office, so no evil deed goes unrewarded.

I wonder where Thune got the money to pay for these ass clowns?

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2005/02/18/gannon/

SNIIP

While promoting Talon and Gannon as credible journalistic sources, Lauck's blog reprinted sensational paragraphs posted by Gannon on the Talon News Web site, urging readers to take special note of the Talon reporter's "quite interesting article" about Daschle's "Sopranos-style" tactics. The story contained no actual evidence of misconduct by either the Democratic senator or the Sioux Falls newspaperman, beyond anonymous quotes that accused them of Mafia-like intimidation of "small business owners" and other beleaguered anti-Daschle dissidents. (The "Sopranos" story, like all of Gannon's other works, has been scrubbed by Talon's Republican owners from their Web site.)

The bloggers promoted dozens of Talon News attacks on Daschle, under the false flag of journalistic independence. They proclaimed themselves the paladins of truth, battling against South Dakota's "liberal media." Nobody in South Dakota would know until months after Nov. 2, when Daschle was so narrowly defeated, that those "independent" bloggers dogging him had been subsidized by the Thune campaign. But there, on the final post-election filings, were the names Lauck and Van Beek, who had been paid $27,000 and $8,000, respectively.

ON EDIT: Fairly decent commentary (about this rightwing smear crap) can be found at this left-leaning south dakota blog:

http://dakotatoday.typepad.com/

[Ivote]

1. Also Check This Out

It's a doozy
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/18/122051/247

[autorank]

2. Hey, South Dakota, here's an idea for you.

Once it's nailed down, the Thune-Gannon connection, and publicized, Daschle or some prominent Democrat in SD should give a major address demanding the resignation of Thune for his intense involvement with a fake journalist who also happens to be a male prostitute. Outraged terms and tone...time for Thune to go.

I don't know if Daschle has the stomach for this after what he's been through but there has to be a SD Democrat who can pull off the accusations.

This is just outrageous, letting one sleaze ball ("Gannon") exalt the career of another sleaze ball ("Thune").

[wishlist]

3. Keith Olbermann covered this tonight- equated it to money laundering

Keith did a great job bringing out these details of the Thune-Gannon connection on his show tonight.

[uppityperson]

4. Be REALLY nice if it could happen. Demand a revote!

Well, bitching is working here in WA.

[autorank]

5. Have to ba a re-vote since Gov. Rounds is a Republican and he'd

obviously appoint one. BTW, saw some Rounds sites. He's looking like a Jeff playmate with some of those black tee shirt shots.

Here's an idea, how about Thune resigning in disgrace and Rounds appointing Big Eddie Shults. We have lots of red meat here in the DC area and Big Eddie can hunt all he wants in VA & West VA. We will welcome him and treat him like the Falstaffian character he is.