[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
OF CLOSETS AND CLINTON
by Doug Ireland
[Excerpts from an article in "The Nation." Doug Ireland was onetime
media critic for the "Village Voice."]
[The "Frank rule" for outing homosexuals is named for Barney Frank who
ended an orgy of gay bashing by rightwingers by threatening to name
some of their own. The rule, naturally, is that it is permissible to
out gays only to stop gay bashing by the outees.]
[-]
The first indication that the Clinton White House might be violating
the Frank rule came in late February, when MSNBC reported that Clinton
loyalists had been leaking derogatory rumors about members of the
independent counsel Kenneth Starr's staff, including matters of
"sexual preference..."
As both a journalist and as someone who's gay, my interest was
sparked, and I began making calls to determine whether the outing
accusations were true. Three members of the media confirmed to me
that Sidney Blumenthal, the White House media counselor, had indeed
been spreading such stories. They'd heard him do it. These reputable
members of the Beltway media agreed to tell me what they knew only if
guaranteed complete anonymity; they were afraid of losing access to
White House sources, and of possible reprisals. Two said
that Blumenthal told them directly of the same-sex orientation of a
member of Starr's staff, and third said he had been present for a
conversation in which Blumenthal made such a comment to a third
person.
The claims about Blumenthal's activities go beyond Starr's office. On
the February 25 "Nightline," ABC's Chris Bury reported that Blumenthal
"is not only suspected [of] leaking damaging material about Starr's
staff, sources tell "Nightline" he has been disparaging aggressive
reporters on the Lewinsky story to their colleagues in the media."
Two of the members of the media I spoke to about the Starr allegations
also said Blumenthal had described at least two other media figures to
them as gay. One of those sources, as well as other people who know
Blumenthal, described him as as fascinated by sexual gossip that they
said he recycles as part of his defense of the Clintons.
When I called Blumenthal, he branded the outing charges a "complete
lie." When told my sources said they had heard the outing information
from his lips, he reiterated, "They did not." People who know
Blumenthal maintain that he is not a homophobe.
[Interesting. A recruit perhaps who must overcome his reluctance to
bash gays. :-} ]
Reporters' fears of White House retribution are hardly groundless.
The excellent new book by "Washington Post" media reporter Howard
Kurtz, "Spin Cycle: Inside the Clinton Propaganda Machine" (Free
Press), recounts how Blumenthal, "still writing for 'The New Yorker'
but increasingly whispering political advice to Hillary," had dreamed
up an attack on "Washington Post" reporter Susan Schmidt for her
coverage of the Clinton scandals that was to be used to undermine the
respected reporter with her newspaper. Although dissemination of the
critical assault on Schmidt was eventually squelched by presidential
press secretary Mike McCurry, Kurtz's book is replete with details of
other reporters considered guilty of lese-majeste who were frozen
out of White House access or had complaints lodged against them with
their bosses.
While I was making my inquiries, a column by Michael Kelly, a senior
writer for "National Journal," appeared in the March 5 "Post" under
the heading "Clinton's Whisperers." Kelly wrote: "One particularly
aggressive campaign involves a prosecutor who is a bachelor, and who
has been the subject of smears concerning both his professional
conduct and his past sex life...Other recent calls to Starr's office
from journalists reportedly have concerned such pertinent matters as
whether a member of the investigation was a closeted homosexual and
whether another person was involved in a sexual relationship with a
reporter."
[-]
Such conduct constitutes a fraud and a deception on gays who voted
overwhelmingly for Clinton, who in both his '92 and '96 campaigns
received millions of gay-raised dollars...
[The wily Chinese Communists got more for their money. There have
been quite tangible benefits for them.]
Best, Terry
"Lawyer - one trained to circumvent the law" - The Devil's Dictionary
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