Dear Joan:

Coincidentialy on the morning of 2007-10-26, on NPR's Morning Edition one could have listened to Anne Garrels report from Baghdad on the growing influence of rogue Shiite groups inciting violence among their own groups and Iran's involvement. To support her story, she states that NPR was invited to interview tortured Shiite captives of one sect held by another Shiite band in West Baghdad. Gruesome was the word she used but noted she was not permitted to use a microphone but did see blood stains. Please take time to listen on www.npr.com.

Now I ask. Did by being there and using it as a source to support a different story on growing Iranian influence, NPR give tactic approval to torture? Did they by broadcasting it derive benefit from the suffering and cruel treatment of these young men? Is there an ethical line in journalism that pervents information so extracted form being distributed?

This may be a good topic among you and the hollywood square participants on MSNBC nightly. I have so very much respect for the work of NPR and its reportage. I am deeply troubled by this report and wonder how far our center is folding.

Dear Joan:

As you discussed Torture on MSNBC, kept wondering if you have listened to NPR Anne Garrel's report from Baghdad on the morning of October 26. Seems torture was an acceptable source for information on Iranian involvement in Iraq for NPR. Is torture okay for time if fills on news media but not okay in other applications? Seems then that torture is not the concern.

Let's just suppose that you are offered an opportunity to interview a potential source to a story that has broad interest. You are given access to the interrogator's victim with the torturer present. The victim tells you what you think is consistent with the line of your editor's vision of the events in your reporting area. The story will give you closer access to the ruling military authority because it aligns you with their statements of the events in the area and maybe they have even provided you the lead to the story and possibly the security to prevent you from becoming a hostage yourself. You can also see that the victims were not victims of waterboarding but the common torture of blood letting. The microphine turns on; America is in October drive time; Baghdad is east of eden; the cue has been set by the soft voice of your host in Washington and the air has filled your well school'd and award winning lungs... What then do you say, Joan, what does Abrams say? As you answer that inquisitive question, you will answer the question of what waterboarding look like.

This morning, in response to outrage from those who can hear in October and November drive time, Anne Garrels fed by her water carrier Innskeep announced how she validated what was received from torture in western Baghdad. Guess among the Harvards and press award winners it goes with their ethics.

Perhaps Frank Rich if he posts a follow up to his Good German editorial will note how NPR is evolving. If he doesn't then maybe he is evolving into a Good German also.

Here's what....looks like when the deadline is god. It looks as horrible as it sounds; and, it sounds like a report delivered in a moral vaccuum.

Perhaps the salon and MSNBC talk chat with an opinion injected from Michael Mukasey would provide some paliative perspective.

This coincides with an article in the Times magazine this Sunday on how the enfeebled mind of a philosopher on Atheism has been manipulated to convert to a deity proposed by the revival tent sideshow scam artists.

Others pulled the same trick with twilight years of Admiral Stockdale. Use the great near passing to push the hidden agenda, make it legitimate in their blind spots - Galileo and for some George H. W. Bush.

43 in his Christianity seems to forget that the most fundamental of all prayers starts with honoring the name of the father, now only known as 41.

When up against zealots, persistence is fundamental to defeating them. Public is presently very subject to quick return on instant action. Persistence is not in the appetite. Short of wind as a former Arab dictator would observe. A Karl Rove is very persistent like an Arab dictator and can become a backbone to even a jellyfish. The backbone as shown in today's Wall Street Journal is still holding the jellyfish together.

Hillary for all her faults has persistence. The Democrats have to gird their loins along with her - they haven't yet.

It is an election that is separate from the government - a government that is separate from an election. Outside, Hillary appeared on CNBC aside Warren Buffet - she spoke of fiscal responsibility - the use of spending, tax and longtern debt to perform the functions while standing aside a man who easily will speak of assuring that his heirs know to earn for themselves, separate of entitlements and endowments. It was a true Presidential appearance. The matters of the debates don't appear to be as interested in posterity. Religions deal with eternity and are harmful to posterity. In the government, posterity except when it appears as an unincumbered annuity of retirement payments or franchises has single administration term limits. We are dancing around a vaccuum until we each take a vote - unprepared to think on our own.

Aside: Red is a great color for a dress but not a voting class.