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January 4, 2009 at 22:23:20
Promoted to Primary Headline on 1/5/09: by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman Page 1 of 2 page(s) |
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Why Al Franken should NOT be riding private planes The tragic and suspicious death of Karl Rove's election thief in chief should send a clear message to Al Franken and other key liberals: don't be riding in any small private planes. 
by Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
December 23, 2008
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2008/3322
Death by air crash now seems to be the favored means of ridding the Rovian right of troublesome characters.
The most recent is Michael Connell, who died Friday night when his private plane crashed near his northern Ohio home. Connell was the information techology whiz kid who helped Rove steal the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, along with a few in between---possibly including the 2002 senatorial campaign in Minnesota that followed the death of Paul Wellstone.
Connell was an expert pilot whose plane crashed in clear weather. He held virtually all the secrets to how George W. Bush was illegally foisted on the American people---and the world---for eight horrifying years. By manipulating computerized results in Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004 Connell made history. By some accounts, he was about to tell the attorneys in the on-going King-Lincoln-Bronzeville federal civil rights lawsuit how he did it. He also expressed a willingness to appear under oath before Congress. But now he is dead.
Current cover stories include the possibility that his plane ran out of fuel. But its crash was accompanied by a very large fireball explosion that burned for more than ten minutes. A trooper on the scene immediately identified Connell, but newspaper accounts say his body was charred beyond recognition.
Connell told an anonymous tipster that he was being threatened by Rove. He reportedly canceled at least two previous flights due to mechanical failure. A father of four, his decision to fly from a highly restricted airport in Maryland remains a mystery. Connell reportedly did contract work for security-industrial agencies, like the CIA. Connell also openly acknowledged that he was the first IT contractor to move his servers behind the firewall of the US House of Representatves where he oversaw the websites of the House Judiciary Committee, Intelligence Committee, Ways and Means Committee, and Administrative Committee, arguably the four most powerful committees in the House.
He now joins such critical players as Paul Wellstone, Mel Carnahan, Ron Brown, Mickey Leland, John Tower, John F. Kennedy, Jr., and many more critical public figures who have died in small plane crashes at questionable moments.
In all cases there are non-nefarious potential explanations for their deaths. Conspiracy theories can, indeed, be frivolous.
But so can their out-of-hand dismissal by coincidence theorists. Both Wellstone and Carnahan died two weeks before critical Senatorial elections they were favored to win in a closely divided Senate. In 2000, Carnahan's Missouri seat was taken by his wife, who subsequently lost it.
Wellstone, the leading liberal light in the US Senate, had been personally threatened by Dick Cheney for opposing the Iraq war. Wellstone's plane crashed under dubious circumstances, carrying himself, his wife and daughter. In an extremely questionable outcome, Norm Coleman got his seat.
Coleman was hand-picked by Karl Rove to run against Wellstone. His ensuing victory over stand-in candidate Walter Mondale was the highly unlikely outcome of a messy, manipulated election that coincided with equally dubious senatorial vote counts in Georgia and Colorado.
Al Franken may now be poised to take back the Wellstone seat for the Democratic Party. As an Air America talk host, he repeatedly mocked those who were investigating the theft of the 2004 election.
But he now owes the possibility of being elected to the diligent work of election protection activists who have fought all these years for fair, open and reliable vote counts. Had former Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell been in charge of this year's Minnesota election, Franken would not even be in the running.
Ironically, a brutal right-wing hate campaign is now being waged against Franken, charging him with election theft. Among other things, it claims he "went to Hollywood" for money to steal his way into the Senate. 
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| 14 comments |
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MAYBE
he shouldn't be using private planes because it costs the taxpayers more money..... MAYBE THAT should be the reason... Ciao, CZ by steve scheetz (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 829 comments [52 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 8:36:52 AM  (0+)
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Minnesota Voice Here
First note. Gee a "Free Press" person is pimping for a Democrat. Just like the Naomi Kline speech, critical of Obama at the Free Press Media Conference, ironically in Minneapolis. That was pulled from the Free Press website about said Media Conference. A Conference set up, in an ultimate act of irony to decry corporate media censorship and tout alternative media. As a long time Media activist in the Twin Cities, who was there, I just had to get that out of the way. Now for Al Franken. Remember now, I was an Official Observer in the Green Party sponsored 2004 Ohio Re-Count. Al Franken was asked, directly by people who were working on my campaign for US Senate here in Minnesota about the issue of Voter Fraud and Suppression. Al Franken's answer "I do not want to talk about that because then people will not vote for me." In other words, voting for Franken was more important that people, mainly poor folks and black people having their right to vote and the integrity of our so called democracy. To compare Franken to Paul Wellstone is a sad pathetic joke. Franken is not even a quarter of the man that Paul Wellstone was. But hey, that great radical rag, the Nation supported him. Even to the point of doing two articles on the US Senate race in Minnesota, mentioning Jack Nelson Pallmyer (who was facing Franken in the Primary and as a real peace and justice type) in one line in the article. Oh yeah and mentioning myself, the Green Party person, oh yeah that's right, the "progressive" Nation" writer John Nichols didn't mention our campaign at all. Because, like Naomi Kline, I told the truth about the pro-war, corporate corrupted (and silent on Election Fraud) complicit Democratic Party. So Franken is now our Senator. Well let us all in Minnesota give a half hearted, pathetic sounding cheer. Yeaahhhhhh. But hey "progressive" Air America will love him. Just like the Nation, Mother Jones, Progressive magazine etc etc. Oh yes and the Free Press too. Golden microphone rules. If you have the gold or will speak for those who have the gold, you get the microphone. Ain't our "progressive" media grand? This by the way, is called speaking truth to power. Just so that you know what it really looks like. by Michael Cavlan (15 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 538 comments [131 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 10:41:34 AM (0+)
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Zio-Scat, fart comedian is new senator
I wonder if he'll wear diapers to his inauguration? Just more of the same filth that's investing our government. by Roger Thomas (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 131 comments [10 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 11:23:11 AM (0+)
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Word up m. c. U da Man
Wellstone was my hero even though i never even been to Minn. My sister calls DailyKos "progressive". If that little weasel isn't some kind of COINTELPRO garbage, i'll bet a dead man can beat a future attorney general....oh, wait.......... Our media needs the same thing our "2 party system" needs, my favorite word in the Dec of Indy...........ABOLISH!!!!!! Both parties should be outlawed for complicity, aiding & abetting a whole host of treasonous crimes. Leaders should be in prison. We the people need to take back OUR AIRWAVES. Nationalize the 4 headed monster we allow to brainwash us nightly(well, some) ABCNBCCBSFOX Imagine...........no more mind numbing drivel. No more commercial bombardment. Nothing but programs on how to imprison all republicans and democrats, how to dismantle capitalism and how to finally hold an Article V Convention that the states have called for. Of course it sounds like a pipe dream without the deal maker, nine eleven truth. When the great unwashed snap on that.........Voila!!! Dreams are now Reality. We are creating our own every second of every day. What do you want??????? by CamusRebel (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 100 comments [29 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 11:34:25 AM (0+)
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Oh, spare me. Franken is a DLC Democrat, just like the very
worst elements of the Dem Party. He's nothing whatever like Paul Wellstone. He poses no threat to the right-wing, any more than Nancy Pelosi, Jane Harman or Harry Reid. And, speaking as someone who firmly believes that the political assassinations of the 1960's (JFK,RFK, MLK & Malcolm) were engineered inside the US government, there isn't the slightest evidence that JFK Junior was killed by such a conspiracy. Even for me, that's just nutty paranoid "conspiracy theory" -- a term I usually reject with contempt. by Richard Mynick (2 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1552 comments [255 recommended, 5 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 12:04:06 PM (0+)
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Yeah!!! That stinkin' Al Franken hasn't ever demonstrated...
his progressive purity! And we all know that the only way to show your true progressive bona fides is to lose an election to a neocon. Yeah, there ain't no other way!! That's what I hear when I read the previously posted comments. Al Franken isn't the most progressive guy in Minnesota. He would be among the most progressive in the Senate. He's really kind of centrist, but as those on the fringes continue to refuse to believe, that's where the votes are. Would a new term for Senator Coleman be better? How about senator Cavlan? We could have a senate divided with 57 yea, 42 nay and 1 third way. How do we measure the effectiveness of the one? I know you guys get nervous without the weight of that chip on your shoulders to hold you steady, but think about making common cause with some of your fellow citizens. A democratic republic allows minorities to be heard. It does not promise that they will get their minority way, without regard to their purity of motive. by John Sanchez Jr. (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 25 diaries, 1791 comments [148 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 1:06:28 PM (0+)
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Reply: When Democrats use phrases like "progressive purity" as a
term of derision, they're referring to any trace of political thought in a Democratic candidate that Republicans might find objectionable. For example, in his post, John sneers at the idea that Al Franken should have to demonstrate "progressive bona fides." In other words, John think's it ridiculous to expect that Franken should actually stand for anything that Republicans might disapprove of. John writes sarcastically, "And we all know that the only way to show your true progressive bona fides is to lose an election to a neocon." In other words, to avoid losing elections to neocons, Democrats should become more like Republicans themselves; or at least make every effort to appease Republicans. When Democrats like John speak of "centrists" and "making common cause with some of your fellow citizens," what they really mean is voting for Democrats who support trillion-dollar Wall Street bailouts, trillion-dollar Pentagon budgets, a Republican Secretary of Defense in a nominally "Democratic" administration, zero accountability for Bush administration crimes; and continuing such Bush innovations as "The War on Terror," the PATRIOT Act, the FISA bill, etc. If you oppose such things, you're being "overly pure," so you'll lose elections. Clearly (in John's view) it would be much better to quit opposing such things. So remember, boys & girls -- the way to defeat Republicans is to become ever more like them; to vote for "Democrats" who cave in to everything Republicans want; and who never say anything Republicans don't like. And of course, to reserve your real animus for "progressive purists" -- you know, those troublemakers who don't think appeasing Republicans is the path to progress. by Richard Mynick (2 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1552 comments [255 recommended, 5 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 5:49:02 PM (0+)
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Reply: Mr. Mynick:
Thank you for so reliably missing my point. It is comforting to see confirmation that there are a few constants left in this ever changing universe. I get it after reading so many of your posts that you cleave to the view that everyone who didn't vote third party is a closet fascist, but that is just another misperception on your part. I'll say once more in as clear a fashion as it can be stated. Any candidate that cannot appeal to the center will not win a national general election in the United States. Period. Over. End of transmission. There may be rare exceptions in a statewide contest, but that would be rare, indeed. It could be said that the only elections that can be reliably won by candidates that are very far from center are those where the electorate is small enough that they all drink from the same well. To rail against the winner of an election as simply another traitor with your supporting evidence being their election to office or a major party association is simply illogical generalizing. It is this sort of intellectually lazy generalization that is the basis of all bias, of all bigotry. And yes, the worst bigot you ever heard of most certainly thought himself to be among the only people who saw thing "correctly". If you wish to speak with authority on these matters, you're clearly going to have to dig into the raw numbers and look at the patterns. Better yet, involve yourself in the process, up to your elbows, at the retail level. Until then, you're just guessing. by John Sanchez Jr. (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 25 diaries, 1791 comments [148 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 7:36:49 PM (0+)
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Reply: Mr Lorenz: I share your enthusiasm for the word "center" --
in the sense that it's a wonderfully malleable concept, which can mean almost anything, and offends almost no one. You say that the ability to "appeal to the center" is absolutely essential for winning a national general election in the United States. In the case of Al Franken, we're talking about a US senator. Senators are elected in statewide contests, not national general elections. Paul Wellstone, for example, was elected twice as senator from Minnesota, proving that someone with progressive bona fides can win the office in question. It isn't necessary to be a spineless DLC "centrist" to win that office. Genuine liberals can do it, & have done it. Moving away from Minnesota, in recent years, certifiable right-wing nutcases like Rick Santorum, Bill Frist, Trent Lott, Jim Bunning, Mitch McConnell, Jesse Helms, & many similarly repugnant figures have all been elected as US senators. Would you say that such figures "appeal to the center," or are these the "rare exceptions in statewide contests" that you alluded to? "National general elections" are held only for selecting president/VP tickets. You claim that to win such elections, candidates must "appeal to the center." Since they all won, this must mean that Nixon, Agnew, Bush Jr, Daddy Bush, & Ronald Reagan all appealed to the center. Clearly, they were all really right-wingers, so you must mean there's a difference between "being a centrist," and "appealing to the center." Your generous concept of "appealing to the center" is apparently broad enough to include right-wingers who pretend to be "centrists," regardless of what they really are. Is there any limit to the broad generosity of your concept of "the center"? Yes, unfortunately, there is. Your subtext is that no one with truly progressive positions can possibly be elected president. This is a completely hypothetical contention, since neither corporate party will ever permit a progressive to be nominated; therefore, your thesis is not subject to empirical testing. However, there is a great deal of poll data suggesting that policies such as cutting military spending, stopping wars of aggression, providing single-payer health care, prosecuting white-collar criminals, halting government spying on citizens, reining in corporate power, & the like, would be extremely popular with the general electorate. If the public was ever given the chance to vote for those kinds of policies, they might very conceivably do so. Unfortunately, it's the mission of the Democratic Party to ensure that the public never gets that chance. by Richard Mynick (2 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1552 comments [255 recommended, 5 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 10:32:08 PM (0+)
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Reply: I assume that you meant "Mr. Sanchez",...
and yes, Paul Wellstone on the left, and the assortment of fascists you enumerated on the right, did appeal to the center. Paul Wellstone, because progressive values are, by and large, centrist American values (you know, the kind that your Mom taught you) and the others because they campaign much further left than they intend to govern. Yes, it is deceptive, but it is, nevertheless, an appeal to the center. Even George W. Bush campaigned with an appeal to the center. If he had not, stealing those elections would have been much more difficult. Of course, Karl Rove was there to keep him from indulging his true nature during a campaign. by John Sanchez Jr. (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 25 diaries, 1791 comments [148 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Tuesday, Jan 6, 2009 at 8:54:03 AM (0+)
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Al Franken
He ain't no Paul Wellstone is right. He's got the approval of the Israeli govt behind him and therefore the U.S. govt as well, so no worries. His plane is safe. by jersey girl (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1201 comments [734 recommended, 12 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 7:36:25 PM (0+)
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Wow. Lies AND paranoia
Wasserman's and Fitzrakis' lies about the the 2000 and 2004 elections have become pretty tedious. So now they throw in paranoia to boot. It's still tedious. by Scott (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 744 comments [30 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 11:17:48 PM (0+)
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Problem: Republicans are cowards
My only problem with this theory is that Republicans are cowards. I know right-wingers like to talk tough and do mean things. They like to swagger and talk about guns. They love it when people are getting hurt (they're mostly white guys, after all). The Repubs have become the party of nastiness and meanness--I'll grant you that. Hardly a day goes by without some wingnut threatening a liberal (though never to his face). Unfortunately, nastiness and meanness do not make make somene tough. The last eight years have shown us that Repubs are a bunch of fat pedophiles, low-IQ whites, incompetents, repressed or closeted gay, criminals, and traitors. They are nothing to be afriad of in any physical sense. Today's Republicans would obviously do anything their cowardice allows to win an election--but there's the rub. I just have trouble believing they would have the balls to be assassins. Let's send them to the beautiful land of Wingnutania: by Perry Logan (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 557 comments [74 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Tuesday, Jan 6, 2009 at 5:10:33 AM (0+)
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A better suggestion for Mr Franken
Some free advice for Mr Franken: Stay away from the buffets. Those carbs will probably kill you before the supposedly all-powerful evil Mr Rove will. And now that he has 'won' will the Jabba the Hutt look-alike still be in favor of 'counting all the votes'?? Probably not. He has already found all the ones in the backseat of someone's car. That 'counting the all the votes' meme seems to be only good until you count enough 'found votes' to be declared the winner. Look into who gave the MN Secretary State money. Hmmmmmm. Makes you wonder. We are getting the Change We Deserve. Gore never had enough votes after the election or after all the recounts to declare himself the winner. He had to wait until some newspapers did what the Democratic elections boards in FL could not, 'find' enough votes for him so he could say that he 'won'. He tried to get the FL Supreme Court to rewrite the election law for him after the election so he could get the election boards to count votes his way and so he could quit braying about 'counting all the votes (his way)." but failed. Too bad. Now he has that carbon credit scam working for him. by Mad Jayhawk (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 652 comments [56 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Tuesday, Jan 6, 2009 at 6:15:02 PM (0+)
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