Why Al Franken Should NOT Be Riding Private Planes-by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman

[kpete]

Published on Wednesday, December 24, 2008 by CommonDreams.org
Why Al Franken Should NOT Be Riding Private Planes

by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman

...................

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.

Were it not for the deaths of so many others before him, such talk could be dismissed out of hand.

But under the circumstances, we would strongly urge Al Franken not to be flying in any small planes.

more at:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/12/24

[Eric J in MN]

1. The Wellstone was threatened by Cheney allegation.

"Wellstone, the leading liberal light in the US Senate, had been personally threatened by Dick Cheney for opposing the Iraq war."

Yet no one can name the time or place when Wellstone said that Cheney threatened him.

No one can name a witness who heard Wellstone say that Cheney threatened him.

[burythehatchet]

2. Yes. It's not very well known but Cheney had a great fondness for Paul Wellstone

it was very troubling for Cheney that his dear friend Paul was against the war and the Patriot Act



on edit - what fucking planet am I on?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Why don't you email the authors...

And ask them to reveal the sources of this information? Perhaps that will provide satisfaction.

[Eric J in MN]

4. I don't have their email addresses. NT

NT

[notesdev]

6. Wellstone had a rival

who coincidentally knew quite a number of other people who died in small plane accidents.

Just sayin'.

[dflprincess]

9. The link I had isn't working - here it is anyway

www.liberalslant.com/jt123003.htm

and I thought I had another source for this, but I can't find it - I did speak to someone who claimed to be at this veterans meeting, but I don't know him well enough to say how reliable a souce he makes.

At a meeting full of war veterans in Willmar, Minn., days before his death, Wellstone told attendees that Cheney told him, "If you vote against the war in Iraq, the Bush administration will do whatever is necessary to get you. There will be severe ramifications for you and the state of Minnesota."

Wellstone cast his vote for his conscience and against the Iraq measure, the lone Democrat involved in a tough 2002 election campaign to do so. And a few weeks later on Oct. 25, as he appeared to be winning his re-election bid, Wellstone, his wife, Sheila, his daughter, Marcia Markuson, three campaign staffers, and two pilots died in a plane crash in Minnesota.

This article was written in May 2002 and the link still works

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0510-04.htm

Paul Wellstone is a hunted man. Minnesota's senior senator is not just another Democrat on White House political czar Karl Rove's target list, in an election year when the Senate balance of power could be decided by the voters of a single state. Rather, getting rid of Wellstone is a passion for Rove, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush and the special-interest lobbies that fund the most sophisticated political operation ever assembled by a presidential administration. "There are people in the White House who wake up in the morning thinking about how they will defeat Paul Wellstone," a senior Republican aide confides. "This one is political and personal for them."

[lala_rawraw]

5. okay, now this is

just not ethical to write... we don't know yet what happened to Connell

[druidity33]

7. very true

that we don't yet know what happened to Connell. But if you were Al, wouldn't you avoid small airplanes for a little while?

I would. Just to be on the "safe side".


:shrug:

[lala_rawraw]

8. but that is the point...

i am talking about the journalists, not Al. if they are concerned, calling him might be better really..

[druidity33]

10. perhaps

raising the question publicly will ensure a more thorough investigation? I agree that it is somewhat irresponsible of Wass and Fit to draw such "conclusions". But i think posing the question is legitimate.

Maybe they tried calling Al?