Bush Admin Seeking Racial Info of Journalists – Again!

Back in July of 2003 I reported here that the Bush Administration requested to know the race of a photojournalist before allowing her to photograph Vice President Dick Cheney. The White House said that it was for security purposes. Apparently Vice President Cheney doesn’t feel secure being photographed by members of certain racial groups. Now the Bush Administration is requesting the racial information on journalists and guests scheduled to attend a reception tomorrow night with President Bush. It seems that VP Cheney isn’t the only one uncomfortable around members of certain racial groups.

“White House reporters said they were offended that after furnishing the customary information -- name, date of birth and Social Security number -- they were also asked for the race of each person expected to attend the small reception scheduled before the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner.” I wonder if the Bush Admin ever bothered to get Jeff Gannon/Jim Guckert’s name and other information. Guckert you will recall was the male prostitute using an assumed name allowed by the Bush Admin to pose as a reporter for years in the White House even asking Bush prepared soft ball questions at press conferences while lifelong journalists were prevented from attending them by the White House citing a stringent security background check that allowed this male escort to pose as a reporter.

“A White House official from the Clinton administration said race was not a field in the form it used to clear visitors into the executive mansion. A Bush White House spokesman referred calls to the Secret Service.”

ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News did not report the incident in 2003 and I fully expect them to keep this under wraps, too.

Joe