As U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello was considering how to vote on an important piece of climate change legislation in June, the freshman congressman’s office received at least six letters from two Charlottesville-based minority organizations voicing opposition to the measure.The letters, as it turns out, were forgeries. Full Story »
Posted by Beth Wellington - via Digg, Memeorandum
I agree w. Kim about the writing style, however, this reporter broke the story (although one wonders why it took so long.) That is why I submitted it. I've included two links with more information. Hat tip to Sue Sturgis at ISS for finding them. Also a 2002 piece from the Baltimore Sun, which exposed Bonner's former antics. Unfortunately the Sun doesn't have a link up, so used Common Dreams archive. BaltSun ran only the AP story. In looking again today, came up w. Brian Angliss's piece in Scholars & Rogues which has a lot of links. (NT member Jeanne Roberts has also written for that source.)
The incidents of business lobbyists writing fake letters are interesting. It is a little hard to tell how widespread the practice is, but in such things it would seem this is the tip of a iceberg that will not be brought fully to the surface.
The article is well written though a bit flat. It somehow just misses capturing that sense of hard outrage lying simmering just below the factual surface. This may not have been the best style, a fairly standard AP type of construction, for this story. "Just the facts" is okay for wire stories but this needed a more personal touch to connect on an emotional level.
The American Political process is ruined. Our politicians are bought and paid for by whomever and whatever big money force occupies and runs their particular piece of the state they represent. If it's not the money moguls calling the shots, it's the ideologues with their righteous causes. It's all about power, and isn't that just so American. The fatal flaw of Capitalism has always been the fact that, in the end, everything is for sale. You don't need to fight America to ... More »
interesting to see this story develop legs via TPM and Politico. One unclear point: Was no one on the story last month when the Bonner rep was in Charlottesville apologizing?
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