Does Anybody in the Press Care About Lori Klausutis?

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Matt St. Amand
Date: Jul 24, 2007 7:38 PM


From: http://www.americanpolitics.com/20010808Klausutis.html

A Death in the Congressman's Office | Does Anybody in the Press Care About Lori Klausutis?

By Denis Wright and Chris George | August 8, 2001 (APJP)

Once upon a time, the phrase "investigative reporter" actually meant something. It usually involved hard work, possibly even mentation. Now, it seems, they just make stuff up. Especially on the Fox News Channel, where an uninitiated viewer could easily think she/he had tuned in Comedy Central. It's "Chandra-Chandra-Chandra" with the occasional "Condit is just like Clinton" thrown in. Given our media's 24/7 obsession with the Gary Condit "scandal", you might assume that there is a real dearth of hard news to pursue.

In reality, there is indeed a news story percolating out there. The story bears remarkable and ironic similarities to the Condit/Levy story. Both involve Congressmen, rumors of infidelity, and the fate of a younger female subordinate. The details are so similar as to remind one of two alternate universes. The difference between the two stories? First, in the Klausutis case as not in the Levy case, there is a real body, very dead. Second, the Klausutis case involves a Republican.

The story had a brief flutter in the Northwest Florida press, which ran a few very short stories on Lori's death. With the exception of the Northwest Florida Daily News, they were of the "Aw-what-a-shame/ nothing-to-see-here-move-along-now-folks" variety. But nationally, this mysterious death earned a mere one paragraph mention in The Washington Post's NATION IN BRIEF column:

"FORT WALTON BEACH, FL. - Lori Klausutis, a 28-year-old office worker for Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-Fl), was found dead in the congressman's district office. Police said preliminary findings from the medical examiner's office showed no foul play or any outward indication of suicide."

Unbelievably, that was it. The story was simply dropped. A young female employee of one of Florida's Congressmen had died unexpectedly in the Congressman's office. There were no witnesses to her death and the cause of death was not apparent. Klausutis' boss, Joe Scarborough had recently resigned from Congress prematurely and unexpectedly, amid rumors about his marital fidelity and soon after a divorce. He had also abruptly resigned as publisher of the Independent Florida Sun, claiming that resigning from Congress and as publisher was necessary to spend more time with his sons.

Such circumstances make one pause. Sick to death of the clear bias of the corporate owned media, and suspicious of the odd nature of this death, we began to dig for answers. The more information we discovered, the more unlikely, and the more newsworthy the story became.

Here are the facts. Lori Klausutis had a seemingly happy life. A devoted husband who listed on his online homepage "being married to Lori" as one of the honors he enjoyed, a new home in Niceville and a Catholic congregation where she was a cantor and in whose choir she sang, were some of the elements of the Good Life she enjoyed. Her husband, Dr. Timothy Klausutis, did research and development for the munitions group at nearby Eglin Air Force Base, where he presumably made a good livelihood. Although Lori hailed from the Atlanta, Georgia area where she had attended school, there were numerous family members in the area. According to her obituary in the Fort Walton Daily News, Lori had served as President and, later, Treasurer, for the Emerald Coast Young Republicans and as a aide to Congressman Scarborough, she was active during the Florida recounts. A former neighbor, Barbara Cromer, said "Every morning, I would see her run while I walked. We'd wave to each other as we passed. I loved Lori so much. She was wonderful. She was a kind, generous person, so sweet.

Then, on Friday, July 20th, the body of Lori Klausutis, 28, was found slumped next to a desk on the floor of Florida Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough's Fort Walton Beach office where Lori had served as a constituent services coordinator since May, 1999. Her body was found around 8:00 a.m. on Friday morning by a couple arriving for an appointment. She had been dead for some time. A second employee, who would have normally arrived for work at around the same time, was away on vacation. Police cordoned off the area for investigation, later announcing that there was no reason to suspect foul play, nor were there signs of suicide.

Scarborough's office released a statement several hours after the discovery:

"My staff and family are greatly saddened by the loss of Lori Klausutis. I know Lori will be missed by the thousands of citizens who regularly contact my office to seek assistance with a variety of problems. May God grant Lori's family the grace, comfort and hope that will get them through this difficult time."

The Congressman returned to Florida that same day, and his office was quick to point out that it was not unusual for him to fly home for the weekend.

There was a great deal of ambiguity over whether Lori had suffered past medical problems. Scarborough's press secretary, Miguel Serrano, made mention of health problems in Lori's past, but could not be more specific. In response, Fort Walton Beach Police Chief Steve Hogue is quoted as saying "That's part of our investigation, checking into her medical history." Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Berkland said "She had a past medical history that was significant, but it remains to be seen whether that played a role in her death". Soon after a member of the immediate family rejected out of hand that Lori had any significant medical problems. She was, in fact, quite an athlete, having recently run an 8K with a very respectable time and she belonged to the Northwest Florida Track Club.

The results of the mandated autopsy, however, were deemed "inconclusive" by Dr. Berkland, who ordered more specific toxicology tests. These results were expected by the middle of the following week, around the first or second day of August. Dr. Berkland commented at the time "This turns over several puzzle pieces in the case of her death and reveals more of the picture".

Welcome to the Wheel of Fortune.

Michael Berkland, it turns out, has a very interesting background himself. Recently relocated to Florida, it is a matter of public record that Dr. Berkland's medical license in the state of Missouri was revoked in 1998 as a result of Berkland reporting false information regarding brain tissue samples in a 1996 autopsy report. Berkland does not deny the charges.

It's also a matter of public record that he was suspended from his position as Medical Examiner in the State of Florida in July, 1999.

Quincy, he's not.

Repeated requests to Dr. Stephen Nelson, Chairman of the Medical Examiners Commission, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, have failed to verify that Dr. Berkland's suspension was lifted and that his licensure and disciplinary record are clear at the present time. Dr. Nelson was appointed Chairman of the Commission by Governor Jeb Bush.

As for Lori Klausutis, rumors began to swirl as time passed with no resolution to the case, rumors that included whispers of suicide, some emanating from inside the Beltway. Family members, angered at what they considered unfair and exploitive coverage wrote the editor of the Northwest Florida Daily News, Ralph Routon, saying "For those who knew Lori, the thought of suicide, as your published reports suggested, is absolutely unthinkable. Suicide was contrary to her faith and being. She did not suffer from seizures, nor did she have a history of medical problems." Meanwhile, the final report has been issued that Lori died as a result of a blow to the head because an undiagnosed heart condition caused her to collapse and fall, hitting her head on the desk.

The initial reports from the Medical Examiner's office denied any trauma to the body that would indicate cause of death. But Berkland acknowledged on Monday, August 6th, that Lori had sustained a "scratch and a bruise" on her head and that his o

Fearless U.S. Department of Justice Attorney, John S. Koppel, Speaks Out Against Offensive Power Apparatus

This Should Be Front Page News

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: <>JERM
Date: Jul 18, 2007 9:38 PM


U.S. Department of Justice Attorney, John S. Koppel, risks his career -and maybe more- by writing the following piece that appeared in The Denver Post.

I give him a million kudos for his courage, and hope that he inspires other public servants to start standing up, speaking out and doing the right thing for our country.


He's a true patriot.



Check it out:

Bush justice is a national disgrace

By John S. Koppel

As a longtime attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, I can honestly say that I have never been as ashamed of the department and government that I serve as I am at this time.

The public record now plainly demonstrates that both the DOJ and the government as a whole have been thoroughly politicized in a manner that is inappropriate, unethical and indeed unlawful. The unconscionable commutation of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's sentence, the misuse of warrantless investigative powers under the Patriot Act and the deplorable treatment of U.S. attorneys all point to an unmistakable pattern of abuse.

In the course of its tenure since the Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration has turned the entire government (and the DOJ in particular) into a veritable Augean stable on issues such as civil rights, civil liberties, international law and basic human rights, as well as criminal prosecution and federal employment and contracting practices. It has systematically undermined the rule of law in the name of fighting terrorism, and it has sought to insulate its actions from legislative or judicial scrutiny and accountability by invoking national security at every turn, engaging in persistent fearmongering, routinely impugning the integrity and/or patriotism of its critics, and protecting its own lawbreakers. This is neither normal government conduct nor "politics as usual," but a national disgrace of a magnitude unseen since the days of Watergate - which, in fact, I believe it eclipses.

In more than a quarter of a century at the DOJ, I have never before seen such consistent and marked disrespect on the part of the highest ranking government policymakers for both law and ethics. It is especially unheard of for U.S. attorneys to be targeted and removed on the basis of pressure and complaints from political figures dissatisfied with their handling of politically sensitive investigations and their unwillingness to "play ball." Enough information has already been disclosed to support the conclusion that this is exactly what happened here, at least in the case of former U.S. Attorney David C. Iglesias of New Mexico (and quite possibly in several others as well). Law enforcement is not supposed to be a political team sport, and prosecutorial independence and integrity are not "performance problems."

In his long-awaited but uninformative testimony concerning the extraordinary firings of U.S. attorneys, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales did not allay these concerns. Indeed, he faced a no-win situation. If he testified falsely regarding his alleged lack of recollection and lack of involvement, he perjured himself and lied to both Congress and the American people. On the other hand, if he told the truth, he clearly has been derelict in the performance of his duties and is not up to the job. Either way, his fitness to serve is now in doubt.

Tellingly, in his congressional testimony, D. Kyle Sampson (the junior aide to whom the attorney general delegated vast authority) expressed the view that the distinction between "performance" considerations and "political" considerations was "largely artificial." This attitude, however, is precisely the problem. The administration that Sampson served has elided the distinction between government performance and politics to an unparalleled extent (just as it has blurred the boundaries between the White House counsel's office and the attorney general's office). And it is no answer to say that U.S. attorneys are political appointees who serve at the pleasure of the president. The point that is lost on those who make this argument is that U.S. attorneys must not serve partisan purposes or advance a partisan agenda - which has nothing to do with requiring them to promote an administration's legitimate policy priorities.

As usual, the administration has attempted to minimize the significance of its malfeasance and misfeasance, reciting its now-customary "mistakes were made" mantra, accepting purely abstract responsibility without consequences for its actions, and making hollow vows to do better. However, the DOJ Inspector General's Patriot Act report (which would not even have existed if the administration had not been forced to grudgingly accept a very modest legislative reporting requirement, instead of being allowed to operate in its preferred secrecy), the White House-DOJ e-mails, and now the Libby commutation merely highlight yet again the lawlessness, incompetence and dishonesty of the present executive branch leadership.

They also underscore Congress' lack of wisdom in blindly trusting the administration, largely rubber-stamping its legislative proposals, and essentially abandoning the congressional oversight function for most of the last six years. These are, after all, the same leaders who brought us the WMD fiasco, the unnecessary and disastrous Iraq war, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, warrantless domestic NSA surveillance, the Valerie Wilson leak, the arrest of Brandon Mayfield, and the Katrina response failure. The last thing they deserve is trust.

The sweeping, judicially unchecked powers granted under the Patriot Act should neither have been created in the first place nor permanently renewed thereafter, and the Act - which also contributed to the ongoing contretemps regarding the replacement of U.S. attorneys, by changing the appointment process to invite political abuse - should be substantially modified, if not scrapped outright. And real, rather than symbolic, responsibility should be assigned for the manifold abuses. The public trust has been flagrantly violated, and meaningful accountability is long overdue. Officials who have brought into disrepute both the Department of Justice and the administration of justice as a whole should finally have to answer for it - and the misdeeds at issue involve not merely garden-variety misconduct, but multiple "high crimes and misdemeanors," including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

I realize that this constitutionally protected statement subjects me to a substantial risk of unlawful reprisal from extremely ruthless people who have repeatedly taken such action in the past. But I am confident that I am speaking on behalf of countless thousands of honorable public servants, at Justice and elsewhere, who take their responsibilities seriously and share these views. And some things must be said, whatever the risk.

The views presented in this essay are not representative of the Department of Justice or its employees but are instead the personal views of its author.

John S. Koppel has been a civil appellate attorney with the Department of Justice since 1981.

U.S. Milk "Approved" and Poisoned. Fake "Safety"

Is everything in America fake now? Fake Health Care. Fake Elections. Fake "Terror Attack" Fake "Liberty" Fake authorities who tell you the Bovine Growth Homone that gets in your milk, and just incidentally puts more money in the pockets of big milk Agribusiness producers, is "Safe"

Fake "Safety"?

Hey the air at "Ground Zero", the "Big Lie Hole." was safe too.

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: <>Impeach GeOgre/ 9.11 Truth
Date: Jul 16, 2007 4:35 PM


----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: From:/>

Canada and the European Union have banned the use of Bovine Recombinant Growth Hormone (rBGH), citing its toxicity to both cows and humans, but the US Food and Drug Administration approved rBGH use for US dairy cows.




rBGH a genetically engineered synthetic hormone, mimics a naturally occurring hormone released when a cow is pregnant, which allows the cow to produce milk for her calf. When rBGH is injected into a cow, nature runs wild, causing the cow's milk output to increase. Nutritional energy that is supposed to sustain the entire cow becomes almost entirely dedicated to milk production. Vital nutrients are leached from other parts of her body, causing painful udder infections and crippling lameness. In addition, rBGH injected cows are much more likely to suffer infertility and gastrointestinal disorders. Because rBGH use increases the incidence of disease a rBGH-injected cow requires greater amounts of antibiotics than an rBGH-free cow. Increased antibiotic usage may lead to resistance to antimicrobials, having dire consequences for the health of both humans and cows.

After more than nine years of study that took into account the findings of two independent advisory panels, Health Canada (the FDA's Canadian counterpart) made the decision to ban the hormone, citing greatly increased health risks to cows and potential health risks for humans exposed to rBGH. Canadian researchers reported that "long-term toxicology studies to ascertain human safety" must be conducted, as their research indicated that rBGH may cause "sterility, infertility, birth defects, cancer and immunological derangements" in humans. Other recent studies, as reported in the Journals Science (1/23/98) and The Lancet (5/9/98) have linked IGF-I (Insulin-like Growth Factor), high levels of which are present in milk produced with rBGH, to much increased incidence of prostate and breast cancer.

The European Union has enacted an rBGH moratorium, due to expire in 2000, based on European studies that concurred with Health Canada's findings. In addition, a recent European Commission on Consumer Health and Protection study concluded that rBGH should not be used in dairy cows, as its use seriously compromises a cow's health and well-being.

link

Hippie Roots & The Perennial Subculture

Hippie Roots & The Perennial Subculture

WOLVES UNDER THE GUN!

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From:Heart of the Wolf
Date: Jul 5, 2007 12:18 PM


WOLVES UNDER THE GUN!

"...but where now, a battle's being waged.
A struggle for Heaven and Earth. Where there
is one law: Fight or die. And one rule: Resist
or serve."-- Alex Krycek, the X-Files.

Wolves are under the gun, more than ever
by their oppressors, the USFWS.

They are wanting to make it easier to
commit the styles of murder they commit
every week.

They plan on having meetings in Idaho,
Montana, and Wyoming.

This week in the Federal Register, they
want to propose changes to the rules
regarding the murder of Wolves in the
Rocky Mountain Region.

Their exuse is 'to protect other wildlife
and domesticated animals.'

Since when did life in nature need protection
from predators? Predators are in charge
of keeping ecosystems running efficiently
by preventing the overpopulation of prey
species.

Nature needs protection from the USFWS.
And as far as domesticated animals, and
livestock, well if the USFWS years and
years ago ACUTALLY USED, PROMOTED AND
EDUCATED ABOUT, THIS WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE!

Non-Lethal Methods and
PF Ranching

Under the new proposal,
states and tribes would have to prove only
that wolves were only one
of the major causes of wildlife herds not meeting
goals in order to justify asking the federal
government for authority to kill the Wolves

"This definition expands the potential
impacts for which wolf removal might be
warranted beyond direct predation or those
causing immediate population declines,"
the Federal Register notice states.

If that's not bad enough, Terry Cleveland,
director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department,
using false science, thinks that it will help
'the state protect its elk herds'.

Wolves don't decimate elk herds, hunters do.
And Fish and Games support hunting. It won't
be long after this would be cullings like in
Alaska. The hunting industry makes millions
of dollars off of corpses, and this proposal
would aid that further.

The proposal would allow people to murder
Wolves that are in the act of 'attacking horses,
mules, donkeys or llamas used to transport people
or their possessions'.

Again this issue would have been prevented
if Non-Lethal Methods and PF Ranching were used.


Murder Declaration

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1) First contact the USFWS in opposition to this
horrible plan. Sue them if all possible.
If this goes through, we are going to see more
murders of Wolves in this region than ever before.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 25486, DFC**
Denver, CO 80225
COMM: (303)236-7920
FAX: (303)236-8295
mitch_king@fws.gov
NRMGrayWolf@fws.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
Dale Hall
(Address to Dale Hall)

Sharon Rose 303-236-4580

2) Contact Terry Cleveland about your opposition
to his support of this horrific plan. Wolves aren't
decimating elk. And if people stopped hunting elk,
then there wouldn't be a decimation.

WYOMING GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

5400 BISHOP BOULEVARD
CHEYENNE, WYOMING 82006
(307) 777-4600
FAX - (307) 777-4699

Bring this to life in your local newspaper/blogs

Newslink

CNN

USA Today

New York Times

executive-editor@nytimes.com
managing-editor@nytimes.com

The Newsroom
news-tips@nytimes.com;
foreign@nytimes.com
hremetro@nytimes.com;
national@nytimes.com

MSNBC

letters@msnbc.com
viewerservices@msnbc.com
MSNBC Website

Time

letters@time.com

U.S. News and World Report

Dateline NBC

dateline@nbc.com

NBC Nightly News

nightly@nbc.com

International Herald Tribune

iht@iht.com
letters@iht.com

The Daily Yomiuri

dy@yomiuri.com

BerlinOnline

info@berlinonline.de

The American Online (Italian Newspaper)

cpwinner@theamericanmag.com
http://www.theamericanmag.com/html/cpw/cpwinner.html
Additional contacts

Progress for Poland

Andrzej Jarmakowski Editor in Chief

The Korea Times

kwh@koreatimes.co.kr

The Herald
letters@theherald.co.uk

FOR OTHER ONLINE NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE WORLD GO HERE AND LOOK THEM UP BY COUNTRY AND REGION

Online Newspapers

And contact your government leaders, which if you don't you live in the U.S.,
just get the zip codes to major cities through
your search engine to do so. Please also contact Nancy Pelosi,
the new Speaker of the House.

AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov
Congress









Mike Wagner -- Director and Founder of Heart of the
Wolf Organization, Honor Fallen and Oppressed Wolves
-- and Co-Host of KWF Wolf Conservation, and Web of Life

http://www.heartofthewolf.org
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/heartofthewolf
http://groups.myspace.com/HeartOfTheWolf
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/Wolfconservationists
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/weboflife
http://www.heartofthewolf.org/HFOW.htm

Wolf Cam

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Heart of the Wolf
Date: Jul 5, 2007 12:21 PM


WOLF CAM

To observe Wolves 24 hrs a day, Here is some

other interesting info as of late.
It's about ancient Wolves in Alaska.

The search for other information is what
scientists are looking for, genetic links of past
and present Wolves

http://www.geneticarchaeology.com/Research/Scientists_Search_For_Genetic_Link_Between_Ancient_And_Modern_Wolves.asp









Mike Wagner -- Director and Founder of Heart of the
Wolf Organization, Honor Fallen and Oppressed Wolves
-- and Co-Host of KWF Wolf Conservation, and Web of Life

http://www.heartofthewolf.org
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/heartofthewolf
http://groups.myspace.com/HeartOfTheWolf
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/Wolfconservationists
http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/weboflife
http://www.heartofthewolf.org/HFOW.htm