Go to www.local6.com/news/10237658/detail.html
to watch the
four most unbelievable videos on the Ch. 6 CBS Orlando affiliate (Washington Post owned), as 7-term GOP Congressman Mica commits
career suicide as he reveals to astonished view
the arrogance of power,
Jeb Bush hangs Mica out to dry,
angry demonstrator demand Mica's resignation and station manager blasts Mica:
Videos: Angry E-mails, Editorial (by Station General Manager), Bags At OIA Go Unnoticed, Mica's Comments
TEXT OF WEB STORY (November 3, 2006)
Mica's Remarks Prompt Angry E-Mails, Calls For Resignation
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Comments made by U.S. Rep. John Mica during a Local 6 News investigation into apparent lax security at Orlando International Airport has prompted a group to call for his resignation, a flurry of e-mails from angry viewers and a request for an apology from his political opponent.
Mica, who is the the Republican chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee, said he was not worried that security workers at the airport repeatedly walked by unattended bags for more than an hour during Steven Cooper's undercover investigation.
"It doesn't bother me. Did it explode?" Mica said.
After the story aired on Local 6 News, confused and angry viewers began a sending e-mails and questioning Mica's comments.
"The e-mails keep coming in," Cooper said Friday night. "Viewers want to know why congressman John Mica seems so unconcerned by the security issued revealed in our report."
Friday, a group of protestors rallied at Mica's district office. Some called for the congressman to quit, Local 6 News reported.
"(The group's) theme today is fire Mica," Cooper said.
"John Mica doesn't care about airport security," protestor Cheryl McClish said. "He thinks it is a joke and that is inexcusable."
Meanwhile, Jack Chagnon, who is running against Mica in Tuesday's election said he is demanding Mica apologize for the comments.
"He should have stopped and asked security how did we get like this and what is the best way to correct it," Chagnon said. "And that's the problem. He doesn't ask the right questions to get the problem solved.
"John Mica doesn't care about airport security," protestor Cheryl McClish said. "He thinks it is a joke and that is inexcusable."
Local 6 News took the undercover video and Mica's comments to Gov. Jeb Bush.
"Clearly we upgraded our security in our airports and seaports but there is more work to be done," Bush said.
Bush said once he watches the Local 6 News report, he will consider some discussion with the TSA.
Cooper also asked Bush about Mica's remarks about unattended bags.
Mica's comments were: "Does that really pose a risk?" Mica said. "What kind of damage is it going to do if that explodes?"
"It could kill..." Cooper said.
"Who? Who? How many? I'm more concerned about them taking that on an aircraft young man," Mica said.
Cooper then told Bush, "Who is going to get killed and how many? That was his response."
"I'd have to know more about the information of the context in which the question was asked," Bush said. "With all due respect to you, I don't know how to respond to you without having the full information."
Local 6 News offered to show Gov. Bush some video of Mica's comments but he said he preferred to watch it on Local6.com.
Post Script-- EMail from vigil organizers and Campaign's response:
Hi Jack, Thanks for sharing this! I was glad that you were able to join our Voters for Peace rally. Great job today!! You made the early news with a terrific comment. Thanks for spending time with us during supper and afterwards. It was an enjoyable and informative session. I feel that now I can speak with much more confidence about your capabilities and plans to "change the course". Barb, Kathy and I will be busy tomorrow afternoon passing flyers and sign waving for you. Hope everything goes well with the debate. - Cheryl
Hey, Cheryl and all you other loyal supporters and newbies to Jack Chagnon's campaign. You folks were great and looked terrific on TV at the vigil in front of Mica's campaign offices. We let Jack sack out for some much deserved rest.
TV coverage continued onto the 11PM news, and at 12:15AM, Jack's wonderful 30-second TV spots started airing (straight through Monday night) on all the cable news channnels (except Fox, of course): MSNBC, CNN, local news Cable 13, etc. Jack's commercials have no voice-over announcers -- only Jack talking straight up to the voters (the way Clinton and Perot did so successfully in 1992). Jack's message puts Mica's spots to shame: vote for John Mica -- because ... uh ... well he sorta made your roads slightly less gridlocked.
And we're also airing ads on the region's Spanish-language stations aimed at turning out the mostly-Democratic and always ignored Hispanic community. The mailer we sent out to 50,000 critically-important independent voters should have arrived yesterday, telling folks how essential it is for them to show up at the polls and to vote for Jack.
The Debate is today, so we'll see if Mica backs out one last time. His excuse this time is he has a wedding to attend! I'm sure the 475,700 registered voters in the District will understand why their future is less important than impending nuptuals of some happy couple.
All the latest national news is also breaking our way:
Bush's and Rove's top evangelist ally who coordinates strategy weekly with the White House was caught buying crystal-meth from the gay-prostitute he uses, in between his hypocritical gay-bashing tirades to his followers.
The Bush administration dismissed the only government official overseeing the billions spent by rebuilding contracts in Iraq.
Newspapers from all four military branches are calling for Rummy to be fired -- their outrage to Bush's pledge to keep Rumsfeld until Jan 2009.
Bush and GOP Congressional leaders are being rightly chastized for their politically-motivated posting (overriding CIA objections) of Iraqi captured documents -- that included instructions that any terrorist could download about how to make nuclear weapons. Now that's keeping us secure! It took the N.Y.Times' whistle-blowing to get the stuff removed from the Government web site.
A Florida congressman told the media that he is too busy to care about security and human life in our local airports. Oops. You already know about that one.
As usual, these events are the result of the worst possible combination of GOP arrogance, right-wing ideology, corruption, and incompetence. And our 7th District voters don't want more of the same. After Tuesday, they won't have to. Keep on fighting and Jack Chagnon will make you proud of America again.