Real World

I sent this letter to the editor this morning. I actually looked things up and verified them. Then I even used spell checker and Fleischer brought up fleshman. Um, I believe fleshman may actually not be a word, so at some point someone added it to my speller. Under what circumstances would you write fleshman? Something else to ponder...
To the Editor:
In the spirit of Sunshine Week, I'd like to shed a little light on the details regarding the 'Blog War', as reported in The Missoulian March 12. Blogs (shortened from web logs, or online opinion forums) are the 21st century's take on editorials, and the fact that anyone can be a blogger without formal journalism training or press credentials makes the admission of a blogger to White House press briefings a noteworthy event. However, comparing Garrett Graff, the subject of the article and a liberal pundit writing for Mediabistro.com, to Jeff Gannon is laughable.
Jeff Gannon, as reported by the Washington Post online, Salon.com, sourcewatch.org, and others, is the pseudonym of James Guckert (how do you get FBI clearance using a fake name?), an individual with a 2-day training course in journalism under his belt, who recently advertised himself as a male escort and posed nude on several gay websites. This man was allowed into the White House working for Talon News Service, a GOP activist website. Gannon/Guckert's questions were typically softballs lobbed to Pres. Bush or press secretary Fleischer loaded with criticism of Democrats. He has since quit his work with Talon.
Comparing Graff, an executive editor of the Harvard Crimson to Gannon/Guckert, an ex-male prostitute with a $50 journalism diploma, is a stretch. Both are newsworthy individuals, but it's like comparing Al Franken to John Holmes. Their "news" should fall in different sections of the newspaper.
Love and buds and stuff,
Me