Steve Thomas

Dallas Dispatch Tapes http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/dpdtapes/ 12:34 Dispatcher 103 clear. 12:34 Dispatcher Unknown motorcycle - up on Stemmons with his mike stuck open on Channel 1. Could you send someone up there to tell him to shut it off? (12:34 p.m.) WC testimony of Joe E. Murphy http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/murphy_j.htm Mr. BALL. Were there any other officers on that overpass? Mr. MURPHY. Yes; there were two more about - oh, a 100 feet south of me - to slow traffic or to stop traffic whenever the motorcade entered the Stemmons Freeway north entrance. Mr. BALL. Now where were they located - and, did they as the motorcade came down Elm Street, did they go into the highway and stop traffic? Mr. MURPHY. Yes; they did. Mr. BALL. Will you put their positions on the Stemmons Freeway overpass at the time the motorcade came west on Elm, and mark it (2) and (3). Mr. MURPHY. (Marked diagram as requested by Counsel Ball.) Mr. BALL. Do you know the names of those officers that were (2) and (3)? Mr. MURPHY. I can't recall. I know them but I can't recall who they were. Mr. BALL. Were they three-wheeler officers too, do they drive three-wheelers? Mr. MURPHY. I believe both of them three-wheelers. Purdue Lawrence, page 494 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1137#relPageId=514&tab=page To the best of my knowledge, none of these guys were called to testify before the Warren Commission. Steve Thomas

Donald Trump’s Business Sought A Stake In Parler Before He Would Join By Ryan Mac and Rosie Gray February 5, 202 https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/trump-parler-ownership Documents seen by BuzzFeed News show that Parler offered the Trump Organization a 40% stake in the company. It is unclear as to what extent the former president was involved with the discussions. The deal was never finalized, but legal experts said the discussions alone, which occurred while Trump was still in office, raise legal concerns with regards to anti-bribery laws. But the White House counsel’s office soon put a stop to the talks, one person with knowledge of the discussions said, ruling that such a deal while Trump was president would violate ethics rules. The never-before-reported talks between Trump’s business organization and Parler, a social media network that promises less moderation than mainstream sites and is embraced by the far right, provide more insight into the frantic last weeks of Trump’s presidency. Steve Thomas

This is how it's done, by Gum! https://twitter.com/i/status/1357897178505740289 Steve Thomas

I got to wondering where a "pink/grey" shipping casket may have come from. I mean, what does a hospital do when a person arrives DOA at a hospital, or dies during surgery, etc? Do hospitals keep a supply of caskets in storage or something? Dr. Price, Parkland Hospital Administrator was asked this. In his Warren Commission Price Exhibit 33, page 111 he wrote this: http://www.aarclibra...ice_Ex_2-35.pdf “About this time a secret service man came to me and asked how we could move the president's body. He asked if we had a casket, a basket or anything that we could get to move the body immediately. I told him that we had nothing like that, but that we had several military installation nearby where we could get a casket, or we could get one from a local funeral director. He asked me to wait where I was, stating he would be back in just a minute,. I noticed that Steve had started out of the area with a secret service man and asked where he was going. He said to get a casket, and I told him to wait a minute as someone had just asked me about one and had asked that no further action be taken at that tine. Another man in the group who had been talking with Mrs. Kennedy and the other secret service agents near her came to me and asked that we get a casket of any kind from any place the quickest possible way. I then turned to Steve and relayed the request to him, and asked that he see what could be done about it.” I don't know who this "other man in the group talking with Mrs. Kennedy" was. If you needed a "pinkish/grey" shipping casket similar to ones used to ship servicemen home from Vietnam, what better place to get one than from a military installation? Is this how the casket was removed? On page 110 of this Exhibit, Price wrote: “While talking with Mrs. Nelson, one of the secret service men who had been bruised or had a minor injury came to me and asked if there were another way that the President and Mrs. Kennedy could be taken out of the building. I told him there was a tunnel exit and that if he would come with me, I would walk it off for him. I walked down to inspect the tunnel, then returned to the surgery area of the Emergency Room.” (Does anyone know about a Secret Service man who had been bruised or had a minor injury?) “While I was talking with him, (a Mr. Maher) another secret service man grabbed me by the arm and asked if I knew an alternate route the Johnson*s could use for an exit. I told him I had walked out an alternate route with another agent a few minutes ago and that if he would come with me, I would show him. We went to the Emergency Room elevator, one of the maintenance men was manually operating it and told him to take us to the basement.... I instructed the elevator operator to go to second (floor for an emergency delivery of blood),and then to take us on down to the basement. The secret service agent and I "ran" the alternate route, then when we got back to the Emergency Room area, he asked me to show him where the Johnsons were.” While all the attention was on Air Force One, could the shipping casket have been placed on Air Force Two, or the C-130 military plane that took the limousine back to Washington? I would have to find the radio logs for Air Force Two or the cargo manifest for the C-130 to find out more. Steve Thomas

Vince, This is just intended as a fill-in. In the film, Byrd talks about auctioning off the TSBD. He sold the building in 1970. “Corsicana Daily Sun” from Corsicana, Texas March 31, 1970 Page 10 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/41268447/ Famed Depository Building for Sale DALLAS (AP) — The Texas School Book Depository Building goes on the auction block April 16. The drab, seven-story building that entered American history the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, will go to the highest bidder at the Northpark Inn in Dallas. The building is owned by the Dallas Trust Corp. The majority stockholder of the firm, Col. D. Harold Byrd, 69, has decided to liquidate some of his holdings. The Texas School Book Depository has built a new warehouse outside Dallas and their lease on the building is about to expire. The auction is open to the public and auctioneer G. C. Walters, who will conduct the bidding, says no stipulations have been put on possible buyers as to what may be done with the building. Walters said some have suggested turning the building into a shrine in honor of the memory of the President. Another informal proposal has been made to convert it into a John F. Kennedy Memorial Day Care Center. It’s just possible the new owner will choose to raze the structure, 1961 Dallas City Directory page 387 https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth806907/m1/723/?q=Byrd Steve Thomas

Volume XX of the Commission Hearings and Exhibits starting on page 489 has Purdue Lawrence's assignments for the motorcade. pp. 493-494 has the officers staged at the Stemmons Freeway. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1137#relPageId=513&tab=page Motorcyclists in the 200 range are 3 wheelers, such David Harkness (260) Steve Thomas

Thank goodness for Donald Trump. Exposing all this fake news. This isn't a real impeachment trial. It's just "purported impeachment proceedings" "Then you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Steve Thomas

Militia alliance in Georgia signals new phase for extremist paramilitaries By Chris Joyner, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution https://www.ajc.com/news/militia-alliance-in-georgia-signals-new-phase-for-extremist-paramilitaries/UD2JMQV5A5EABHHAKBQZBK2IVY/ "The leader of a private paramilitary group that provided security for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said he has formed alliances with other far-right groups to advocate for Georgia’s secession from the union, following the arrests of participants in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. “The way patriots are now being hunted down and arrested by fellow men and women who have taken the same oath has disheartened any faith I had in the redemption or reformation of the USA as one entity,” Justin Thayer, head of the Georgia III% Martyrs, said in a text exchange with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week. Thayer said the Martyrs have allied themselves with fellow “Three Percenter” militia the American Brotherhood of Patriots and American Patriots USA (APUSA), a north Georgia group headed by Chester Doles, a Dahlonega resident who belonged to various racist and neo-poopoo hate groups before forming the new group in 2019. The combined groups will advocate for Georgia’s secession from the union through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution or through “the collapse of the American experiment,” Thayer said. “For the last 150 years, the Imperial Yankee culture of the northeast has been molding Georgia — and the South in general — into its ‘perfect’ image,” he said." Donal Trump has vowed to destroy the Governor of Georgia and its Secretary of State. I would not be surprised at all to see him use Georgia as the launching pad for any post-election machinations. Steve Thomas

Ron, As I understand it, the term "martial law" wasn't brought up at that particular meeting. What Sidney Powell (and perhaps Flynn too) suggested to Trump was that he invoke something called, " emergency national security powers", There is no such thing. Kind of like Al Haig after Reagan got shot, “I, Al Haig, am in control here at the White House,” Steve Thomas

Who is that thuggish-looking guy hovering in the background? Is that Bruce Carlin? Steve Thomas

Ron, I think that last line, "I don't really like to give my opinion of what I really believe" is more a reflection of how women were trained to talk in those days. They were told that women were to be seen and not heard. Steve Thomas

The defense lawyers for Donald Trump file their brief: https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/politics/trump-response-impeachment-article/index.html On page 1, the brief is addressed to the Unites States Senate. They repeat this on page 9. I wonder who they are. Steve Thomas

Read: Democrats' impeachment trial brief Updated 02/02/21 10:29 AM ET, https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/politics/democrats-impeachment-trial-brief/index.html Steve Thomas

Bonus episode: Inside the craziest meeting of the Trump presidency By Jonathan Swan, Zachary Basu https://www.axios.com/trump-oval-office-meeting-sidney-powell-a8e1e466-2e42-42d0-9cf1-26eb267f8723.html “Four conspiracy theorists marched into the Oval Office. It was early evening on Friday, Dec. 18 — more than a month after the election had been declared for Joe Biden, and four days after the Electoral College met in every state to make it official.” “Flynn went berserk” “Finally Herschmann had enough. "Why the xxxx do you keep standing up and screaming at me?" he shot back at Flynn. "If you want to come over here, come over here. If not, sit your ass down." Flynn sat back down.” “Powell waved an affidavit from the pile of papers in her lap, claiming it contained testimony from someone involved in the development of rigged voting machines in Venezuela. She proposed declaring a national security emergency, granting her and her cabal top-secret security clearances and using the U.S. government to seize Dominion’s voting machines.” "How exactly are you going to do this?" an exasperated Herschmann asked again, later in the conversation. Newman again cited the 2018 executive order, which prompted Herschmann to question out loud whether she was even a lawyer. Then Byrne chimed in: "There are guys with big guns and badges who can get these things." Herschmann couldn't believe it. "What are you, three years old?" he asked. I am speechless. Steve Thomas

Eugenio Rolando Martínez, Watergate burglar and former CIA asset in Miami, dies at 98 Miami Herald 02/02/21 https://this.kiji.is/729174268642623488 “In a column he penned in 1974, Martínez described the scheme [Watergate]as a bungled affair that reminded him of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba — an ill-fated, poorly planned attempt by the CIA to spur revolution by attacking communist dictator Castro’s troops with Cuban exile troops. “I can’t help seeing the whole Watergate affair as a repetition of the Bay of Pigs,” he wrote. “The invasion was a fiasco for the United States and a tragedy for the Cubans. All of the agencies of the U.S. government were involved, and they carried out their plans in so ill a manner that everyone landed in the hands of Castro — like a present.”” “Martínez, born in July of 1922 in Artemisa, Cuba, was a prolific asset for the U.S. CIA in the 1960s, running hundreds of missions to Cuba from Miami. Martínez’s granddaughter, Michelle Diaz, said Monday that he conducted 365 missions in all.” Steve Thomas

Kirk, Did you see where Trumps new lawyer said that Trump can't a fair trial because the jurors are biased? Voir dire them all !, I say. Steve Thomas

I was only joking, but as it turns out... Scoop: Fees — not just strategy — blew up Trump's legal team By Alayna Treene 02/02/21 https://www.axios.com/trump-legal-fees-impeachment-trial-8f6578e6-0662-4aea-8edc-aee2530c5165.html “Disagreements over legal strategy weren't the only reason Donald Trump's defense team collapsed just days before his second impeachment trial, Axios has learned. What we're hearing: The notoriously stingy former president and his lead lawyer, Butch Bowers, wrangled over compensation during a series of tense phone calls, sources familiar with their conversations said. The argument came even though Trump has raised over $170 million from the public that could be used on his legal defenses. The two initially agreed Bowers would be paid $250,000 for his individual services, a figure that "delighted" Trump, one of the sources said. However, Trump didn't realize Bowers hadn't included additional expenses — including more lawyers, researchers and other legal fees that would be accrued on the job. He was said to be livid when Bowers came back to him with a total budget of $3 million. Trump called the South Carolina attorney and eventually negotiated him down to $1 million. All of this infuriated Trump and his political team, who think the case will be straightforward, given 45 Republican senators already voted to dismiss the trial on the basis it's unconstitutional to convict a former president on impeachment charges. Trump's political arm also was planning to pay separately for audiovisuals, a rapid-response team and legislative liaison. In the end, the money dispute added to frustrations Bowers and the other lawyers felt about whether the former president's claims of election fraud should be central to their arguments. "I think there was some problems getting money for it, but it wasn't [just] that," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who helped Trump secure Bowers and other impeachment lawyers. "Just too many cooks in the kitchen." Steve Thomas

What Ulysses Grant Can Teach Joe Biden About Putting Down Violent Insurrections By CASEY MICHEL 01/30/2021 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/01/30/what-ulysses-grant-can-teach-joe-biden-about-putting-down-violent-insurrections-463976 “The deadly siege of the Capitol in Washington, which sought to overturn a legitimate election by targeting lawmakers with assassination, was not the first attempted insurrection in American history.” “Grant’s approach relied on a combination of brute military force and a drastic curtailment of civil liberties, yet it nevertheless has relevance for the current moment and contains lessons for lawmakers who fear that January 6 might have been only the first of widespread attacks on the government and elected officials at all levels, across large swaths of the nation.” Steve Thomas

The Texas High School Recruiting Its Mexican American Teens to Be Border Patrol Agents ‘At the Ready’ A good salary and playing with guns? Sundance doc “At the Ready” shows how Mexican American students in a border town are being recruited into immigration law enforcement. By Kevin Fallon Feb. 01, 2021 https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-texas-high-school-recruiting-its-mexican-american-teens-to-be-border-patrol-agents?ref=home “Watching them train in their tactical gear is surreal. It’s jarring to see these children—and they are just children—sprinting through the hallways with fake guns and riot helmets. Some of their frames are so youthful and slight that the bulletproof vests barely have shoulders to cling onto.” “Like in so many different areas of the immigration debate, you’re left with an upsetting aftertaste: They’re just kids. Kids who are pretending to disarm and incapacitate an active shooter in a hostage situation. But kids nonetheless.” Steve Thomas

Also, what was discussed the the meeting in Trumps private residence at the Trump Hotel on the night of January 5, 2021? Steve Thomas

Jim, In addition, that's not how the police who arrested him tell it. Detective Bob Carroll was the officer who grabbed Oswald's pistol out of his hand and stuck in his belt at the Texas Theater. He drove the car that carried Oswald back to City Hall. (7H25) Mr. BELIN. Did you ever hear anyone say anything about his having an address on North Beckley or on Beckley Street? Mr. CARROLL. I heard later, but I couldn't say who it was that said it. Mr. BELIN. When you say later, you mean later than what? Mr. CARROLL. Later that day. Mr. BELIN. Did he give two names? Or did someone in the car read from the identification? Mr. CARROLL. Someone in the car may have read from the identification. I know two names, the best I recall, were mentioned. Mr. BELIN. Were any addresses mentioned? Mr. CARROLL. Not that I recall; no, sir. Detective Guy Rose told the Warren Commission that: Mr. BALL. Did you ask him what his address was? Mr. ROSE. Yes; but from there, he wouldn't tell me--he just said, "You just find out." Mr. BALL. Now, did anybody ever tell you that his address was 1026 North Beckley? Mr. ROSE. Later they did--right then they didn't; no, sir. K.E. Lyon, who was also in the car transporting Oswald to City Hall in his report: Box 5, Folder# 2, Item# 78 makes no mention of obtaining Oswald's address In his after-action Report dated December 3, 1963, DPD Archives, Box 2, Folder# 7, Item# 4, page 2 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box2.htm Detective Paul Bentley wrote: “On the way to the City Hall, I removed the suspect's wallet and obtained his name.... I turned his identification over to Lt. Baker. I then went to Captain Westbrook's office to make a report of this arrest.” There is nothing in his Report about obtaining an address. Steve Thomas

Ron, What astounded me, was that in his appearance in Wyoming, Gaetz wasn't just there to campaign against Liz Cheney, he announced his intention to take on Mitch McConnell for leadership of the the Republican Party. At his appearance, he said, "We are in a battle for the soul of the Republican party, and I intend to win it," said Gaetz "The truth is that the establishment in both political parties have teamed up to screw our fellow Americans for generations," Gaetz said. "The private insider club of Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney, Nancy Pelosi and Liz Cheney, they want to return our government to its default setting: enriching them." With Kevin McCarthy traveling to Mar Lago, and Gaetz making this appearance in Wyoming, we can see where this is heading. Steve Thomas

It is said that the disagreement was mutual. Trump said, "I'm not paying you." The lawyers said, "Well, we're not working for free." The breakup was mutual. Steve Thomas

Part of the Lincoln Project letter to Rudy Guiliani: For the text of the full letter, see here: https://twitter.com/ProjectLincoln/status/1355618315570393090/photo/3 Steve Thomas

Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson told the Warren Commission and later interviewers that the police told them that Oswald had a piece of paper in his pocket that had the Beckley St. address on it at the time of his arrest at the Texas Theater. Arthur C. Johnson, the owner of the rooming house on Beckley told the Warren Commission (10H303) http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/johnso_a.htm Mr. JOHNSON. Well, they just came down there looking for--uh--Oswald. Mr. BELIN. Did they say what his full name was? Mr. JOHNSON. Yes, I believe they did. Mr. BELIN. Lee Harvey Oswald? Mr. JOHNSON. I believe they did. Mr. BELIN. Did they say how they happened to come there? Mr. JOHNSON. "Well, uh--after he was--uh--apprehended out there, they searched him and found my address in his pocket. Mr. BELIN. Your address of 1026 North Beckley? Mr. JOHNSON. That's right. HSCA Interview with Amy Gladys Johnson 10/14/77 Bart Kamp in the ROKC Forum 02/08/2020 https://reopenkennedycase.forumotion.net/t1180p125-did-oswald-deny-living-at-1026-n-beckley Gladys Johnson’s WC testimony: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/johnso_g.htm Mr. BALL. Did you ever know his true name was Lee Harvey Oswald? Mrs. JOHNSON. No; not until we saw his picture flash on the television as the officers were out. Those particulars was found in his pocket after he killed Tippit, after his arrest. Mick Purdy in the ROKC Forum 12/08/2019 https://reopenkennedycase.forumotion.net/t1180p125-did-oswald-deny-living-at-1026-n-beckley Is this Washington Post reporter Ronnie Duggar? Neither one of the Johnson’s, nor Earlene Roberts were taken down to the police station to give affidavits. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth340298/m1/1/?q=Affidavits I've never seen that piece of paper in any of the Police Department evidence sheets. Were the Johnsons lying? Did the police lie to the Johnsons' Steve Thomas