In The Shadow of Daniel Ellsberg: Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden: The Patriots Act

Thursday, July 18th, 2013



My Dear America:

A long time ago in a Decade Far Away (the 70's)  I had a very extraordinary experience.  I attended a lecture at Lehigh University by Norman Mailer one evening and by an incredible stroke of luck I not only heard him speak but I actually got to meet him and spend time with him at a Fraternity party to which Norman invited the entire audience.

Although Norman talked about other things during his well attended lecture, it seemed to me that his main topic was that of recommending to the audience that they should get behind his latest idea which was the institution of a "Peoples CIA" in which regular Americans should take the time to spy on their Spy Agency and their Government.  Even though it was the decade in which we had Watergate and the virtual fouling of nearly everything American by Richard Nixon and his band of well dressed thugs, the "Peoples CIA" idea seemed Far Out by any standard.  When I got to talk to Mr. Mailer later on at the party I asked him whether he was really serious about the prospect of a "Peoples CIA".  He assured me that he was dead serious and that he thought that the time had come for this idea to become a reality.

Of Course the idea of a "Peoples CIA" never caught on and never became a reality during the seventies or any other decade following it, until now.

Now in 2013, however, we seem to have found a few people who have taken it upon themselves to form, if not a "Peoples CIA," at least a movement in the direction of discovering and uncovering secrets that not only Americans should know about, but do something about.

We have seen, however, at this time in our nations history when communication has been transformed into something incredibly special and accessable in which all manner of people can participate, that those Whistleblowers, who have become the "Peoples CIA" that Norman Mailer dreamed about, have also become the demonized scapegoats of the very governments and institutions that they have blown the whistle on.

In the case of Wikkileaks Whistleblower, Bradley Manning the United States Government seems to have locked him up with the intention of throwing away the key.  What did Bradley Manning do?  He exposed the fact that people supposedly acting with the blessing of the US Government were killing people indiscriminately.  His reward for letting Americans know about America's indiscriminate and indefensible behavior was to be placed in solitary confinement as if he was the criminal killing people for no reason at all.
My understanding is that Bradley Manning is either on trial or is being prepared for trial or Court Martial.  Have We the People heard anything about this man any time recently.

No We haven't.

We have heard about Edward Snowden, however.  This 29 year old tekkie is on the run after revealing to two newspapers that the United States Government is spying on its citizens in ways that we have never dreamed possible.  His reward for his revealing secrets that he was privy to as a Government Contractor, is apparently outrage on all sides of the American Tale.  Although Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Media seem to have had difficulty in agreeing on anything, They all seem to agree that Edward Snowden is bad news.  He's a Spy, a Traitor, an extremely bad American.

Personally, I think that both Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden are good Americans who have not followed the rules but have acted not for what they could have gained financially, apparently, but have acted in what they felt was the best interest of their country. 

Many have asked why Manning and Snowden have not gone through regular legal channels to present their information to the American People.

The answer to that is that many Whisleblowers who have come before them and who did blow the whistle the correct and legal way are now the incarcerated victims of Government Revenge and retribution.

It has been clear to many people, myself included, that something has been rotten in Washington for some time.  In my mind I had thought that what was rotten was mainly Republican Rot.  I have found out, however, that President Obama, who I have long admired and defended, has gone over the line on Whistleblowers by investigating and locking up More Whistleblowers and Journalists that reveal their secrets than any President before him.

Norman Mailer was right.  We need a "Peoples CIA" to protect us from a government that seems to have no qualms about locking up Patriots who are acting in our country's best interests, just as the Fathers of our Country did hundreds of years ago.

Although Barack Obama has done a lot of things right in the past few years this is one area in which I believe as an American Citizen that he is on the wrong side of history and that his legacy will pay for his sins.


Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

Republicans Continue to try to tag Obama with a Watergate type scandal - It's not Benghazi or the IRS Scandal, Although It may very well be the Obama Administration's War on Whisleblowers and Writers who write about them

Thursday, May 30th, 2013



My Dear America:

Republicans can't seem to stand the fact that President Obama's approval numbers continue to be high despite the negative hype that they continue to try to introduce and continue to try to keep alive. 

Clearly Americans can see the forest for the trees in the Benghazi issue and the IRS issue. 

With regard to Benghazi we have already investigated and re investigated this tragedy and Republican Senators John McCain, Lindsay Graham and Kelly Ayotte led the charge to disrespect and defeat a great candidate, Susan Rice, in her quest to be Secretary of State. 

In addition, with the likes of Senator Ted Cruz and others, even though she accepted the responsibility for the problems in Benghazi the Republican Senators seem to want to burn former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton at the stake.

How much political damage to good peoples reputations will it take for Republicans to allow this sad chapter in history to be put behind us. 

Certainly Benghazi was a tragedy of epic proportions and shouldn't have happened but will raking it over the coals over and over again bring back the dead.  No it won't.  It is time to get past this terrible episode and work on improving State Department Security in the future.

With regard to the IRS my feeling is that failing to question new organizations claiming IRS tax exempt status is a non issue that should have been identified as one from the beginning.  

The Supreme Court decision regarding tax exemptions for PAC'S created this mess and the IRS obviously was investigating those new or remodeled PAC's claiming tax exempt status. 

Why Shouldn't They have been invesigating these groups before giving them a Tax Exempt status?

Wouldn't the IRS have been derelict in their duties if they didn't question these highly questionable groups claiming tax exemptions?

In fact, however, one issue that very well could rise to the level of Watergate criminal activity is the issue of what seems to be the Obama Administation's War on Whistleblowers and Writers who write about them.

Clearly something very questionable is going on in the White House and the Justice Department when more Government Whistleblowers and Journalists who tell their stories have been investigated and criminally charged in the Obama Administration than in every other previous Presidential Administration combined.  

In an Administration that has done so much good for America this situation with Whisleblowers and their Storytellers is a blemish that must be removed ASAP.

Many people blame Attorney General, Eric Holder, for this mess.  Surely the Attorney General is partly to blame for the War on Whistleblowers but it does not seem credible that Holder would attack Whistleblowers with the ferocity and the numbers that he has without the approval and guidance of President Obama and/or members of his inner circle.

As President Obama states that he is attempting to wind down the War on Terror, it is also necessary for him to take responsibility for the War on Whistleblowers and to end it before it does to his Administration what Watergate did to Richard Nixon's Administration.

When Nixon's young White House Counsel, John Dean, back in the 70's testified before the Senate Watergate Committee he described telling Nixon that there was a "Cancer on the Presidency" that needed to be removed.  Dean's reward from Nixon for his warning was for him to be fired and for Nixon to designate Dean as the cancer on the Presidency.

Today Barack Obama must recognize that his War on Whistleblowers, including searching through Reporter's E Mails and other offensive behaviors, has the Stink of Watergate about it and it must stop.  We are a Nation of Laws and one of our main laws is a law that protects the Freedom of the Press.  When that tenet of Freedom is challenged by the immense power of the state it is time to recognize that something in America is out of control and that Freedom of the Press has kept us free and will continue to keep us free only as long as we value it and protect it.



Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

Losers and Lunatics: A weekend in Houston with the NRA

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013




My Dear America:


Talk about your strange weekends.

This past weekend in Houston, Texas the National Rifle Association (NRA) held it's annual Convention.   This year's Convention was possibly the first time ever, or at least in most commentator's memories, the first time anyone could remember when there were no Democrats speaking at the Convention.

Instead, The National Rifle Asscociation changed it's name for the Weekend to the National Republican Association and the doors of the National Republican Clown College opened and out of the College doors poured forth the Republican Clowns of past, Present and Future to populate the stage of the NRA Convention. 

There were the Teds (Nugent and Cruz) both scary as hell, Nugent because of his blatant threats to kill the President and Cruz because of his blatant attempts to kill the President's legislative agenda in the Senate.

There were also the Ricks (Santorum and Perry).  Santorum was the loser of his Pennsylvania Senate Seat to Democrat, Bob Casey, who then had the gall to run for President and actually ended up a strong contender in some states to Mitt Romney.  Rick Perry was, of course, the Governor of the host state and to show his commitment to guns a video of him firing an automatic weapon on a gun range introduced him to the Houston Convention audience to great cheers.

Sarah Palin was there, finally having some convention somewhere showing her some respect.

So was Glenn Beck back from the media dead squeaking and whining about those awful Liberals who were trying to steal democracy away from the poor Gun Toting Americans by proposing background checks.

Another speaker was Non Relevant Bush Appointee, John Bolton, the UN
Ambassador famous for wanting to kill the UN.  He also had a say on the Houston Stage.

And Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindal, who is famous for his statement after Mitt Romney's loss that the Republican Party should stop being the "Stupid Party," was in Houston showing that he had not quite given up on the stupidity in his party just yet.

Apparently everyone in Houston was celebrating the fact that they had somehow shut down the possibility of the expansion of background checks, at least for the time being.  It is certainly strange to see the NRA celebrating that since most polls show that actual honest to god NRA members are widely in favor of background checks.  Could it be that the gun industry has been putting their money making agenda in front of their common sense agenda in fighting against background checks through the NRA.

What is truly frightening to me is that some of the members of the 2013 Republican Clown College may very well end up being viable Republican Candidates for President in 2016, Cruz, Perry, Palin and Jindal, for instance.  If that happens liberals may very well look back at the Republican Crop of Oddball Candidates in the 2012 Election as "The Good Old Days."

God forbid that one of these Gun Toting, Venom Spouting mad men or woman
would ever get to the White House.

That is a thought that is very frightening and very real. 

It is time for the average American Voter to start paying attention to what is happening to their liberty.  Slowly but surely we are sinking ever more frighteningly into the swamp of stupidity and arrogance that can one day leave us in the grip of someone like Cruz or Perry, who may very well turn out to be clowns, but extremely dangerous and persuasive clowns, nevertheless.


Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

After The Boston Marathon Bombings The Healing Begins

Monday, April 22nd, 2013



My Dear America:

Today is exactly a week after the horrific Boston Marathon Bombings in Boston, Massachusetts last Monday.  It is only a week after the bombings but it seems as though we have been dealing with this horror for much longer. 

Many questions remain as to why two people who seemed to genuinely take advantage of the American Dream would turn their attention to trying to destroy that dream.  The suspects in the bombing were brothers who did not flee Boston immediately after the bombs went off but instead seemed to go about their business as usual until Thursday of last week when the FBI singled out their pictures and videos for broadcast and asked for the cooperation of the public in identifying them. 

Judging by the events of Thursday night the brothers became spooked by the fact that they were probably going to be identified by someone who knew them and started on a night of killing and gunfighting that left one MIT Policemen dead and another Policeman badly wounded and hanging onto his life at this point.  They carjacked an individual prior to having a gun battle with Boston Authorities but did not kill that person.  Reportedly the younger brother ran over his seemingly dead older brother in his effort to get away from the authorities. 

The younger brother was eventually captured in a blood spattered boat in a Watertown, Massachussetts backyard and was arrested to the cheers of neighbors and other Bostonites and to the relief of Federal State and local Boston Law Enforcement Agencies after a virtual lockdown of Boston for most of the day on Friday.

Certainly it is easy for me to second guess authorities in a situaltion like this since I didn't have any responsibility for anything that happened in Boston.  I think that the powers that be (Federal, State and Local) showed a courage that was admirable and a willingness and even an eagerness to work together that eventually led to the death of the older brother and the capture of the younger brother.  This unity in the face of extreme danger was and is admirable and is something that our Congress could and should learn from as we continue to waste time on petty BS instead of dealing with the monstrous challenges and problems that our country faces day after day, week after week and year after year.  

The shutting down of Boston on Friday might be debated but the truth was that no one was sure if the man on the run had other explosive devices he was planning to use.  In my opinion the shutting down of Boston was, if not a necessay step, at least a wise step. 

My only real problem with this whole situation is that seemingly age old problem of giving too much Television and other media attention to people who should not be given any attention at all.

Why these nice looking average seeming young guys became monsters a week ago is something we will probably learn about in time.  Why they killed three people and blew the limbs off many more will also probably be revealed.  Hopefully the dastardly deeds of these two men will not lead other lunatics to try and outdo them but the speed in which social media and technology helped to kill and capture the duo will certainly give pause to others who might feel as though they can get away with acts of terror in a city like Boston.

Certainly Boston, its residents, its law enforcement representatives and the State Police, FBI and The Massachussetts Governor, Deval Patrick and President Obama must be commended for their swift, decisive and effective action in bringing this terrible episode to a swift conclusion.

Boston has many reasons to be proud.



Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

Happy 100th Birthday, Richard Nixon

Friday, March 22nd, 2012




My Dear America:

Last Saturday, March 15th, I was in my living room playing Remote Roulette trying desperately to find something interesting to watch on Television.  As I flipped through the channels suddenly I saw one of the C Span channels that caught my eye.  The C Span logo for the program that I found was "Happy 100th Birthday, Richard Nixon" or something akin to that.  The broadcast was initially recorded in January according to information on the screen and the Richard Nixon birthday party was taking place at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C..

Here I was, merely days after virtually attending the Common Cause sponsored "Lessons of Watergate" Conference Online, which reminded me not only how wrong things went during the "Watergate Scandal" but how after changes had been put in place to prevent abuses similar to Watergate, those changes had over time been watered down or done away with altogether.

In my opinion Richard Nixon was certainly one of the worst Presidents we have ever had, if not the worst.  Now here was this bizarre televised tribute to Nixon in a packed ballroom with lots of applause for Pat Buchanon who seemed to go on forever extolling the virtues of his former boss.  Following Buchanan was a barely literate Henry Kissinger also finding wonderful things to say about Tricky Dick.  A few moments of Kissinger was all I could stand and I looked for something else to watch, something less disturbing and weird.

I can't get it out of my mind, though, how it was even possible to get this many people together to sing the praises of Nixon at what was surely an expensive dinner and celebration, yet the turnout for the "Lessons of Watergate" was far fewer people and I am sure cost less to attend in person.

When Richard Nixon is being idolized anywhere in America something has gone terribly wrong.  I thank C Span  however for showing those of us who remember the criminal activity of the Nixon Administration that incredibly weird things are occurring in our country even outside of the House of Representatives.



Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

Thank You Common Cause For All You Do

Thursday, March 14th, 2013



My Dear America:

I just finished watching what I understand to be the final presentation of the Conference sponsored by Common Cause titled "The Lessons Of Watergate."

The presentation was by John Nichols, a journalist for "The Nation."

Mr. Nichol's presentation, like all of those other presentations that I watched on my computer during the past two days, was interesting, exciting and very informative.  As a Watergate Junkie for many years I was struck by the number of Watergate Scandal involved individuals who were apparently attending the conference.  John Dean, Daniel Ellsberg, Richard Ben Veniste, William Cohen and Elizabeth Holtzman, just to name a few.  

There were many outstanding presenters and many incredible moments even for those of us who were not there in person.

I want to personally thank Common Cause and especially the Administrators and Staff of Common Cause for putting on a very worthwhile and interesting presentation for everyone who was there and for those of us who could only make it online.  I hope Common Cause is able to put the entire live stream broadcast on their website for people to enjoy the Conference for years to come.

Even more important to me than learning about Watergate was learning more about Common Cause and what those of us who call ourselves liberals or progressives owe this outstanding organization.  Common Cause has been in the forefront of advocating for the people of America who often times do not have anyone else standing up for them.  Common Cause has been advocating for you and I, America for a very long time and it appears will be continuing to be planning to do so for a lot longer.

I feel lucky that we all continue to have Common Cause looking out for us in the New World of Big Bucks Politics and little attention paid to to High Crimes and Misdemeanors involving our Political Leaders.

I learned some things from this outstanding Conference that I am sure will continue to stick with me over the years.  I learned that one of the possible reasons for some of the Nixon White House Plumbers burglaries might have been to find out in 1972 if Democrats were aware that Richard Nixon had convinced North Vietnam not to be involved in peace talks in 1968 until after Nixon won the White House.   That was a mind blower to be sure.

Another bit of information that blew my mind was the revelation that the Administration with the most legal prosecutions pressing reporters to reveal their sources using the threat of jail is the Obama Administration by a wide margin.

Neither of these startling bits of information can be designated good news but I believe that good or bad, Americans need to know and learn how to deal with the Truth and that, indeed, the truth truly shall make them free.

We in America have many problems, almost too many to fix.  The news we hear daily is mostly bad news, news stories showing how things are going from bad to worse.  Its a shame that we have to tolerate the bad news with the good but I am thankful that we have organizations like Common Cause that are truly looking out for us, for Americans of all Genders, Colors and Stations in Life.

Thank You, Common Cause for being there for us for so long, for putting on this Conference and for keeping the Democratic Ball rolling in these seriously strange and difficult times. 

All Americans who benefit from your Tenacity, your Courage and your Truth continue to support you and wish you well in all of your struggles.

Thanks Again.


Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

Common Cause Conference on "The Lessons of Watergate" will be streaming on the Common Cause Website on Wednesday 3/13/13 and Thursday 3/14/13 from 9:15 AM til ?

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