Paul Brancato

Reading over the comments here makes me wonder what we are doing. Didn’t we used to invite authors onto the Forum? Is she not worthy? Poll - how many of you have now read this interesting book?

Thanks. I see no responses. Does it not worry you that very few members here support RFK JR?

Jim - I agree, much better. I wish the NYT would have given David Talbot a spot. They asked him to submit one and then turned it down. According to Talbot NYT ran NOTHING. But still, things seem to be improving.

Funny - I’ve listened to the first three and I don’t recall hearing Tosh Plumlee’s name. But in any case, why are so many of you dumping on Reiner? If we were to open a thread on everyone’s theory no one would agree 100%. And none of us are doing a podcast, or writing a book. Wouldn’t it be better to engage him in a discussion? Mr. Booth thinks he’s just reading a script. Sure, there is a writer, but Reiner is clearly hands on. Enough already. You don’t know a friend when you see one.

The question is was he talking to the wrong Cobb.

I used the word professionally to distinguish it from personally, not to imply Hank was CIA. What will be done with Hank’s notes on June Cobb? How many times did he meet with her? Lots. I don’t know the answer but I think you do. My conclusion from reading the book we are discussing is that Jerrie/June Cobb was an important agent, period. Do you really think there is something nefarious about wanting to know what he found out? Is our interest in Cobb somehow inappropriate because Hank wrote a book about Lafitte?

Just before I read this I reread the small section on Otto and Ilse. Possibly she dismissed them too soon. Silver may have been purposeful in his negation. I think the most useful thing would be to start a dialog with the author. She might not have seen Hank’s work, though I agree that seems unlikely. have you ever wondered what was going on professionally between June Cobb and Hank? I gather it’s clear from your end that he never met Jerrie. Did he ever wonder aloud about the similarities? The author quotes David Phillips as saying June had a twin! She also says that Jerrie had scars attributed to June. What this all boils down to is this: what did Hank dig up that hasn't yet been revealed? The author credits Newman for showing her how to read intelligence files. She also credits Linda Pease, though less specifically. I’d be interested in what Pease has to say.

I’ll look forward to hearing from Larry and Jim after they’ve read the book, which has two threads going, both of which I find troubling. I start from one premise that should be completely obvious. There is no way that June and Jerrie Cobb did not know each other, if their respective bios are truthful. Jerrie denied that she knew June. Did June do the same? Is there someone here that can answer this? I can’t help but wonder about two Oswalds now.

Leslie and Greg - if you are both truth seekers, as I am, you could try trusting a bit. Leslie - I too want to see everything you have on June Cobb. It’s vitally important that Hank’s June story be compared to Haverstick and Jerrie. You have a different vantage point obviously. If you want to hold those cards close to your vest you could empathize with others that want to see those cards. Can we at least all agree that Ms Cobb is integral to the story? You say Hank was aware of Jerrie. She goes unmentioned in Coup, and up until now in your posts. Haverstick has done some remarkable work comparing itineraries. I consider it absolutely tragic that she and Hank never compared notes. You have the power to begin the process of comparing, and my bet is you are already doing so. Do you know whether they ever met or talked? I’ve not finished the book yet so I don’t know if she mentions Hank or his research.

Reiner has been at this since the 1960’s. A newby? So was I when I wrote the trading cards. why are most of you so anxious to cast aspersions?

Yes David, I’m sure. What I meant is that it could be easily added to, not necessarily written in stone. There are 7 episodes to come I think.

Does no one see that Rob Reiner is putting his own reputation on the line? You think he’s doing this for money? I can relate to his story because I share it. He is a year older than me, 16 at the time. Both of us witnessed the Oswald murder, and paid close attention to Mark Lane as he almost single-handedly fought for the truth. And it was Mort Sahl who got Reiner’s ear when they were both working in standup. If Reiner gets things wrong I am certain he would be open to correction. That’s the thing about podcast - it’s live. So if our resident experts feel that Reiner could use some further education why not approach him? I’m going to be searching for a way to contact him. Let’s get on board.

Sorry Jim. My point was that the articles Larry posted do not in any way justify his statement at the end where he says Jerrie flew her plane to the Amazon when she was supposedly at Redbird airport. The book goes into great detail about Jerrie’s known history including her work in the Amazon. He could have recommended the book just on that basis. The author met Jerrie Cobb because she intended to make a film centered on her aviation career. One of the articles that Larry linked specifically mentions John Glenn, but fails to mention Glenn’s direct and vocal opposition to the idea of female astronauts. I don’t find Larry’s post helpful, I find it misleading. How about some of you here engaged in this discussion read the book, available in hardcover and also in Kindle. There is even a summary version of it for download.

How about we listen first? I’m impressed, hugely, by the tone of it. Rob Reiner cares - a lot.

Jim says ‘good one’, and thanks Larry. Thanks for what Jim? For saying Jerrie Cobb couldn’t have flown the plane into red bird airport on Nov 22, 1963 because she was busy doing missionary work in the Amazon?

Looking at pics of babushka lady I don’t see a camera. Can someone point me to a better pic?

Good questions, fascinating book. Seeing as the author’s research appears entirely original, without the usual access to the researchers who’ve been studying this for decades (other than John Newman, who she apparently knows - the extent of that relationship is unknown), I’d give her a pass on getting everything right. I haven’t finished the book, but at least by the middle it seems that her point of view is that there were two individuals, June and Jennie, by photo evidence, but operationally maybe one individual using dual or multiple identities. Have I read that wrong? Her research on Harvey and Silver, indicating development of a high tech weapon that Harvey even sketches, may indicate that Babushka, or someone else, was using something other than a conventional gun.

Very good article

I am reading ‘A Woman I know’. It is so far really interesting.

And Noguchi was fired not long after and I believe went to court to fight it, eventually winning. Someone may know more about this. Of course he was ostensibly fired for other reasons, but I’ve assumed it was some kind of payback.

I don’t know how to contact him

Are there pics of Pugibet? The extant info says he pretended to be a cowboy.

If the confession was given orally, and the receiver of that confession later tried to sell it without being able to authenticate it that’s a problem.

The general level of discourse by several posters on this interesting thread is disappointing to say the least. And I’ll note that major writers like Larry Hancock and Jim DiEugenio have unfortunately stayed out of the fray completely. so if I understand what Leslie is saying, the Frenchman Pugibet, the subject of an essay by Alan Kent in Albarelli’s Coup is also the subject of a new French book claiming that he confessed on his deathbed to being the second gunman at Dealey Plaza. what I would like to know is who was FBI informer Allen Wright?

Uh, Tracy Barnes?