From the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Thursday edition:
Reporter's role questioned
Democrats want to expand inquiry of alleged propaganda
By EUNICE MOSCOSO
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/24/05
WASHINGTON — Two prominent House Democrats urged the Government Accountability Office on Wednesday to investigate whether the Bush administration broke a law against using federal money for propaganda by giving what they called "pre-packaged stories" to former reporter James Guckert.
The lawmakers also said that a federal prosecutor investigating the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name should subpoena Guckert's journal. Guckert, who used the pseudonym Jeff Gannon at White House briefings for two years, is one of the reporters questioned about the leak of a CIA memo disclosing the identity of Plame, the wife of Bush war critic and former Ambassador Joseph Wilson....
Sen. Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat and House minority whip, is also circulating a letter to colleagues that asks the Bush administration how Guckert was able to gain access to White House press briefings with a false name and no journalism background, Editor & Publisher magazine reported Wednesday....
