brigade-l Monday, October 16 2000 Volume 01 : Number 110 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 21:34:05 -0400 From: "Linda Muller" Subject: [BRIGADE] Election Day Pamphlet Project From: updates@buchananreform.com To: Subject: ELECTION DAY PAMPHLET PROJECT Date sent: Sat, 14 Oct 2000 13:07:33 -0400 On election day, it is very important that voters entering the polling buildings are reminded that they have a choice and we have a project if you want to help: We need volunteers ready to stand outside of polling areas of election day (legal places only of course!) and hand out pamphlets to remind people preparing to cast their vote just how Pat differs from the "Republicrats". If you ready to hand out flyers for Pat on election day, please send a SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE to us at Buchanan/Foster Headquarters and we will stuff it full of informational pamphlets for you and send it right back so you will have more material to hand out on election day. PLEASE HELP MAKE CERTAIN WE HAVE THE POLLS COVERED ON ELECTION DAY. SEND A SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE TO: BUCHANAN/FOSTER 8233 OLD COURTHOUSE ROAD #200 VIENNA, VA 22182-3816 Attn: ELECTION DAY PAMPHLETS - ---------------------- Also, we need even more volunteers to hook up with their state coordinators to stick up signs and other project during these critical last few weeks. If you would like to contact your state coordinators and help with signs, etc, please use the following URL: www.patbuchanan.com/volunteers/ - ------- end -------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the Trail.... with Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster http://www.buchananreform.com/trail/trailmain.asp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Internet Brigade Headquarters http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUCHANAN-FOSTER 2000 HQ 1-800-GO-PAT-GO http://www.buchananreform.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 21:43:48 -0400 From: "Linda Muller" Subject: [BRIGADE] CA: Support Templin, not Campbell, for the Senate! Dear Brigade, this email may seem unusual since I am a Reformer and the candidate below is a member of the Constitution Party. But we must do all we can to support other 3rd party candidates who are with us on the issues. FTC-Linda - ----------- To: linda@buchanan.org Date sent: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 16:34:50 -0700 Subject: Fw: FW: Support Diane Templin, not Tom Campbell, for the Senate! From: Penny Ferguson LINDA, DEAR...LETS BLAST THIS TO THE WORLD...! MR. PICCHIO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY..........Penny From:"Sergio Picchio" Date sent: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 10:39:06 -0700 Subject: FW: Support Diane Templin, not Tom Campbell, for the Senate! FYI- - -----Original Message----- From: Latino Republicans [mailto:latinorepublicans@earthlink.net] Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2000 10:37 PM To: Latino Republican E-group Subject: Support Diane Templin, not Tom Campbell, for the Senate! Fellow Republicans, conservatives, Christians, and soccer moms: It is unfortunate that Tom Campbell decided to attack Governor Bush's economic program. Campbell's embracement of "It's the economy STUPID!", but total abdication of any moral stands, will cost him. Please consider the 3rd party candidate Diane Templin, for US Senate by visiting her web site at: votefordiane.org. A former Republican, Diane is now running as an American Independent Party Candidate (http://www.aipca.org/). While visiting her web site, take the straw poll, which until recently showed Tom Campbell with zero votes, Feinstein with 5% and Templin with 95%. In addition, sign the Guest Book, and read all the wonderful posts from Pro-life Republicans. "Why am I never polled" you ask? Here's your chance. A vote for Diane Templin will not be a "statement" vote. The Republican party needs to receive a VERY clear message to; "NEVER SELECT A MODERATE!". Aside from teaching Republican leadership a lesson (remember the recent 5 Republican incumbents in VT that were voted out of office because they favored homosexual marriage?), this can be a vote to win back California! There ARE differences in the parties, and as Republicans, we wish there were not; but it is very unlikely that Democrats will change their minds about killing babies (through abortions), having homosexuals indoctrinate kindergartners, and plundering productive citizens and giving money to the lazy ones (i.e., buying votes). Until they do see it our way, we should focus on and celebrate our differences (because we are on GOD's side, they are not). Most people are asked to give money, Diane Templin is simply asking that you "tell two". This is not a vote to make a statement; this is a vote to WIN, against impossible odds, against Campbells and Feinsteins millions. By telling only two people, and encouraging them to challenge two others, great numbers of people can be reached; and it CAN happen, by the impassioned "spurring" of good and decent citizens of California. The subsequent grass roots rally can generate more than enough votes to win. Let us be shrewd and not pull a Gary Bauer, who urged everyone NOT to vote for Matt Fong in the last US Senate race. Well, congratulations Gary, YOU GAVE US BARBARA BOXER. The ballots probably went unchecked, which by default gave Boxer the votes. Let's proceed wisely and not let this happen again. Let's put our principles BEFORE our party loyalty. This may be one of those rare moments, perhaps in CA State history, that a 3rd party candidate would win an election for an office only second to the presidency. CALL TO ACTION: 1. Visit http://votefordiane.org and read her stands. 2. Take the Straw Poll and sign the Guest Book. 3. Tell two like-minded friends to do the same (and encourage them to "tell two"). 4. Do something; ANYTHING!, to get the word out. God bless you, Paul Darafeev - -------- end --------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the Trail.... with Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster http://www.buchananreform.com/trail/trailmain.asp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Internet Brigade Headquarters http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUCHANAN-FOSTER 2000 HQ 1-800-GO-PAT-GO http://www.buchananreform.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 21:55:16 -0400 From: "Linda Muller" Subject: [BRIGADE] NC RP Candidate: Media Needs More Regulatory Control Dear Brigade, Doug Schell is another longtime friend of mine and loyal Buchanan Brigader. He is a Reformer running for Governor in NC. Please see below his latest press release and check out his website at: http://schellforgovernor.hypermart.net FTC-Linda PS - He is also making Vote Fraud a key issue of his campaign. - ------------- From:"Douglas Schell" To: linda@buchanan.org, Subject: NEWS RELEASE: MEDIA NEEDS MORE REGULATORY CONTROL Date sent: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 11:33:22 EDT NEWS RELEASE SCHELL FOR GOVERNOR REFORM PARTY OF NC "If You want Reform, Vote Reform" For further information or media interviews contact: Dr. Douglas W. Schell (910) 522-7652 or schellforncgovernor@hotmail.com or http://schellforgovernor.hypermart.net League of Women Voters Governor Survey http://www.dnet.org Military? Call 800-438-8683 (follow directions) GOVERNOR CANDIDATE SCHELL CALLS FOR LAWS TO REGULATE THE MEDIA IN NC Dr. Douglas W. Schell, Reform Party candidate for Governor and professor of business at UNC-Pembroke, today called for increased regulatory laws on both the electronic and print media in NC. Schell charged that, "the media all too often currently supports the growing corruption of our political process where MONEY is the major reason why people get elected and covered in the media. If a candidate doesn't have big bucks gotten from special interests and PACs, the media argues that the candidate can't possibly win therefore he/she is not news worthy to have the campaign reported upon. The media then editorially "rings its hands" complaining about the corruption of our political process. What hypocrisy. The media MUST be regulated to insure it is part of the solution, not part of the problem as it currently is." When asked what regulatory controls would be placed on the media, Dr. Schell responded, "that he would promote a law requiring that the media NOT be legally allowed to cover political candidates unless (1) they agreed to public debates/town meetings where all ballot positioned candidates had an opportunity to meet and answer questions from the public, (2) those candidates discussed issues in a positive, specific, honest and thorough way, and (3) and refrained from negative and attack ads in their media and other parts of the campaign. There would be substantial monetary fines and possible criminal charges for failing to comply with these laws." When asked if this wouldn't be an infringement of 1st Amendment rights, Dr. Schell answered, Definitely NOT. He stated that " NC has given special legal protections to the media in terms of "public figures" being able to sue a media for libel. The libel rules for suing media are much more difficult when false charges and inaccuracies are done by the media than for libel done by other institutions. These media protections are simply a product of the law. We the people can remove these special laws giving special protection against libel by the media. The media are also corporations given special privileges concerning limited liability against civil suits. Whenever any institution uses government to gain special privileges, it MUST also accept controls by that same government." Why should educational institutions be required to prove accountability to the public and the media be excluded from accountability to the public. With freedom comes accountability and responsibility. The rules should be the same for everyone. Dr. Schell resides in Pemberton, NC with his wife Patricia, They have six children and seven grandchildren. Dr. Schell has been a professor at UNCP since 1990. - --------- end -------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the Trail.... with Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster http://www.buchananreform.com/trail/trailmain.asp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Internet Brigade Headquarters http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUCHANAN-FOSTER 2000 HQ 1-800-GO-PAT-GO http://www.buchananreform.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 21:59:43 -0400 From: "Linda Muller" Subject: [BRIGADE] Condit: Urgent Appeal to the Brigades to Defend Pat From: "Jim Condit Jr" To: Subject: Urgent Appeal to the Brigades to defend Pat Date sent: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 11:13:55 -0400 Dear Linda and Brigades, Now that the Buchanan campaign has its matching funds and its game plan is rolling, there are two races happening around the country that I want to ask you to give serious consideration to supporting. Both are of great importance in their own right.. Both are doing something for Pat Buchanan that he can not do for himself - defend himself as only a third party can. Every New World Order organ in the world, such as CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and the New York Times - have been mercilessly censoring Pat or smearing him in one way or another throughout the last 3 campaigns. Ted Koppel's attack on Pat's family was so vicious during the 1996 campaign, that Pat will not go on Nightline if Ted Koppel is the host in protest. The same is the case with CNBC's Hardball because of that little weasel Chris Matthew's disgusting toadying and groveling before the Alter of political correctness after Pat's book, A Republic, Not an Empire hit the book stands. Matthews, like the political moron Donald Trump, said that Pat was "soft on Hitler" and other such nonsense because Pat punctured some of the myths about World War II and brought up some facts which everyone is supposed to now obediently forget. False opposition conservative Bill Bennett recently told Hannity and Colmes on Fox Cable News Network that he would vote for "partial birth abortion" New World Order fanatic Joe Leiberman, but has called Pat Buchanan every name in the book since 1996 when Pat challenged the Ruling Elite - which own both major parties and Mr. Bennett. Anyway, all of these third parties from the Washington and New York Media have been ganging up and piling on Pat Buchanan for years. Here's our chance to fight back. Please pay close attention to all the points below. First, the Ken Lowndes for Congress Campaign is running ads in Michigan and Ohio - and some of them reach into 38 states at night. Ken is the Reform Party Congressional candidate from the third district of Michigan. All of his Radio ads defend Pat Buchanan in one way or another against the Big Media. All of his radio ads focus attention on the warped public opinion polls, the phony exit polls, and the easily rigged computerized elections. Many of his Radio ads charge that if Pat gets less than 5% of the vote in the General Election - then it will be computer vote fraud. The only thing that matters, the only thing that can save the Reform Party from getting less than 5% -- which means no ballot position and no matching funds for 2004 --- is if it becomes a nationwide din that we, the people, suspect that the 5 Big Networks are cooperating to computer votefraud the Buchanan campaign and keep Pat's total under 5%. That is the ONLY development which can prevent the computers from showing Pat with less than 5% on election night. And the Ken Lowndes Radio ads are the only device which can bring about that development - if they get enough play and precipitate enough protest -- although it's a long shot. Here's why the strategy is so effective - and here's why every congressional district in this country should get ready to take advantage of this strategy in 2002. 1.. Federal law - confirmed in the important court case Becker vs. the FCC in 1996 - says that Radio and TV stations MUST run the Radio and TV ads of federal candidates in the last 45 days before a campaign. They MUST run the ads no matter what they say, provided profanity and sexually explicit content are avoided. They MUST sell these ads to the federal candidate at the lowest rate charged any client all year. They MUST bump businesses in order to make room for these Federal Candidate ads, and they must give the Federal candidates access throughout the day and night - just as they would any other business. Furthermore, if they don't live up to these guidelines, the aggrieved federal candidate can file with the FCC for OWNERSHIP of the offending TV or radio station. 2.. That's why we are running these Radio ads defending Buchanan through a Congressional candidate. If we did not run them through a Congressional candidate, or other federal candidate - the stations could legally refuse them! Do you see the power here? 3.. Ken Lowndes, Reform candidate for Congress in district 3 in Michigan, came forth at the Citizens for a Fair Vote Count convention in Cincinnati and offered to run these ads through his Congressional campaign. 4.. All of these Radio ads can be heard and read at votefraud.org on the welcome page. 5.. Also, we are running all ads through the talk radio channels established by Rush Limbaugh and others. These radio shows have tens of thousands of listeners who are seeking the truth (even though Rush doesn't give it to them on Pat), and these radio pathways into tens of thousands of conservative minds did not even exist before 1988. 6.. All of the Lowndes Radio ads tell people to go to votefraud.org and GET THE FULL STORY. This is the first Presidential campaign in history that where it has been possible to direct millions of people to get the full story on the internet. In the past, a sixty second ad that challenged the billions of dollars of propaganda and brainwashing put out by the Ruling Elite's 5 big TV networks - without any place to refer the listener - could be dismissed as "nutty." Now, with the internet, the truth seekers and curious have someplace to go to do honest research into new ideas. 7.. Finally all of Ken Lowndes' radio ads ask the listeners to email their contacts all over the nation to go to votefraud.org and get the full story. Do you see the power here? Those listening in Michigan and Ohio - and in the 38 states WLW reaches between 9 PM and midnight - could potentially alert millions of people by email to the existence of the votefraud issue and the votefrauding of Pat Buchanan. (Remember that in our archives we have the article, "A House without Doors" - which documents the truth about those phony exit polls AND the votefrauding of Pat Buchanan in Dubuque, Iowa in the 1996 Iowa Caucus by Voter News Service, -- which votefraud is being protected to this day by the Republican Party of Iowa, ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN (FOX cable news network was not involved in 1996). Potentially millions could come into votefraud.org and download that article, and understand the full seriousness of this votefraud issue - and the stealing of America and our future by dishonest elections -- for the first time. 8.. The one minute radio ads on WLW between 9 PM and 12 midnight - which reach into 38 states - cost only $50 each. The ads on the overnight show for truckers on WLW, on the Truckin' Bozo show between midnight and 5 AM - cost only $20 a piece!!! Do you see the power here? 9.. You can donate to Ken Lowndes for Congress and help him put more of these Radio ads on by going to votefraud.org and using the secure form to donate by credit card on the internet. Or you can mail a check to: Ken Lowndes for Congress, Radio Ad Campaign, PO Box 11110, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211. Ken has run 52 ads last week and has bought 63 radio ads for the week of October 16 to 20. 10.. We need immediate help to run several hundred more ads per week in the last 2 and one half weeks of this Presidential campaign. The second campaign is that of Dr. Douglas Schell, the Reform Party candidate for Governor in North Carolina. Dr. Schell is the highest ranking candidate ever to be willing to bring the votefraud issue to the public as a major part of his every speech. Thanks to the unique situation in the South, where Gospel stations have large listenerships, Dr. Schell can reach 180,000 people for about $200. How is that possible? A 30 minute info- mercial (in effect, a 30 minute talk show) costs only $100. And Dr. Schell can buy 20 or so sixty second radio ads for only about $5 each - to run a day or two before the 30 minute infomercial talk show. And remember, this is on a central station in N.C. that reaches an average listenership at any given time of about 180,000 people All these people can be reached for $200. Now with $4000 - Dr. Schell could book shows defending himself, Pat Buchanan, and votefraud - in every section of the state - as well as get radio ads on the AM stations carrying Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, etc. Here are the instructions Dr. Schell gave me to pass on to those of you who wish to help air his message in time: Checks should be made out to Schell for Governor. Make sure they provide me with all the necessary information about themselves. If they go to http://schellforgovernor.hypermart.net/contacts.htm there is a donation form with my address. In case they don't have the internet, send it to: Schell for Governor Committee 70 Mission Church Rd. Pembroke, NC 28372 Time is of the essence for both Campaigns to be able to defend Pat Buchanan, the Reform Party, and America - and go a long way to begin destroying once and for all the credibility of the Big TV Networks. A lot can be done effectively by election day if everyone does what they can. Everyone into the battle! Jim Condit Jr. Citizens for a Fair Vote Count - --------- end ------ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the Trail.... with Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster http://www.buchananreform.com/trail/trailmain.asp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Internet Brigade Headquarters http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUCHANAN-FOSTER 2000 HQ 1-800-GO-PAT-GO http://www.buchananreform.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 09:32:04 -0400 From: "Linda Muller" Subject: [BRIGADE] LA Times - Pat's Immigration Ad Los Angeles Times - Sunday, October 15, 2000 Buchanan's Ad Re "Buchanan Immigration Ad Met With Quick Criticism," Oct. 10: I thought the Buchanan Reform Party "meatball ad" [a man chokes on a meatball after hearing on a news broadcast that English is no longer America's official language; he calls 911 and passes out while listening to a menu of language options] was right on the money. It was not only witty and pointed to get my attention, but it woke me up to a real issue (unlike the boring debates!). Ultimately, I took home from the ad a message of unity and acceptance--in this country our English language is a major point of unity (not to mention that English is the primary language of international business and even of the air traffic controllers and pilots). It's also an issue of acceptance--the acceptance of this country by the immigrants who decide to live here. My grandparents were from Eastern Europe and did not speak English when they came here, but they quickly learned English so that my grandfather could get a job and so they could be part of their community and of America. Pat Buchanan has a good idea for America. JIM LYNCH - Orange - --- Kowtow to the divide-and-conquer approach of the Democrats and Republicans? No way. We are not hyphenated Americans, speaking dozens of historical languages. We are American Americans, and we speak English. And vote for those who support it. Keep it in mind, politicians. FRANK TYMON - Lancaster - -------- end ------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the Trail.... with Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster http://www.buchananreform.com/trail/trailmain.asp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Internet Brigade Headquarters http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUCHANAN-FOSTER 2000 HQ 1-800-GO-PAT-GO http://www.buchananreform.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 18:48:35 -0400 From: "Linda Muller" Subject: [BRIGADE] Poll - Vote for Pat! Dear Brigade -- I just checked and PJB is at 14%! From: Baygopatgo@aol.com Date sent: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 18:31:17 EDT Subject: PAT POLLS 13%! To: undisclosed-recipients:; Hi CA Brigade! Forget that 1% that the so -called legitimate polls have Pat stuck at - check out the Netscape poll at: http://home.netscape.com/polls/Poll-20001003prezc.html SPREAD THE WORD!!! GO PAT GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Del McLaughlin SO Cal Buchanan/Foster Reform - ----------- end ------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the Trail.... with Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster http://www.buchananreform.com/trail/trailmain.asp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Internet Brigade Headquarters http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUCHANAN-FOSTER 2000 HQ 1-800-GO-PAT-GO http://www.buchananreform.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 19:12:28 -0400 From: "Linda Muller" Subject: [BRIGADE] The Homeschooling Revolution! Dear Brigade, Thought you might be interested in knowing that fellow Brigader, Izzy Lyman's new book, "The Homeschooling Revolution", is now available! Isabel Lyman's book offers a comprehensive, readable overview of the modern day homeschool movement. She is a longtime homeschooling advocate. Her columns about home education have appeared in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, the National Review, Boston Herald and the Dallas Morning News. She has also been published in the research journal, “Home School Researcher” and by the Cato Institute. Izzy can be reached at - ILyman7449@aol.com She welcomes constructive criticism and questions about home education. But best of all Izzy is a Brigader! So send her a note -- or better yet, send her a check and get a copy of her book! It costs $11.95 plus $2.00 for shipping, checks should be made out to Izzy. Order from: The Homeschooling Revolution c/o Isabel Lyman 88 Harkness Road Pelham, MA 01002 FTC-Linda PS -- She will have a new website up soon - stand by! - ------ end ---------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the Trail.... with Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster http://www.buchananreform.com/trail/trailmain.asp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Internet Brigade Headquarters http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUCHANAN-FOSTER 2000 HQ 1-800-GO-PAT-GO http://www.buchananreform.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 19:34:01 -0400 From: "Linda Muller" Subject: [BRIGADE] The Man Who Knew Too Much Dear Brigade, "The activities of Reno's State Attorney's Office reveal that they knew they were in deep trouble with this. That's what precipitated the ongoing attempts to undermine Joe Gersten in Australia. They can't let him get away with remaining credible...." Quite a story Brigade! - fyi Linda - ----- From: redfox1776@juno.com Date sent: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 14:36:01 -0700 Subject: The man who knew too much You can read the Sydney Morning Herald article here: http://www.smh.com.au/news/0010/17/features/features1.html I found the link here. Looks like a good site for keeping up on news: http://www.trteam.com/news_briefing.html The Sydney Morning Herald October 17, 2000 The man who knew too much So, who is Joe Gersten and why are the FBI and the Australian Federal Police so interested in him? And why is this formerly successful US lawyer and politician seeking refugee status in Australia as a victim of political persecution? John Macgregor looks for the answers. AT 53, Joe Gersten is bald and a little spherical - with a level gaze which has stared down some of America's meanest prosecutors, a hostile media, and eight lean years. His accent echoes Mickey Rourke, though the boisterous shirt - which scarcely arrests an impressive mid-section - is pure south Florida. Gersten appreciates a touch of melodrama - though this may be a recently acquired taste. The former Florida senator is in Australia claiming to have been "purged from political office by my long-time political enemy, US Attorney-General Janet Reno". The son, brother and nephew of three respected Florida judges, and once an admired reformist, Gersten is labelled "clueless", "raunchy", and worse, by the freebooting press of his home city of Miami. After an eight-year campaign to make a new life for himself in Australia, this week brought a first: the chief counsel for Washington's heavyweight House Committee on Government Reform, James C. Wilson, told the Herald: "There appear to be legitimate concerns of improper action in the Gersten case." As chairman of Florida's all-powerful Dade County Finance Committee, in 1992 Gersten had run a "deep cover" investigation which suggested racketeering and money laundering at the Port of Miami. Major fundraisers for the Clinton-Gore campaigns appeared to be involved, as was the New York Mafia. A restaurant named Buccione's was being used as a conduit for illicit money transfers. Gersten speculated that big consignments of cocaine were being landed. He handed his investigation over to the FBI. Afterwards, Gersten's car was stolen - with his Port documents in it. Almost immediately, a 15-year-old boy reported seeing Gersten shoot dead a transvestite. When his story's many inconsistencies were challenged by police, the boy confessed that he'd concocted it - because he and his girlfriend were "going to be paid some money by the FBI". By an extraordinary coincidence, the officer who brought in the murder "witness" found Gersten's car the next day - in the possession of people claiming to have been with Gersten at a sex and drug orgy. The officer, J.L. Garcia, was a close personal aide to a key ally of Mayor Steve Clark, whom Gersten was running against for mayor of Dade County. Richard Gregorie - the man who had put Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega away for life - was chosen to prosecute Gersten for three drug and sex misdemeanours. Gregorie had been selected by State Attorney Janet Reno. Reno thereafter took time off from pursuing international drug cartels to administer minuscule details of Gersten's case. In early 1993, Reno became the United States Attorney- General. Gersten was subpoenaed to appear for questioning by her hand-picked successor, Katherine Rundle. It was March 16, 1993: Gersten's election day as a Dade County Commissioner. ("Rundle," Gersten drily notes, "was publicly supporting my opponent.") He was required to answer questions regarding the car theft but wasn't told that the thief had confessed, and had been released, 11 months earlier. Two witnesses against Gersten - in connection with the drug and sex allegations - who could have expected life sentences for unconnected kidnapping and armed robbery offences, subsequently served two years' prison between them. Remarkably, Reno's initialled instructions appear several times on a document relating to Gersten from July 1993. From Washington, the Attorney-General of the US was still micro- managing the matter. Hair tests revealed that Gersten had not taken cocaine, as alleged, on the day in question. This suggested that he had not lied - as was then being alleged - when he reported his car stolen from his home, and not a crack den. "After the hair tests," says Gersten, "The case fell apart. It shows bad faith. It shows abuse of power." Three years after the statute of limitations ran out on his alleged misdemeanours, there is still a senior prosecutor assigned to "the Gersten case". State Attorney Rundle did not respond to the Herald's questions. This month - eight years after Gersten fell to the Earth like Icarus - Reno was dragged before the House Committee on Government Reform in Washington, to answer questions about all this. The transcript will be released this week - however, chief counsel James C. Wilson told the Herald from Washington: "The committee requested Attorney-General Reno to answer questions about a number of matters. Among those matters was the Gersten case. Her answers raised additional concerns about what happened in the Gersten case." THE Dade County Jail bears a plaque asserting that it was built through the efforts of Commissioner Joseph Gersten. The plaque might also record that Commissioner Gersten was himself confined to the jail's maximum security wing, for civil contempt, in March 1993. Realising he was being set up, Gersten had refused to answer prosecutors' questions concerning the car theft. For three weeks, he supervised Dade County's multibillion- dollar budget from his prison cell. There were regular visits from aides and senior county staff. Gersten was released pending an appeal against the appeal order, and came to Australia for a holiday. While here, the appeal was rejected in Florida - meaning he would be jailed if he returned. Gersten initially rejected as preposterous his Australian lawyer's advice to apply for refugee status. While visiting the Old Fremantle Jail, a minor epiphany in the shadow of the gallows changed his mind. In late 1993, his refugee application was rejected. Gersten began seven years of unsuccessful appeals - to the Refugee Review Tribunal, then the Federal Court. He is now seeking leave to appeal to the High Court. Throughout this period, the US Government has shown an extraordinary interest in a man with a single civil contempt order in a State jurisdiction, no charges, and no criminal record. Documents obtained by the Herald reveal a long- standing pattern of interference in Gersten's career and life in Australia. One is a February 1996 letter from the US Embassy in Canberra to the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Mick Palmer. Written at the FBI's behest, the letter inaccurately refers to Gersten as "a fugitive from justice", and draws attention to the fact that the Florida Bar was trying to disbar him because of the outstanding contempt order. On March 11, AFP Sergeant John Greenaway reported back to the US Embassy that Gersten was applying for admission to the NSW Bar. On April 15, the Embassy sent the AFP a copy of a teletype from the FBI in Miami (which had responded to a request from FBI director Louis Freeh). It described the crack and prostitution allegations, and how Gersten had "fled the country". (He had in fact had no travel restrictions.) It promised to determine Gersten's status with the Florida Bar. At a subsequent Administrative Appeals Tribunal hearing which had to do with a Freedom of Information request, the AFP's Greenaway testified that he later made inquiries with the NSW Law Society - revealing his name and agency, and speaking to staff about Gersten. Another witness, now a NSW District Court Judge, testified that the AFP had contacted the Legal Practitioners' Admissions Board, which assesses the qualifications of lawyers from overseas. After the AFP's communications with the board and the Law Society, the society moved to cancel Gersten's accreditation to practise as a solicitor in NSW. Gersten is now before the Supreme Court defending his right to practise. The Law Society did not return the Herald's call on this matter. Why did the director of the FBI - which is an agency of Reno's Justice Department - initiate a dialogue with the AFP about Gersten's legal accreditation? Why did the AFP act upon such an apparently outlandish communication, by tainting Gersten's name with the Law Society? What did Gersten's accreditation as a lawyer have to do with either agency? Neither the AFP nor the FBI responded to the Herald's questions regarding Gersten. Leaked Australian Immigration Department documents reveal that the FBI's interest in Gersten did not end there. In 1995 it had contacted the department to torpedo Gersten's "skilled migrant" application. The FBI referred to unsubstantiated "corrupt activities"; a (non- existent) corruption investigation; a suspicion of bribery based (remarkably) on a witness's testimony that there had been none; and an implication that Gersten had fled the US after a drugs scandal - when test results from the FBI's own laboratories proved there had not been one. Unsurprisingly, the Immigration Department concluded that "the applicant is not considered to be of good character", and denied the application. It ensured, however, that this would not be "included as a reason for the rejection of the application". Disclosing these "character" grounds for rejection would have obliged the Immigration Department to make the FBI document available to Gersten. The FBI had instructed the department not to show the document to anyone. >From Washington, the House Committee's James Wilson comments: "There is a practical law enforcement question here. Information was provided to the Australian authorities. One of the questions the committee is asking is, 'What is the standard we apply when supplying raw and unsubstantiated allegations, or information, to foreign law enforcement entities?"' As to Reno's long-standing pursuit of Gersten, Wilson says: "The committee intends to continue to look at the background to the Gersten case - and the documents." When rejected as a skilled migrant, Gersten reverted to his application for refugee status. Perhaps fittingly, it was required to be based on "a well-founded fear of political persecution". Gersten's calamities had begun after he handed over his information on the Port of Miami and Buccione's restaurant to the FBI. The bureau did not find the information interesting enough to act on. Since then, a Buccione's owner - Pietro Venezia - has been charged with the murder of a tax agent. Two other owners - seaport boss Carmen Lunetta and investment banker Marvin Grigsby - were indicted on 10 counts of embezzlement and money-laundering. These included large illegal donations to the Democratic National Committee in Washington. Though the prosecutions failed, Lunetta has resigned, and Grigsby's reputation was destroyed. LUNETTA was a guest at one of Vice-President Al Gore's fundraisers on December 15, 1995. These frequently illegal gatherings - where government favours and contributions to the Democratic Party were exchanged - blew up into what was dubbed "Coffeegate". The row almost earned Gore a special prosecutor: Attorney-General Reno eventually decided against. Carmen Lunetta also organised the largest Clinton-Gore fundraiser ever held outside Washington, which raised $US3.4 million. On September 14 this year, The Miami Herald reported: "Billions of dollars in illegal drugs are pouring into South Florida every year, according to a new State report. It seems that drug smugglers are getting some inside help at the Port of Miami ..." What has motivated Reno's long crusade against Gersten? "The answer to that can only be speculative," Gersten says. "Maybe she was angry that I'd done her job for her at the seaport. Maybe it was because I killed her more draconian legislation in the Senate. Maybe she considered me a political rival. Or maybe it was something bigger." Gersten's Australian friend, Dr Andrew McNaughtan, has done more than anyone to solve the Gersten jigsaw. A tenacious researcher, he was recently questioned by the House Committee. "When you make war," McNaughtan says. "You destroy your enemy's ability to defend himself. That was what was behind the communications between the FBI and the AFP - to rob Joe of his practising certificate." What started it all? "I believe Joe's downfall was engineered by a cabal of interests which included members of the FBI in Miami, Janet Reno's State Attorney's Office, and members of the City of Miami Police Department. It's likely that the Mayor of Dade County, Steve Clark - whom Joe was running against - played a pivotal role. Clark had connections to the Port of Miami, where a lot of corrupt activities were occurring - and which almost certainly had links to organised crime. Joe's activities as a commissioner in Dade County had been a threat to a lot of established economic and political interests. "The activities of Reno's State Attorney's Office reveal that they knew they were in deep trouble with this. That's what precipitated the ongoing attempts to undermine Joe Gersten in Australia. They can't let him get away with remaining credible." Gersten v the Law Society is still running in the NSW Supreme Court. His appeal on his refugee application is yet to be heard in the High Court. Nevertheless, is Gersten starting to feel vindicated on the broader issues? "To tell you the truth, I really don't care about being vindicated," he says. "I care about being left alone to get on with my life, and to make a living as a lawyer in Australia." - -------- end ------ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the Trail.... with Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster http://www.buchananreform.com/trail/trailmain.asp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Internet Brigade Headquarters http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUCHANAN-FOSTER 2000 HQ 1-800-GO-PAT-GO http://www.buchananreform.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 21:53:36 -0400 From: "Linda Muller" Subject: [BRIGADE] The Gore-Bush Debate :-> Dear Brigade, Not only is this funny -- it's so close to the truth it just might make you wanna cry! FTC-Linda - ------- From: "daltonc" Subject: Fw: The Presidential Debates Date sent: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 20:26:55 -0500 THIS IS WORTH every LAUGH you will get from it! Thank God I can vote for Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster. The poor people in Michigan must choose from these two clowns or stay home! We need this guy to be Pat's speechwriter, we deserve a laugh after this campaign! Clay Dalton, Georgia - ----- Original Message ----- From: O. Gene Lovell Michael Stanton wrote: Jim Lehrer: Welcome to the second presidential debate between Vice President Al Gore and Gov. George W. Bush. The candidates have agreed on these rules: I will ask a question. The candidate will ignore the question and deliver rehearsed remarks designed to appeal to undecided women voters. The opponent will then have one minute to respond by trying to frighten senior citizens into voting for him. When a speaker's time has expired, I will whimper softly while he continues to spew incomprehensible statistics for three more minutes. Let's start with the vice president. Mr. Gore, can you give us the name of a downtrodden citizen and then tell us his or her story in a way that strains the bounds of common sense? Gore: As I was saying to Tipper last night after we tenderly made love the way we have so often during the 30 years of our rock-solid marriage, the downtrodden have a clear choice in this election. My opponent wants to cut taxes for the richest 1 percent of Americans. I, on the other hand, want to put the richest 1 percent in an iron clad lockbox so they can't hurt old people like Roberta Frampinhamper, who is here tonight. Mrs. Frampinhamper has been selling her internal organs, one by one, to pay for gas so that she can travel to these debates and personify problems for me. Also, her poodle has arthritis. Lehrer: Gov. Bush, your rebuttal. Bush: Governors are on the front lines every day, hugging people, crying with them, relieving suffering anywhere a photo opportunity exists. I want to empower those crying people to make their own decisions, unlike my opponent, whose mother is not Barbara Bush. Lehrer: Let's turn to foreign affairs. Gov. Bush, if Slobodan Milosevic were to launch a bid to return to power in Yugoslavia, would you be able to pronounce his name? Bush: The current administration had eight years to deal with that guy and didn't get it done. If I'm elected, the first thing I would do about that guy is have Dick Cheney confer with our allies. And then Dick would present me several options for dealing with that guy. And then Dick would tell me which one to choose. You know, as governor of Texas, I have to make tough foreign policy decisions every day about how we're going to deal with New Mexico. Lehrer: Mr. Gore, your rebuttal. Gore: Foreign policy is something I've always been keenly interested in. I served my country in Vietnam. I had an uncle who was a victim of poison gas in World War I. I myself lost a leg in the Franco-Prussian War. And when that war was over, I came home and tenderly made love to Tipper in a way that any undecided woman voter would find romantic. If I'm entrusted with the office of president, I pledge to deal knowledgeably with any threat, foreign or domestic, by putting it in an iron clad lockbox. Because the American people deserve a resident who can comfort them with simple metaphors. Lehrer: Vice President Gore, how would you reform the Social Security system? Gore: It's a vital issue, Jim. That's why Joe Lieberman and I have proposed changing the laws of mathematics to allow us to give $50,000 to every senior citizen without having it cost the federal treasury a single penny until the year 2250. In addition, my budget commits $60 trillion over the next 10 years to guarantee that all senior citizens can have drugs delivered free to their homes every Monday by a federal employee who will also help them with the child-proof cap. Lehrer: Gov. Bush? Bush: That's fuzzy math. I know, because as governor of Texas, I have to do math every day. I have to add up the numbers and decide whether I'm going to fill potholes out on Rt. 36 east of Abilene or commit funds to reroof the sheep barn at the Texas state fairgrounds. Lehrer: It's time for closing statements. Gore: I'm my own man. I may not be the most exciting politician, but I will fight for the working families of America, in addition to turning the White House into a lusty pit of marital love for Tipper and me. Bush: It's time to put aside the partisanship of the past by electing no one but Republicans. Lehrer: Good night. - --------- end ------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the Trail.... with Pat Buchanan and Ezola Foster http://www.buchananreform.com/trail/trailmain.asp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Internet Brigade Headquarters http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUCHANAN-FOSTER 2000 HQ 1-800-GO-PAT-GO http://www.buchananreform.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ End of brigade-l V1 #110 ************************