Margaret Carlson, Bloomberg News

October 25, 2008

Margaret Carlson
@Bloomberg News

RE: It’s déjà vu allover again!

Ms. Carlson,

Yogi Berra still lives in New Jersey. Since I’m from there I can use the quote without attribution.

8 years ago – My, my but how time flies when you’re enjoying yourself! – you said that the absentee ballots mailed by military personnel domiciled in Florida but serving overseas were “tainted”. You said that “they” [variously defined as GIs, grunts, dog faces, swabbies, wing wipers, Leathernecks, inter alia] were “tax cheats”.

It now appears that the Fairfax County, Virginia Elections Bureau is in direct violation of Federal Law by rejecting 98% - repeat – 98% of all military absentee ballots because of an alleged violation of state law. I smell ACORN. Do you?

Gentle lady, even if the ballots were in violation – note the use of the subjunctive, please – it would not matter. Federal Law trumps state law. You could look it u p.

Anyway, here is a chance to erase the blot on your escutcheon and redeem your honor by denouncing, as loudly and as publicly as possible, this outrage.

Your blood libel of 2000 can be forgiven.

It is a God awful phrase but all you need do is speak truth to power. It’s time for you to seek forgiveness from the Long Gray Line. If a further jolt is needed walk through Arlington Cemetery. Stop and read the headstones. Find out how many of them are sitting on top of “tax cheats”.

When last we corresponded I wrote something unnecessarily cruel and unmanly. I said how proud you must be of your son Tucker’s performances on TV. I humbly and abjectly apologize. I do this not in the typical modern American Liberal by prefacing it by saying “If I offended you…” It was the wrong thing to say. Please forgive me.