Reply #44: Here's the first draft -- Please add or subtract... [View All]

[Patsy Stone]

Dear Ms . Clarke,

As I’m sure you know, there is a low, but steady drumbeat sounding about the legitimacy of the recent US election. In our efforts to assess the situation fully, an ability to discard worthless data and dead-ends is as important as completely pursuing the fruitful leads.

I hope you can help me put some of these issues to rest. In an article you wrote on November 3 for the BBC, there were a few sentences that just didn’t “sit right” with me. I’m not sure if this was a first-hand report, it seems that it was. The situation you described, while unorthodox itself, was made more intriguing by your choice of words.

If possible, would you be willing to answer a few questions about that evening and your report?

Did you find it odd that you were admitted to such an event? I don’t mean you personally I mean the press in general. I guess I’m assuming that the press was invited. Were they? How many? Who?

Here are two sentences that particularly give me pause, could you clarify the information you referred to?

"Early exit polls quoted by media seemed to give Mr. Kerry the edge, but colleagues said Mr. Rove indicated right away that they did not tally with his information."

"He used his own data to put Ohio and Florida in the Bush column - bringing cheers from the president and his family when he went into the Roosevelt Room and told them."

Thank you in advance and any help you could provide will be greatly appreciated. The concept and practice of free and fair elections cannot be taken too seriously and, that desire, lead me to write to you today.

Best Regards,


I actually included the url of the story, but it didn't translate here. So, whadda ya think?