Letters to the Editor
Zoomie
Published Letters: 8 Editor's Choice: 1
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Of Course She Was
[Read the article: Was Plame covert? Conservative commentators weigh in]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]When Novak wrote his article, to the world Valerie Plame worked not at Langley, but at a D.C.-based private company supplying energy services and consulting services, traveling the world.
Within 48hrs of his article, that firm was gone! Vanished! Plame was not the only one affected by being outed. The entire company she had worked at, now exposed as a CIA-front, was put out of business, along with dozens of other COVERT CIA operatives!
Indeed, several articles back then documented how representatives of several foreign governments were trying to identify all the people who had worked at the firm, and then everyone they ever dealt with in foreign governments!
Now if this doesn't fit the classic NOC, covert agent, then NOTHING does! And Toensing is deliberately playing the fool to pretend otherwise! Notice how often conservatives talk about Plame working a desk at Langley, dispite no evidence she ever was at Langley?
Plame was covert, and the Bush Administration outed her!
All of which has absolutely NOTHING to do with Libby's crime, which was obstruction of justice and perjury, both of which he was found guilty of! He's getting what he deserved!
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Jettisoning Fuel
[Read the article: Ask the pilot]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I can't speak to commercial aircraft, but as an Air Force veteran with more than 12yrs on RC-135's (reconnaissance versions of the venerable KC-135 tankers), I can definitely say anytime we landed sooner than expected (ie. a 16 hr mission aborted after only 5 hours, returning us to base 11 hours early) we would dump fuel to lighten the aircraft prior to landing.
Most of my flying was out of RAF Mildenhall in the UK, and we would dump the gas over the North Sea, as we were banned from dumping (except in an emergency) over land.
But it was definitely done, and it was quite common...
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Why No Mention of McCain Using His FEC Certification To Game The Primary System?
[Read the article: Are Barack Obama and John McCain hypocrites?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Obama pledged IF he's the candidate; he's not the candidate and isn't likely to be for several more months. So thus far, he's broken no pledge.
Meanwhile, ever the Bush-appointed head of the FEC say McCain IS locked into public financing, and his simply saying so doesn't change it (with GOP obstinance in blocking enough appointments to the FEC to actually allow it to do its business, making the GOP too clever by half).
And why no mention in the article about McCain using his public financing Certificate to get his name on the primary ballot in four states (including OH), thereby saving himself roughly $8-10 million scare primary dollars? He skipped having to send hundreds of signature collectors into those states by showing his FEC Certificate, which got him on the ballot automatically, so he has already used the FEC public financing law for millions in gain over other candidates. He cannot now simply say he changes his mind, after those states have had their primaries. If he's allowed to opt out, all primary delegates in those states should go to the only remaining candidates, Huckabee and Paul.
While I hear lots of attacks and whining about Obama, thus far, we haven't even met the original criteria he agreed to, so its all academic anyway. McCain, however, has already gained real financial gain from his actual signed agreement, and to opt out now is (as the FEC head said) a violation of Federal law (FYI, one that actually carries jail time, not just a slap-on-the-wrist fine).
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Why Were They Investigating Spitzer?
[Read the article: Report: Spitzer was starting point for prostitution ring investigation]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]So let me get this right...DOJ didn't uncover Spitzer while investigating a hooker ring; they uncovered a hooker ring while investigating Spitzer!
Why were they investigating Spitzer? If ABC and Ross are correct, investigating Spitzer found the high cash withdrawals which led to the Empire Club. But I see no explanation why they were investigating Spitzer in the first place. Now, being a cynic, especially about this DOJ, I have to wonder if perhaps someone thought they could pull a duplicate of the Siegelman conviction? Instead of investigating and prosecuting the crime, was someone investigating and hoping to prosecute the man? Scott Horton at Harpers Online has done a great job documenting how the Bush DOJ have made the Department a functioning element of the Republican Party, using it to bring down Democratic politicians...
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Pot, Meet Kettle
[Read the article: McCain: Timeline of Iraq withdrawal "not too important"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Frankly, I think you're right. McCain IS being taken out of context, and Democrats are twisting what he intended to say in the worst way.
And to GOP complaints, all I can say is, Pot, Meet Kettle!
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What About The Freebie Ballots?
[Read the article: DNC heads back to court over McCain]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Why no mention that McCain received actual value from his application, approved by the FEC, to use matching funds (and be limited to $51 million by Sept 1st)?
Candidates who agree to accept matching funds are automatically placed on the ballots in at least two states (Ohio and I believe Indiana), for the GOP. If they don't take matching funds, they have to pay signature collectors to go out and get them thousands of signatures, or else they don't go on the ballots. McCain claimed he was taking matching funds, and was approved (he was issued a certificate from the FEC to prove it). This saved him an estimated $5-10 million he would have spent getting his name on those states' ballots. Now be begs off matching funds, because now he no longer needs it?
Basically, if the FEC does nothing, McCain broke Federal law (FYI - its a felony, not just a fine) and violated all the rules, cheating and stealing to win. Play it right, and make it easy and clear to the public, and its a winner for Dems!