Letter to Matt Pacenza, Policy Director at Heal Utah, July 1, 2011

Hello:

I left a message on your phone yesterday afternoon (Thursday 6/30) regarding the link between natural gas fracking and an increase in earthquakes, and the opportunity my daughter had that very morning to ask Congressman Matheson about his support for The Greater Natural Buttes Area Gas Development Project. I did get a call back a few minutes later, though I wasn’t sure if that was you (I apologize for not confirming that at the time).

Anyway, I wanted to make sure you had the information I’ve found linking fracking and earthquakes, and the push to halt the fracking. There are currently two major hotspots on this topic (though I’m sure if I had more time to research I would find more): Arkansas and the UK.

Here is one of the reports on the earthquakes in England: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-13700575

And here is the latest report on the fracking shut-down in Arkansas: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9O0J4701.htm

In addition, this just in, from France, where fracking has just been banned: http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/NaturalGas/8066915 and http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-01/france-vote-outlaws-fracking-shale-for-natural-gas-oil-extraction.html

So, here is the question my daughter, Eva TerraNova, presented to Congressman Matheson yesterday morning: 

According to your website, you are in favor of the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s project to development 3000 natural gas wells in the Uintah Basin. While I understand this is good for the economy, the natural gas extraction known as fracking has recently been linked to an extraordinary increase in tremors and earthquakes. Because of this, there have been industry shut downs in Arkansas and Great Britain. The French Senate has passed a bill to stop fracking, and other governments are looking at this as well.

Given the warnings we also regularly hear about the potential of a 7.0 earthquake here in the Wasatch Front, isn’t it foolish to risk bringing it on by bringing fracking into our state?

When I called you, what I knew was that Matheson had said he didn’t know about the link between fracking and earthquakes and that he’d have to look into it. 

Last night, I learned more about his reaction. Apparently he also tried to dodge the premise that he supported this natural gas project, to which Eva simply responded, “It’s on your website – I saw the press release just this morning.” [In fact, it’s right there on the front page of his official website.]

So, the way I see it, this door has now been opened. 

While I am aware that HEAL UTAH prefers to focus on promoting renewable energy, rather than attacking corporate pollution, I think the information coming out linking natural gas extraction by hydraulic fracturing and an increase in earthquakes is far too important to ignore. This goes beyond water contamination and cancer (though one would think that would be enough) --- this becomes a matter of risking an already-threatened major disastrous event in the Wasatch Front and elsewhere in the Rocky Mountains.

Please help Utahns, and especially policy-makers, know what is at stake here.

Thank you,

Barbara Bellows-TerraNova


***************

UPDATE:

After re-sending my email to Matt, and including HEAL UTAH's Executive Director, Christopher Thomas, I heard back from both, with thanks.

Matt had a legitimate concern about something I said, and I'll let his words correct what I may have too simply represented, based on my conversation with Arthur Morris at HEAL UTAH:

Allow me for a brief moment to question your assertion on your blog that "HEAL UTAH prefers to focus on promoting renewable energy, rather than attacking corporate pollution." With all due respect, a significant bulk of our group's resources is devoted specifically to battling EnergySolutions, and their never-ending efforts to bring greater and hotter quantities of nuclear waste to Utah. I attend hearings, file comments, submit challenges, lobby officials, urge members to get involved and all kinds of other grassroots organizing and advocacy -- all with the aim of "attacking corporate pollution." It is, honestly, what HEAL does and what we've done for more than a
decade.

*******

Also, just this week, NPR’s "This American Life" focused on a Pennsylvania community consumed by fracking: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/440/game-changer, and on Friday, NPR’s "All Things Considered" presented this story on the earthquakes in Arkansas: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/08/137704451/bonnie-prince-billys-earthquake-ballad.  I recommend listening to both stories, starting with "This American Life" and following up with the much shorter one at "All Things Considered". 

NPR Balancing Historical Truth with Petty Slurs

I have been an NPR listener, and almost always a local station member, since 1974, but I was deeply disappointed yesterday afternoon to hear the coverage on All Things Considered of the legacy of the historian Howard Zinn, who passed away this week.

I have heard Professor Zinn speak many times, and was particularly moved a few years ago by a broadcast of "Voices of a People's History of the United States" - a presentation of readings by well-respected actors of writings or teachings of historical figures, from Zinn's companion book to his A People's History of the United States.

That is what makes a great historian -- the willingness to search for the less told stories, so that we get a deeper insight to history. Otherwise, the easy "history" that is passed forward is the one that is written by those in power -- the "winners".

There was a time that public broadcasting could be trusted to bring the same quality to journalism that we need in our historians - the willingness to look deeper and give us greater insight.

But the story on Howard Zinn, "Historian Howard Zinn Remembered" would have been more accurately titled, "Historian Howard Zinn Denegrated" because NPR brought in an extremist conservative pundit, David Horowitz, to make unusually rude remarks about Zinn, particularly in a segment that should have been honoring the professor. Mind you, Horowitz didn't even present a logical reason for his position of complete disdain for the Professor, who was not merely an intellectual, but was a long time civil rights and peace activist, courageous and caring. Horowitz did not provide a logical retort to the information Zinn has highlighted and/or taught. It was a cowardly slur, not logical criticism -- just mean-spirited grumbling from a petty hack.

Your "Comments" section provides the opportunity to "Report Abuse". Well, I'm reporting it. NPR, once a noble public radio broadcaster, has shown that it has become a dark, fearful character, willing to sell out to the bullies, to throw one of the Best under the wheels, undoubtedly in the name of "balanced" reporting.

Shame on you. There is no need to balance the truth.

Is NPR still intimidated by Kenneth Tomlinson, or whoever else has taken that role?

Your audience, and Howard Zinn, deserve an apology. And NPR deserves some quiet time with "The Voices of A People's History of the United States". You can find it at Democracy Now. Maybe then it will remember what kind journalism it was created to provide.

Questions for The Diane Rehm Show News Roundup, Friday October 17, 2008

Questions for The Diane Rehm Show, News Roundup, October 17, 2008

[Posted, for the first time, at www.opednews.com]

I've begun to post the questions I send, separately, in each Friday morning to the most listened-to NPR talk show. Feel free to offer some version of these same questions/comments to other broadcasters and journalists:

1. Yesterday on your show analyzing the debate, no one seemed to know what NPR's economy reporter, Chris Arnold, had just stated on Morning Edition in a segment called "Double-Checking Candidates' Claims in Last Debate". Mr. Arnold first acknowledged that if Joe the Plumber earned $250,000, ABOVE AND BEYOND his expenses and supplies, then "yes, under Obama's plan his taxes would go up."

Then he continued, "But, again, that implication that that represents middle income people is misleading. MIDDLE INCOME AMERICANS WOULD GET THREE TIMES THE INCOME TAX BREAK UNDER OBAMA THAT THEY WOULD GET UNDER MCCAIN."

These days, with excellent fact-checking websites quick responses, shouldn't analysts be discussing the accuracy of tactical accusations?

2. I am deeply concerned about the national focus on voter registration fraud or voter fraud. It is not a threat. Major studies have shown that deliberate fraud is extremely rare, and when it happens, it is even more rare for it to result in any fraudulent votes being cast.

In response to the insignificant nuisance of voter fraud, the Republican Congress passed a law ordering states to verify their voter registration lists. Now we find that in key battleground states, the Republican party is particularly aggressive about widespread purging of the lists and challenging new voters, which is highly intimidating and will be enormously time-consuming and labor-intensive on election day.

Have we already forgotten that the ugly reason behind the U.S. Attorney firings was often Republican anger at their failure to prosecute voter fraud cases just prior to the 2006 election?

Are Americans going to be fooled again by Rovian trickery?

3. Isn't purging voter registration lists to prevent voter fraud akin to treating a cold with chemotherapy?

4. To set the record straight, ACORN is a very legitimate organization, a decades-old advocate for the generally disenfranchised low-to-middle income often-minority population. Its work is irritating the McCain campaign because it is so successful in registering low and middle income voters, and these people are less likely to vote Republican. They have a very large workforce and some employees have been problems, but they are fully cooperative with election officials in finding bad apples and reporting problems. When they are accused of turning in fraudulent registrations, it should be noted that they are required by law to turn in all the registrations they collect, and in most cases, they are already flagged as fraudulent.

What good would it possibly do for ACORN to destroy their own voter registration drive?

Friday Questions for The Diane Rehm Show News Roundup, October 3, 2008

On the front page of last Sunday’s New York Times was a huge story on John McCain’s gambling problems, citing both his own personal risky high-rolling gambling habits, as well as his and many of his top campaign staff’s financial ties to the gambling casino industry. It was an extraordinary story. Yet I have heard nothing about it since on NPR.

Has Steve Schmidt managed to muffle the media on this?

Frenzy over Rumor Helps Palin Avoid the Baby Story that Deserves Spotlight

To those who ran with the rumor that Trig Palin was not Sarah’s child, but her daughter’s – without any more solid evidence than a couple of photos where Bristol’s tummy isn’t perfectly flat:

You provided Sarah and her Rovian consultants the escape route they so desperately needed.

Now, we have the media trumpeting Obama’s response to the pregnant Bristol story -

I have said before and I will repeat again: I think people’s families are off limits. And people’s children are especially off limits. This shouldn’t be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Governor Palin’s performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off of these kinds of stories.

To Obama’s credit, that would be a fair response – IF that was actually the basis of the concerns being raised. But it’s not!!
Today, two of NPR’s top programs, The Diane Rehm Show, and Talk of the Nation talked about Governor Palin, and while the pregnancy issue was addressed at length, they didn’t get anywhere near the original, very strange story. The most daring caller merely questioned the apparent effectiveness of the Governor’s policy of abstinence education over birth control.

They’ve gotten completely off track of where this entire thread began – April 17th, 2008, in Texas, where the water was flowing.

So, it is our responsibility, as citizen journalists, bloggers, commentors, and political junkies – to push forward the real story - which is a big enough story WITHOUT having to resort to Mother-swapping rumors.

The voters need to know about – and publicly discuss – what is the significance of what happened on the day before her son, Trig, was born:

1. Sarah Palin had her water break while she was in Texas on the morning of April 17th, but she chose to continue to participate in an "energy forum", including giving her own 30 minute speech that afternoon. Then, despite the danger of infection and imminent labor, she chose to go to the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport and board an Alaskan Airlines plane for a very long flight back to Anchorage – at least 9 hours, according to the airline’s current schedule – and even then, upon landing, chose to drive to a hospital another 43 miles from the airport. Why did she make those choices? Would she have been this careless if the baby were not already known to have Down Syndrome? What kind of prioritizing is this?

2. This under-reported, and vaguely defined "energy forum" on April 17th, that Sarah Palin was dedicated to, was a gathering that consisted of nine Republican governors and six energy industry CEO’s, hosted by Texas Governor Rick Perry, according to The Austin American Statesman. Why was the event not on the Governor’s website? What was the theme of Ms. Palin’s "keynote" speech there. Will it turn out that Ms Palin was chosen for McCain because she is already selling out her state and its people to industry?

So, let us choose to take Sarah Palin at her word – about that day, and about that pregnancy. And let us then ask the pertinent questions about the strange decisions she made that day, and why.That, too, would be a very fair response – which has nothing at all to do with the candidate’s children or family, as Barack wishes.

It does have a lot to do with this politician who is put before us -- her wisdom, leadership, and, most important, the company she keeps.

NPR's Robert Siegel Irresponsible

Hours before Obama spoke, NPR's Robert Siegel interviewed "GOP media strategist" Stuart Stevens for his perspective.

What a pro this man is. With a history of building illusions of decency where there is none. His 2001 book, written after twisting the truth for the 2000 Bush/Cheney campaign, is called The Big Enchilada: Campaign Adventures with a Cockeyed Optimist from Texas who won the Biggest Prize in Politics.

So, with the Democratic Convention providing inspiring, intelligent speeches one right after another, this "spinner" had to play his response carefully.

Stevens started with flattery, calling Michelle Obama's speech "fantastic" - but then moved right into the never-explained criticism of "confusing agenda every night" and "the passion of a Unitarian wedding" - the kind of comments that make listeners question their perceptions, not actually addressing any real issues.

Then Stevens dropped the real and constant RNC weapon - FEAR.

The setup was that this was a convention that wasn't really designed for Obama, but for Hillary, so that's supposed to explain some imaginary discomfort.

See how Stevens slipped a phrase in, as follows (my emphasis):

The Obama campaign really ran as an anti-establishment candidacy, an insurgency candidacy, and a convention by definition is the ultimate establishment event.

GOAL!!

He pinned the label "insurgency" on Barack Obama. You know, the enemy, the ones killing our troops, Al Quaeda, 9/11 - and so he planted the seed of terrorism into the ears of NPR listeners.

And Robert Siegel failed to bust him for this atrocious manipulation.

Terry Gross would have caught it. Diane Rehm, too.

That would be the work of a journalist.

There again, a journalist would have known more about the man he was interviewing. On that main page at Amazon for his 2001 paint-Bush-pretty book, under Editorial Reviews, Stevens is said to have as "his primary goal in designing [Bush's] TV spots was to make the Gore campaign "squeal like Ned Beatty in Deliverance.'"

So, this is the guy NPR chooses to talk to? This is a sick man, and this is the kind of media manipulation that has lead to the heartless, immoral crimes of the Bush/Cheney/Rove administration.

Shame on you, Robert.

Desperate NeoCon Turns to Porn

What else could he do? As former editorial page editor of the Washington Times, a Visiting Senior Fellow in National Security Communications at the Heritage Foundation, Executive Vice President at the Washington Edelman public relations firm, co-host of KCRW's Left, Right & Center, and frequent contributor on MSNBC, it was Tony Blankley's mission to provide talking points against Obama on "the morning after" that glorious speech in Berlin.

So there he was last Friday, on NPR -- where the audience is often more informed than most.

Worse yet, he was on The Diane Rehm Show -- which earned the honor of being the only other public broadcast, along with Now with Bill Moyers, to so threaten the Bush administration that Rove's buddy Kenneth Tomlinson, Chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, authorized a secret investigation into their liberal bias.

Sitting next to Blankley was David Corn, Washington Bureau Chief for Mother Jones Magazine, co-author with Michael Isikoff of Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War. Worse again, Corn is also the author of the 2003 book daringly titled The Lies of George W. Bush, now and forever more a must-read for those who want to understand what the hell happened.

On Blankley's other side was Jeanne Cummings from Politico, with whom he shares an awkward history. In 1997, she won a National Press Club Award for her groundbreaking coverage in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution of Newt Gingrich, the lobbyists and think tanks that backed him, and the House Ethics Committee investigations that culminated in his downfall. For the seven years leading up to the January 1997 reprimand and $300,000 fine by the Committee, it was Tony Blankley, as Gingrich's Press Secretary, putting the spin on his deeds, until it was clearly time to jump ship.

Blankley was surrounded -- by intelligent, attentive people -- who had already proven they were on to his bull. The only saving grace for him was that at least Diane was out of town, and Susan Page from USA Today, sitting in for her, was far less likely to confront him. Ironically, it was her innocence that pointed out his smut. HA HA HA HA. But I digress. . .

So, what could he possibly get away with saying?

After a brief, unavoidable admission that McCain was fortunate that Obama drew so much media attention and that McCain didn't get more coverage than he did that week, with his golfing with Old Man Bush and overheated rhetoric against Obama, it was time for Blankley to do his duty for the NeoCons.

Lacking legitimate logic, he aimed low, shifting into a slimy salacious suggestion: "On the other hand, I'm not convinced that the fellatic coverage that the media is giving Obama will in the long term. . ."

Susan Page interrupted. "I don't know what that word means."

Uh-oh. How did that happen! Nobody ever says that!! Oh, no! A light was shining on the naughty word!

"Oh, based on the word 'fellacio'. I believe we used to talk about the media giving wet kisses to... media," he stumbled. "It's got worse with Obama."

[NOTE THE PRISSY MISPRONUNCIATION OF THE WORD FELLATIO (WordPerfect/Oxford University Press Dictionary: noun, oral stimulation of a man's penis, from the Latin fellare "to suck") -- so condescending and elitist, from a man who just accused the press of having a whore-ish blowjob relationship with Senator Barack Obama].

David Corn tweaked "Oooh."

Jeanne Cummings stuttered but quickly gained her composure: "I, I, I'm going to stand up for my industry here."

And soon after a caller got through and nailed Blankley for his crude insults, forcing Blankley to apologize.

But those of us who heard, got it. The conservative pundits are stuck when it comes to Obama, and the only thing they know how to do at those times is play dirty.

And when those white male pundits are threatened by an intelligent black man, they apparently fall into to old jealousies and fears, revealing their true impotent selves.

I'm reminded of another black man who had earned a position of leadership in a world usually run by whites: Sheriff Bart (played by Cleavon Little) in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. Introducing himself to the townspeople of Rock Ridge, he stands before them and reaches into his pants, "Excuse me while I whip this out" -- And the crowd screams and pretends to look away, as he simply retrieves the documentation showing his new assignment as their Sheriff from his pocket.

Oh, such simple people we are.

So, Mr. Blankley, let us put it this way -- in the context you have chosen -- the language you understand:

Senator Barack Obama IS bigger, stronger, firmer, more long-lasting, and yes, a lot more fun, and even worth bragging about.

Oh, and I'm simply talking about his policies. . .

So, move over. There are a lot of us -- both here in the U.S. and, yes, across the world -- who are quite ready for this kind of good time for all.

Bush Administration Losing Control of Media: Fresh Air Breaks Through

Fresh Air Breaks Through With Phillipe Sands - the International Human Rights Lawyer Senate Republicans tried to Silence!

Did you hear NPR’s Fresh Air on Thursday, June 19th

If you did, you heard that for the rest of their lives, those who authorized, ordered and/or assisted with the decision to use the interrogation techniques that have been found to be TORTURE – which means Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and a team of lawyers that includes Addington, Bybee, Haynes, Yoo and more – cannot step outside the United States without being vulnerable to arrest and prosecution for war crimes.

It appears there is accountability beyond Pelosi’s table, with no time limit.

Dave Davies, sitting in for Terry Gross, interviewed Phillipe Sands, international human rights lawyer, British Queen’s Counsel, Director of the Centre of International Courts and Tribunals, Professor of International Law at University College London, and most recently author of Torture Team: Rumsfeld’s Memo and the Betrayal of American Values.

This was a lot more than a "driveway moment."

After a review of the evidence of Torture, particularly in relationship to Mohammed al-Qahtani, often referred to as 911's 20th highjacker, Sands used the example of Augusto Pinochet’s arrest in London decades after his reign of terror in Chile as the precedent for the detention of former heads of state.

He explained to Davies that these interrogation techniques fall within a universal jurisdiction of international crimes against humanity which any country has an OBLIGATION TO PROSECUTE if a person who was complicit in authorizing or ordering the crime to be committed shows up in that country – OR to EXTRADITE for such prosecution – even decades later – and that any immunity or pardoning that Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, Mr. Rumsfeld, and their lawyers are currently trying to put in place will have absolutely no affect in the rest of the world.

Can we hear this? Bush/Cheney, and so many on their teams, cannot travel abroad without the possibility of being arrested – for the rest of their lives.

Hear that? It’s the truth busting through.

You should also know that Sands testified before the House Judiciary Committee on May 6 and the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 10th. Republican Senator Thad Cochran made an obnoxious attempt to shut down that Senate Hearing, but failed.

This is billions of points for our side, the side of knowing the truth.

And so we point it out. . .


****

Archie commented: Isn't it wonderful, as every American knows, that there is absolutely nothing of value to see and do outside the U.S. so why would any of these august gentlemen ever want to leave?

I replied:

So Much for Dubai - Well, it does blow the escape to Dubai, which has no extradition agreement with the U.S., where Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld and their law team would have run into Halliburton CEO David J. Lesar, who conveniently and abruptly moved to a new corporate in Dubai in May 2007, just as investigations into Halliburton contracts, accounting and more were ramping up. Without testimony from the CEO, Halliburton remains unaccountable.
And that's the way these guys -- august or slimy -- like it.

See, the more Americans recognize what has occurred, the greater the possibility that we, like many current Republican candidates, seek to distance ourselves from Bush/Cheney and their policies, and define our principles by facilitating justice.

That means indictment for those who have broken laws.

That threat made David Lesar hop a plane.

But Mr. Sands, speaking up and speaking out, may well have grounded that planned plane for the Torture Team.

* * * * * * *

Originally published at OpEdNews.com June 23, 2008.

Friday Questions for Diane, June 20, 2008

08.0620 - Yesterday, on NPR’s Fresh Air, Philippe Sands, international lawyer, Director of the Centre of International Courts and Tribunals, and author of Torture Team: Rumsfeld’s Memo and the Betrayal of American Values, told Dave Davies that the interrogation techniques that the Bush Cheney administration has used, which have by now been well documented to have been torture, fall within a universal jurisdiction of international crimes against humanity which any country has an OBLIGATION TO PROSECUTE if a person who was complicit in authorizing or ordering the crime to be committed shows up in that country – OR to EXTRADITE for such prosecution – even decades later –

And that any immunity or pardoning that Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, Mr. Rumsfeld, and their lawyers, try to claim will have no affect in the rest of the world.

So even if Nancy Pelosi ignores the evidence and continues to say that impeachment is off the table, the rest of the world is obligated to hold these people accountable, with no time limit.

Even NPR Finally Says So

It's been very difficult to forgive NPR for its complete lack of coverage of the hearings in Ohio held by Congressman John Conyers and the Democratic minority of the House Judiciary Committee in December 2004, immediately following the shocking reversal of Senator John Kerry's lead in the polls, the vote, and ultimately the entire Presidential election.

I especially can barely listen to Neal Conan. To understand why, history is beginning to show that his response to an apparent flood of emails seeking real news reporting and discussion seemed to be decidedly patronizing.

BUT TODAY -- MINUTES AGO -- at the top of the 11:00AM MDT hour, NPR announced that the Secretary of State of Ohio, Jennifer Brunner, has announced that ALL of the DRE electronic voting machines used in the 2004 election in Ohio were completely vulnerable to manipulation and could not be trusted.

In addition, NPR reported, this problem also applies to voting machines used in other states as well.

For example - UTAH - RIGHT HERE IN UTAH!!!! GOT IT?!!!!!!!

Those are DIEBOLD machines!!!!!!
At long last, let's all say it.

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's announcement and report are here.

Go here to read the article by long-time election 2004 reporters Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman.

Then demand paper ballots from your own Secretary of State for the 2008 elections.

IT CAN BE DONE.

Taking Every Opportunity to Point Out the Voter Caging Trick

Today, Monday, July 9th, 2007, NPR's Talk of the Nation discussed "The Military Vote".
I couldn't call in at the time, so I've posted at their Blog of the Nation. It hasn't shown up yet, as they sometimes take a great deal of time (especially in non-business hours), but meanwhile. . .

Recent reports from Greg Palast of the BBC reveal that many who are in the military serving overseas had their votes deliberately thrown out -- not counted -- in the 2004 election.

It was called "Voter Caging". Registered voters whose addresses were in low-income African American neighborhoods, homeless shelters, and military bases in the United States were sent registered letters, with the envelopes marked "Do Not Forward" requesting that the voter confirm his or her mailing address by return mail.

Those voters who did not respond had their names removed from the voter registry lists. If they tried to vote in person, their votes were challenged and never counted. If they voted from overseas, their votes were tossed, without notifying the voters.

This was a deliberate method of removing the votes of low income voters, particularly African Americans, who statistically are more likely to vote for the Democratic ticket.

The program was run by a clever operative at the Republican National Committee. His name is Timothy Griffin, and he is the friend of Karl Rove's who received the appointment to be the United States Attorney in Arkansas, replacing Bud Cummins, who was investigating another Republican election operative, Mark "Thor" Hearne, spokesman for the phony "non-partisan" American Center for Voting Rights, pushing the non-issue of Voter Fraud to distract from the real issue of vote theft, formerly General Counsel for BushCheney 2004.

Is your head spinning? The point is --

In 2004, thousands of votes sent from our overseas military personnel, fighting for democracy, were illegally dumped on purpose by the Republican National Committee.

The story isn't over. When U.S. Attorney Timothy Griffin learned that House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. had met with reporter Greg Palast and seen the evidence, he immediately resigned.

And Conyers has said that he isn't done with Griffin yet.

NPR, my friend of over 30 years, has not reported this.

To check this story out, go to www.bradblog.com and/or www.gregpalast.com.

The story does continue. Today, Brad posted Paper: Internal Memos Contradict Florida Bush Team's Statements Concerning 'Voting Caging' Prior to '04 Election
Docs Based on Pre-Election Meetings in Duvall County Reveal Issue Was Repeatedly Discussed Despite Denials by Local Bush/Cheney '04 Election Chairman
DoJ Continues to Review U.S. Senator's Demand for a Full Investigation....