In
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ,
Jimmy Stewart takes on a political boss who owns the hometown Media.
Can't happen today? Think again. The integrity of the once-proud
Associated Press has been
strong-armed. To "out" this travesty, here's our
open letter we sent to AP Florida editors, with copies to local6 Orlando and all the national press:
Compare your whitewashed story spoon fed by Mica's handler with the real thing by the first class, fair and ethical journalists at Local News 6. You had a chance to get a nationally important story picked up, but instead chose to bury it. Fortunately, we already alerted all the national news media and national AP folks. And thankfully the Washington Post owners of Ch. 6 have brought some investigative journalism and ethics to the Florida news scene. However, you still have a chance to cover the real story before your coverage gets tarred as in the pocket of a well-healed local incumbent that your contributing staff's papers endorsed.
Orlando Ch. 6's accurate coverage:
http://www.local6.com/...
[also contains four (4) outrageously damning videos of a politician committing
career suicide]
Mica's Remarks Prompt Angry E-Mails, Calls For Resignation POSTED: 5:19 pm EST November 3, 2006
THEN COMPARE WITH THE FOLLOWING PIECE AFTER HANDLERS MUZZLED OUT-OF-CONTROL MICA --
Associated Press of Florida Whitewash:
UNATTENDED BAGGAGE NO BIG DEAL, MICA SAYS
Orlando (AP): U.S. Rep. John Mica said he wasn't worried that security workers at Orlando International Airport repeatedly walked by unattended bags for more than an hour and were caught on tape in a television reporter's undercover investigation.
''It doesn't bother me. Did it explode?'' the Republican chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee told a WKMG-TV reporter who asked him about the apparent security lapse.
Mica co-authored legislation creating the Transportation Security Administration, which is in charge of airport security after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks exposed weaknesses in air travel.
Mica spokesman Gary Burns said the congressman is more concerned about explosives getting onto airplanes.
''Our greatest threat is terrorists trying to inflict maximum casualties and maximum loss of life. Where we have focused our resources and energy is to prevent airlines from being used as a poor man's weapon of mass destruction or from causing great loss of life by taking down an airline,'' Burns said.
Burns said Mica, who was interviewed by the television station at the airport on Monday, knew that the entire airport was under surveillance, which was one reason he appeared unconcerned about the bags left by the television station.
''We have security measures that are in place and it is not necessary to broadcast what those are. God forbid there is another terrorist attack and we have gone out and broadcast on every interview everything we are doing,'' Burns said.
Airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell said the airport has added information to its electronic signs about unattended baggage and increased focus in its employee training on unattended baggage.
''We feel very strongly that observation and vigilance of unattended bags is everyone's responsibility -- passengers, employees and the general public,'' Fennell said.