Don Roberdeau

....Good Day.... FYI............ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123006506377030963.html <QUOTE> Obama, Two Aides Questioned in Probe By JONATHAN WEISMAN Federal prosecutors investigating alleged corruption by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich interviewed President-elect Barack Obama and two of his top advisers last week in connection with the case, according to a memo released Tuesday by the Obama transition team. The five-page memo denies any wrongdoing or improper communication between the transition team and Mr. Blagojevich, who prosecutors allege sought to fill Mr. Obama's vacant Senate seat in exchange for money or a better job. Prosecutors have said no one on the Obama transition team is a suspect. Mr. Obama had promised shortly after Mr. Blagojevich's Dec. 9 arrest to release an accounting of contacts between his staff and the governor's office. Federal agents had been wiretapping conversations by Mr. Blagojevich in October and November as part of their criminal investigation. The memo released Tuesday said Mr. Obama's incoming White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, contacted Mr. Blagojevich and his staff at least five times after Election Day, and produced a slate of suggested replacements for Mr. Obama's vacated Senate seat. Mr. Emanuel spoke about four times to Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris to discuss the Senate seat. Neither Mr. Emanuel nor other Obama aides and confidants heard of Mr. Blagojevich's alleged efforts to auction the Senate appointment to the highest bidder, the report said. Mr. Blagojevich was arrested on suspicion of using his authority as governor to wrest campaign donations and other favors in exchange for signing legislation into law. He has denied any wrongdoing. Messrs. Obama and Emanuel, as well as top Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, were interviewed by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald on Dec. 18, 19 and 20 -- an extraordinary outreach from law enforcement during a presidential transition. The interviews lasted two hours, and their lawyers were present. The Obama audit of contacts between aides and Mr. Blagojevich's staff revealed considerably more discussions between the two camps than previously divulged, and it described an apparently concerted effort by the governor to crack the Obama circle. Union Role One effort apparently involved the head of the Service Employees International Union in Illinois, Tom Balanoff. He approached Ms. Jarrett and related the governor's desire to be named Health and Human Services secretary while also mentioning the governor was considering her for the Senate seat, according to the Obama memo. Mr. Balanoff didn't say Mr. Blagojevich was linking the two, the memo said. "Ms. Jarrett viewed that as a ridiculous proposition and waved it off," said Gregory B. Craig, Mr. Obama's choice for White House counsel, who led the audit and wrote the memo. He spoke to reporters in a conference call Tuesday. In another instance, a deputy Illinois governor approached one of Mr. Obama's best friends, Eric Whitaker, to talk about the Senate seat, the memo said. Mr. Craig said at no point did it become clear those approaches were intended to open negotiations over the seat. "If [the governor] was actively seeking a response from the president-elect's people, he was not overt or explicit about that in any way, shape, or form," Mr. Craig said. The Obama memo was issued as the president-elect vacationed in Hawaii, and Mr. Emanuel began a holiday trip to Africa. Obama aides said the timing of the release was dictated by Mr. Fitzgerald, who had requested a delay related to the investigation. Mr. Craig said he was ready to release his audit on Dec. 15 but was asked to wait until Christmas week. Republican National Committee spokesman Alex Conant urged Mr. Obama to release internal documents and emails to back up the audit's findings. "While Obama certainly deserves some credit for releasing his team's contacts with Gov. Blagojevich, it remains unfortunate he acted only after political pressure was exerted," Mr. Conant said in a statement. "Hopefully, President-elect Obama's promises of transparency related to this matter will extend to all communications, including written." The report's conclusions are based on the recollections of Obama aides, not on federal wiretap recordings of Mr. Blagojevich, his aides and his advisers, which make up the heart of the federal arrest affidavit, Mr. Craig said. He said the law-enforcement tapes weren't available to the legal staff that canvassed the Obama team. By his recollections, Mr. Emanuel had one or two phone conversations with Mr. Blagojevich between Nov. 6 and Nov. 8, as Mr. Emanuel was deliberating whether to resign his House seat, representing Chicago's North Side. Soon after, Mr. Emanuel called the Illinois governor again to say he would leave Congress to take a White House post. The conversation included talk about the merits of candidates for the Senate seat, especially those of Ms. Jarrett, whom Mr. Emanuel believed the president-elect favored, according to the memo. The two men didn't discuss any potential appointment for Mr. Blagojevich -- either to the cabinet, a political nonprofit organization or "any other personal benefit for the governor," according to the memo. The federal arrest affidavit alleged the governor had talked about such a trade with his aides and advisers. In subsequent conversations with Mr. Harris -- after Ms. Jarrett took herself out of the running to take a White House job -- Mr. Emanuel produced a slate of favored candidates with the president-elect's authorization. The names included Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. In later telephone conversations, Mr. Emanuel added Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson. Meanwhile, on Nov. 7, the SEIU's Mr. Balanoff told Ms. Jarrett he had spoken with the governor about her possible selection for the Senate. Then he said Mr. Blagojevich had raised the possibility of an appointment as Health and Human Services secretary. "Ms. Jarrett did not understand the conversation to suggest that the governor wanted the cabinet seat as a quid pro quo," the memo said. Reaching Out In another approach, Illinois Deputy Governor Louanner Peters called Mr. Whitaker, Mr. Obama's close friend, shortly after the election. He said that Mr. Blagojevich was hearing from people about candidates they wanted to take Mr. Obama's Senate seat, according to the memo. She then asked Mr. Whitaker who could speak on Mr. Obama's behalf. Mr. Whitaker spoke with the president-elect, who said no one was authorized to discuss the issue, the memo said. Mr. Emanuel's spokeswoman said he couldn't be reached for comment because he was traveling. Ms. Jarrett said in an email that Mr. Craig "answered everything completely." Mr. Whitaker couldn't be reached. The Blagojevich controversy has been an early test for the incoming Obama administration, which has promised to be the most transparent in history. Obama aides have accused news reporters of unfairly insinuating wrongdoing despite Mr. Fitzgerald's assurances that the president-elect and his staff were not suspects. Critics have said the Obama team fumbled the issue and allowed those insinuations to ripen by not being forthcoming. Republican and Democratic lawyers have said Mr. Fitzgerald had no legal authority to keep Mr. Obama from speaking out earlier. The federal affidavit made clear that Obama aides would not participate in Mr. Blagojevich's alleged schemes to sell the Senate seat. —Cam Simpson and David Kesmodel contributed to this article. Write to Jonathan Weisman at jonathan.weisman@wsj.com <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

....Good Day Greg, and Pat.... Outstanding !! Thank You for locating, and providing ! In the Long Run the only person(s) and/or organization(s) that a cowardly xxxx, temporarily, fools, is himself and, maybe, his/her current partner(s))/accomplice(s)............ Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... On page 52F of the 12-6-63 Life magazine, author MANDEL writes (besides his flat out lying that the President's throat was exposed to the warrenatti, supposed, "lone nut" "sniper lair" for the throat shot) that CLAYTON E. WHEAT Jr., then the National Rifle Association Director, performed for Life magazine a shooting recreation sometime during the immediate 7 days after the President's murder. Supposedly, WHEAT fired an identical MC rifle, with an identical scope, at a moving target over similar ranges for Life, and he scored 3 hits in 6.2 seconds. Interestingly, xxxx MANDEL's article, "End to Nagging Rumors: The Six Critical Seconds," narrative details a shooting scenario of: 313 through President's head, 265 through Connally, 191 through President's throat. Can anyone please reference any documents, and/or film detailing that WHEAT, actually, accomplished a Life mag sponsored shooting recreation? If done, did WHEAT perform only one recreation, or several? (results if several?) Etc., etc.... Thank You in advance. Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... FYI............ http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9...;show_article=1 <QUOTE> Israel issues new warning on Iranian nuclear arms Dec 17 03:26 PM US/Eastern JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is warning that if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, it could try to attack the United States. Barak said the world should press Iran to stop it from building nuclear weapons. He spoke at a conference of the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University. He said, "If it built even a primitive nuclear weapon like the type that destroyed Hiroshima, Iran would not hesitate to load it on a ship, arm it with a detonator operated by GPS and sail it into a vital port on the east coast of North America." Indicating the possibility of a military strike, Barak said, "We recommend to the world not to take any option off the table, and we mean what we say." <END QUOTE> PERSONAL NOTE: In recent years, Iran has not only tested in multiple firings its long range land-based offensive ballistic missiles, but, it has also tested sea-based offensive ballistic missiles launch platforms fired from large ships. Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... FYI............ http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagoje...m18good.article <QUOTE> Emanuel talked directly to gov: source DEEPER ROLE? Pushed Jarrett for Senate seat December 18, 2008 BY NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter nkorecki@suntimes.com President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had a deeper involvement in pressing for a U.S. Senate seat appointment than previously reported, the Sun-Times has learned. Emanuel had direct discussions about the seat with Gov. Blagojevich, who is is accused of trying to auction it to the highest bidder. Emanuel talked with the governor in the days following the Nov. 4 election and pressed early on for the appointment of Valerie Jarrett to the post, sources with knowledge of the conversations told the Sun-Times. There was no indication from sources that Emanuel brokered a deal, however. A source with the Obama camp strongly denied Emanuel spoke with the governor directly about the seat, saying Emanuel only spoke with Blagojevich once recently to say he was taking the chief of staff post. But sources with knowledge of the investigation said Blagojevich told his aides about the calls with Emanuel and sometimes gave them directions afterward. Sources said that early on, Emanuel pushed for the appointment of Jarrett to the governor and his staff and asked that it be done by a certain date. At least some of the conversations between Emanuel and Blagojevich were likely caught on tape, sources said. After Jarrett took herself out of the running in mid-November, Emanuel submitted a list of suitable names to the governor's camp that didn't include her name. Emanuel, who has refused to comment on the issue, is not accused of wrongdoing. In portions of conversations released in a criminal complaint against Blagojevich, he can be heard complaining that Obama wouldn't give anything in return for a Jarrett appointment. Contributing: Fran Spielman <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

....Good Day.... FYI............ http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagoje...-rahm17.article <QUOTE> RAHM EMANUEL Pressed for Jarrett appointment to Senate December 17, 2008 BY NATASHA KORECKI AND FRAN SPIELMAN Staff Reporters President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was pushing for Obama's successor just days after the Nov. 4 election, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times. Emanuel privately urged Gov. Blagojevich's administration to appoint Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett, and the Sun-Times learned Tuesday that he also pressed that it be done by a certain deadline. Jarrett was initially interested in the U.S. Senate post before Obama tapped her to be a White House senior adviser, sources say. The disclosure comes days after Obama's camp downplayed Jarrett's interest in the post. At one point, an "emissary" who said he represented Jarrett had discussions with Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris and the governor about naming Jarrett to the post, according to a criminal complaint. In addition to the discussions, Emanuel submitted a list of names of candidates suitable to the Obama team to the governor's administration. Jarrett was not among those names because she had pulled herself out of the running at that point, a source with the Obama camp said. Obama said Monday that an internal report detailing any staff contacts with the embattled governor or his aide would be made public next week. Emanuel's discussions do not indicate he was involved in dealmaking with the governor. However, his deeper involvement creates a sticky political situation for Obama. An Emanuel source said it was "possible" that Emanuel discussed the appointment with Harris and that a specific date was mentioned. "Valerie was deciding whether she wanted to go the Senate. Others had talked to her about it. There were plenty of people who talked to her about it and thought she would be a good choice," the source said. Jarrett could not be reached for comment about the conversations. Emanuel has refused to answer questions about his conversations with either the governor or his top aides. Last week's explosive charges and arrest of Blagojevich have put into play impeachment proceedings against the governor, which continue today in Springfield. The arrest also triggered a request to the Illinois Supreme court to remove Blagojevich from office. Blagojevich was charged with trying to leverage the U.S. Senate seat appointment for campaign contributions, an ambassadorship or job for himself and his wife. Contributing: Lynn Sweet Complete Blagojevich pay-to-play coverage at BlagoBusted.com Rahm pressed for Jarrett appointment to Senate Holder omitted Blago link from questionnaire Source: Blago nixed job for Jackson Jr.'s wife Blago channels Elvis; will address Illinoisans 'soon' House begins impeachment exploration Daley implies Blago should resign Former Blago adviser Chris Kelly to plead guilty Patti apologizes to neighbors for media presence What our columnists are saying Mark Brown: Dems' reverse on Senate seat a bad move Michael Sneed: Rahm's calls on tape Carol Marin: Gov's lawyer likely to infuriate Legislature Steve Huntley: Who will Blago drag down? Mark Brown: 'That's just politics' won't cut it for Blago Mary Mitchell: Obama's Senate list a big miss PDFs: Read the complaint against Blagojevich Official release from US Attorney's office Durbin's letter to Blago asking him to resign <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

....Good Day.... FYI............ http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2008/12/b...-set-to-br.html <QUOTE> Blago Set to Break His Silence December 17, 2008 11:01 AM ABC News' Matthew Jaffe Reports from Chicago: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will likely hold a press conference toward the end of this week, ABC News has learned. The embattled governor, arrested last Tuesday, has yet to respond to charges that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's former Senate seat. Instead, the reclusive lawmaker has stayed silent, only saying that he looks forward to speaking at the appropriate time. On Wednesday morning, Blagojevich told reporters outside his Chicago house that he is eagerly anticipating the chance to state his case. "I can't wait to begin to tell my side of the story and to address you guys and most importantly the people of Illinois, that's who I'm dying to talk to," said the governor. "There's a time and place for everything. That day will soon be here and you might know more about that today and no later than tomorrow," Blagojevich added. Although Blagojevich has stayed quiet, his lawyer, high-profile Chicago defense attorney Ed Genson, has stated that the governor is not guilty, not resigning, and instead will fight the charges. Genson is in the state capital of Springfield Wednesday to meet with a special House investigative committee that will issue a recommendation sometime in the next month on whether or not Blagojevich should be be impeached. UPDATE: Genson confirmed in a press conference today that Blagojevich was likely to hold a press conference towards the end of this week, but may delay it into next week. "My client was planning on making a statement this Friday, but I got a feeling I may not be around Chicago this Friday, so maybe it'll be next week," Genson said. "He wants to speak. Now you have to understand this -- he's charged with serious criminal charges. Because someone doesn't want to give an advance notice of what he's gonna say doesn't make the person guilty." <END QUOTE> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <QUOTE> Illinois Court Rejects Bid to Oust Governor By CHRISTOPHER WILLS, AP SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Dec. 18) - With the Illinois Supreme Court rejecting an effort to oust Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a legislative panel considering impeachment prepared to examine whether he abused his power, despite challenges from the Democrat's lawyer. Attorney Ed Genson called the impeachment effort "Alice in Wonderland" and discounted federal wiretaps in which Blagojevich is heard talking about selling or trading Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat. The Illinois House impeachment committee faces even more pressure now that the state's highest court has blocked an attempt to declare the two-term governor unfit to serve because of his legal and political troubles. The panel planned to hear from its first witnesses Thursday, including state government's top internal watchdog. The chairwoman, Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, said the committee will focus on whether Blagojevich abused his power by defying lawmakers, refusing to release public documents and spending money without authorization. Genson appeared before the panel Wednesday and challenged it on multiple fronts. He said three members should be removed, the committee's rules should be changed and it should not consider accusations in a criminal complaint against the governor. Blagojevich has been under siege since his arrest last week on charges that he tried to auction off Obama's seat. But he got some good news Wednesday when the court refused to hear the attorney general's legal challenge to his fitness to serve. Attorney General Lisa Madigan had argued that Blagojevich's problems amount to a disability, so Blagojevich should have been stripped of his authority temporarily just as if he were physically incapacitated. The court rejected her challenge without comment. Madigan, a contender for governor in 2010, said she was disappointed by the ruling and urged the impeachment committee to act quickly. The court's decision renewed calls from Republicans for a special election to choose Obama's successor in the Senate. They argue that neither Blagojevich nor Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn — who would take over if Blagojevich goes — should be allowed to make the appointment. Genson said he doesn't expect Blagojevich will make an appointment. "Harry Reid said that they're not going to accept anybody he picks," said Genson, referring to the Senate majority leader. "Why would he do that?" Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero said he didn't know if Genson was correct about the governor's intentions. Blagojevich denies any wrongdoing and is defying an avalanche of demands for his resignation. He looked upbeat Wednesday morning, telling reporters before a run that he had confidence in Genson and was eager to defend himself. "I can't wait to begin to tell my side of the story and to address you guys and, most importantly, the people of Illinois," he said. "That's who I'm dying to talk to." The Illinois House has appointed a 21-member committee to review the possibility of impeachment. The panel, divided 12-9 between Democrats and Republicans, will recommend whether the full House should move to impeach Blagojevich. If that happened, the state Senate would then decide whether the governor is guilty. Genson said it would be "frankly illegal" for the committee to base an impeachment recommendation on the corruption case against Blagojevich. The criminal complaint doesn't provide full conversations and context, he said, and it can't be cross-examined like a witness. The complaint says prosecutors have Blagojevich on tape talking about bartering Obama's seat for personal gain, but Genson told the panel the words do not amount to illegal actions. He called the wiretaps "two months of somebody who obviously likes to talk a lot, but two months of nothing getting done." "There's no evidence that anyone ever asked anybody for anything with regard to that (U.S. Senate) seat," Genson added. Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock, challenged Genson to have Blagojevich testify. "If we want the facts, we should have your client here. If you want to get to the facts, let's bring him here, let's ask the questions," Franks said. Genson told the committee that neither the law nor the constitution spell out the standard for impeachment or what evidence should be considered. He also questioned the panel's impartiality. Genson argued that three lawmakers — Franks and Republicans Bill Black of Danville and Jil Tracy of Mount Sterling — should be removed because their opening statements indicate they've made up their minds. Lawmakers rejected all of Genson's complaints, saying the committee has broad power to review anything related to the governor's performance. They said Genson's courtroom-style objections won't change the panel's approach. "He's trying to throw up enough dust ... to make people think the governor is guilty of nothing — pure as the new driven snow," Currie, a Chicago Democrat, said afterward. Genson also is asking the Illinois House to appoint and pay for Blagojevich's attorneys in the impeachment matter. That normally would be Madigan's job, he said, but she cannot do it because of her challenge to the state Supreme Court. Madigan's office said it would respond soon to Genson's request. Associated Press writers Jim Suhr and John O'Connor in Springfield and Deanna Bellandi in Chicago contributed to this report. <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

....Good Day.... FYI............ http://www.suntimes.com/news/sneed/1333057...SNEED16.article <QUOTE> Rahm's calls on tape The Blago scandal . . . December 16, 2008 BY MICHAEL SNEED Sun-Times Columnist Sneed hears rumbles President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is reportedly on 21 different taped conversations by the feds -- dealing with his boss' vacant Senate seat! A lot of chit-chat? Hot air? Or trouble? • • To date: Rahm's been mum. Stay tuned. <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... FYI............ “The Big Rich: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Texas Oil Fortunes” Jan. 2009. 466p. By Bryan Burrough., 2008, Penguin Press, New York. Burrough (special correspondent, Vanity Fair; coauthor, with John Helyar, Barbarians at the Gate) details the multigenerational saga of the “Big Four” Texas oil families of Roy Cullen, H.L. Hunt, Clint Murchison, and Sid Richardson, from the discovery of oil under Beaumont, TX, in 1901 to the demolition of the infamous Shamrock Hotel, the last bastion of oil-fueled Texas excess, in 1987. Since Burrough favors the human-interest angle, the narrative really hits its stride when the focus moves to the Hunt family in the 1960s. The real-life inspiration for the television show “Dallas“, the Hunts prove the adage that truth is stranger than fiction. In addition to splurging and feuding as only billionaires can, they (allegedly) masterminded the JFK assassination and later threw Wall Street into chaos with their fixation on converting their family fortune into silver ingots, precipitating what at the time was the largest bailout in U.S. history. This book is an entertaining look at the larger-than-life histories of the incomprehensibly rich and powerful. While it‘s an extensively researched synthesis of a time and a place, it avoids a dry, academic tone through the natural drama of these miniature empires and the truly bizarre characters that inhabited them. Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

....Good Day.... FYI............ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1229367451...icle-outset-box <QUOTE> Obama Team Delays Releasing Findings By JONATHAN WEISMAN President-elect Barack Obama's transition team said it had completed an internal review of contacts with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- but wouldn't release its findings until Christmas week, at the request of federal investigators. The move comes as Mr. Obama tries to keep the news of his home state's disgraced governor from overshadowing his transition, and highlights the challenges of dispensing with the controversy in the face of a live investigation involving Mr. Obama's Senate seat. Mr. Obama, in a press conference called to announce his energy and environment team, said the review's conclusions underscore his prior statement that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that no one in the Obama camp was involved in inappropriate deal making over a successor for the president-elect's Senate seat. By delaying the release, Mr. Obama has virtually guaranteed another week of speculation about who in the Obama team discussed what with Blagojevich aides. "I would ask for your patience because I do not want to interfere with an ongoing investigation," Mr. Obama told reporters in Chicago. In a written statement released by his office late Monday, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald confirmed that he asked for the delay, saying he wanted more time to conduct interviews. "After the President-elect announced an internal transition team investigation, the United States Attorney's Office requested a brief delay of the release of a report of that investigation to conduct certain interviews," Mr. Fitzgerald said. Obama aides said Monday the transition team has tapped Gregory B. Craig, a prominent Washington lawyer and Mr. Obama's choice for White House counsel, to keep the U.S. attorney's office informed about internal deliberations during the transition. Mr. Fitzgerald and other federal prosecutors often ask those affected by high-profile investigations to hold off on making public disclosures. Mr. Fitzgerald had suggested last week that his office was just beginning to interview people whose names might have come up in the secretly recorded conversations, or were also recorded. But lawyers knowledgeable about such cases say Mr. Fitzgerald has no authority to compel the president-elect to stay silent on a matter that has clouded his transition and interfered with his policy messages. "There is absolutely no legal impediment or injunction that Fitzgerald could put on them," said Stanley M. Brand, a Democratic lawyer with experience in such scandals. "They've decided not to talk." Robert Luskin, a Washington white-collar defense lawyer who knows Mr. Fitzgerald well, said he doesn't doubt the prosecutor would have asked that Obama officials keep quiet until his investigation is further along. That is to prevent witnesses from tailoring their stories to what they learn others are saying. But, he said, Mr. Obama and his aides don't have to comply. They are using the prosecutor as a "fig leaf" to avoid answering questions just now, Mr. Luskin said. They could just as easily have decided that assuring the public about their actions is more important than acceding to the prosecutor's request. And Christmas week is a good time to bury news, added Robert Bennett, another prominent Washington defense lawyer. —Susan Schmidt and Cam Simpson contributed to this article. Write to Jonathan Weisman at jonathan.weisman@wsj.com ____________ More Complete Coverage: Rod Blagojevich http://online.wsj.com/public/page/rod-blagojevich.html <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

....Good Day.... Scaled diagram detailing "The Truly Trap" of the "Oswald-Baker-then-Truly 'First encounter'".... Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... FYI............ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jefferson-mo...ent_id=10679604 <QUOTE> Court Orders CIA to Search for JFK Records By Jefferson Morley Last week, the CIA admitted that it had destroyed key evidence in the case of al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubudaya, triggering denunciations from congressional leaders and legal authorities who said the agency was behaving lawlessly. Two days later, a three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals ordered the agency to search for long-suppressed files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The judges said the CIA had to search the files of a deceased Miami-based intelligence who hid what he knew about accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald from investigators. "The CIA has not changed its ways since JFK," said author Gerald Posner, a Huffington Post contributor, who has written about the Abu Zubadayah case. He is also the author of a book on Kennedy's assassination. The appellate court ruling marked an unusual setback for the agency. "FOIA decisions against the CIA are relatively rare," notes Secrecy News. "To paraphrase Ricky Ricardo," said the FOIA Blog, "it looks like the CA has "lot's of 'xplaining to do." That was the gist of Judge Judith Rogers' 31-page decision in my Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking records of George Joannides, a career undercover officer. At the time of Kennedy's murder, Joannides served as chief of psychological warfare operations in south Florida. He also served as the CIA's liaison to congressional JFK investigators in 1978. He died in 1990. Rogers, joined by two colleagues, rejected the CIA's argument that it had no obligation to search for documents about Joannides in the files of its secret operations in 1963. During oral arguments in October, the judges had grilled Agency lawyer about this claim. In their decision, the judges ruled that the law required a search of sensitive operational files, something the agency almost always resists. The judges also said that the Agency had not adequately explained the whereabouts of monthly reports filed by Joannides in 1963. In August 1963, Joannides was secretly funding a Cuban exile group whose members clashed repeatedly with Oswald, an ex-Marine and supporter of Cuban communist leader Fidel Castro. When Kennedy was killed in Dallas, apparently by Oswald, three months later, the group used CIA funds to publicize these contacts and blame the assassination on Castro. The CIA did not reveal Joannides' financial relationship to the accused assassin's antagonists to the Warren Commission, which investigated the crime and concluded Oswald acted alone. Joannides' reports on his actions in 1963 have never surfaced. "On remand the CIA must supplement its explanation" of why the reports cannot be found, the court ruled. The judges ordered lower court Judge Richard Leon to supervise the implementation of its order, a process that is expected to take several months. "The CIA has constantly been an active leader in hiding, distorting, and sometimes destroying evidence on key issues affecting our history and lives," Posner said in an email. That's a harsh judgment but it is more plausible today than it was before the Abu Zubadayah revelations and the Rogers decision. <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

....Good Day.... FYI............ <QUOTE> Illinois Attorney General Asks Court to Remove Blagojevich From Office The Illinois attorney general has asked the state's highest court to remove scandal-plagued Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has asked the state Supreme Court to remove embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office, arguing that the local government is "paralyzed" by his presence. Madigan filed the motion with the state's highest court Friday, as calls mounted from across the country for the governor to step down. Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on corruption charges and accused of trying to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat. "I recognize that this is an extraordinary request, but these are extraordinary circumstances," Madigan said at a press conference. "Governor Blagojevich can no longer fulfill his official duties with any legitimacy." She did not express any objections to the impeachment process that has been discussed by state lawmakers but said action needs to be taken immediately to oust the governor. Madigan wants Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn appointed as acting governor. "The impeachment process will take time," she said. "In the interim, state government is paralyzed by a governor who is incapable of governing." The attorney general asked the court for a temporary restraining order or an injunction that prevents Blagojevich from serving as governor. The filing says he is "unable to serve as governor due to disability and should not rightfully continue to hold that office." "The pervasive nature and severity of these pending charges disable Mr. Blagojevich from making effective decisions on critical, time-sensitive issues," the filing said. It is the first time in Illinois history that such an action was taken. The attorney general is applying a rule that was intended to cover cases where a governor is incapacitated for health reasons. Her motion indicates that his inability to serve because of the scandal is akin to a debilitating health issue. The move came as the governor prayed with several ministers in his home before heading to his office, telling them he is innocent and will be vindicated "when you hear each chapter completely written," according to one of the pastors. <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

....Good Day.... FYI............ http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obam...-121108.article <QUOTE> Is Emanuel the adviser on gov tape? MUM: Obama's chief of staff refuses to answer the question December 11, 2008 BY FRAN SPIELMAN AND ABDON M. PALLASCH Staff Reporters President-elect Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, refused to take questions from reporters this morning about whether he was the Obama “advisor” named in the criminal complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The complaint states Blagojevich wanted a promise of a high-level appointment or some other reward for Blagojevich in exchange for Blagojevich naming Obama’s friend Valerie Jarrett to replace him in the U.S. Senate. Emanuel was uncharacteristically absent from Obama’s news conference this morning. He was spotted two hours later in the lobby of Chicago’s City Hall. He was there to listen to his two children performing in a concert with their school, Anshe Emet. A Sun-Times reporter pressed him to comment about whether he was the emissary named in the criminal complaint. “You’re wasting your time,” Emanuel said. “I’m not going to say a word to you. I’m going to do this with my children. Dont do that. I’m a father. I have two kids. I’m not going to do it.” Asked, “Can’t you do both?” Emanuel replied, “I’m not as capable as you. I’m going to be a father. I’m allowed to be a father,” and he pushed the reporter’s digital recorder away. Blagojevch was caught on tape saying that he wanted the Obama advisor in question to know what Blagojevich wanted in exchange for the Jarrett appointment. Blagojevich said, “He asks me for the fifth CD thing, I want it to be in his head.” Emanuel represents the 5th Congressional District in Illinois. No one in the Obama campaign or administration has been charged with any wrongdoing. Obama said this morning that none of his staff has had a hand in any dealmaking on his Senate replacement. <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries Homepage for Your Considerations T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

....Good Day.... Here is the DP map detailing precisely where WILLIAM HARPER marked where the "Harper fragment" was found, relative to the TSBD, 6th floor, WEST open window that ARNOLD ROWLAND observed a second, rifle armed man standing near.... http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6789/dp...ly102308uq2.gif Here is an enhanced crop from the DILLARD photo revealing the man seen peering out into the kill zone within 5 to 30 seconds after the attack who was located in that very same TSBD, 6th floor, WEST open window.... http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/4966/be...sassinwetw3.gif Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 (Updated 12-28-08) http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/2446/20...k1102308ms8.gif Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations (Updated 12-28-08) http://imgcash2.imageshack.us/img160/7642/dpjpg110508mb6.gif President Kennedy "Men of Courage" speech, and JFK Assassination Research, Maps, & Discoveries for Your Considerations (Updated 12-28-08) http://profile.imageshack.us/user/droberdeau T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

....Good Day.... FYI............ http://news.aol.com/article/blagojevich-ig...-to-quit/272740 <QUOTE> Blagojevich Ignores Obama's Call to Quit By DEANNA BELLANDI and CHRISTOPHER WILLS, AP CHICAGO (Dec. 10) - His career in shreds, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich clung defiantly to power Wednesday, ignoring a call to step down from President-elect Barack Obama and a warning that Senate Democrats will not let him appoint a new senator from the state. "Everyone is calling for his head," said Barbara Flynn Currie, a leader in the Illinois Senate and, like the governor, a Democrat. One day after Blagojevich's arrest, fellow Illinois politicians sought to avoid the taint of scandal-by-association. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said at a news conference in Washington that he was Senate Candidate 5 in the government's criminal complaint — a man Blagojevich was secretly recorded as saying might be willing to pay money to gain appointment to Obama's vacant Senate seat. Jackson said he had been assured by prosecutors he was not a target of the investigation, and he emphatically said he had not engaged "whatsoever in any wrongdoing." Other Democrats in Washington edged away from calls for a special election to fill Obama's place in the Senate, hoping that Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would soon become governor and fill the vacancy on his own. That would assure the party of holding the seat, and on a far faster timetable than any balloting would allow. Ensconced in his downtown office, Blagojevich gave no sign he was contemplating resigning, and dispatched his spokeswoman, Kelley Quinn, to say it was "business as usual" in his 16th-floor suite, situated a few blocks from Obama's transition headquarters. "At the end of the day, the top priority for our office is to serve the people, and we have not lost sight of that, nor will we lose sight of that," Kelley Quinn said. One day earlier, federal prosecutors released a thick document that included excerpts of wiretapped conversations in which the governor allegedly schemed to enrich himself by offering to sell Obama's Senate seat for campaign cash or a lucrative job inside or outside government. Blagojevich, whose 52nd birthday was Wednesday, is charged with conspiracy and solicitation to commit bribery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and 10 years, respectively. More than 24 hours after the arrest, Obama joined other prominent Democrats from his state in calling for Blagojevich's resignation. "The president-elect agrees with Lt. Gov. Quinn and many others that under the current circumstances it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois," Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said in response to questions from The Associated Press. Asked whether Obama supports a special election, Gibbs said Obama believes the Illinois General Assembly should consider how to fill the Senate seat and "put in place a process to select a new senator that will have the trust and confidence of the people of Illinois." Top Senate Democrats were more pointed in a letter circulated among the rank and file for signatures. Blagojevich's resignation, followed by an appointment made by a new governor, would "be the most expeditious way for a new senator to be chosen and seated in a manner that would earn the confidence of the people of Illinois and all Americans," wrote Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and the party's second-ranking leader, Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois. They added that if Blagojevich chose to "ignore the request of the Senate Democratic Caucus and make an appointment we would be forced to exercise our Constitutional authority ... to determine whether such a person should be seated." The Constitution gives the Senate authority to refuse to allow a member to be sworn in. Top Illinois lawmakers have said they are preparing to call the Legislature into session as early as next week to set a special election to choose Obama's successor. Many officials said Blagojevich should be impeached if he refuses to leave. <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries, Don Roberdeau, 1975 to Present T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... FYI.... http://news.aol.com/article/jesse-jackson-...-ill-gov/273949 <QUOTE> Jesse Jackson Jr. entangled in Illinois governor scandal By ADAM GOLDMAN, AP CHICAGO -Four days before the election, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich claimed someone came to him with a deal about filling Barack Obama's soon-to-be open U.S. Senate seat. "We were approached `pay to play,'" Blagojevich said as FBI agents listened intently. The candidate would raise $500,000 for Blagojevich, and an emissary would raise an additional $1 million, according to the conversation. The exchange contributed to charges against Blagojevich in which he is accused of putting his office up for sale, while raising questions about the identity of the candidate. On Wednesday, it was revealed that U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. was the candidate, prompting him to hold an emotional news conference proclaiming his innocence. Jackson, the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, said prosecutors have told him he is not the target of the bombshell investigation, nor is he accused of any wrongdoing. "I did not initiate nor authorize anyone, at any time, to promise anything to Gov. Blagojevich on my behalf," he said, without taking questions. "I never sent a message or an emissary to the governor to make an offer or to propose a deal about the U.S. Senate seat." Jackson said he openly sought appointment to Obama's seat but denied offering favors in return to Blagojevich. His lawyer, James D. Montgomery Sr., acknowledged the Illinois Democrat is "Senate Candidate 5" in the 76-page federal complaint filed against the governor, who was arrested Tuesday. U.S. attorney's spokesman Randall Samborn would not confirm or deny Jackson's assertions. Blagojevich, a second-term Democrat, is accused of scheming to enrich himself by selling Obama's open seat for cash or a lucrative job for himself or his wife. In an interview with The Associated Press, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said it's "common in politics for people to try to leverage relationships," but his son didn't do such a thing. "The good is news is ... that it did not say he had done anything illegal," Jackson said, referring to the criminal complaint. "Somebody in his name was trying to negotiate." Jackson said he didn't know who tried to negotiate on his son's behalf and that he had not spoken with the FBI. He said he hadn't spoken with Blagojevich in months and that he didn't promote his son for the Senate seat. Jackson said his son was always critical of "clandestine, backroom" deals. He said the scandal had saddened many people, especially after Obama's historic victory. "Our hearts dropped," he said. "We were astonished. All of us were. We went from the height of joy and exuberance to oceanic depths and a sense of bewilderment. There's a great sense of pain in the state." Jackson Jr. said he met with Blagojevich on Monday in Chicago for 90 minutes to discuss the Senate vacancy. It was their first meeting in about four years, he said. "I presented my record, my qualifications and my vision," Jackson said. "Despite what he may have been looking for, that's all I had to offer." The federal complaint cites an intercepted Blagojevich conversation on Dec. 4. In it, the complaint alleges, the governor told an unidentified adviser "that he was giving Senate Candidate 5 greater consideration for the Senate seat because, among other reasons, if Rod Blagojevich ran for re-election, Senate Candidate 5 would `raise money' for him." The complaint alleges that Blagojevich said he might get some money "up front, maybe" from the Senate hopeful "to insure Senate Candidate 5 kept his promise about raising money" for the governor. On Wednesday, the seven-term congressman called on Blagojevich to resign and said he was appalled "by the pay-to-play schemes hatched at the highest levels of Illinois state government." "Politicians and fundraisers do some very strange things from time to time," said Montgomery, the lawyer. "I wouldn't put it past someone to be purporting to represent Jesse without authority." — Associated Press writer Charles Babington in Washington contributed to this report. <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries, Don Roberdeau, 1975 to Present T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... FYI.... http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/interviews/137 <QUOTE> Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann Argue That a Mob Role and a Cuban Coup Plot Explain JFK's Assassination Submitted by BuzzFlash on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 7:55pm. Interviews A BUZZFLASH INTERVIEW Legacy of Secrecy provides additional evidence showing that John and Robert Kennedy planned to stage a coup against Fidel on Dec. 1, 1963, ten days after JFK's trip to Dallas--and that three Mafia bosses infiltrated that top secret plan. ... The new information includes the confessions of all three Mafia bosses, and some of their associates. Lamar Waldron, coauthor, Legacy of Secrecy: The Long Shadow of the JFK Assassination * * * Legacy of Secrecy is the sequel to the hotly debated, but many argue persuasive, Kennedy assassination conspiracy book of a couple years ago, carried in the BuzzFlash Progressive MarketPlace, Ultimate Sacrifice. Both books are authored by Lamar Waldron and our good friend and noted progressive talk show host and writer, Thom Hartmann. We know that every BuzzFlash reader has an opinion about who might have been behind JFK's murder; that's in the nature of conspiracy theories. There's no Higher Court of Truth to make a final judgment. There are four basic theories: 1) Oswald did it alone (sorry Vincent Bugliosi, not a chance); 2) Castro and/or the Soviets directed Oswald; 3) the CIA arranged it and 4) the Mafia was behind the assassination. And, of course, there are various blends of these perspectives. Waldron and Hartmann find a lot of evidence to support theory 4. They present a compelling case, but you be the judge. Co-author Lamar Waldron was interviewed by BuzzFlash. * * * BuzzFlash: In brief, how does Legacy of Secrecy differ from Ultimate Sacrifice? Lamar Waldron: Much information has continued to emerge since the publication of the extensively updated trade paperback of Ultimate Sacrifice in 2006, information which provides even more confirmation of what we had originally written. Legacy of Secrecy provides additional evidence showing that John and Robert Kennedy planned to stage a coup against Fidel on Dec. 1, 1963, ten days after JFK's trip to Dallas--and that three Mafia bosses infiltrated that top secret plan. The mob leaders used parts of the secret plan to kill JFK in a way that forced Robert Kennedy, LBJ, and other key officials to cover-up much information, to prevent another confrontation with the Soviets, just a year after the Cuban Missile Crisis. The new information includes the confessions of all three Mafia bosses, and some of their associates. Ultimate Sacrifice had to cover 1964 to the present in just a few dozen pages, but the majority of Legacy of Secrecy is devoted to those years, showing how all the secrecy surrounding JFK's murder continued to have tragic effects. Legacy finally explains who paid James Earl Ray to kill Dr. King, and why. Legacy also delves more into CIA officials like Richard Helms and E. Howard Hunt, whose involvement with the coup plan in 1963 continued to impact their careers and cause more cover-ups. Leading the top secret coup for the Kennedys on Dec. 1, 1963 was going to be Commander Juan Almeida, head (and founder) of the Cuban Army. He wasn't going to take credit for killing Fidel; that would be blamed on a Russian or Russian sympathizer. It was never supposed to be known that the Kennedys were really behind the coup; otherwise, the Cuban people wouldn't follow Almeida and the new coalition government. Fidel didn't learn about Almeida's secret work with JFK for decades. For reasons detailed in Legacy, Commander Almeida is still listed as the #3 official in Cuba today and he could still be a factor in resolving the decades-long impasse between the US and Cuba. BuzzFlash: What motivated you and Thom Hartmann to take on perhaps the most analyzed and speculated upon assassination in American history -- and to spend two decades doing it? Lamar Waldron: After spending a couple of years exploring all the various theories, and running into the usual roadblocks and lack of documents, we decided to talk to people who had actually worked with John and Robert Kennedy in 1963. The first was JFK's Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, who revealed that JFK was close to staging a coup and invasion of Cuba at the time of his death--but (unlike the Bay of Pigs fiasco) this plan was so secret that even Rusk was only told about it after JFK's death. Next, JFK's close aide Dave Powers explained that he and another JFK aide had witnessed shots from the grassy knoll, while they were riding in the limo right behind JFK's. But Powers said they were both pressured to change their testimony to the Warren Commission "for the good of the country." With revelations like those, it was hard not to pursue all the leads until we eventually had the whole story. One Kennedy aide led to another, until we'd eventually talked to more than two dozen people who had worked with John or Robert Kennedy. Their disclosures led us to documentation in the National Archives, and eventually, to helping additional documents be identified and released. Legacy of Secrecy explains why the whole process took so long--and why we're still pursuing the release of "more than one million CIA records" related to JFK's murder, that are being withheld despite the 1992 JFK Act requiring their release. BuzzFlash: Between the two books, you have more 1700 pages of documentation on your theory. Yet, about the same time Ultimate Sacrifice was published, famed LA prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi published a book that he said proved that Oswald was the lone gunman and acted alone. There are enough Kennedy assassination books to fill a large public library. Why do you feel your documentation proves your theory that, in essence, the Mafia was at the center of the JFK assassination? Lamar Waldron: The three mob bosses and two of their associates in the assassination all made credible confessions, backed up by a mountain of evidence, much of it compiled by Congressional investigators. Many "lone nut, magic bullet" theorists like to pretend that there was only one official government investigation--the Warren Commission--and thus only one official conclusion. As Legacy documents, there were at least six government committees and commissions, each getting closer to the truth. For example, the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded in 1979 that JFK was likely murdered by a conspiracy and pointed to Louisiana/Texas godfathers Carlos Marcello and Tampa godfather Santo Trafficante as having "the movtive, means, and opportunity to assassinate President Kennedy." We first showed in Ultimate, and document more extensively in Legacy, that the coup plan was at the heart of the secrecy surrounding JFK's murder. And while the public didn't hear about the coup plan until Ultimate was first published in 2005--and even though the Mafia had been barred from the coup plan or from reopening their casinos in Cuba if it were successful--we document that a dozen associates of the mob bosses learned about the coup plan, and six of those actually worked on it. Another key reason we stand behind our documentation (almost all of it from the National Archives) and conclusions is that so much evidence supports what the Kennedy associates told us, often long before that documentation was released. Also, the medical evidence shows that the "magic bullet" theory is impossible on several counts. For example, a bullet on a steep downward trajectory can't enter JFK's back almost six inches below his collar (as verified by the bullet hole in JFK's coat and the official autopsy diagram) and then exit much higher, from his Adam's apple--and then turn in mid-air and dive back downward, to strike Governor Connally. BuzzFlash: Let me ask you about one specific detail of the Oswald story that has always stuck out like a sore thumb to me. How could anyone think that the organized crime-connected Jack Ruby would just impulsively decide to go off and shoot Oswald? And why do you theorize Ruby did kill him? Lamar Waldron: Keep mind that Jack Ruby has only been connected to the Mafia in the public's mind since the late 1970s. For more than a decade after JFK's murder, the news media almost never mentioned the Mafia in relation to Jack Ruby. Ruby had worked for the Mafia for years and was their pay-off man for the Dallas police, so his job was to arrange for someone to kill Oswald. When he couldn't, he had to do it himself. As we document in Legacy for the first time, from previously withheld FBI files, godfather Carlos Marcello admitted setting Jack Ruby up in business in Dallas, and Ruby would regularly go to Louisiana, to report to Marcello. BuzzFlash: In Legacy, you go beyond the JFK assassination and talk about possible mob connections to the killings of Martin Luther King and RFK. A lot of people would say this is carrying the organized crime conspiracy a bit too far. Your response? Lamar Waldron: While Legacy documents that Carlos Marcello was the driving force behind JFK's murder, and people like Georgia white supremacist Joseph Milteer had only a small role in JFK's death, the situation was reversed for Martin Luther King's assassination. Milteer and his associates in Atlanta were the driving force behind King's murder. But after failing to find a hitman on their own, and facing increasing pressure to take action against King, Milteer apparently turned to Marcello. A Justice Department memo, which seems to have been withheld from Congress by the FBI, indicates that Marcello "brokered" the King contract. That's very different from Marcello accepting the contract. The contract was actually handled by one or more of Marcello's lieutenants. The godfather simply collecting a huge fee--at least "$200,000" according to the Justice Department memo, over one million in today's dollars--for hooking them up with Milteer. It's well documented that Marcello was a virulent racist, who had used at least two white supremacists in the JFK hit. Marcello's vice operations in the South were increasingly disrupted by the demonstrations, strikes, and boycotts of Dr. King and other Civil Rights leaders. Plus, Dr. King himself had publicly declared war on the Mafia because they preyed on minority communities. In addition to those reasons and the $200,000, the Justice Department memo says the Mafioso also wanted the blackmail potential over those putting up the money for the King hit. Using the files of Congressional investigators, we document in Legacy that by the fall of 1967, James Earl Ray was a low-level heroin runner for a drug network that included Marcello's organization. Yet, Ray wasn't an important or long-time member of Marcello's organization, or a professional hitman, who could be traced back to Marcello, which made him a good choice for the hit. BuzzFlash: Who is Carlos Marcello and why is he such a central figure to the theory that you document? Lamar Waldron: For decades, Marcello was the unquestioned godfather of Louisiana, much of Texas (including Dallas), and south Mississippi. His influence reached much farther, since he had alliances with all the neighboring mob bosses, like Florida's Santo Trafficante and the Memphis Mafia. Marcello headed America's oldest Mafia family, and as such, didn't need the approval of the national Mafia commission for major hits. Marcello's mob family also had a history of targeting government officials who got in their way. Marcello was the godfather most heavily targeted in the Kennedys' massive war on organized crime. Close behind were his allies: Trafficante, the Chicago Mafia, and Jimmy Hoffa. During most of the month of November, Marcello was on trial by Attorney General Robert Kennedy's federal prosecutors, and Marcello only got off by bribing a key juror. The week of JFK's murder, The New York Times ran a series saying the Justice Department was getting ready to run the Mafia out of Las Vegas. With Cuba no longer an option (even if JFK's secret coup plan succeeded), Marcello and his associates literally had their backs against the wall and--as Marcello explained to an FBI informant in 1962--they had no choice but to kill JFK in order to end Robert Kennedy's prosecutions of them. BuzzFlash: What role did the CIA or CIA agents have in the JFK assassination and cover-up, according to your two books? Lamar Waldron: Ultimate pointed out that of the dozen people knowingly involved in JFK's murder, all were or had been informants, agents, or assets of the CIA or other intelligence or law enforcement agencies. That's what let them feed disinformation into those agencies, and know how those agencies would react. In Legacy, we take a very close look at the evidence--and lack of it--regarding various people involved with the CIA. CIA asset John Martino confessed his role in JFK's murder, as did David Morales, the Operations Chief for the CIA's huge Miami CIA Station, that had a supporting role in JFK's secret coup plan. Morales was also close friends with Johnny Rosselli, the Chicago Mafia's man in Las Vegas and Hollywood. Rosselli, Trafficante, and Marcello all worked on the CIA's plots with the Mafia to kill Fidel, which had originally begun prior to JFK's election. Legacy documents that Richard Helms (essentially about the #4 CIA official in 1963) was continuing those CIA-Mafia plots to kill Fidel in the fall of 1963, apparently as a kind of back-up in case the main coup plan failed. However, Helms failed to inform or get authorization from JFK or even the CIA's Director, Helms came to realize those plots had some tie to JFK's murder, which caused him to withhold much information from the Warren Commission and--after he became CIA Director--from LBJ and Nixon. When we talked to Dean Rusk almost thirty years later, Rusk was still livid at Helms' deception. Helms had to cover-up his unauthorized use of the Mafia in the Castro plot, to protect his own career and reputation. As Legacy documents, Helms successfully made covering up--and supporting the Warren Report's "lone nut, magic bullet" conclusion--the mission of the CIA, as we document in Legacy. But there is no evidence that Helms was knowingly involved in JFK's murder and Helms had every reason to have allowed JFK's coup plan to go forward. If it were successful, Helms would get part of the credit and the CIA would have a new playground in Cuba. If the coup plan failed, any high CIA official who wanted to get rid of JFK could have simply leaked JFK's sponsorship of the coup to the media, to end JFK's career. For that matter, CIA officials on the level of Helms or higher had access to all sorts of personally compromising information about JFK, that could have been used against JFK, to force his resignation; they had no reason to resort to a public execution that also ended any chance of the secret coup plan going forward. Legacy looks at the actions of CIA officials like David Atlee Phillips, William Harvey, E. Howard Hunt, and James Angleton, and the evidence that they did--or did not--have any role in JFK's murder. Based on the evidence and files released so far, David Morales is the highest CIA official tied to JFK's murder, by his own admission. BuzzFlash: Let's get to the motivation for the original crime. Why did the mob hate RFK so much and why would they kill JFK as a result? Lamar Waldron: John and Robert Kennedy came to prominence in the late 1950s, by going after Marcello and other mob bosses (and Hoffa) in Senate crime hearings. After JFK's election, they mounted the largest war against organized crime that the US had--or has--ever seen. The Mafia had free reign during much of the 1950s, because of the organized crime ties of Vice President Richard Nixon and because J. Edgar Hoover--for much of the decade--denied the Mafia even existed. While Robert Kennedy said a few months before JFK's murder that it was almost impossible to prosecute a godfather for anything, especially murder (because they were so well insulated), Marcello was especially vulnerable because he wasn't a citizen. Thus, even a minor conviction could result in his deportation. Early in JFK's administration, Marcello had been briefly, unceremoniously dumped in Central America, and his hellish experience there had only furthered his hatred of John and Robert Kennedy. BuzzFlash: What was Jimmy Hoffa's knowledge of the assassination plot? Is that why he was murdered? Lamar Waldron: Hoffa was under too much pressure to actively participate in the plot, but he was aware of it through the attorney he shared with Santo Trafficante, Frank Ragano. Legacy has new information about Ragano's involvement in JFK's assassination, which was more than he ever admitted. As Legacy documents, Hoffa was one of several associates of Marcello and Trafficante who were murdered in the 1970s, when their names surfaced as Congressional witnesses. Others killed included Sam Giancana (murdered the month before Hoffa) and Johnny Rosselli. Trafficante was linked to all three murders. BuzzFlash: What were the two assassination attempts on JFK prior to Dallas and why aren't these common knowledge? Lamar Waldron: As we've noted, the Mafia families who ran Chicago, Tampa, and Texas/Louisiana were the ones most heavily targeted by the Kennedys. The first attempt to assassinate JFK was in Chicago, on November 2, 1963, the day after Marcello's federal trial started. JFK canceled his motorcade at the last minute, and JFK's Press Secretary Pierre Salinger told us that two phony excuses for the cancellation had to be issued. The Chicago attempt was kept out of the press at the time, though Congress did receive some information about it in the late 1970s. Ultimate was the first book to document the plot to kill JFK in Tampa, four days before Dallas, an attempt which had never been revealed to any government committee. No news of the attempt appeared at the time, though one tiny article slipped out the day after JFK's murder, quoting the Tampa Chief of Police and a Secret Service file that apparently was later destroyed. Thom Hartmann and I found the article after scanning thousands of pages of newspaper microfilm, and then confirmed the account with the Tampa Police Chief from 1963, who said he'd been waiting for someone to ask him about it for more than thirty years. Legacy has new information about the Tampa attempt, including the name of the recently-deceased Tampa police official who actually worked for Trafficante, and who tipped off Trafficante in 1963 that authorities had learned about the plot. The information about the Chicago and Tampa plots was withheld from the Warren Commission. When Abraham Bolden, the first black presidential Secret Service Agent, realized that, he went to Washington to tell the Commission staff about the two attempts, and other Secret Service laxity. Bolden was arrested that day, based on accusations of two men he'd sent to prison. Bolden was eventually convicted and sent to prison, even though the judge in his case told the jury he was guilty before they began their deliberations and Bolden's main accuser later admitted he'd lied about Bolden. Legacy and Ultimate note the likely involvement of an associate of Trafficante and Rosselli in Bolden's framing. Bolden is still fighting to clear his name. BuzzFlash: What do you say to people who call you and Thom Hartmann just a couple of more conspiracy theorists? Lamar Waldron: No one has really been able to contest the evidence presented in Ultimate Sacrifice, and now there is even more evidence in Legacy of Secrecy. We had hoped to debate the case with Vincent Bugliosi on Thom Hartmann's Air America radio show, but after "Variety" publicized the fact that I'd be on the show as well, Bugliosi canceled his appearance and never rescheduled. We remain willing to debate the case with Bugliosi. After all, the evidence is on our side. As several people have pointed out, we're simply advancing the investigations begun in secret by Robert Kennedy after his brother's murder, and the conclusions of the House Select Committee on Assassinations, using information and files that weren't available to them. BuzzFlash: Did you begin your work with a theory that the Mafia was primarily responsible for the JFK assassination or did you end up with that theory after assembling the evidence? Lamar Waldron: The first couple of years, Thom and I looked at EVERY theory. We found most lacking in evidence. People who worked closely with John or Robert Kennedy not only told us about the secret coup plan, but also pointed us toward the Mafia, particularly Marcello, Trafficante, and Rosselli. It's now known that Robert Kennedy himself told associates that Marcello was behind his brother's murder, and Bobby had suspected someone linked to the secret coup plan within two hours of JFK's death. In the ensuing years, the evidence has continued to mount supporting the involvement of Marcello, Trafficante, and Rosselli. All made credible confessions (i.e., backed up by much supporting evidence) late in life, to trusted associates. We've continued to look for evidence that goes beyond the mob bosses and their associates, but no credible evidence has surfaced. BuzzFlash interview by Mark Karlin. * * * Resources: Legacy of Secrecy: The Long Shadow of the JFK Assassination, by Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann, available from the BuzzFlash Progressive Marketplace. BuzzFlash Review: Legacy of Secrecy: The Long Shadow of the JFK Assassination Ultimate Sacrifice: Yes, There Was a Kennedy Assassination Conspiracy (Paperback), by Lamar Waldron with Thom Hartmann, available from the BuzzFlash Progressive Marketplace. <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries, Don Roberdeau, 1975 to Present T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... FYI............ http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/rezko_oba.../09/159976.html <QUOTE> Rezko Ties Link Obama and Blagojovich Tuesday, December 9, 2008 3:36 PM By: David A. Patten President-elect Barack Obama’s ties to indicted Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich primarily run through Chicago slum lord and convicted felon Tony Rezko, who helped launch Obama’s political career and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for both politicians. A 76-page FBI affidavit released today after the arrest of Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, says Blagojevich conspired “to sell” the Illinois Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald called the effort to barter the seat the “most sinister and appalling” of a long list of accusations against Blagojevich. Blagojevich, as governor, is responsible for naming Obama’s replacement. Rezko has had extensive ties to both men: Rezko’s Ties to Obama * According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the two met in 1990 while Obama was still attending Harvard Law School. Rezko offered Obama a job, but Obama declined. * In 1995, Obama billed 32 hours for work done on behalf of Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corp., a company involved in a low-income housing partnership with Rezko. He also wrote letters supporting the proposed development. * Rezko was Obama’s second largest individual contributor when he began his run for an Illinois state Senate seat in 1995. Two Rezko companies contributed $2,000 to Obama’s campaign, and Rezko and wife Rita reportedly worked on Obama’s campaign. * In the first half of 1997, according to a report by Newsmax Contributing Editor Kenneth R. Timmerman, two Rezko companies contributed $2,000 to Obama’s ongoing political operation. * In the first half of 1998, Rezko provided Obama’s campaign food worth an estimated $457.70 as an “in-kind contribution.” * Rezko was one of Obama’s biggest contributors when he ran for U.S. Senate in 2003 and 2004, and Rezko was a member of Obama’s campaign finance committee, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. * In June 2003, Rezko held a ritzy fund-raiser for Obama at his tony Wilmette mansion. Obama later said, “Rezko was not my largest fundraiser but a significant fundraiser.” According to Reuters, Obama said Rezko raised as much as $250,000. * In 2005, as news began to spread that federal authorities were investigating Rezko, Obama bought a house in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood for $1.65 million. Rezko’s wife, Rita, paid $625,000 for a lot adjacent to Obama’s new home, and the two deals closed on the same day. * Seven months later, Rezko’s wife sold one-sixth of her lot – a 10-foot strip of a 60-foot lot -- to Obama for $104,500. * In December 2006, Obama told the Washington Post the deal was a “boneheaded” mistake. “There’s no doubt I should have seen some red flags in terms of me purchasing a piece of property from him,” Obama said. * The Post reports Rezko and Obama later “collaborated” to construct a fence to divide the two properties, which Obama said was required by city code. Obama paid for lawn maintenance for both properties. * In March 2008, Obama said Rezko had raised up to $250,000 to help underwrite his prior campaigns in Illinois – a much higher figure than had previously been reported. * Rezko helped Obama’s presidential campaign raise over $150,000. The campaign later donated Rezko’s contributions to charity. Rezko Ties to Blagojevich * The FBI says between June 2001 and August 2004 Rezko raised over $1.4 million for Blagojevich’s political campaigns, according to the Los Angeles Times. (Blagojevich was elected governor of Illinois in 2002, and reelected in 2006.) * Rezko hosted Blagojevich’s first post-election party at his mansion. Although he had no official role in the Blagojevich administration, he reportedly participated in several Blagojevich strategy retreats. * In October 2006, authorities indicted Rezko for soliciting kickbacks from companies seeking state contracts that were awarded by officials under the governor’s authority. According to the Los Angeles Times and others, $20,000 that Rezko garnered from kickbacks found its way via a middleman into Obama’s Senate campaign coffers. * Rezko’s June 2008 trial on corruption strongly implicated Blagojevich. Blagojevich allegedly discussed a state job for a donor, after that donor wrote a $25,000 check for his campaign. * During the trial, prosecutors maintained that Rezko routinely arranged shakedowns while serving as a top Blagojevich adviser. * In all, prosecutors said, Rezko squeezed various companies for some $7 million in kickbacks. * Following his conviction on 16 counts of fraud, money laundering, and aiding and abetting bribery, Rezko said federal authorities tried to pressure him “to tell the wrong things” about the Obama and Blagojevich. The Sun-Times reported prosecutors pushed Rezko to cooperate in the corruption probe against Blagojevich. It should be noted that Obama has consistently stated he never intervened on behalf of Rezko in any state or federal business. Authorities have yet to suggest any wrongdoing on the part of either Obama or his staff. <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries, Don Roberdeau, 1975 to Present T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... FYI............ http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/illinois_.../09/159903.html <QUOTE> Illinois Gov. Arrested in Obama Successor Probe Tuesday, December 9, 2008 12:42 PM Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on Tuesday on charges that he brazenly conspired to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder. Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale of Wrigley Field, according to a federal criminal complaint. In return for state assistance, Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired. A 76-page FBI affidavit said the 51-year-old Democratic governor was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps over the last month conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal benefits for himself and his wife, Patti. Otherwise, Blagojevich considered appointing himself. The affidavit said that as late as Nov. 3, he told his deputy governor that if "they're not going to offer me anything of value I might as well take it." "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain," Blagojevich allegedly said later that day, according to the affidavit, which also quoted him as saying in a remark punctuated by profanity that the seat was "a valuable thing — you just don't give it away for nothing." The affidavit said Blagojevich also discussed getting a substantial salary for himself at a nonprofit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions. It said Blagojevich also talked about getting his wife placed on corporate boards where she might get $150,000 a year in director's fees. He also allegedly discussed getting campaign funds for himself or possibly a post in the president's cabinet or an ambassadorship once he left the governor's office. He noted becoming a U.S. senator might remake his image for a possible presidential run in 2016, according to the affidavit. And he allegedly said a Senate seat would also provide him with corporate contacts if he needed a job and present an opportunity for his wife to work as a lobbyist. "I want to make money," the affidavit quotes him as saying in one conversation. The affidavit said Blagojevich expressed frustration at being "stuck" as governor and that he would have access to greater resources if he were indicted while in the U.S. Senate than while sitting as governor. U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said in a statement that "the breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering." "They allege that Blagojevich put a for sale sign on the naming of a United States senator," Fitzgerald said." Messages left for Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero and at the governor's press office were not immediately returned Tuesday morning. Among those being considered for the Senate post include U.S. Reps. Danny Davis and Jesse Jackson Jr. The affidavit outlined a Nov. 10 call between Blagojevich, his wife, his chief of staff — John Harris, who also was arrested Tuesday — and a group of advisers in which Harris allegedly suggested working out an agreement with the Service Employees International Union. Under the plan, Blagojevich would appoint a new senator who would be helpful to the president-elect and in turn get a job as head of Change to Win, a group formed by the union. The union would get an unspecified favor from Obama later. Nothing in the court papers suggested Obama had any part in the discussion. In fact, Blagojevich allegedly said in the same conversation that Obama most likely would not appoint him as secretary of health and human services or to an ambassadorship because of the negative publicity that has surrounded the governor for three years. One day later, according to the affidavit, Blagojevich allegedly told an associate he knew Obama wanted a specific Senate candidate but "they're not going to give me anything except appreciation." He finished the remark with an expletive. Blagojevich also was charged with using his authority as governor in an attempt to squeeze out campaign contributions. Corruption in the Blagojevich administration has been the focus of a federal investigation involving an alleged $7 million scheme aimed at squeezing kickbacks out of companies seeking business from the state. Federal prosecutors have acknowledged they're also investigating "serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" under Blagojevich, who has a $177,412 salary, though it's unclear whether he accepts the total. Political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko who raised money for the campaigns of both Blagojevich and Obama is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of fraud and other charges. Blagojevich's chief fundraiser, Christopher G. Kelly, is due to stand trial early next year on charges of obstructing the Internal Revenue Service. According to Tuesday's complaint, Blagojevich schemed with Rezko, millionaire-fundraiser turned federal witness Stuart Levine and others to get financial benefits for himself and his campaign committee. Federal prosecutors said Blagojevich and the chairman of his campaign committee have been speeding up corrupt fundraising activities in the last month to get as much money as possible before the end of the year when a new law would curtail his ability to raise contributions from companies with state contracts worth more than $50,000. According to the affidavit, agents learned Blagojevich was seeking $2.5 million in campaign contributions by the end of the year, with a large part allegedly to come from companies and individuals who have gotten state contracts or appointments. The affidavit also outlines Blagojevich conversations related to Tribune Co., which has been hoping to sell Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs which the publishing giant also owns. Blagojevich was quoted in court papers as telling Harris in a profanity laced Nov. 4 conversation that his recommendation to Tribune executives was to fire the editorial writers "and get us some editorial support." Harris is quoted as telling the governor Nov. 11 that an unnamed Tribune Owner, presumably CEO Sam Zell, "got the message and is very sensitive to the issue." The affidavit said Harris quoted a Tribune financial adviser as saying cuts were coming at the newspaper and "reading between the lines he's going after that section," apparently meaning editorial writers. Blagojevich is quoted as saying: "Oh, that's fantastic." "Wow," Blagojevich allegedly replied. "Keep our fingers crossed. You're the man. Good job, John." Harris allegedly told Blagojevich in his conversation with the financial adviser he had singled out deputy editorial page editor John McCormick as "somebody who was the most biased and unfair." After hearing that, Blagojevich allegedly stressed to the head of a Chicago sports consulting firm that it was important to provide state aid for a Wrigley Field sale. Blagojevich took the chief executive's office in 2003 as a reformer promising to clean up former Gov. George Ryan's mess. Ryan, a Republican, is serving a 6-year prison sentence after being convicted on racketeering and fraud charges. A decade-long investigation began with the sale of driver's licenses for bribes and led to the conviction of dozens of people who worked for Ryan when he was secretary of state and governor. FBI spokesman Frank Bochte said federal agents arrested the governor and Harris simultaneously at their homes at 6:15 a.m. and took them to the Chicago FBI headquarters. He did not have any details about Blagojevich's arrest, only that he was cooperative with federal agents. "It was a very calm setting," he said. The governor was to appear later Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan to answer the charges. The time was not immediately set. <END QUOTE> Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries, Don Roberdeau, 1975 to Present T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... FYI.... http://washingtonindependent.com/20770/jfk...ture-of-secrecy (QUOTE) JFK Lawsuit Tests Washington’s Culture of Secrecy CIA Fights Release of Psy-War Operative's Files By Jefferson Morley 12/8/08 9:10 AM Last month dozens of public interest groups welcomed the election of Barack Obama with a call to reverse eight years of secrecy and restore openness in the executive branch. It won’t be easy. While the non-profit National Security Archive and other groups are seeking an executive order to revitalize the Freedom of Information Act, the culture of secrecy in Washington runs deep, thwarting even the most powerful open government laws. For example, lawyers for the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Justice Department are expected to file a motion in federal court in Washington Tuesday seeking to block release of CIA records related to the assassination of President Kennedy. These 45-year-old records have been deemed too sensitive to share with the American people. With the support of a diverse group of JFK authors, I sued the CIA for these records in December 2003. Five years later, the CIA is still spending taxpayer money to block their release, saying dozens of documents cannot be released in any form–for reasons of national security. Such extreme claims have proven the norm since September 11. A month after the terror attacks, Attorney General John Ashcroft issued a memorandum that greatly weakened FOIA. In 2002 federal agencies went so far as to seek re-classification of records at the JFK Presidential Library that had already been publicly released. The public interest groups are calling on Obama to issue a new executive order on FOIA creating a presumption of disclosure and a policy of releasing information without litigation. But FOIA enforcement ultimately depends on political will as much as regulatory language and that can be difficult to summon even in a case like the JFK story where public interest endures and The CIA records I seek are supposed to be governed by the JFK Records Act, which was approved unanimously by Congress in 1992, in response to Oliver Stone’s hit movie “JFK.” The law, one of the strongest open government laws ever enacted, mandates in no uncertain terms that all government records related to JFK’s assassination must be released “immediately.” That word, as interpreted by the CIA means, “not just yet and maybe never.” The records concern a decorated, now-deceased undercover CIA officer, named George Joannides. As I wrote for Playboy.com last year, Joannides’ assets in the Cuban exile movement had contact with accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald before Kennedy was shot dead in Dallas on November 22, 1963. At the time, Joannides served in Miami as the chief of the agency’s so-called “psychological warfare” operations aimed to bring about Castro’s overthrow. In 1978, Joannides resurfaced out of retirement to serve as the CIA’s liaison to the House Select Committee on Assassinations. He did not disclose his activities in 1963 to investigators, prompting the committee’s general counsel G. Robert Blakey to tell the Washington Post in 2005, “the CIA set me up.” Joannides, who died in 1990, received the CIA’s Career Intelligence Medal in 1981, according to citation declassified earlier this year. He was lauded for “exceptional achievement” in his 28-year career. Federal judge John Tunheim, who chaired a civilian review board that declassified thousands of long secret JFK records in the 1990s, says the CIA denied the panel’s staff and members full access to the records. “There is no question we were mislead on Joannides for a long time,” Tunheim told The Washington Independent last spring. Tunheim said all the disputed records should be made public as soon as possible. “I think the JFK story is still incomplete,” said Anna Nelson, another former member of the JFK review board who is now the historian in residence at American University. “While we may never get all the answers, we ought to do all we can to complete it. That means opening documents. The CIA is being foolishly recalcitrant.” The CIA has spurned requests from the National Archives to review the Joannides files. A spokeswoman for Archivist Allen Weinstein said, “The National Archives has not been given an opportunity to review any CIA records related to this issue because of the pending litigation.” Last December, a three-judge appellate court panel ordered the CIA to explain why 17 monthly reports that Joannides was supposed to file about his secret operations in 1962-64 are missing from CIA archives. A year later, the Agency has yet to comply with the court’s directive. The CIA will file its latest motion in the lawsuit with Judge Richard Leon. A ruling in the case is expected next year. (END QUOTE) Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries, Don Roberdeau, 1975 to Present T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

FYI.... http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...sh.3d1ebc0.html (QUOTE from the “Dallas Morning News”) Retired Dallas officer killed in motorcycle crash during charity toy drive 10:45 PM CST on Sunday, December 7, 2008 By DAVID FLICK / The Dallas Morning News dflick@dallasnews.com Raymond Ross, a retired Dallas police veteran, loved kids and loved motorcycles. He died in a charity event that combined his passions. Mr. Ross, a 73-year-old Mesquite resident, was killed when he lost control of the cycle he was riding in a Santa Cops event about 11 a.m. Saturday in Mesquite. He was taken from the scene, on Big Town Boulevard near the Interstate 30-U.S. Highway 80 intersection, and pronounced dead at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, according to a Mesquite police report. Grandson Colby Ross, who was also a participant in the event, said that the medical examiner was investigating whether a health crisis, such as a stroke or heart attack, caused his grandfather to miss a turn and hit the curb. "He was doing something he loved to do, which was to help people," the younger Mr. Ross said. The ride was designed to raise money for toys for disadvantaged children. Raymond Ross served on the Dallas police force from February 1960 to July 1990. He was on duty on Nov. 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was shot, and was deployed to search boxcars for suspects in the rail yards near Dealey Plaza. In the early 1970s, a partner, Donald Paul Tucker, was shot before his eyes during a domestic dispute call. Mr. Tucker died, but Mr. Ross later received an award for attempting to revive him. He also became friends with the family of Dallas entrepreneur Ross Perot, occasionally serving as a bodyguard, Colby Ross said. Toward the end of his career, the officer served on mounted patrol and later used that experience to teach children in West Dallas how to ride horses. After his retirement, his daughter, Pamela Stephenson, interested him in motorcycles. They quickly became a passion, and he joined the Blue Knights, a motorcycle club of retired police officers. Survivors, in addition to his daughter and grandson, include his wife, Linda; and brother, Merritt, of Tempe, Ariz. Funeral arrangements are pending at the New Hope Funeral Home of Sunnyvale. (END QUOTE) At 12:30 P.M. on 11-22-63 ROSS was patrolling in DPD squad car #116 on "special assignment" to help in presidential motorcade. CE2645 Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries, Don Roberdeau, 1975 to Present T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day Bill.... Thank You for providing that NIX enhanced animation. Here is a similar enhanced ani that i saved for future reference, that, iirc, you provided several years ago.... JOSIAH also provides NIX still frames in his Six Seconds in Dallas that anotate what he thinks was a head piece trajecting rearward that, imho, may very well have been the same "something" that very close witness, WWII and Korean War U.S. Army Ranger, CHARLES BREHM told LANE in 1966.... "I saw a piece fly over in the area of the curb where I was standing. ... It seemed to have come left and back. ... Sir, whatever it was that I saw did fall, both, in that direction, and, over into the curb there." (my emphasis) Relatedly, imho, here is what ROBERT "Bobby" WELDON HARGIS, the very close D.P.D. motorcycleman-Presidential limousine escort, was quoted 11-22-63 as saying in the 11-23-63 New York Daily News.... "...then, I saw the president's head explode. Then, I felt something hit me, which could have been concrete. I thought at first I might have been hit." (my emphasis) Additionally, as with several other close witnesses, HARGIS did not know if it was "his" second audible muzzle blast or mechanically suppress fired bullet bow shockwave that he remembered hearing that coincided with the President's head exploding, or, if it was "his" third audible muzzle blast or mechanically suppressed bullet bow shockwave that he remembered hearing that coincided with the President's head exploding. Very importantly, HARGIS also told the warrenatti that he thought a gunshot(s) originated from a source.... "right next to me" I found it more than extremely interesting----in fact, I found it very revealing----that in the recent Discovery Channel documentary, "Inside the Target Car," that, either, HARGIS chose to not mention that he was hit so hard with something that he thought he had actually been shot, AND, Hargis chose to not mention that he thought a shot(s) originated from right next to him....OR....he DID mention one/both of his important considerations, BUT, the ITTC editors chose to EDIT OUT his very key attack experiences statements.... Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 (Updated 12-28-08) http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/2446/20...k1102308ms8.gif Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations (Updated 12-28-08) http://imgcash2.imageshack.us/img160/7642/dpjpg110508mb6.gif President Kennedy "Men of Courage" speech, and JFK Assassination Research, Maps, & Discoveries for Your Considerations (Updated 12-28-08) http://profile.imageshack.us/user/droberdeau T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day CHRIS.... Thank You for providing that gif. Researcher DAVID WIMP has also provided everyone an interesting stabilized NIX clip, circa President KENNEDY's head explosion, here The, initial, velocity of the upward and forward moving piece of President KENNEDY's head calculates to be approximately 37.8 mph. The angle upward from his head of that forward moving fragment was 57 to 58 degrees to the NIX perspective-to-true-horizontal. This calculation is based for the distance, initially, traveled of approximately 36" between the first and second NIX film frames after the bloody explosion (corresponding approximately to Z-314 and 315). The 36" is determined by the head fragment measurable NIX apparent angle travel distance when scaled to a known dimension of the limousine, the 36" diameter tires. NIX's camera tested at an average of 18.5 frames per second, while ZAPRUDER's, tested at an average of 18.3. A theorized bullet, streaking in at a minimum of 2000 feet per second, slammed into President KENNEDY's head at 1364 mph. The light colored, blasted off head fragment seen in the NIX film continues on the same approximate 57 to 58 degrees upward, forward, and straight trajectory as it vanishes up and out of the NIX film frame. My calculations show that from ZAPRUDER's perspective, that same moving forward head fragment was trajecting upward at a 62 to 63 degrees angle apparent perspective-to-true-horizontal, and had a velocity of 34.2 mph between Z-314 and 315. This calculation is based for the distance, initially, traveled of 32.9" between z-314 and 315. The 32.9" is determined by the head fragment measurable apparent travel distance when scaled to a known dimension of the limousine, the 11.6" width of the permanent right side window. Both NIX and ZAPRUDER had their movie cameras at nearly the exact same height above sea level (ZAPRUDER's camera lens was only about 1' higher than NIX's lense), with ZAPRUDER's camera much closer and pointed more downward. I think that the slight difference between NIX and ZAPRUDER in the head fragment apparent trajectory angle upward and forward is because of the combination that ZAPRUDER's camera was pointed more downward, while NIX's camera was closer than ZAPRUDER's to being 90 degrees perpendicular to the head fragment true initial trajectory. This, and other considerations, indicates that this forward and upward trajected head fragment could very well be the "Harper fragment," which WILLIAM HARPER diagrammed he found 117' forward and had trajected left of the president's 313 location, and concurrently had trajected to the right of President KENNEDY's 313 head facing direction. Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Under the "magic-limbed-ricochet-tree": Z-188, then, Z-203 to 206 Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries, Don Roberdeau, 1975 to Present T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States:

Good Day.... FYI.... http://www.thenewsconnection.com/article.cfm?articleID=32022 (QUOTE) Doctor remembers JFK assassination Jessica Born Published 11/26/2008 - 1:43 p.m. CST Dr. Phillip E. Williams, neurosurgeon, at the Highland Shores Community Center luncheon. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jessica Born Email: jessica@thenewsconnection.com Highland Village had a very special guest last week at the Highland Shores Community Center. Dr. Phillip E. Williams, Jr., M.D. a neurosurgeon at the Presbyterian Medical Center in Dallas spoke to senior citizens at a luncheon sponsored by the Highland Village Senior All-Stars and Home Helpers. Dr. Williams was a young intern at Parkland Memorial Hospital when John F. Kennedy was shot. The physician told his story through a series of slides and photographs of his account on that tragic day. This past Saturday was the 45th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, so Williams called his lecture, “An Assassination Remembered.” Many people can recall where they were and what they were doing when they heard about the assassination of our 35th president. Some were on the front lawn of the Dealey Plaza watching JFK roll by in the motorcade; others were in school, at home, or at work. However, Dr. Williams was at the very hospital that JFK would be taken to, minutes after the fatal gunshot was sounded in downtown Dallas. Williams was in a conference that afternoon in 1963, on the floor above the trauma rooms, making a presentation on a patient, when one of his professors received a page. Williams thought nothing of the interruption until his professor said the president had just been shot. Williams recalled a blur of motion and activity as the doctors piled into the elevator to go downstairs to the emergency ward. Before he realized it, he was standing right in front of Trauma Room 1, where President Kennedy was. Williams remembered Kennedy’s agonal breathing and the fatal wound in the back of the president’s head. When asked what went through his mind when all of this happened, Williams said, “I wasn’t scared because I didn’t know what kind of impact this was going to have on our country, none of us did.” Two days later, when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald, who was said to have been responsible for the assassination, Williams recalled being at home. The intern went back up to the hospital as soon as he saw the report on the news, but since his shift was over, wasn’t allowed entry into the room. Listening to Williams was like having a piece of history in the room with you. He described how he spoke with Jackie Kennedy outside of the trauma room, and offered her a seat and some water. He relived what it was like to have John Connally, the Texas Governor, who was also shot while riding in the motorcade, in Trauma Room 2 at the same time. Williams said Jackie was very calm and composed, as one would expect of a First Lady, since tragedies are always possible. He showed slides of the events leading up to the shooting, slides of JFK’s autopsy and some of the medical documents. The group found it intriguing to hear the JFK story from the viewpoint of a doctor who was a close-up witness to history. Williams is a native of Dallas, having attended SMU for his bachelor’s degree and Tulane for his medical degree. Williams had his internship at Parkland in 1963-64. He was drafted in 1966, sent to Japan, and finished his internship upon his return in 1971. As the lecture came to a close he remembered other major happenings that Dallas-Fort worth is known for. However, none of them had quite the impact on the country and on his memory as that fateful day in Dallas. “It’s a part of history, and unfortunately it’s a part of Dallas Texas history,” said Williams. The lunch and speaker were provided by Renovo Healthcare & Lakeview Rehabilitation Hospital, the new Rehab coming to Lewisville. (END QUOTE) Best Regards in Research, Don Don Roberdeau U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, CV-67, "Big John," Plank Walker Sooner, or later, The Truth emerges Clearly Discovery: ROSEMARY WILLIS's Zapruder Film Documented 2nd Headsnap: West, Ultrafast, & Directly Towards the "Grassy Knoll" http://ftp.hometown.aol.com/droberdeau/JFK...NOUNCEMENT.html Dealey Plaza Professionally-surveyed Map Detailing 11-22-63 Victims precise locations, Witnesses, Photographers, Evidence, Suspected bullet trajectories, Important information & Considerations http://ftp.hometown.aol.com/droberdeau/JFK/DP.jpg President Kennedy "Men of Courage" Speech, & JFK Assassination Research & Discoveries, Don Roberdeau, 1975 to Present http://ftp.hometown.aol.com/droberdeau/ T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore National Terror Alert for the United States: