Story of 'Joe's dead intern' began Harris' slide, insiders say

[sabra]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15034557.htm

Story of 'Joe's dead intern' began Harris' slide, insiders say

When Katherine Harris attacked a TV pundit, insiders say the incident revealed the depth of problems with her campaign -- which was hit again by six staff departures.
BY MARC CAPUTO

TALLAHASSEE - Katherine Harris' floundering U.S. Senate campaign lost its high-level staff again this week and is groping for a message -- which doesn't surprise Republican insiders who trace the seeds of her trouble to the story of ``Joe's dead intern.''

This wasn't any old Joe.

It was Joe Scarborough, host of the prime-time MSNBC show Scarborough Country and a former Pensacola Republican congressman who was courted last summer by national Republicans to run against Harris. But before he could announce he wouldn't, Harris called major donors and suggested Scarborough would have to answer questions about the strange death of a former staff member in 2001, according to two former high-level Harris staff members, a GOP donor and Scarborough.

''That was the first clue that something wasn't right with Katherine Harris,'' Scarborough told The Miami Herald in a recent interview, noting that a medical examiner found his staff member's death was natural and not the result of foul play.

...

But her former staff members say they expected her to deny the previously untold anecdote, which they say marked the beginning of the Harris campaign's tailspin. Since then, Harris has been dogged by her connections to an indicted defense contractor and by heavy staff turnover from last fall through Thursday, when five top aides announced their departure a day after her spokesman quit. Her campaign had issued a news release Wednesday suggesting only spokesman Chris Ingram was leaving.

[jobycom]

1. Katherine Harris v Joe Scarborough? Geeze...

I thought four hurricanes in one year was enough punishment for that state. A woman who stole an election against a man who blocked a murder investigation that may have had connections to him.

Makes Texas look almost... well, no, I won't go that far.

[Scairp]

30. She wasn't an intern

She was his Congressional aide, and there are a whole host of questions regarding her death, not the least of which is the ME who said it was an accident had his license pulled in another state.

[jobycom]

32. Yeah, I could go (and have gone) into it in quite a bit of detail

I still run into people around here that remember one thread about Joe and poor Lori Klausitis. I'm not convinced Joe had anything to do with her death (not convinced he didn't, either), but I'm certain he blocked any legitimate attempt to investigate her death, and convinced a medical examiner to lie about it. He admitted lying about it, even, so why anyone would trust his final conclusion is beyond me.

[maxrandb]

34. You're kidding me!

The MSM railroaded Condit 24/7/365 for an intern that was simply missing. Are you telling me they found a frickin' dead, young, female Congressional aid in Scarborough's office, and he didn't get the same treatment? Damn Liberal Media!!!

Damn Republicans have turned our entire country on it's fucking head. Used to be you were OK as a politician as long as they didn't find you with a "dead girl, or live boy". Now I guess if you're a Republican, dead girls are no problem.

[jobycom]

37. Oh, but it wasn't close to the same thing

With Chandra Levie, no one had a clue where she was or if she were alive or dead. With Lori, there as a dead body in Joe Scarborough's office found weeks after he had announced he was divorcing his wife and retiring from his promising Congressional career amidst allegations that he was having an affair. The coronor announced to the world that there had been no sign of physical trauma, then a week later announced she was killed by a sharp blow to the head, caused by her falling and hitting a desk, he claimed. When asked why such a blow to the head went unnoticed at the crime scene, he said they all noticed the blow to the head, but they said there was no visible trauma so the media wouldn't start asking questions.

The media, not really upset that a public official who had previously had his license revoked for lying about causes of death due to head wounds, apparently saw nothing suspicious about a coronor announcing that he had lied to cover up the true cause of death to stop the media from asking questions. Apparently, the media forgot that asking questions was once in their job description. I could go on...

[wordpix2]

50. wow, I didn't know those details. Surprised Scarbie would even show his

face on TV after that one.

[jobycom]

62. I was surprised even the media would stoop that low. nt/

[Fredda Weinberg]

67. I wish "our side" would stop this - natural causes was indicated

Poor Mrs Klausutis was found with evidence that she'd been unconscious for hours ... not an indication of foul play.

I feel sorry for the family, which has to put up with this political mud slinging - but not for Ms Harris.

[tsuki]

69. Don't forget when he was called Channel 3 WEAR reporter

Anna Dobbins, he said that Klausutis had a history of health problems, including heart problems. It was reported on the WEAR website about 3 hours after they found the body.

There is also the question of where he phoned from.

[StClone]

59. Yes you've got it and notice in the Article

That Harris is the baddie in exposing the nothing-at-all-odd-mysterious-death connected to Scarborough. It's a fascinating angle that the writer has taken.

[havocmom]

2. "....something wasn't right with Katherine Harris,'' *

*Joe Scarborough, master of the understatement

On the issues of dead intern in Joe's office and then Ms Harris' general aptitude for PR, both Harris and Joe have valid points.

GOP chokes of foot in mouth. Film at 11

[Algorem]

12. 1st time she was right probably

[havocmom]

18. Well, she sorta made it a self fulfilling prophecy.

Prior to her attack remarks on fellow hypocrite, err, Republican, the GOP and Corporate Media was happy to ignore the dead intern issue. The latter going so far as to hire Joe's questionable ass.

[Mabus]

27. Isn't that the truth?

Remember how the Clintons were hounded/haunted with Vincent Foster and Ron Brown, Ted Kennedy with Mary Jo and Gary Condit with Chandra Levy? But find one of Cheney's smoking guns (literally) and the matter is dropped.

Isn't it funny how Dems are held accountable for their past misdeeds whether or not they actually committed any? Why does Mary Jo's death follow Ted but Michael Douglas' death doesn't follow Laura around? You can bet your sweet buns that if Hillary or Tipper or Theresa had killed a classmate of theirs in an auto accident there would be whole cottage industries - from books to bumperstickers - proclaiming the "facts" and reminding people all the time.

More often than not, if it weren't for bads news (or the current RW talking points) about Dems the press wouldn't report on us at all.

[Joe Bacon]

40. But IOKIYAR! Republicans are above the law!

Remember the MURDER SCOREBOARD folks!

Laura Bush 1

Hillary Clinton 0

Yet the Whore Press still circulates lies about Vince Foster!

[wordpix2]

51. IOKIYAR??? What's that?

[kestrel91316]

57. "It's OK if you're a Republican".

[truedelphi]

49. Don't you get it...

Michael Douglas' death caused a lot of soul searchin' an' grievin' in young Laura's
early life. She paid and paid for her misfortune (Repub's don't commit sin, they suffer misfortune) with emotional turmoil and many fallen tears

You can read about it in any of several Laura Bush biographies

Besides, Michael Douglas was gonna die someday anyway

[confludemocrat]

15. Nice observation- this thread should have killed off with your point

but it stupidly drags on, giving some kind of credence to someones dumb idea that Harris' "decline" (from where, the gutter?) began with that valid point she made about Scarborough's intern while making him sound like he's anything other than the douche he is. Story obviously written by a Joe crony.

[rocktivity]

70. DING DING DING! Confludemocrat, you're our grand prize winner!

...(T)his thread...stupidly...giv(es) some kind of credence to...Harris' "decline" (from where, the gutter?)...(O)bviously written by a Joe crony.

I would think that a Joe crony would have hammered Harris' role in the 2000 election rather than glossing over it, and wondered why nobody noticed that Harris was equally unqualifed to run for office. And how could her "decline" have "begun" back then when she won the election? No wonder this story smells worse than a decomposing skunk!

x(
rocknation

[Imagevision]

56. Someone needs to tap Kathy baby on the head and say it's over babe!! OVER!

Harris should call up Sr. Bush and tel;l him she's feeling lonely...
(or some damn thing!)

[Cocoa]

3. that was Joe's "first clue that something wasn't right with her"

Joe must not have been looking.

[stop the bleeding]

4. "Florida" the poster child for the National Inquirer

At least once a week a headline comes out of Florida that makes people go WTF.

I think Florida should have it's own news section on the TV box.

btw I live in Tampa :evilgrin:

[VegasWolf]

7. Then you must get the good ole Tampa Tribune! I used to deliver that

rag when I was a kid.

[stop the bleeding]

10. Yes only when forced, the St Pete times are much better

after all they made Bill Ol'liely's list of despised news :)

[VegasWolf]

45. The St. Pete Times is a good newspaper. It didn't make me sick to my

stomach like the Tribune did. My family still lives in Tampa and I get back every few years. Couldn't pay me to live there though.

[formercia]

11. I used to like a vacation in Florida

It gets very cold here in Maine and come January, I dream of warmer climes. I guess it's difficult to let go of the good memories when I was stationed in Key West back in the mid 60's and the only gossip in town was telling stories about how Fidel and Raoul used to come over on the ferry from Havana to buy guns. Now when I associate Florida and Guns, it evokes memories of political assassinations, black ops and crime.

Those were the good old days.

[oasis]

5. How low mcan you go? She broke Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment.

Thou Shall Not Speak Evil of Another Republican.

Jeb and Chimpy had better see to her tender care and feeding. Katie's got some serious dirt on them as well.

[Kingshakabobo]

6. We get a two-fer with this election.....

Harris swept in to the dustbin of irrelevancy AND several million dollars of her fortune goes to money heaven - less ammunition for the repigs.

[Joanne98]

8. The medical examiner had problems.

Despite initial reports from the controversial coroner in the case, Dr. Michael Berkland,(Berkland's medical examiner license was revoked in Missouri for reporting false information) that Klausutis suffered seizures as a result of an auto accident years ago, the deceased woman's family denies this according to APJ writers Denis Wright and Chris George.

Discrepancies between initial reports and the autopsy have raised suspicions (e.g. Originally Berkland reported no head trauma. The autopsy revealed a bruise on Klausutis' head), and can best be appreciated by reading the APJ piece in its entirety.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

21. Exactly...it took another Republican to get Joe's dead intern in the news

This case SHOULD be scrutinized.

[struggle4progress]

31. Klausutis had skull fracture & subdural hematoma, not just "head bruise"

[saigon68]

64. Sounds like a murder to me

Why didn't her family scream to high heaven?

[wordpix2]

52. and where was Scarbie at the time of the intern's death? Suspicious

[young_at_heart]

9. Remember how Fox News attacked Condit 24/7?

I watched for a few minutes every hour just to monitor their "coverage" and the Chandra Levy case was all they talked about back then on Fox. They hounded Condit mercilessly. How much time did they spend on Scarborough? I'd be interested in a comparison of the hours (or minutes) spent on the two congressmen, since the situations were similar.

[RamboLiberal]

25. Faux wasn't the only ones covering Condit/Levy story

Hell CNN and MSRNC were making their livings on it as well. So were the morning shows!

Scarborough's wasn't even implicated by any in his dead intern case. Then MSRNC goes off and hires him.

I remember Scarborough whored himself in the 2000 election debacle - he was out there every night on the TV shilling for Bush to be selected repeating the Repuke talking points. That's where he first hit my radar - he reminded me at the time of the FL version of my state's repugnant Senator Santorum. In retrospect since he hit MSRNC he hasn't been quite that bad.

I'm :rofl: that it took a Repuke to try this as a campaign tactic. Karma's a bitch hey Joe!

[young_at_heart]

35. I agree with you about Santorum......used to be my senator too

As a former Pittsburgher I can only hope that PA people will give him the boot he so richly deserves!

[maxrandb]

36. How were they similar?

On the one hand, you had an intern that turned up missing, with no credible evidence that the Congressman had anything to do with it. Hell she could have just been on an extended vacation.

On the other hand, you've got a dead body in a Congressman's office.

I just don't see the similarities. Maybe Faux, CNN, MSGOP, etc, thought, "hmmm, dead body of young woman in Congressman's office, well gee, at least she's not missing...NEXT"

[young_at_heart]

38. You are right.......I guess the commonality was "dead intern"

I wonder if the truth about Scarborough's intern will ever come to light?

[SharonAnn]

61. Yes, it's when I realized CNN was gone. It was ACATT for more than

two months (ACATT = All Chandra All The Time). Every single show on CNN, every day, was about the case. Interviews, speculations, hypothetical situations, etc. Absolutely no real news, just speculation and titillation.

I'll never forget the lack of real news and the existence of ACATT television in the summer months before 9-11.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. When Republicans attack Republicans. Big No-No.

Dead interns, embezzlement, corrupt stock options...none of it justifies treating another Republican like they would a Democrat.

[AndyA]

14. I love the image of a discarded Katherine Harris, used and abused by

the GOP powers that be, laying in the gutter somewhere. She has nothing left to offer the powerful GOP men that owe her so much. She gave them what they wanted, when they wanted it and now they have no further use for her. In fact, she's no longer an asset, but a liability. And she is about to be tossed out in the garbage heap with last week's leftover chicken casserole.

It's better than she deserves. Harris was nothing but a whore for the GOP, and she is largely responsible for Bush being in office. She knows where all the bodies are, and if I were her, I'd be very, very afraid for my future. Used up HOs become a loose end that must be taken care of.

Harris had best avoid small planes, and better have someone check the car before she starts it...

[robertarctor]

41. Bingo.

Future headline: Katherine Harris, 3 others perish in downed Cessna. A quick blip through the news cycle, probably late on a Friday, and then it's move along, move along, nothing to see here.

[wordpix2]

53. you're right---gotta wonder why the GOP has discarded her

[leesa]

16. Oh Goodie. I think K Harris is going to drag as many as she can down

with her. I HOPE she takes Joe down too. Yes, he DOES need to answer questions about the mysterious dead intern and the bogus medical examiner. I hope this stench all comes to the surface again. I think Joe made a deal with the devil to shill for the GOP on MSRNC to avoid a manslaughter trial.

[wordpix2]

54. "MSRNC"---bwahahaha

[grasswire]

17. she wasn't an intern

She was a paid staff member, a married woman.

I wish you could correct your headline.

[zonkers]

26. I found a nice page of articles and links about Lori Klausutis. (link)

What a creepy story.
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/lori_klausutis.htm

[rodeodance]

19. What a headline!!

[BadGimp]

20. I hope she is as vengful as crazy..

With any luck shewill be so angry at the GOP that she will her secrets from the 2000 selection.

[elehhhhna]

23. She will more likely commit suicide by

several accurate shots to the back of her head.

I'm sure she'll get a seat on HAL & Carlyles boards or some such payoff.

[disndat]

65. Terrific.

Hahaha. The DU'ers are the most literate, clever people in the world.

[Joanne98]

33. Wouldn't it be nice.

[Vidar]

22. Funny, this sort of thing never catchesup with Karl.

[bloom]

39. That's what I was thinking.

Of course - he may just be better at intimidation/threats/malicious retribution - or whatever he does.

[caligirl]

24. Abandoned byGOP,yet she still doesn't tell all on the 2000 pRes. sElection

[wordpix2]

55. hopefully that's coming up in next chapter after, "Get Scarbie."

[Marie26]

63. Go Kathy!

She has been abandoned by the GOP, but she's not going quietly.

[Dr Fate]

28. Sorry Joe, but that medical examiner had been caught faking reports before

So that is not your out on this one, you liar.

[Uncle Joe]

29. Sorry Joe, The first clue that something wasn't right with Harris,

was with her handling of the vote count during the coup of 2000. Maybe if you would have paid more attention to her totally partisan handling of the situation, you would have a clue. Good luck with finding that clue.

[PATRICK]

42. Harris' health

This is becoming an more ominous meme every day. Sure they could write off the seat and let Harris alone, but she is becoming unstable and rather vengeful, often with very good reason. Losing the race should not be her sole concern at this point and her health probably depends on where she has her memories stored.

They had better be good too. Revisiting the prematurely cremated Klausitis story runs up against that lazy Florida brick wall, more than satisfied that the strange shutdown of facts, curiosity and a truncated investigation, has only a coincidental and irrelevant connection to the Chandra Levy case. That case too they refuse to name as a political smear while quietly suggesting the left is using that as payback. So much avoidance, such delicate manners, such sly slant cemented as history.

Nor can they ever think of a dot named the Bush smear tactic to connect to the easy tarring of the distraught, undercut and out of control Harris. She is cooperating better than McCain and way more paranoid than the tweaked Perot. However, she is a thousand times more dangerous, but no Florida newspaper or any MSM for that matter, despite tons of Palast evidence alone, can even imagine why. Still,
a Bush is a Bush is a Bush, and can't resist the real thing working to the same advantage they always take of their foes.

All those talkative ex-campaign managers, my, my. Covering themselves very nicely by doing Jeb's work is a real twofer. I am sure their careers will blossom later in Bushworld.

Letter to Kathleen: they are openly saying you are going to lefty sites. The subtext is clear. They are afraid that the "madness" of Harris may spitefully "manufacture" evidence about 2000, etc. They are working hard to discredit her not just as a candidate but as a stoolie. The fact that this is so carefully oozing out, this stuff about "health" is not good for the future of her physical health. She had better worry about various kinds of health insurance policies(and credibility protection) than the GOP support Jeb has predetermined she will not ever receive.

Did she have a chance with full GOP support? I am afraid the answer was always yes, but the Team decided against it for many reasons, centering on the risky propping of her poor democratically fair chances. Is she beyond the point of being able to separate her busy ambition from the betrayal? If she isn't her health is really in danger. Unfortunately, that blind ambition is so typical of many hopeless politicians.

[daleo]

47. Could there be a "stress related heart attack" in her future?

Like that poor Mr. Ken Lay?

[yardwork]

58. You're saying that they are discrediting her mental health

in order to discredit any future revelations she might make about the 2000 vote fraud. Bushco hopes to have smeared her as a "lunatic" before then, so that nobody will listen to what she says.

[Up2Late]

43. Gee, I feel so bad that she might fail and Joe's murder mystery...

...getting publicity too.:spray: :popcorn:

[ClintonTyree]

44. "Don't pay attention".......

"to any of these negative stories about me", she begs. Isn't that the GOP's stock and trade........hoping people are not paying attention? That's the only reason any of them get elected. If people WERE paying attention they'd elect a Democrat every damned time. Harris is a self-deluded jackass. She's off her freaking rocker. :silly: The GOP won't even support her, why doesn't she just GO AWAY? :shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

46. related story:

Mexico Fee Agent Quits Florida Senate Campaign
Submitted by Roy Temple on Thu, 07/13/2006 - 7:13pm.

Governor Matt Blunt's handpicked fee agent for the Mexico, Mo has quit her job as the field director for Florida U.S. Senate campaign of Catherine Harris.


Though Pat Thomas is the named fee agent, she has been out of the state for months. There is no word on whether Rep. Hobbs' wife will keep her job at the fee office upon the return of Thomas to Mexico.

Skip Elkin, a candidate for State Representative in the 21st legislative district has called for reforms to the fee office system that would end the current abuses of the system, and would restore integrity to state government.

http://www.firedupmissouri.com/node/4524

[saskatoon]

48. Yes, something was never right re Harris

BUT something sure as hell wasn't right about Scarborough. Google him in Ft. Walton(I haven't done it lately) but there was some pretty damning evidence that he had something to do with that aide's death. All of a sudden he resigned from politics in order to spend more time with his sons (where have we heard that before)

[zonkers]

60. Joe's can't be thrilled that the blogsphere is again abuzz w/dead intern -

story.

[geiger]

66. Dems everywhere need to take a lesson

and not swiftboat anyone in their own Party, even though the Republicans-in-Charge George Bush and Karl Rove think it is okay and they are slick enough to get away with it.

If there were going to be an eleventh commandment, that is the one I would propose.

THOU SHALT NOT SWIFTBOAT.

[WatchWhatISay]

68. Hell hath no fury . . .

I wonder if she will ever get mad enoug to talk about what really went down in the 2000 Florida election.

Well, I can dream, can't I?