Re: Newt's phone calls

["Phillip M. Hallam-Baker" <hallam@ai.mit.edu>]

Michael Tighe SUN IMP <michael.tighe@Central.Sun.COM> wrote in article <5bjhda$f44@life.ai.mit.edu>...
> Alan Bostick writes:
> 
> >It is also possible that somewhere in the chain of information between
> >mom&pop, the media, and us, the distinction between "cordless phone"
> >and cellular phone.  I gather it was a conference call that was 
> >intercepted.  All it takes is one participant using a cordless phone in 
> >range of one scanner, and the whole conversation is compromised.
> 
> Yes, a conference call (and we do know there were multiple participants)
> over a cordless makes sense.

It was a conference call but over a cellular phone. Martin had hacked his
Radio Shack Scanner using a well known technique. He had a radio ham
license.

I still don't expect a conviction. Lets see a guy gets a tape he believes shows
that the Speaker of the house lied to the ethics committee. He hands it to
a senior member of the ethics committee of the house despite knowing that
in doing so he put himself at risk of prosecution.

Does anyone in their right mind expect any jury to convict in such a case?
Basically a trial would be open season for the defense to take pot shots
at Newt.

Q. "Why did you not hand the tape over to the chair of 
	the committee?
A. I thought they might try to suppers it.

Q. Why did you give the tape to MacDermott?
A. I thought it showed that the Speaker had acted illegally.

Q. Illegal? How?
A [at very great length to be repeated verbatim on CNN twice
	an hour]

As a first time offender the most the Martins could expect to suffer
would be a $5000 fine. They could easily recoup that on the chat
show circuit.

This is the country where Ollie North launched his political career
by subverting the constitution and lying to congress and where JO
Simpson murdered his wife and got away with it. Don't expect the
Martins to be occupying a jail cell any time soon. Newt on the other
hand...

		Phill