White House memo exposes Rove knew of problems with anthrax vaccine

By GottaLaff

Rove said Gulf War Syndrome, vaccine political stumbling block

So KKKarl was concerned--what a softy-- which means once again, BushCo was more concerned about secrecy and politics than about putting lives at risk:

The Department of Defense continued its controversial mandatory anthrax vaccinations program despite high ranking Bush administration officials acknowledging there were problems with the vaccine within months of the Bush administration taking office—well before the 9/11 attacks and the October 2001 anthrax letters.

A 2001 memorandum from former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove to then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz indicates that the White House knew of problems relating to the Gulf War Syndrome and the military's controversial anthrax vaccine.

More details here. It's mind-boggling how corrupt this White House is. Imagine if we knew everything that they've been up to over the last 7+ years. But then, what would it matter, since Nancy Pelosi would probably still keep impeachment off the table.

Anthrax investigation: A letter from a Bruce Ivins co-worker

By GottaLaff

Ver-r-ry inter-esting:

Re "Suspect stood to gain from anthrax panic," Aug. 2

From 1992 to 1994, I worked with Bruce Ivins at Ft. Detrick, Md., where he helped me develop anthrax vaccines during my postdoctoral research. Ivins is accused of performing the 2001 anthrax attacks so he could profit from a vaccine he patented. This accusation is preposterous. The government routinely patents work that might eventually be marketable, and these products almost never become developed or sold. Even if one of his vaccines had been mass-produced, the primary beneficiaries would have been the producer and the government, not Bruce. I never heard Bruce talk about money or getting rich. His life was about the work that he loved and the people he loved. The collapse of the Soviet Union and its biological weapons program did lead to cutbacks at Ft. Detrick; however, Bruce's job was never in danger.

The government has followed one trail but only looked for what it wanted to find. I want to see the government's evidence because I believe that a critical analysis of it will show that it stopped far too soon and pushed an innocent man to his death.

John Barnard

This story has BushCo written all over it.

Shallow Thoughts: Anthrax edition

By GottaLaff

Answers in anthrax case may have died with suicide

Wasn't that exactly what BushCo wanted?

A month after 9/11, John Sidney McCain said anthrax attack was from Iraq

By GottaLaff

Via Think Progress, it turns out McDesperate was blaming Iraq for the anthrax attacks back in October 2001, just like his Conjoined Twin In Chief:

As Atrios recalls, shortly after 9/11, conservatives were pinning the blame for the anthrax attacks on Iraq, laying the groundwork for a subsequent invasion. John McCain was part of this fearmongering effort. On October 18, 2001, McCain appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman. When asked how the war in Afghanistan was progressing, McCain volunteered that the invasion of Iraq would be the “second phase” of the War on Terror. He preyed on the public’s fear at the time by claiming that the anthrax “may have come from Iraq.”

Oh, and looky here! More McTasteless attempts at humor!

In the interview McCain tastelessly joked, in reference to the House adjourning until the Capitol could be cleared of the anthrax threat, that Congress members should “bring out their dead!” Less than a week later, two US Postal Service employees working in a facility that sorted mail destined for the Capitol would be dead.

McCain opened the interview by asking Letterman, “What is Osama bin Laden going to be for Halloween?” “Dead!” McCain said, delivering the punchline to his joke. Nearly seven Halloweens later, Osama bin Laden remains alive and free.

Isn't he hilarious? People want to vote for him. That's not as funny.

About That Anthrax Scientist

He may or may not have been guilty, I don't know. But there is something that is almost more important and it involves Brian Ross of ABC's part in the whole scare. Glenn has covered this over and over, so go read.

Brian Ross segment starts at 12:30.

Breaking: U.S. loses interest in anthrax "person of interest"

By GottaLaff

Per MSNBC:

Steven Hatfill, of 2001 anthrax case fame, has reached a $5.8 million dollar settlement with the U.S. government. The government accepts no fault, of course, but can no longer call Hatfill a "person of interest", and formally washes their hands of him, legally speaking.

Nobody else has been charged.

Let's recap: Our wonderful fearmongering government, who still hasn't tracked down the source of the anthrax attacks (or Osama Bin Laden, for that matter) made Hatfill's life miserable, wrongly accused him, paid him off, and walked away.

Have a nice life, Steven. Business as usual, U.S. government.