Wow…CourtTV’s Catherine Crier on Crier Live just covered virtually everything we’ve ever discussed on this blog in one fell swoop! Had I known it was possible, I would have used five and a half minutes to tell all these stories, instead of the past two years! 😉
As well, she included several incredibly kind words about both The BRAD BLOG and yours truly (and a picture of me to boot, sorry about that!) generously urging folks to visit this site:
She covered loads of stories that we’ve been secretly reporting here where the rest of the MSM could never ever notice… From the recent Busby/Bilbray Diebold voting machine “sleepover” fiasco to the Hand Count Fee scam that’s followed, to the video-taped testimony of vote-rigging whistleblower Clint Curtis naming Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) as the rigger, to Bush-appointed former EAC commissioner DeForest Soaries’ exposure of the cruel federal hoax, to now-disgraced Monterey County, CA Registrar of Voters Tony “Trust Me” Anchundo who faces 43 criminal counts and much more!
I was contacted recently by the show and they informed me they have been BRAD BLOG readers for quite a while. Their report this evening demonstrates that quite clearly. They managed to show, very smartly and in a single report, how all of these items we’ve been reporting on — for what seems like forever — actually all tie together. (What, no Ann Coulter Voter Fraud to boot? Maybe next week…)
I’d pull out some quotes, but it won’t do her report justice. See the full video (courtesy of David Edwards, natch) or text transcript which are both available below.
I’ve been asked to appear on the show next week, and we’re trying to work out the dates to see if it’s possible, since — theoretically — I’m supposed to be hitting the road for a long-planned and much-needed vacation for several weeks after appearing at this weekend’s DemocracyFest! in San Diego. But hopefully we’ll work something out…
— Video in Streaming Flash format…
— Video in Windows Media format…
Below is the text transcript as forwarded by the good Crier Live folks [and edited slightly for legibility]…
Airdate: July 11, 2006
CRIER: This past November, when Republican Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunnigham resigned his seat after pleading guilty to taking 2.4 mILLion dollars in bribes, many wondered if politics in California’s 50th district could get any worse…((sot))”The truth is: I broke the law, concealed my conduct and disgraced my office.”
VIDEO: “Hopefully, this 100-month sentence that Mr. Cunningham received will help restore the public’s confidence in our system and respect for our laws.”
CRIER: Well, the special election held to replace Cunnigham has not come close. Not even 24 hours after the polls closed and before the final count was certified, with a margin of only 4000 votes, Republicans declared Brian Bilbray the winner.
Six days later, House Speaker Dennis Hastert posed with Bilbray in a mock swear-in ceremony. The pose was for the benefit of the press, hopefully putting to rest any notion that Bilbray’s victory was in question. Hours later, on the House floor, Brian Bilbray was sworn in for real.
((sot))
CRIER: You will well and faithfully .. 109th Congress (applause)
CRIER: So what’s the problem?
The electronic voting machines used in the election had an unauthorized “sleepover” before election day. That’s right. Volunteer poll workers were told to take the machines home with them. Some spent weeks in garages or in the backs of cars before going to the polling places. Now why is this a problem? Simple – the Diebold optical scan and touch-screen voting systems used in San Diego have been found to be easily hackable – How easily? New York University’s Brennan School for Justice enlisted the help of a team of cyber security experts who determined that one person with sophisticated technical knowledge and timely access to the software could rig an entire election. Seems far-fetched?
IN MON: Clint Curtis
Meet computer progammer Clint Curtis. On December 13th, 2004, Curtis testified under oath to the House Judiciary on Voting Security, Here’s what he had to say:
SOT–Curtis Testimony
VIDEO:
Q. Mr. Curtis, are there programs that can be used to secretly fix elections?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you know that to be the case?
A. Because in October of 2000, I wrote a prototype for congressman Tom Feeney at the company I worked for in Oviedo, Florida, that did just that.
Q. And when you say “did just that”, you mean it would rig an election?
A. It would flip the vote 51-49 to whoever you wanted it to go to and which race you wanted to win.
Q. And would that program that you designed be something that elections officials that might be on county boards of elections could detect?
A. They’d never see it…
CRIER: They’d never see it.
As for the special election in California’s 50th district, there are lingering questions. the San Diego County Registrar says a manual recount of the paper ballot trail would cost upwards of 150,000 dollars, payable by anyone who wants to know if the election is sound and secure. that’s about a buck a vote for the district 50 contest. It is an arbitrary number, decided by the Election Board. In Orange County, a hand count is quoted at a cost of only fourteen cents a vote.
If you think the sleepover issue is bad: There are currently voting machine-related lawsuits and investigations in twenty states in our union.
Moving on: In the wake of Florida’s 2000 Presidential Election uproar, President Bush set up the first-ever Election Assistance Commision.
IN MON: DeForest Soaries
He put the Reverend DeForest Soaries in charge. Soaries, a Republican, has since quit, telling Rolling Stone magazine:
“It wasn’t until I worked in Washington on an issue as generic as this that i realized how pitiful and perhaps how hopeless Washington really is. For God’s sake, if any issue should be the catalyst for bipartisan cooperation, this is the issue: voting. It was probably the worst experience of my life. i found that there is very little interest in Washington for true Election Reform.”
And therefore, very little interest in real democracy.
IN MON: BRAD BLOG
If you want to learn more about the state of our election process, I urge you to visit Bradblog.com. Brad Friedman has worked doggedly on this issue, amassing tons of vaulable news and information on this subject. A recent entry of his sums up the most important question facing our democracy: Can we trust the people running our elections?
On a recent talk-show, Brad asked the Monterey County Registrar of Voters, Tony Anchundo, how he would proceed in the event of an election tally discrepancy. Andchundo told Brad Friedman:
Quote: “There is obviously going to have to be some trust and faith in the elections official, or in this case, it’s me.”
On July 6, the Salinas Californian newspaper reported that Tony Anchundo had just been charged with twenty-five counts of forgery, fourteen counts of misapplication of funds, three counts of embezzlement, falsification of accounts by a public officer and one count of grand theft.
I don’t want simply to trust election officials, especially since so many are activists within their political parties. I don’t want simply to trust election machinery that can easily be manipulated, altered or hacked into. Instead, I want to trust but verify. It is time for an independent non-partisan election commission to monitor registration and balloting across the country, and it is time to mandate complete, verifiable security for the votes cast by citizens on election day. Democracy begins with the sanctity of the ballot box. It musn’t end there.
And that’s The Crier Wire.
I just love the conviction with which she speaks. Music to my ears. Brad, you looked great in your close-up! 😉
Let this catch fire from Crier!
Brad congratulations…this is great. I hope you manage to get on the show. You also need a vacation but somehow I can’t see you resting 🙂 Not yet anyway. You’re on a roll.
Whoa. I had to pinch myself and watch it again. Finally some well deserved outrage on these issues. Hopefully this will draw some “legal” types that will be horrified when they see what is going on.
— Chris Hooten
Great stuff, Brad! I strongly agree with the first three comments on this incredible thread!
It’s not up yet, but at some point video of today’s crierwire should appear here:
http://www.courttv.com/onair/shows/crierlive/
She also has her own website:
http://www.criercommunications.com/
Wow. Wow. Wow. Fan-tastic!
Ms. Crier, you are a godsend!
Hey, any other media folks out there: see what Ms. Crier is doing? It’s called being a PATRIOT. So put down that payola and start telling the truth NOW while we still have any freedoms left!
+++
Also, this weekend the LA Times for the first time ever printed a letter (In the Sunday Calendar section) from a reader saying Bush stole 2000 and 2004 and our elections are a sham.
+++
Here’s something all us intrepid Brad Bloggers can do: Write Dan Abrams, the new General Manager of MSNBC. In a recent article in Television Week magazine, Abrams was talking about shaking up MSNBC so it’s not perceived as an also ran to Fox and CNN. So why note send Mr. Abrams a letter telling him one very clear way to boost MSNBC into first place is by TELLING THE TRUTH about the Bush administration.
Heck, and how about some exposes??? Remember those? Start with: 1) Busby/Bilbray in San Diego. 2) The hostile takeover of our elections thanks to HAVA. 3) The numerous inconsistencies and outright lies in the official account of 9-11. Follow the money! 4) Kiplinger’s magazine revealed this week that Cheney’s investment portfolio shows he’s betting on the US economy to collapse and has invested accordingly. I’d sure like to put a mic in his face and ask him, “Hey, Dick, What the fuck???”
And ON and ON. The network that covers these stories will SURELY be number one with a bullet.
viewerservices@msnbc.com
Mr. Dan Abrams
General Manager, MSNBC
NBC News30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10112
Wow…for some reason, this one really got to me – I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes. I can’t believe this. It’s finally come full circle, the rest of the country is finally hearing what we’ve known for a couple of years now.
Sometimes it felt like a dream, and like a lot of the rest of you (I’m sure), I was getting sooo tired, spinning wheels and going nowhere.
Thanks, I really needed this.
Did I mention I really like you people? *s*
I love it when great blogsters like Brad Friedman, and great reporters like Catherine Crier, can work together in such a fantastic way to inform the public and serve them as a free press should. I hope this sets the pattern of what to expect in the future. My hats off to all the folks that helped make this story happen.
We can’t stop now though. I would only hope that this challenges the next set of folks in the press to pick up where Catherine has opened up the door and we get Brad, etc. on Keith Olberman, and other places where they can also get a fair shake and be heard more widely.
But Brad, I also remember you talking with us about that much needed vacation at the Oceanside rally too. Make sure and fit that in too. We’re going to need you at full strength this fall! Hope to see you in San Diego this weekend!
So… where is the software that was written by Clint Curtis? Did it get distributed more widely by any chance?
George, all we know for sure is that Curtis delivered the software. Beyond that, use your imagination. Check out Curtis’ blog at http://www.clint-curtis.blogspot.com for more on this.
{ed note: Comment deleted due to editorial confusion. –99}
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Great Clip – Tight, Right to the point, Concise, quick, factual and done with an authenticly passionate delivery!
First, Brad, this is wonderful. The more different voices we get on this issue, from all parts of the political spectrum, the better.
But that leads me to my specific comment to ‘Neoconvict” and others. Please, STAY ON MESSAGE here. This is arguably the most dangerous challenge to our democracy in history. We are getting people aware of it. Again, we need Republicans and Democrats, Conservatives and Liberals working together on this.
We are not going to get this if we bash Bush or Cheney, as much as they deserve bashing and are getting it in other areas and on other sites. We are not going to get it if we start arguing whether the Bush elections were stolen. (Yes, I think they may have been, but we can’t do a damn thing about it, we don’t have the sort of case we need or the support to overthrow them. We are going to have Bush as President whatever happens. So drop it, at least for here and now. It makes us feel great to say it, but it has no possible positive effect and will alienate some of the people we are trying to talk to and convince of the seriousness of what is going on.) And for god’s sake — pick a god, any god — don’t bring up any off the wall 9/11 conspiracy theories. They are nonsense, and they will send anyone with sense running rather than get close to them. (We will already have a problem talking to the ‘Skeptical Community” because RFK Jr has written his argument, because of his previous, demonstrably false, thimerosal-mercury-autism link article. Just they fact that someone who was as monstrously wrong as he was there is saying what we are saying will get people looking at us the wrong way.)
This, the question of keeping our democracy, of making sure that votes are counted as cast, that machines are not hacked or preprogrammed to change results is the key issue. Discuss the others elsewhere, but here, we need to reach people, not turn them off.
(Brad, sorry if I came across this pompously, and certainly it is your blog and I had no right to say what i did, but I hope you agree with me.)
Well, Prup, I can agree with you that we need to convince people of the seriousness of this, and the front page of this blog has been about solid election fraud issues for about a month, in the sincere wish to do just that. There is a tradition of free speech in this country, and at this blog, and there are VERY many people who disagree with you on what is serious and what is not. Some think, say, that 9/11 Truth is serious as cancer, and that domestic spying, etc. are as dire. Maybe you have noticed me trying to keep people from running off down the garden path too far, and trying to keep some humor, that we may stay headed in the right direction and unburden ourselves of some of the spiritual weight this places on our hearts.
There are a lot of truly wonderful hearts, truly patriotic souls, who post here, and it is a privilege to interact with them. So. We are not muzzling people who want the right things for our country just because some say their concerns are silly, or crazy, or wrong. I want people to come here and get the straight dope really, really badly, but there are also tons of links to good materials all over the front page if people can’t hang with the comments.
On top of this: we are dealing with a really stultifying issue here. It is not colorful (except for the page colors) 😛 — too much like having to sit on a really hard town hall folding chair while someone explains really abstruse and boring stuff to you. So there needs to be some venting, some levity, some momentary distraction, some personality to it, or that really WILL turn people off. If they’re open-minded enough to come check it out, I think they will be tolerant enough of the personalities in here.
Really, don’t you think? Seems as if a lot of important people are taking note, have been reading for quite a while, and it has not stopped them from coming on the air and saying so.
It’s abundantly clear that this site is all about the real America, what real Americans hold dear, and will fight for. I don’t think anybody who wants our country back is going to be so turned off by the people who comment that they won’t take the core message. WE HAVE LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS TO GET ELECTION INTEGRITY BACK! If you look around, I think you’ll see plenty of reminders like this. If you follow some links in the comments, you will find even more that drives home the point of the size of the seriousness of this issue. Think about it.
Wow, Catherine, what an ending… [Chilling and to the point.]
WILL democracy “end there” — at our violated ballot boxes?
Utah state officials such as their Lieutenant Governor apparently have no problem with such an end (they already have their own Imperialist Orrin Hatch to rule over them and to suppress any sign of democracy that tries to rear its head in the United States Senate).
The people of Mexico are now in the throes of resistance against just such top-down ending of democracy by obvious and mind-numbing efforts to conceal the will of the voters.
Where are our public servants in Washington speaking out for OUR votes? In the national broom closet? In the cloakroom? I can’t hear a thing from here.
Brad – You’ve earned the kudos – and that’s a great, sly-looking photograph Ms. Crier used. Now she’s someone who ought to be anchoring the nightly television news broadcasts.
I hope the money can be found for the hand count in CD-50. I’m sure blackboxvoting.org will do all it can to help. If only we could count on the DNC for as much principled backing as bbv offers the people – like an offer from Howard Dean of a little of the cash he’s collected from the voters to invest in the cause of protecting the sanctity of our votes with a thorough hand-count in California CD-50. If only…
I’m closing in on contempt for the political hacks wandering cluelessly around Washington, D.C. – they are in way over their heads, and the water is rising. Man the lifeboats, everyone.
Dammit, 99 I had to look up “stultifying:”
—-
stul·ti·fy (stÅl’tÉ™-fÄ«’) pronunciation
tr.v., -fied, -fy·ing, -fies.
1. To render useless or ineffectual; cripple.
2. To cause to appear stupid, inconsistent, or ridiculous.
3. Law. To allege or prove insane and so not legally responsible.
[Late Latin stultificÄre, to make foolish : Latin stultus, foolish + Latin -ficÄre, -fy.]
stultification stul’ti·fi·ca’tion (-fÄ-kÄ’shÉ™n) n.
stultifier stul’ti·fi’er n.
—
LOL 😛 Chris Hooten, ye gots me in da funny bone big!
I meant it in the first sense, but I’m actually laughing out loud by substituting in the rest of them… almost rolling on the floor….
Good thing I vacuumed in here yesterday!
Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhaaaaahaha!
Well, plus, Prup… I’m not sure the matter of thimerosal-mercury-autism has been disproven as dispositively as your wording suggests. I’m not up on the subject, but… I think they have not been able to conclusively prove a link. EVEN if Bobby Kennedy had, or has, been dead wrong about it, taking it on at all shows humanity, manhood, devotion to civic duty, and so more people are likely to be turned off by the casting of aspersions on him as a source than anything else you mention.
Did you READ his piece in Rolling Stone? He did not pull any of that out of a hat, and he obviously has Brad’s full endorsement, so, shoot, I don’t want to be grouchy, but I really think you should read that piece, and google up his appearance on Charlie Rose the other night, try listening to his radio show. If there is a soul in America who could bring us to our senses on this issue, he is the most likely of them all. Think of the agony this world has heaped on him, and LOOK at all the decent things he has done with his life, listen to the beautiful things he says.
Stop right where you are, and reconsider, please.
Here’s another one:
ab·struse (ăb-strÅ«s’, É™b-) pronunciation
adj.
Difficult to understand; recondite. See synonyms at ambiguous.
—-
Yeah, everyone knows recondite, right? 🙂
—-
rec·on·dite (rÄ•k’É™n-dÄ«t’, rÄ-kÅn’dÄ«t’) pronunciation
adj.
1. Not easily understood; abstruse. See synonyms at ambiguous.
2. Concerned with or treating something abstruse or obscure: recondite scholarship.
3. Concealed; hidden.
—-
As in:
The word “abtruse” is rather recondite. 🙂
Especially since it is misspelled. I mean “abstruse.”
By Jove! I think he’s got it! 😛
Thanx .
Prup says
and then goes on to tell us which subjects we shouldn’t talk about and which viewpoints we shouldn’t express. Bah! Humbug!
In my humble and slightly frozen opinion, fraudulent elections and synthetic terror are two sides of the same coin. Sorry to say this, Krup, but if people from all parts of the political spectrum read this, then they might learn something. You might learn something too, Grup, if you hang around and read — with an open mind!
Listen: Prior to 2000 the PNAC wanted “a New Pearl Harbor” so they could invade the Middle East and thereby “Rebuild America’s Defenses”. But how could they get one of those?
After stealing the 2000 presidential election, Bush and Cheney installed at least half a dozen key PNAC members in high offices, and less than eight months later the towers came tumbling down. You do the math, Plup. It takes longer to have a baby.
9/11 was the hinge on which the whole country turned — remarkably easily, don’t you think? It set the stage for the invasion of Afghanistan, but Bush really wanted to go to Iraq, and he couldn’t get there without control of the Senate and he couldn’t get control of the Senate without getting rid of Paul Wellstone. And so Wellstone was executed and a few Senatorial races were stolen and the Senate went Republican and suddenly the destruction and occupation of Iraq became possible.
And that happened too, but by 2004, most of the country was starting to wake up from the lies that had paved the road to war in Iraq, if not the Middle East in general, and the truth about the road to war had started to come out, and all sorts of horrible revelations had been made about torture and so on, and there was a very real danger that if the they were removed from power they would go straight to prison — for ever! — and so another election had to be stolen. This time it was much harder, so they worked harder, played more “dirty tricks” in more different places than ever before, and we’ve been discussing the evidence of this ever since BEFORE the election that Kerry seemed to have won until everyone on the East Coast went to bed only to wake up the next morning and find out that everything they had known the day before had been reversed overnight. Bah! Humbug.
And the so-called War on so-called Terror has threatened to go limp many times over the past few years, and the so-called Coalition of the so-called Willing has shrunk many times and has threatened to shrink even more, and the only two things holding both the so-called War and the so-called Coalition together are a series of the most fishy-smelling so-called “terrorist” bombings, in places such as Bali, Madrid, London, and oh no did I forget to mention NYC and Washington? We’re supposed to believe that the world’s most expensive and sophisticated intelligence and defense network could not even protect its own headquarters? Bah! Humbug!
How do we recover from such astonishing abuse at the hands of our own (albeit unelected) government? Well let’s put it this way, Prop: We cannot peacefully take our country back and throw all these traitors in prison until and unless we can vote them out of office. And that means we have to be able to vote. It also means we have to be sure that all our votes are counted correctly, and that the candidate who gets the most votes wins.
We are tired of the fake elections, Pruk, and we are tired of the fake terror too. We are especially tired of the direction the country has been going, prodded along by the combination of synthetic terror and fraudulent elections. And this blog is a place where people can speak freely. So we do.
I have heard it said many times that 9/11 would have been much worse if Gore were president. But that doesn’t make any sense to me. If Gore were president, there wouldn’t have been any PNAC members in key offices, and there would have been nobody telling the FBI not to investigate all the warnings they were getting, and 9/11 might very well not have happened at all.
Do you get it now, Prip? If we had electoral integrity in 2000 we probably wouldn’t have had synthetic terror in 2001 and we probably would not be in this phony war against phony terror that now threatens to consume everything the USA ever stood for, and then the USA itself, and finally the rest of the world.
And some of us who still harbor a bit of hope for our country and the world still think that if we can get enough electoral integrity in time — by November, by 2008, and so on — we might be able to establish something like a sane government again.
That’s why the issue of electoral integrity is so important, Plop. At least that’s how it seems to me. And it’s a good thing that we have voices “from all parts of the political spectrum” here, otherwise some of us might get a bit intimidated by otherwise unknown posters who pop up out of nowhere and warn us against mentioning certain subjects which we have been discussing openly here for years.
So listen up, Plug: it’s about electoral integrity, because that seems to be the only peaceful avenue to change. And change is necessary, my good Pup. We cannot prosper without a change of course — indeed, it’s doubtful whether we can survive at all. So change it will be, one way or another.
As JFK once famously said
Agent 99:
(As for thimerosal, check out amy edition of the Skeptic’s Circle for the last six months. These are people, Orac, PZ, Pharyngula, and the rest, who would be very good to have on our side, but they will take extra convincing simply because RFK Jr. involved himself in the fight.)
As for my comment, I am not trying to stifle comments, and certainly not humor. But we are trying to convince people of a very difficult proposition, something which a lot of people won’t WANT to believe. If they have an excuse to dismiss what we say, they’ll take it, and certainly there are a lot of people who will want to give them this sort of excuse. This is the basis of Rovian politics, find something to discredit the opponent — no matter how irrelevant — and you can get people to stop listening to him. That’s what ‘swift-boating’ was, and before that, Dukakis in a tank, and Mondale’s tears. You’ve read the article in the North Couty Times and the comments. People will try and make this seem partisan, when it isn’t. When Brad started this, he was listed with the ‘tinfoil hats’ people and he took a lot of time to erase that image. All I’m saying is that we can’t give these people a weapon to use against us. This is simply too damn important for us to win. ‘Losing honorably’ is too big a disaster.
Standing applause!!! Amen and thank you Brad Blog for making the news stations actually report the truth! You have done a great deed for your country! Now that is being a true patriot! Standing up for your right to free speech, much easier than a gun!
Mr. Benton: I do not believe any of these very good people to have on our side could possibly disagree with the simple mandate for complete election integrity. No one should have to convince them on that score. If they were born here, lived here, been naturalized, enjoyed the fruits of the founders’ hard work, they have to be willing to DIE for it, all of us do, not just those in uniform. THAT is the meaning of keeping a republic. There is NO question that they should join this effort, and while I have no wish to alienate them, if indeed they can be alienated from this, the most fundamentally democratic aspect of our entire country, I’m only willing to go so far to attract their solidarity. I’m not going to sell out, or sell short, my rights, others’ rights, or betray all the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have died throughout our history that THIS might never happen to us. You go talk to them. Just mention how many terrified young men jumped off the boats onto the beaches of Normandy into almost certain death, precisely, OUT OF LOVE, HONOR AND GRATITUDE, to save us from THIS. If they can’t understand THAT, they may end up on the wrong side of President Kennedy’s famous statement about those who make peaceful evolution impossible.
IT’S CRUNCH TIME. IF YOU’RE WITH US, ACT LIKE IT! –99
Wow!
And another Wow!
I’m stunned!
Wonderful piece. And thanks to Brad for the tireless digging!
And, that goes for all you people looking for excuses not to deal with this problem, too. It’s real; the evidence is all over the place; ignoring it won’t make it go away; your future, your children’s futures, the whole world’s future, depends on you getting over yourselves and stopping the election fraud. The President of the United States was NEVER elected to that office even once. That’s a fact. If we don’t do something about it now, no matter what else we only wish we could believe, it is the end of our country. Period.
Amazing …
Powerful…
Overdue…
Holy Shit, what a thing to wake up to, I started reading this as I’m trying to wake up
Does that mean I have to quit working on my theory now cause we’re going to only post fluff from now on? (like KOS)
How can I work on it open-mindedly knowing KAOS is watching
(I used to like it better just thinking they were looking)
Oh well, let me get used to the idea and see what happens
Don’t get me wrong Brad I’m happy for you (and your wallet) and this is what we really wanted, but I am shocked
Agent 99, it looks like your going to get pretty busy now
Hey Brad, is the bubble gum light done ?
That one would have took up the whole page if you were still using it 🙂
Congratulations, Cheers, Heres mud in your eye and all that rot
Brad Freidman saves our Democracy, what a headline!!!
You are a true Patriot, my friend
A few observations from the East Coast as dawn breaks.
Obviously, great coverage on Catherine Crier’s show. Didn’t see it myself, but it sounds as if she brought everything in. Five-and-a-half minutes doesn’t sound like a lot, but for TV it really is. Kudos to Brad.
Second, Dan Abrams and MSNBC-TV would be a coup in more ways than one. He’s the new shop steward there, which is encouraging. He’s the grandson of Norman Podhoretz, co-founder of the neo-con movement with Irving Kristol, which isn’t.
Finally, I have to take issue with Mr. Benton. Bradblog has gotten where it is precisely because it REJECTS dogmatic statements like “…(all 9/11 theories) are nonsense.” All? Really? It’s nonsense to question how a skyscraper collapsed (#7) without being hit by anything? That isn’t a nonsensical theory, that’s a question, and a damn good one. Is it nonsensical to ask what Mohammed Atta was doing on Jack Abramoff’s gambling boat three days before 9/11? Is it nonsensical to credit RFK, Jr. with four months of research and a widely praised article, simply because his previous research project on a totally separate issue might have reached a flawed conclusion?
This is called “managing opinion.” Mr. Benton tells us which speculation is permissible and which isn’t, and whose ideas we may endorse and whose we must reject. Bradblog didn’t become a great blog because it allows anyone to dictate to anyone else what must be thought and said. No, sir. A free exchange of thoughts creates its own filter…the most outlandish dissolve from challenge, the most intelligent lead to further inquiry and greater understanding.
Great, Great video! I don’t know that Catherine Crier and Lou Dobbs have enough viewers to really make much of a difference. That being said, every bit of coverage on this most important issue is a step forward. I commend Brad for his backbreaking and tireless work.
Let me know what you think of this idea. As a frequent contributor to many democrat candidates all over the country and to the DNC, I must be on the be-all-end-all of dem mailing lists. I get probably 40 pieces of mail per week asking for contributions. I also get many phone solicitations. Lately I’ve been responding by giving them a piece of my mind rather than a piece of my wallet. I let them know that I will vote democrat in the fall, but I will not give another penny (except to Russ Feingold’s Progressive Patriots Fund) to any dem cause or candidate until the dems shut down congress and demand voter verified paper ballots. My argument is that I believe the dems will get more votes , like they did in 2000 and 2004, but the votes will mysteriously be counted in favor of the repugs. I’d be better off burning my money and using it for heat than giving to a party who refuses to stand up and demand our votes be counted. Why won’t the dems demand this? It is in their best interest. We can’t get to the important issues we all care about until we get the congress and the White House back.
Anyone agree, or do you think this hurts the party by not giving them the funding they need? I say hit them where it hurts until they pay attention to us.
Well, I’ll be darned, Brad IS going to get credit for the work on the issue that NOBODY else would touch. Maybe wide coverage will follow from the organizations that should have been informing us. Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure Brad will accept the apologies with grace. All he really wants is what’s good for our country right now!
Thanks for a great blog that combines real grassroots activism, great humor, and reliable information!
And Thank you, Catherine Crier, for the kind of, no-nonsense, solid information the people attracted to this blog have been starving for since the stolen election of 2000!
Of course, we also like the yellow on green camo!
I have my VCR ready to record this show every night now, but I missed Monday’s show. Would it be too much to ask to have a link to it?
Please, Please!
Yeah RLM, a five and a half minute plug, I wonder what that would be in ad dollars for that show ?
GR = DR
Kindly forgive my liberties with your name. I think you should make it perfectly clear to the candidates and incumbents themselves, and not their fund raisers… or the message is not getting across.
Democrat candidate ? boycott ? hmmm…
Agent Floridiot!
I think I won’t have had a wink of sleep. Worth it! Worth it! A thousand times worth it! 😛
Who said boycott? Did I miss something? I’m trying to catch some Johnny Dep being a Libertine. Do I add coffee now? No boycotting voting.
Democrat=Democratic=Kaos
Boycott the Democrat(ic) party=Kaos
Agent 99, Did you get my drift ?
= equals Kaos
ack We gotta have a code for this
Maybe the # of the post followed by KAOS
{got it!}
Oh! I’m sleepy, Agent Floridiot. Yes, good code! Most excellent. I will relay the message through back channels to Agent BB2. You notify Agent Dredd, if he’s in the mood to hear it, that is.
The pass phrase for today is: No Sleep Is Good Sleep But It’s My Sleep –99
WINTER PATRIOT!!!
Glad you’ve started posting here again, I missed you!
GR = DR #33 –
Right on. Not one damned dime (though you should make exceptions for those candidates, of any party, who stand up loud and clear on behalf of electoral integrity/refortm).
Larry Bergan – Link to the show? The video link is in the story above. The video link that RLM hasn’t figure out how to click yet apparently 😉
Thanks all…you rock. I should sleep soon…
RLM #32
Right on.
I saw the Crier show we are talking about.
Yes, the water was sweet and good, but it is a trickle still. But the town Crier (def here) now has the message.
We must keep at it so it is a torrent … no longer a trickle.
Please read why conservatives are more likely to become fascists than liberals are (link here).
Please read up on some disturbing news about Shawn Southworth on this thread ( https://bradblog.com/?p=3052#comment-86741 ).
What are people going to think when they find out that 1 person, a republican operative (yep, Shawn Southworh), has certified all EVM’s no matter what company name was used?
And remember that the republican dictatorship made careful plans to subvert EVM’s for two decades (link here, and here).
We can’t give up now …
For GR=DR: I get the same solicitations from the Democratic party that you get, if not as many because I’ve been an unaffiliated voter for about 35 years (a Republican before that).
When they come by e-mail, I respond with something like, “Until Democrats address the issue of election fraud, don’t expect money from me.” These responses are always ignored. I think they disappear into a hole somewhere in the ether.
When they come by snail mail, I respond similarly, and I put my own stamp on the return envelope to suggest a sincere interest. Likewise, I’m always ignored.
When they come by telephone (and begin with a canned speech about one issue or another), I patiently wait and then state my case. It usually leaves the caller dumbfounded, as if he or she never heard of election fraud, as if the last two presidential elections had been landslides and all the controversy had passed notice. It’s unbelievable, really. Finally one caller, an older-sounding man with an impassioned tone, said, “Mr. Mills, I’m told we’re gathering information about the 2004 election and will soon be making a public statement.”
That was about six months ago. I replied, “Fine. Tell the party to put what you just told me in writing, so all of us who are working feverishly on election fraud issues can know we aren’t acting in a vacuum.” That request basically ended the conversation.
National Democrats aren’t going there until forced to do so. RFK, Jr.’s article has brought Bill and Hillary to life a bit on the issue. Now with Lou Dobbs and Catherine Crier focusing on it, I suspect we’re close to hearing from Kerry, Dean, and others.
If so, do the Democrats deserve our support this November? Only as the lesser of evils, if you ask me.
RLM #47
You fault the dems so many times for what the MSM is responsible for doing: raising hell about this EVM news (EVM = Electronic Voting Machines). But you have your rights.
When the republicans address election issues here is what they do:
That is why this has been happening for so long.
Thanks Catherine Crier for being the town crier!!!!
Floridiot #41
I do not think it was a dem that murdered Ray Lemme. I think I know which party did participate in much of the the homicide action in that case though.
OT:
Why Mexico’s electoral system is stronger than ours.
Great work, Brad. Two years of effort pays off for the Forces of Light.
I sent a note to Dan Abrams at MSNBC at viewerservices@msnbc.com
Mr. Dan Abrams
General Manager, MSNBC
NBC News30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10112
“I saw Brad Friedman on Crier live on Court TV and Lou Dobbs CNN but so far he has been MIA but on MSNBC and FOX News. I would expect it on FOX but where is he on MSNBC. Certainly the issues he has been covering on the BRAD.BLOG.com are relevant enough to deserve prime time exposer on MSNBC.”
Perhaps if 6 or 7 others sent similiar notes we can call more attention to the message that Brad is trying to get across.
No,#49 Dredd, that was just my subtle troll alert
I knew it would be misconstrued at some point along the way 🙂
By the way I found a common thread
And thats is all I will say about that
Still trying to find time to view the video, but this is certainly good news. Brad is really starting to get some traction. Later, when I can squeeze it in, I’ll also send a letter to MSNBC.
A million thanks again Brad, and take a vaction OK? You sure deserve it! 😉
Back to work now fighting the good fight against the agents of KAOS.
All I can say is…WOW!!!!!😀
Wonder when blackboxvoting.org will get their due (which should be huge kudos).
Congratulations Brad, for finally getting some airtime on the up to now silent MSM. We all owe you a debt of gratitude for the courage & determination you’ve shown over these last 2.5 years. I’ve come to this site regularly since the 2004 “election” fiasco for my news fix. It’s one of the only sites where one can honestly learn what’s going on in this country anymore.
And great post Winter Patriot. Man, it feels good to read someone venting their frustration over the illegal takeover of our country by these crooks!
Brad, I hope you have all the stories and posts from this blog backed up on safe media somewhere. It would record some of the most fascinating (and accurate) history of some of the most trying times our country has ever witnessed. You are a true American hero and patriot and I thank you!
Awright! Brad, my friend, you are the SHIT! As we say in our quaint Tennessee way…
Congats all around to all y’all!
Now.
BACK TO WORK!
We got a democracy to save.
And WP, #23: That is as well-written a defense of our spirit of free speech at BB.com as Crier’s video story is an offense against election fraud. Glad to seeya again!
shw
Agent99 #26
Well said.
It seems that another Lemme situation may have arisen (link here). And we thought Enron was all over but the crying.
I say that because old timers here (not Prup probably) will know whereof I speak by using the word Lemme.
It does have to do with electronic voting machines, red chinese communist spies, and murders set up to look like suicides. This blog knows.
Not saying that to scare anyone away Prup, but to avoid the disease of denial. Denial is a form of psychological leprosy, where, if you give in to it your insides will fall off and evaporate one good habit at a time … until even your conscience evaporates.
Like WP indicates at post #23 not offending because someone is a Dear Abby fanatic is fine for certain occasions, however, after the tea party we have to move on dot org, bbv dot org, velvet revolution dot org, and anything else dot org that we must.
We are the blog, resistance is futile, and we are the org … and the net result is that the republican dictatorship is going down.
Wow! Not used to coming home for lunch to such good news!
John
Dredd #58……… Thanks, and aaaaaaggggghhhh!
John Dean #59……… Ain’t it great! 😀
Prup #13
I went to Orac’s website and read the article debunking RFK jr.s report on thimerosal-mercury-autism.
This article disputes the findings of the Danish study.
I found very little on the Canadian study. Nothing to dispute it.
The bottom line is that it will take some time to tell by the trends here in the USA.
Per this report from the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons the trend would imply there was in fact a connection. See graphs on pages 11 & 12.
Prup’s entry #13
was intended to cast doubt on RFK’s credibility but actually, it’s Prud that misrepresents, & RFK that tells the truth:
Prup states there was no link found between the high mercury content used as a preservative in immunizations, the mercury toxicity it caused, & the current America-only autism epidemic.
RFK helped expose this carelessness by big drug companies which has tragically ruined many of our children’s lives forever.
The ONLY reason the thimerosal-mercury-autism link cannot be proven in a court of law is that the mercury was slyly removed from the immunizations IN A STAGGERED fashion.
If the companies involved removed it all at once–the resulting drop in autism cases would have served as PROOF the mercury DID cause the autism in a court of law!
You would think if there were some question re the mercury harming our children–it would have been eliminated immediately, for safety’s sake all at once, by order of our government.
Because staggering the immunizations that still contained mercury makes no sense when your concern is to protect our children.
It only makes sense when you know it’s sole purpose is to protect the pharmaceutical companies from numerous lawsuits.
And here is the final nasty trick, if anyone has any doubts that this is unfortunately, very true & that you cannot trust our government nor pharmaceutical companies:
Now get this—the pharmaceutical companies managed to sneak in what they call a “rider” at the last minute—to the Patriot Act, mind you—which states that the pharmaceutical companies who made these mercury-toxic immunizations have NO liability whatsoever for any damages as a result.
Big corporations win–America’s children lose.
Disgraceful.
Media are looking to blogs for their breaking news more frequently now because they conduct very few meaningful investigations themselves.
(For eg. The burning question–where is Suri?)
But it IS great that Brad actually got his credit for all the hard work this time & that it was on TV.
Like he says, SOMEBODY has to tell the People…
Thank You Brad, well done. I heard you on he 8/6/06 “Ring of Fire” program on AAR (here’s the link):
http://www.airamerica.com/premi....php?type=free
This was a phenomenal show and I recommend everyone listen to Mike Papantonio’s interview with Brad.
I have taken this issue as my number one priority before November’s election. I have blogged on it on encourage anyone who wants to help to stop by. we need a strategy, and we need it fast. Thanks again Brad, you rock.
This story would not be if it weren’t for you Brad. I am always linking people to your page because you are the real deal on these issues. You are second to none and I appreciate every second you have put into this.
You never gave up and made this a priority. It is a passion that I wish more people had. You are a true inspiration and a hero to many.
This video will be seen by many now. Maybe it will take this to finally break into the mainstream.
Brad, thank you very much for all your hard work!
Mark
Sorry I forgot to add the portion of the Ring of Fire interview that has Brad:
http://www.airamerica.co…m/podcasts.php?type=free
Brad begins at 1:03:30 on the podcast
-HopeSpringsATurtle
Bravo, BRAVO, B R A V O!!! Thanks Brad for your great work as an American Patriot. Thanks to Catherine Crier also. Like you, she is a real journalist and believes in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights…
Brad,
Just when I begin to think this will never break you manage to keep hope alive!!!
Emma
That was a hell of a plug for your blog, Brad. Your hard work is paying off.
*** ON AIR NOW ***
FRAUD SUIT – Ring of Fire – Mike Papantonio on Mike Malloy Show
http://www.airamerica.com/node
Re – #70 – Brad Blog Plugged . . . . . and again . . .
Ok – who needs their daily purge?
Reihl (Reich) World:
“BradBlog and the DU folks are already starting to foam at the mouth. Story below from the North County Times. They won’t stop until they tear democracy completely down.”
Sheesh!
U.S. ELLLLLLLLLLLection FRaud FRaud FRaud FRaud FRAUD!
Did you hear an echo – echo – echo?
Wassup? Wassup?? Wassup???
9/11 WAS an inside job orchestrated by U.S. Patriots.
What is wrong with this statement?
Modern day U.S. Patriots don’t have a voice in TV la la land let alone any reasons to cause what happened on 9/11 BUT the bushit administration and their war for oil.. now Dub’yud the war on terror?
Regular reals already got it right, however, for the benefit of those who need a little jolt of awareness of what happened on 9/11, please go to http://www.loosechange911.com and buy the dvd (or watch for FREE at the website) LOUDER THAN WORDS 2ND ED dedicated to those who DIED on 9/11/2001.
Educate yourself and do the most basic personal investigation of the facts presented.
While U R at it investigate our Environment in CRISIS>
See the Al Gore movie about Global Warming called AN INCONVIENENT TRUTH which is scientifically sound and explains in plain English about how Carbon Dioxide levels in our fragile atmosphere are now off the charts. This is caused from humans burning fossil fuels such as gas and coal. Glaciers are rapidly melting! This will cause climate patterns to change, worse storms, and over 1 million specie extinctions in about 40 years or LESS. Coupled with world population problems you will get genOcide which is occuring now in Defar, Africa. ALL HUMANS MUST COME TOGETHER TO HELP REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING.
The Grizzly bear is in trouble too because greedy fcks want to/are developing wild lands that could reconnect the last isolated populations in the lower 48 states suffering from inbreeding. Actually there are well over 50 reasons why delisting this animal off the Federal Endangered Species List is a completely wrongheaded move. But the US government has a different agenda.
Finally, in addition to the over 200 environmental laws the Bushit administration has reversed, the Federal Endangered Species Protection Act itself is endangered as well. A bill introduced by Rep Pombo of CA in the U.S. House of Representatives has already passed the House now to be decided in the US Senate. This destructive bill guts the Federal Endangered Species Act which would no longer protect habitat from such things as pesticides and instead gives big business and special interest groups money payouts for not destroying wild life. Time to get a clue Amerikans !!!
Datta boy Brad and thank you Ms. Crier!
“I feel this is beyond party lines,” Jacobson said.
“If we can’t vote people in and out of office who we chose, then we can no longer say we live in a democracy.”
Well. . . . . No Shit Sherlock ! ! ! & By the Way ITMFA prupture.
# 72 – BB2 — Vote counting = enemy of democracy. Dubya = friend of the Constitution. Unbounded executive power = democracy. “Clear skies” = clear skies. Solidifying the power of the top 1% = equal opportunity and rewarding of initiative. (Pointing out that it is not so = promoting class warfare). Night = day. Black = white. What could be simpler?
Our chocolate rations have been lowered, more for everybody.
Arry – It’s just all in your perception – remember:
“It’s only a lie if you believe it’s a lie!” – Troll Paul
OT but not … have you seen this yet?
From Robert J. Elisberg at HuffPo:
50 Easy Questions To Ask Any Republican
Here’s a sample:
Read the whole thing. It’s brilliant!
I tell ya, Troll Paul always sounded just like *, hisseff ta me. I think everyone should buy John Dean’s new book, and find out about the psychology of these people, er, droids.
99 – It’s back – “autohaulersupply”! Tell Ronny.
Don’t harm the cow.
Winter #78
Great list – I love all the “set-ups” from one question to the next!
WP #78
Yes, the old catch more flies with honey thing, the old vinegar/honey conundrum… the damned if you do; damned if you don’t Catch 22.
Agent BB2
I have told him, but he will never believe me! I cannot harm the very cow to whom I just gave birth, fully grown, but I’m accumulating quite a herd of them. Shall I go into business?
Got Milk?
Just Yak! ……..{ 😛 }
WP-#78
It may be academically clever. . .Butt in Realality I don’t think you would get past the first dozen Q’s with a gop.
Or I just don’t get it.
JOJ
Neither would the gops – (get it that is!)
First, a brief side note on the irrelevant thimerosal question. Bluebear2,you quote the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, but you might look at their website and read some of their articles. Despite their ‘high-sounding’ name, this is a journal that considers homosexuality a mental disease, attacks immigrants for using up medical resources, denies the existence of ‘shaken baby syndrome’ — even saying those who admit to it are wrong, opposes abortion, and has several other positions you might not want to be associated with. Orac discusses them here
http://scienceblogs.com/insolen...physicians.php.
People seem to have gotten the idea that I am in someway saying that no one can make certain statements. Ridiculous, if you read my note, I have said that I think certain statements here will drive away people we want on our side. If any of the ckaims are true, and I certainly think some are — if I have major doubts about WinterPatriot’s ‘bad sci-fi network show’ version of history — the only way we can actually do something about them is by electing good people. The only way we can do THAT is by making sure that the hackable voting machines are gotten rid of. The only way we can do THAT is by forming a coalition across the political specturm, by getting the Lou Dobbs’ and Catherine Criers and Randy Hedgecocks and Rev. Soaries — and the people who will listen to them — working with Brad in this — and he has been doing an excellent job of precisely this.
But if someone watches the Crier show, hears about BradBlog, checks it out, and reads 9/11 Denial and “Sen. Wellstone was executed,” is that person going to work with us, or is she going to be so turned off by what are, to her, ‘nutty paranoid moonbattery’ that not only will she discount the facts Brad has gathered, her mind may close so firmly she’ll be totally lost to this idea.
But all I can do is make suggestions, that however strongly you believe your statements, even if they are true, ‘take them outside.’ Just my opinion.
Oh, and btw, WP, I use my own name, but also use it as “Prup (aka Jim Benton)” because there are other Jim Bentons out there and I’d rather keep myself separate from them — in fact, I cloudn’t just use Jim Benton when I got my blog — that I will be re-activating — because another Jim Benton had it. “Prup” has a meaning, but if you have fun screwing around with it, be my guest.
The deal is, Prup, you are coming in exhibiting the textbook case of the “helpful” troll. Your choice to dis Bobby Kennedy the way you did puts the lie to all your carefully-chosen PC buzz concepts assembled hereinabove. IT IS MOOT WHETHER ANY CAUSE HE MAY HAVE CHAMPIONED WAS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN, OR VENALLY DEBUNKED, OR COMPLETELY WRONG! There is no lucid reason to bring him up in that light. None. He has NEVER done anything remotely akin to warranting that kind of treatment, and has led an exemplary life. The only reason to do it would be out of envy, out of feeling one’s own sense of integrity threatened by him. You busted yourself on THAT one point alone.
AGAIN, if you’re with us, act like it.
Seems to me we have worked a lot harder at reaching out to others than you have, than you are right now.
John Gideon is posting some good info concerning the EVM world. New suits are being filed for patent infringement and to have them decertified under state law. The beat goes on …
OT
Guess how Kim Jung IL of North Korea can be made to soil his pants in fear?
The answer is to put out a major news release on the AP that reports that a major oil find has just been made in North Korea!
All of a sudden “diplomacy” would fail, and NK would be invaded and occupied. You know, the mushroom cloud and connect the dots thingy.
Prup #86
You ask:
The folks on this blog can discuss any topic without getting freaked out or scared off.
It is not the topic that turns us off, but rather the misrepresentation of facts related to a particular topic. Untruth turns us off, not the topic. But we do like to stay on topic most of the time.
Some people can not bear to talk about certain subjects, and that is fine, so long as they do not develop insecurities thru denial.
You do bring up a valid point … the comfort zone … and it is true that some subjects are outside the comfort zone for some folks.
That problem can be dealt with by sticking to threads that deal with a certain subject, and staying on topic. That way new bloggers can pick and choose until they build up the strength necessary to tackle other subjects.
Hello again Prup
I have several things to say to you and I hope you will take them in the spirit in which they are intended. We disagree but it’s been a friendly disagreement so far and I hope it will continue along that path.
I respect you for standing up and supporting what you have been saying even though I disagree with you on nearly all of it. It’s a free country, we learn through a free exchange of ideas, and you are free to support your ideas here. Furthermore I believe you will find that most of the regular posters here will show you more respect if you stand behind what you say rather than splitting hairs or cutting and running every time somebody challenges you. I disagree with Agent99, by the way, on the question of whether or not you are a troll. I could turn out to be a flip-flopper on that one and so could she, but at the moment I am willing to accept what you say here as an accurate reflection of what you think. Yes? Onward, then…
You are quite right that I was making fun of your handle and I am relieved to know that it has some meaning to you. I admit that continually misspelling it the way I did was childish and demeaning and I apologize for the demeaning part of it — I am very glad to see that you don’t seem to have taken offense — but I have to tell you that the childish aspect of it made it quite a lot of fun… And now that I’ve had my fun, I will call you Jim or Jim Benton or even JB from now on, if you don’t mind … and I can’t help but add that I would love to know what “Prup” means, if you feel like sharing … if not, no problem.
You have probably noticed by now that Brad runs a “free speech” blog; his policy is not to ban anyone who is not totally and consistently obnoxious, no matter what they say, no matter what they think. That is extremely commendable in and of itself and in my opinion it adds to Brad’s credibility, perhaps not as an investigative blogger per se, but certainly as a blog-host. For this reason, you will find lots of opinions on the comment threads, including incredibly hateful racial slurs and all kinds of other things. None of these comments reflects in any way on the veracity of Brad’s work, in my opinion. If people come to read the BradBlog because of the Catherine Crier piece and they don’t like some of what they read in the comments, hopefully they will be smart enough to understand that Brad doesn’t necessarily agree with any of the comments, let alone all of them. Even if they just read the main articles and ignore the comments (which may seem a waste of time to those who see some of what is posted here as “science fiction”), that’s good for all concerned. In a nutshell, Jim, this is a place where all can speak freely, and that’s one of its greatest attributes, so I was a bit miffed that someone should suggest that we hold our tongues about certain things.
Speaking of holding our tongues, I almost never say anything about myself personally on this blog, or anywhere else. But I think you should know that I am an avid — though amateur — student of contemporary American history. I’ve been reading about this stuff for a long long time [I started before Brad was even a twinkle in his father’s eye] and I can cite credible sources to support everything I say.
I didn’t bother to cite any sources yesterday because that post was very long and I was very tired, but I will be pleased to share my sources of information with you. All you have to do is ask.
Speaking of which, you did seem to ask, albeit in an implied way, why I said that Paul Wellstone was executed.
As a matter of fact, Jim, it’s a lot more awful than that. Not only was Wellstone executed but so were his wife and one of their daughters and three of his staff members and two pilots — eight people in all.
In case you don’t remember, Wellstone was Bush’s most vocal opponent in the Senate. And he died shortly before what would surely have been his re-election. Further, he had been threatened by some very powerful people. For instance:
So this was a death — or eight deaths — that appeared “fishy” at first glance. But — and here’s the BIG problem, Jim — the closer you look at the story, the fishier it appears.
I’m going to give you a handful of links, Jim, and I’m also going to highlight a few key paragraphs by quoting them in this comment, so that those who don’t feel like clicking the links can see what we are talking about right here.
Very Special Agents
There’s a lot more at that link, and I urge you to read it all. When you’re finished with that, please go here next: Target Wellstone
There’s a lot more to the story; I’m just giving you the tip of the iceberg — no, scratch that, Jim, I’m giving you the top of the tip of the iceberg. For a good short summary you can download and read Abundant and Compelling Evidence [PDF] by David Ray Griffin.
I don’t want to put much focus on the murders of Paul Wellstone and his party — as you have noticed this is just one of many episodes in a long and sordid tale — but this is the one you questioned, and I am happy to provide you with a few links to source material that I regard as highly credible.
As I was saying earlier, I can back up everything I have said in my previous post, citing scholarly research and/or competent journalism, and if you have any further questions — about anything I mentioned in my previous post or anything I mention elsewhere on the blog — please post them so our very lively and entertaining discussion can continue.
I find it troubling indeed that you impugned the reliability of Bobby Kennedy by saying
but later in the face of evidence suggesting that RFK may have been right all along, rather than posting evidence to support your assertion that he was “monstrously wrong”, you wrote a short paragraph on what you called
and that’s a problem, of course, because many reasonable people might wonder: If it’s irrelevant, why did you mention it in the first place?
For the record, I don’t think you did that deliberately to obfuscate the issues: I think you were genuinely confused. And I don’t blame you. The big media have been nothing but a propaganda machine most of the time lately, and a lot of people are confused. You are certainly not alone. But you’ve come to the right place, Jim. There are some very bright and well-educated people here, who want to help you learn about what is happening, and what has been happening.
One more topic and then I will shut up for a while: Most trolls want absolutely nothing to do with me. I can’t imagine why, because I’m normally a pretty friendly guy, but it’s something I’ve noticed over and over again. Normally, the only ones who will talk to me at all are the cleverest of the lot, and then they only talk to me when they’re cornered. I give you a lot of credit for directing a few comments to me in your most recent post, and this is one of the main reasons why I don’t think you’re a troll. I hope you will continue to drop by and participate in the lively and friendly discussions.
By the way I agree with you that there’s a lot of bad news to be swallowed by a lot of people — people who for the most part are used to consuming only (pre-fabricated) happy-news. It’s a tough process: learning, and assimilating, and above all dealing with all the truly awful things I’ve been talking about. But it’s important that we do it, because otherwise we’re living with our heads in the clouds. Or the sand. And that won’t do.
For democracy to work properly (or at all) it requires not only free citizens, but informed citizens as well. In other words, even if we regain the right to fair and free elections, what good will it do us if most of us are ignorant of the basic facts of our nation’s history, not to mention its current condition?
So PLEASE, Jim, hang around. Read. Learn. And ask lots of questions. We’ll be happy to help you.
DLC et al. must work for KAOS! Hence the struthious (Look that one up in your Funk & Wagnall’s, Chris Hooten!) “Missed it by that much!” after every fixed election. Keep up the outstanding work, Brother Brad! You are greatly admired and well loved. What a nice story to wake up to here in tropical Prague!
My problem with Mr. Benton (Prup) remains his dogmatic way of determining what “moonbattery” is, vis a vis Paul Wellstone’s death, the true story of 9/11, Robert Kennedy’s article, etc. I understand his point, that we might scare away potentially helpful people who see an outlandish theory espoused and therefore discredit the entire blog.
So be it. Bradblog draws in people at different levels of academic achievement and with different perspectives. It’s through an open exchange between all honest contributors (some trolls are dishonest) that truth can escape. When one person presumes to say, “(Theories that 9/11 was an inside job) are nonsense…,” what he’s doing is challenging the legitimacy of the inquiry itself. “Don’t argue about it, because it’s all b.s..” This is a gentle form of “trollery” (I’ll coin a word, too), in that the writer is attempting to make ALL DISCOURSE GO AWAY by discrediting THE MOST EXTREME DISCOURSE. Won’t work.
When one person trashes four months of research (by RFK, Jr.) and an excellent article by questioning the findings of an unrelated research project by the same person, he’s really saying, “This person was wrong once…thus his argument here is invalid and we should reject it.” If a doctor loses a patient, does that diminish his standing in the medical field? If a lawyer loses a case, do we avoid that lawyer afterward?
I got awakened by a fundraiser from the DNC. I’ve been saying to people that I think we should work for victory despite the fact the Republicans will try to steal it, but I just had to tell her that unless the Democrats get busy on this Bilbray thing, I’m not giving a dime because I’m not going to throw my money down a rat hole again!
I feel like a hypocrite, but I am just FURIOUS ABOUT THIS! And, I don’t have any money to spend anyway. I do intend to work hard in every other way I can!
For Larry Bergan: You didn’t mention how you responded to the DNC caller. Not that it matters…they’re trained to TELL YOU what the issues are, never to ASK YOU what you’re concerned about.
One great thing about Bradblog is how it differs from telephone solicitations from political organizations. Here, people LISTEN to each other; they might agree or disagree, but they pay attention to what’s posted (even when trolls do the posting). If the DNC had ever paid attention to what PEOPLE THINK for even five minutes since Nov. 2004, they’d never have neglected election fraud. Instead, we get preachy talk about one issue or another, and demands for $$$$$$.
#23 and 28 Agent 99
“And, that goes for all you people looking for excuses not to deal with this problem, too. It’s real; the evidence is all over the place; ignoring it won’t make it go away; your future, your children’s futures, the whole world’s future, depends on you getting over yourselves and stopping the ….. fraud.”
Agent 99, that statement applies equally to election fraud, 911 fraud and safety of vaccine fraud. People need to know about it all. If our government can do any one of these, it can do all of these. And I think it has.
Hooray for Brad & hooray for Catherine Crier!!
NICE choice of quote, too: lol!…HOW many charges was that again??
Good thread. Though I must say, WP: I think you’re being overly generous to Prup. I cannot abide that condescending, “I know best” attitude that presumes to tell others what they ‘should’ & ‘should not’.
Anyway, it’s an absurd proposition that fair & open-minded people would discount evidence, facts & honest discussion and would scurry off, clamping their minds shut with a clang, merely because a few people make questionable comments.
Prup wrote:
“When Brad started this, he was listed with the ‘tinfoil hats’ people and he took a lot of time to erase that image”
“All I’m saying is that we can’t give these people a weapon to use against us…”
Actually, Brad has been consistently careful & fair right from the beginning, in his research & in his comments, on this blog. I don’t know precisely which “‘tinfoil hats’ people” you’re referring to, but why worry about his image with people who are so quick at hurling cheap, undeserved epithets?
As to the second comment: if we don’t “give” them a weapon to use against us, they’ll invent one. Swift-boating is all about twisting, spinning, taking things out-of-context & outright lying. Anything we say or don’t say is almost irrelevant.
As others have said in different ways: talking about the truth is a good thing. People are free to do that here, and that is a VERY GOOD thing.
We are all in your debt, Brad. Hope you get that vacation–God knows you deserve it–but I hope we see you on the show first! 🙂
Seems to me, Joan, that there ought to be a way we can have our cake and eat it too on this vacation/Crier appearance conundrum. He ought to be able to step into some tv station office anywhere and get hooked up with her on her show. That way, he can get his rest, and blow the doors off this thing at the same time!
And, Joan, ITMFA!
LOL #91 czaragorn,
“Hence the struthious (Look that one up in your Funk & Wagnall’s, Chris Hooten!) “Missed it by that much!” after every fixed election.”
Of, relating to, or resembling an ostrich or a related bird; ratite.
ratite:
Relating to or being any of a group of flightless birds having a flat breastbone without the keellike prominence characteristic of most flying birds.
Agent99
Sounds like a good plan. Can’t have too much Brad on the tv! And….ITMFA!! (my banner finally blew off)
Prup: this tune come to mind
You got a lotta nerve
To say you are my friend
When I was down
You just stood there grinning
You got a lotta nerve
To say you got a helping hand to lend
You just want to be on
The side that’s winning
You say I let you down
You know it’s not like that
If you’re so hurt
Why then don’t you show it
You say you lost your faith
But that’s not where it’s at
You had no faith to lose
And you know it
I know the reason
That you talk behind my back
I used to be among the crowd
You’re in with
Do you take me for such a fool
To think I’d make contact
With the one who tries to hide
What he don’t know to begin with
You see me on the street
You always act surprised
You say, “How are you?” “Good luck”
But you don’t mean it
When you know as well as me
You’d rather see me paralyzed
Why don’t you just come out once
And scream it
No, I do not feel that good
When I see the heartbreaks you embrace
If I was a master thief
Perhaps I’d rob them
And now I know you’re dissatisfied
With your position and your place
Don’t you understand
It’s not my problem
I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
And just for that one moment
I could be you
Yes, I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
You’d know what a drag it is
To see you
Positively 4th Street – Bob Dylan
Copyright © 1965; renewed 1993 Special Rider Music
Judge of Judges
Thanks so much for bringing that to the table!
Wouldn’t life be grand if we could all deal genuinely with each other? I think so. We’d get all these awful problems ironed out. Everyone would know where they stood, what they could count on — we could all go about our lives, secure in the knowledge that we could rely upon our Constitution and our fellow citizens. Ultimately, I think, this IS the reason we try so hard to expose the skunks — we want our real lives, our real country, our real countrymen back.
Agent99 – You Made My Day! & I Thank You 4 It . . .
Unobtainable goals will never be obtained without all of Our Effforts.
JoJ — Oh! Good! 🙂 People really do need to remember that merely calling them “unobtainable” DOES NOT MAKE IT SO. Recondite [Chris Hooten] distinction, apparently, but crucial!
RLM #94
Yeah, the lady from the DNC was not going to let me take over the conversation and it was basically a shouting match. She kept saying they were trying to introduce paper “receipts”. Anybody here knows that the “receipts” they’re talking about are just another way to fool us. I told her to call them “paper ballots”.
She DID seem to know about the Bilbray race, which surprised me, but as far as saying anything was being done, she was not going there with me. Since I was yelling at her the whole time, I was impressed that she didn’t seem to be too perturbed!
Larry, it just might be that she’s getting used to being yelled at, at least I hope that’s the case…
I seem to have caused an intersting controversy here. I happen to believe that this fight is the most important fight currently happening anywhere, and that if we don’t win it, we lose any other fight that is going on. I believe that we only win it by putting together a wide coalition. (It means being on the same side ON THIS ISSUE with Lou Dobbs, whose ideas on immigration make me vomit, for example.)
Therefore I made the suggestion that this blog and the commenters here should, for the most part, limit themselves to this one issue, and not get involved in other topics that will turn off potential allies. (I used the example of RFK Jr. — and just to finish that one up, I suggest anyone here go to ANY blog on “Science Blogs” and do an across-blog search on mercuty and autism, read the discussions on a number of posts, and follow some of the links to other posts. You’ll find that this link has as little scientific credibility as Intelligent Design does — and, by the way, if Michael Dembski felt like joining in on this fight, I’d welcome him here as well.)
I have received the responses I have — and Judge of Judges, I know early Dylan quite well. Yes I want to be ‘on the side that’s winning’ because I HAVE to be on Brad’s side, because we HAVE TO and CAN win this fight. (I’m old enough, by the way, that when I asked an early lover of mine what she thought about Dylan, she said, ‘he’ll always be the guy who insisted on playing his harmonica when we were trying to play chess.)
Anyway, I seem to have caused the sort of irrelevancy I decried. So I will continue to send anyone I can to Brad’s Blog, continue to mention the danger of hackable electronic machines in all my correspondence, will be restarting the blog I abandoned to discuss this, Ann Coulter, and other serious dangers to Democracy — I should state my own position is something very close to Orcinus’ on the drift towards ‘psuedo-fascism’ and the possibility of this turning into ‘real fascism’ — and the voting machine trickery gives a good chance of this happening.
But I won’t be continuing to comment here, though I’ll be reading the comments. I want to thank Winter Patriot for the most civilized response I received.
And I’m going to do something you ‘aren’t supposed to’ and say that anyone who wants to continue an actual dialogue can reach me at jimbentn at verizon dot net — as you’d find out if you followed the link to my blog.
Guys, look, whatever you think of what you thought I was doing, just keep working, damnit. We HAVE to win this one.
Jim Benton, Prup
Ever hear the expression “herding cats”? I believe you feel strongly about this issue, and I wish you’d consider joining us when the spirit moves, just remembering that you’re gonna get bopped on the head when you rile people too much. Winter Patriot is a great guy, and will make you happy when you’ve read more of his input. There are a bunch of people here who will do the same. It does balance out for the stuff that riles you. I’m positive that if you can, in a sense, practice what you preach, soften your negative feelings toward some of the views expressed here, that it will encourage others, here and out there, to greater heights of comity between citizen factions.
We take pride in our differences in this country. What we need to do is start finding out how to get along within them. Seems to me that your input, if you aren’t dissing people near and dear to all of us, is valuable, and welcome. (Really, what is the point of trying to make Bobby bear the whole burden of what you consider to be debunked science, when the issue is election integrity, a topic upon which you seem to agree with him wholeheartedly?) Couldn’t you just say, “Okay, gang, I get it,” and keep posting when you felt the urge?
We do HAVE to win this one. Few are in agreement on the means. Listen to Ring of Fire on Air America. Kennedy and Papantonio disagree wildly on the right way to approach the opposition, yet they work together beautifully. (By the way, Bobby’s approach is more like the one you say you wish for.) Okay? Think about it.
Jim Benton, Prup – My Apologies for my misjudgement.
Prup,
I can’t stand it any longer.
I must point out for truth’s sake that you are not only wrong on the mercury-autism subject, but you also are wrong on the 2000 & 2004 election subject.
You say you ‘think it may be true’ that they were stolen? (But we can’t change it)
No, it has been proven. It IS true. You are just not up to speed.
Again, for truth’s sake, you are wrong about there being a 9/11 conspiracy “theory”. It is no longer a theory. There IS a body of evidence that it was planned by Cheney&Co. because they needed a “new Pearl Harbor”. You are not up to speed on THAT one either.
Did you know Brad is trying to get Cheney & his monkey impeached through VelvetRevolution. YOU say we can’t do anything about Bush & Co.
Spreading misinformation is not welcome & can only be considered presumptuous on your part at best. You have some responsibility to get yourself up to speed before being so impertinent as to ridicule the people on this blog, who ARE up to speed.
Understand?
I hope your treatment here has been as delicate as yours has been of us.
Let’s take inventory of your entire comment #13:
First, you complimented Brad.
Next, you told him & you told us what we should talk about.
Then you ridiculed Kennedy, using misinformation.
Then you ridiculed US, again, using misinformation.
Then you apologized for being admittedly pompous–but only TO BRAD.
And you add, you “hope Brad agrees with you”.
No, I don’t think Brad will agree with you. Deriding his own bloggers is un-cool.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a troll.
I don’t see a need to pussyfoot.
You already made MY shit list, Prud.
I was unable to get through all of prug, prud, whatever’s comments. It seems clear by the lengths of his entries that he needs to have his own blog. I would prefer that we all agree on most things but I know that’s not possible which can be a good thing because oftentimes in liberal debates the ‘cream rises to the top’.
Nicely done Agent 99 in comment #109
HopeSpringsATurtle
Don’t know if you meant me, in #107, or Charlene in #109, but since you have such a cool screen name, I’m going to imagine you meant me!
Thanks.
This was an awesome Crier Wire.
I love Catherine’s “Crier Wires” a lot. I have been watching Court TV since the OJ trial and I have to say that Catherine Crier has always been my #1. Now that I know her politics, this just tacks down and double tacks down what I’ve known all along…
That Crier is #1