Death of Republican computer strategist Michael Connell spurs conspiracy theories

[helderheid]

Posted by Amanda Garrett/Plain Dealer Reporter December 28, 2008 00:10AM
Categories: Real Time News

UPDATED at 12:35 a.m.

It sounds like the plot of a John Grisham thriller.

A self-made computer geek in Ohio uses his Internet savvy to help one of the most powerful Republican dynasties in U.S. history keep its grip on the White House even as voters turn against the family and its support for an unpopular war.

Political enemies later of the claim the computer expert helped the GOP steal a presidential election through widespread technological subterfuge that threatens American democracy.

Before the matter is resolved, the geek dies alone in a plane crash, sending conspiracy theorists reeling about what secrets he may have taken to his grave.

No author penned this mystery.

It's a real tale of intrigue, slowly unfolding in court records and on left-leaning blogs since President George W. Bush won Ohio, securing a second term in 2004.

Few news outlets covered allegations of conspiracy until Dec. 19, when the geek, Richfield businessman Michael Connell, 45, crashed his Piper Supercub on his approach to Akron-Canton Airport.

Now, nine days after the crash, there are more questions than answers. The only thing certain about this tale is its unhappy ending.

MORE >>>>

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/death_of_republican_computer_s.html

[helderheid]

1. k

[jimshoes]

2. kicky

[Octafish]

3. Where would they get that idea?

Wish some reporter would ask Rove if he threatened the guy.

From Amy Goodman:

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/12/22/republican_it_specialist_dies_in_plane

[helderheid]

5. Thanks for the link!

[Selatius]

4. I don't expect the NTSB to indicate there was sabotage done to the plane.

The NTSB is a White House-level office.

[MajorChode]

6. So is the vast majority of government

By far, most government employees work under the Executive Branch. That doesn't mean most government employees support Bush or the Republicans and in fact, the reverse is true.

Although the NTSB is "in charge" of all aviation accident investigations, the fact is the FAA does most of the leg work, especially when it comes to GA accidents. The FAA investigators are represented by a union and a high percentage are union members and Democrats. To suggest that the investigation will be compromised simply because the NTSB is an executive branch organization that happens to have a Republican commander in chief is, I think, quite a bit far fetched. It's the same mentality that claimed conspiracies blaming Clinton for Waco even though the initial assault was ordered when Bush I was in office, and the investigation was conducted primarily by right leaning state and local investigators.

[helderheid]

7. Welcome to DU

[Pastiche423]

9. They'll do a great job!

Just like they did w/Paul Wellstone's murder, eh?

[MajorChode]

12. Exactly

The NTSB did an excellent job of investigating the Wellstone crash. On what basis do you think he was murdered? Have you read the NTSB report? Would you understand it if you did? Have you ever flown a VOR approach similar to the one on the Wellstone crash to minimums other than sitting in the backseat with a cup of coffee? Perhaps your basis is on the writings of a "professional" conspiracy theory writer, or the writings of a pimply faced blogger who has "flown" Microsoft flight sim a couple of times?

Yes, I've read that stuff. EMP weapons and other nonsense about how great the crew was. Real tin-foil hatters in action and performing brilliantly. It is good for a chuckle.

Meanwhile back in that place most of us call the real-world, the captain of the flight was a complete mess. He was a convicted felon that laid off flying for 6 years just 2 years prior to the accident. He padded his resume and falsified his log book just to the job in the first place. Other pilots that flew with him said he routinely let the copilot do ALL the work despite the fact the King Air is a 2 pilot aircraft. In the few instances he did perform pilot tasks, he routinely screwed them up. He had a history of failing check rides and his peers regarded him as below-average and questioned his competency. That's pretty harsh words. It's like a doctor calling another doctor sub-standard. It doesn't happen unless it's true.

The copilot was just as bad. He was let go from a skydiving operation because he was incompetent at flying a single engined Cessna. More than one captain who flew with him said they had to take over the controls in difficult situations, and that was with him only performing PART of the flying tasks.

Wellstone was a great man and this was a great tragedy, but the reason he died was because neither of those pilots should have been allowed to fly professionally. They were in way over their heads. They got by for a while because they were either paired with someone who was competent, or they didn't fly under difficult conditions, or they simply got lucky, but eventually it caught up with them and 8 people paid the price.

[Pastiche423]

13. No, the NTSB did NOT do excellent job of investigating

the Wellstone crash. It was a rigged investigation from the get go. The murders of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, their daughter , Marsha and three other people was discussed at length here by excellent DU researchers. Furthermore, national polls were conducted at the time and they overwhelmingly pointed to murder.

I will not do the research for you. You are badly mistaken about the investigation, but only you can correct that.

[MajorChode]

14. You are correct of course

The problem I had was I never could find a bag to go with my foil hat, let alone a pair of shoes.

Lots of people thought there was more to Waco than the official investigation. That doesn't mean the kids were murdered by anyone other than Koresh's band of fruits and nuts.

Lots of people to this day don't believe any of the 3 Vince Foster investigations (2 of which were led by Republicans). That doesn't make the nut jobs who think the Clintons murdered him any less fruity.

Don't forget that at least half the population is on the left side of the bell curve. Lots of people seek out sources of information that only support their preconceived beliefs and ignore relevant information that doesn't. It's simply rationalizing by emotion rather than logic. Pardon me if I refuse to drink the Kool-aid. Feel free to believe whatever you want. I always find the humor in everything.

The funniest part for me is the fact that so many believe a man who almost killed himself with a pretzel and couldn't even keep secrets from within his own inner circle is capable of pulling off not one, but numerous conspiracies of biblical proportions.

I've heard all the arguments, I've already got my chuckles and now they're simply repetitious and boring, so thanks for saving them.

[Selatius]

10. High level investigations have been corrupted in the past or micromanaged beyond repair.

The investigation into the anthrax attacks have been almost completely micromanaged by the White House. It would be equally foolish to think that the civil service is absolutely immune to political pressure from above.

[MajorChode]

15. Hardly

Even if what you allege is true, how do you compare alleged incompetence to an allegation of a willful conspiracy of epic proportions?

The FBI is a secretive organization where employees can be bound by nondisclosure agreements on pain of imprisonment. Even at that there are very few secrets that remain secrets for long in their organization which is testament to how many people believe that some things shouldn't be kept secret. The FAA and the NTSB have no such rules and plenty of employee protection from adverse actions through whistleblower laws and union protections. The NTSB can't even keep their reports under wrap until they are officially released. Every aviation reporter in the nation has a laundry list of FAA and NTSB anonymous sources at all levels on speed dial that are ready and willing to provide them with whatever information they need. Open records laws prevent the FAA and NTSB from concealing anything that doesn't have a SSN on it (and not even then in some instances).

What many people don't understand (or refuse to believe) is that literally hundreds of employees would have to be involved in such a conspiracy. Let alone these alleged secretive paramilitary groups that are deploying these equally secretive James Bond style weapons, you have controllers watching the scopes, technicians who control the voice and data archives, investigators from multiple agencies, and management at all levels. The foil hatter has to be so devout as to believe that every single one of these hundreds of people have absolutely no conscience and are completely corruptible to the point that they will all walk in lock step to protect elected officials that most of them detest to begin with.

I find the concept that so many people believe that huge government organizations are as secretive as any fictional paramilitary group dreamed up by a 3rd rate paperback novelist to be quite funny. Trying to debate the issues rationally with them holds about as much hope as debating religion with a fundie. While you have to admire their blind faith in their beliefs, you still can't help but to let out a chuckle now and then with the far out nonsense they come up with.

[helderheid]

8. k

[Enrique]

11. he was only a geek

but one more is gone. :-(

[lib2DaBone]

16. Conspiracy-smapiracy...

They dropped the twin towers into their own footprint on National Television. No one said a word and no one cared.

The people of the United States still couldn't figure it out.....even with all the clues.

Now.. they killed the guy who masterminded the 2004 election thefts in Ohio. And they expect someone to believe them? ROFL..... ya.. good luck...

[Pavulon]

17. Linear shaped charges? Tenerife, ever hear if it

6 guys all career pilots, not weekend guys with 500 hours caused a massive accident. Those guys had tens of thousands of hours between them, military training and no job other than commercial air. 3 were responsible for hundreds of deaths.

Now some jerk off flys his plane into the ground and rove did it.

I hate people who preach that twin tower truth shit. Loathe them for ignorant assholes they are. I am a career engineer, was an engineer in the army before my current career. Built shit and blew shit up. I get paid to cut metals to 5 digits right of the decimal point, all kinds of metals. Water, lasers, whatever does the cutting, all leave their mark. Done it, designed it.

Ever seen an i beam that was cut with a LSC. It is blasted FULL of fucking copper. Full of it. A blind asshole could see it.

You can NOT DROP a building with explosives with no trace. It is the equivalent of leaving dna all over a dead person.