P.L. Blake

The Tobacco Litigation produced millions in attorney's fees. But, it also produced billions in programs for states to combat smoking or billions to compensate states for the costs of dealing with the health problems of those who smoked cigarettes.

The primary person pursuing such objectives saw fit to hire a political operative originally from Greenville, Mississippi to assist in the effort. An agreement was reached for his services -- $50 million.

His name is P. L. Blake. It would be interesting to know what, exactly, his role was in the process of the Tobacco Litigation.

Carl Orff and Betrayal

We learn this week that Carl Orff the composer of the famed Carmina Burana was a man who betrayed a friend. One could say he really did not betray is friend, merely did not come to his aid. The friend, Kurt Huber was a found of the Munich unit of an anti-Nazi resistance group during he war called "The White Rose." Kurt Huber was arrested by the Gestapo. His wife asked Orff to intervene. He refused choosing to protect himself. Huber was later hung by the Gestapo.

After the war, in order to establish himself as a candidate for de-nazification, Orff told a United States intelligence officer, a man named "Jenkins that he had co-founded Die Weisse Rose with his friend, Kurt Huber." Richard Morrison, Carl Orff, the composer who lived a monstrous lie, The Times on Line, December 19, 2008

Joey Langston and John Dean

From what I read, many are saying what a good guy Joey Langston is. They say he has done a lot of good. They say in his sentencing coming up, the judge should be lenient. Not only because he is a good guy but because he has gone out of his way to help the prosecution in the conviction of those he worked with when he and Steve Balducci tried to bribe Judge Bobby DeLaughter.

I do not know what to make of this. But, it reminds me of my opinions of John Dean and the part he played in Watergate and the part he played bringing those he had worked with to justice. His efforts seemed opportunistic. He seemed to be the same person I had dinner with one night at Egil "Bud" Krogh's house in Chevy Chase. A person I thought of at the time as "just a bit too slick."

While it is good that we have such people concerned for justice following their own injustices. It seems just bit untoward (sleazy) . however, that they seem to step forward with relish in making themselves into "good guys" as they use the opportunity to bring down friends so as to gain easy and light sentences. Seems everything is relative. Seems everything is "for sale" so to speak.

As I recall, Bud Krogh asked to be sentenced before he cooperated with the prosecution. Now that's a person with good sense and good ethics.

Speculation: New Indictments

Some are speculating that new indictments will issue soon from a federal grand jury sitting in northern Mississippi. The speculation has to do with Richard Scruggs and the alleged bribery of Judge "Bobby" Delaughter in a fee case involving a number of players. One thing about this Mississippi situation is that it will come to us with the bark on, so to speak, if there is a situation to come to us.

One suspects lawyer-judge shenanigans go on all the time but in a much more subtle way in other jurisdictions. Indeed, in some jurisdictions it is not necessary to promise anything to the judge. All one has to do is to ensure that the judge understands that friends and others will think highly of him or her if he or she "does the right thing." In Mississippi people still do such things for money, or so it seems. At least, in Mississippi, there is a certain honesty, even
"transparency" as they say.

Elk in a clearing.

This is a picture of a herd of elk in a clearing in a forest in northeastern Washington. I say not where to protect the herd. I find it hard to understand why anyone would gain pleasure from killing one of these creatures. But, I suppose I find it hard to understand why anyone would gain pleasure from harming any living thing.