A PATRIOT DIRGE: Counterattack

Going Public
Waves of Outrage
Finding a Fall Guy

The word went out. It followed a thousand paths to the vast and infinite highways of the worldwide web. Anything that is posted on the web is posted forever – or as long as this technological age endures – indelible and ultimately inalterable.

There was no more holding back. They were in a struggle for survival. One of their own was in detention, no arraignment, no charges, no legal representation and no access to the courts. Miguel Estrada was collateral damage, an unfortunate victim of time and circumstance, but no less abused.

The time for strategic third-party leaks and plants was at an end. Even Sinclair agreed it was time to put all the cards on the table, including the Simon Juneau file. If they wanted a war, they would have one. If they thought the Independent Movement could be crushed with one blow, severing the head of the snake, they were mistaken.

Sara Kent held a press conference in Vancouver to announce a petition for political asylum in behalf of Roman Mason, John Sinclair, Amy Goodall and Freddie Prader.

"This is a story of betrayal at the highest levels of government. This is a case that goes to the heart of American democracy. We will prove beyond doubt that at the behest of both the Republican and Democratic parties, agents of the executive branch – specifically of the Department of Homeland Security – attempted to purge political opposition through acts of terrorism and unlawful detention.

"The evidence will show that on the evening of July 20, 2008 said agents launched a concerted attack with firebombs and Molotov cocktails on community activist centers in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and Washington D.C.

"The evidence will further show that on the evening of August 1, 2008 said agents conducted an operation with the intent of seizing and detaining the leaders of the Independent Movement, succeeding in the case of Roy Jones. In addition, one Miguel Estrada, an associate of two said leaders, was abducted. Mr. Jones and Mr. Estrada are being held in unknown locations, without charges or representation, as we speak.

"What was their crime? Daring to engage in the political process. Daring to build a grassroots political organization dedicated to lawful and peaceful change through the democratic electoral system. Their crime was that they were succeeding.

"Representatives of the press, these individuals and the organization they represent, an organization I am proud to be a part of, had absolutely nothing to do with terrorism or global jihad. Plain and simple, this was a political purge."

She introduced her clients and opened the floor to questions. Asked why the government of the United States and the dominant parties would conduct such an operation when their hold on power was absolute and unchallenged, Rome took the microphone.

"Arrogance. Unbridled arrogance. They wanted to stop us before we could get a foothold. They wanted to crush us and silence our dissent. But we will not be silent. We are citizens of a nation that is rightly known as the birthplace of democracy – imperfect and profoundly flawed but the principles remain. We were taught from early childhood that if we didn’t like how things were it was our right and duty to change it by engaging the process.

"They lied to us. They never wanted us to engage the system. In two hundred and forty years of history whenever people have united in a common cause—be it unions or abolitionists or civil rights workers or antiwar activists – those who hold the reigns of power have attempted to crush them. But we struggle on just as they did. They knock us down and we get back up. They spill our blood and we take a vow to remember. They send our sons and daughters to war and we fight back. We resist. We dissent. We are the reason for the Bill of Rights and we will not be cowed.

"We know who we are and we know our duty. We are the defenders of liberty and democracy. We are America’s last best hope. They can lock us up and throw away the key. They can shoot us down on the streets of protest. Still, we will not be silenced."

Representative Margaret Thomas held another press conference on the steps of Congress calling for hearings on the purge of the Independent Movement.

The call went out for mass protests in every city across the nation, demanding the release of Roy Jones and Miguel Estrada. The American Civil Liberties Union took up the cause, submitting writs of Habeas Corpus. The case was clear for Roy Jones. He was denied his right to due process as a citizen. The case for Miguel Estrada was less so. They would argue that he had entered a contract with the United States government that included his citizenship. He fulfilled the terms of his contract but the government did not, holding him beyond the expiration date on a stop loss order for tour after tour of duty. Moreover, even non-citizens were entitled to some form of due process and judicial review.

The Independent Movement was hardly dead. It was alive and growing, teeming with outrage and spurred by a surge of media reports. Trumpeting a triumph over leftwing domestic terrorists, Hate Radio was on it twenty four seven and contributions were flowing faster than death threats.

A former reporter for the New York Times revealed that she had seen a copy of the Juneau file in the Editorial Room. She read enough to know it was a powerful and damning report from a very credible source documenting massive fraud and bipartisan collusion in the last two presidential elections yet The Times buried it – unaware that they were not alone in possessing the contents.

At first The Times denied the report, labeling its source "a disgruntled employee" but when they were told the reporter had photocopied more than a few pages they reversed course. It was Judy Miller all over again. That reporter famously served as a mouthpiece for the Bush White House with the silent blessings of The Times until the Valerie Plame case blew up. Fearful they would be exposed as a fraud once again, they issued a typically convoluted explanation for why they had withheld the story for over three years. They then began a series of high-profile reports under the heading: The Strange Case of Simon Juneau.

It was all out in the open.

Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain issued statements of outrage and condemnation, denying any personal knowledge or complicity.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi issued a similar statement, commending Representative Thomas and promising a full hearing before the House Judiciary committee.

A Washington Post reporter spoke out: "The Democratic Party has been implicated in this story…"

"I can’t speak to that," replied the Speaker. "What I can say is: We have a Republican president, a Republican Homeland Security department, and a Republican Party with a history of abuse. The Independent Movement was working with the Obama campaign. Why would they go after an ally?"

The Speaker’s eyes grew large as several reporters clamored for a follow up which was not forthcoming. She waved them off with a smile and retreated to her office for a series of consultations with party leaders.

The White House was out of the game. Having already committed a bushel of impeachable offenses with absolute impunity, one more was inconsequential. A befuddled Dana Perino, the administration’s latest experiment in public relations, stated with certainty that Roy Jones and Miguel Estrada would have their day in court. Reminded that both were being held without charges or representation, she began to sweat.

"I’m sure we wouldn’t do that without a reason."

Behind closed doors there was widespread panic. Operatives were suddenly unreachable. Members of Congress applied for leave. The Republican and Democratic National Committees were in secret sessions for damage control: Who knew what when and how can we cover it up?

They agreed in concert they needed a fall guy and they were looking to the White House to provide one. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff or some appropriately underling seemed a likely candidate for the purge but he could not be blamed for election fraud. That would fall to the recently retired Chief of Staff Karl Rove.

Someone had to pay.