It's sad to behold a supposed venerable journalist in decline, but that's what one saw this morning as Bob Schieffer appeared in the next to last segment (on the Zapruder film) of CBS Early Show. When asked by Charlie Rose about whether he believed a lone gunman (e.g. Lee Oswald) killed JFK, or it was a conspiracy - Schieffer not only adhered to the Warren Commission line, but went off on a diatribe, calling Oswald a "madman" and then referring to Oswald "shooting (Dallas P.D. officer) J.D. Tippit in cold blood", and his later arrest at the Texas Theater when he "tried to kill the officers".Whoa there, Schieffer, let's at least try to get our facts straight! First of all, Lee Oswald was no "madman". Yes, he might have suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder, but so do over 12 million Americans - among whom is Brandon Marshall - Chicago Bears wide receiver, who caught a number of catches last night in the Bears' romp over the hapless NY Giants. Later, Marshall appeared on the NFL Channel set for an interview and I detected no latent homicidal or other urges. At the very most, Oswald's BPD likely incited many furious arguments with wife Marina (like Marshall's earlier altercations with his gf), but not the killing of a President. Especially one that Lee admired and loved, as reported by Marina in a 1993 (30th anniversary)NBC interview with Tom Brokaw.
The fact that Lee had the ability to muster cogent arguments in notes - for a lecture delivered at the Jesuit House of Studies, at Mobile's Spring Hill College- on July 27, 1963, also shows he was certainly not "mad". (This was reported in James Douglass' book, JFK and the Unspeakable , p. 331).
Now, let's examine the death of Officer Tippit -which many lone nut advocates try to invoke as prima facie evidence against Oswald. Tippit was shot to death in Dallas' Oak Cliff area, at the intersection of 10th Street and Patton Avenue - of that there is no doubt. The question is: WHO did it? Officer Gerald Hill had custody of the .38 supposedly found on Oswald - but given the existence of the Oswald "ghost" photo (at Dallas P.D. HQ - see my March 13 post for the image, details) this could well have been a plant. Hill testified to the Warren Commission that he'd found six live rounds in the chamber and two empty cartridges (that came from an automatic weapon) at the murder scene. (Revolvers don't discharge shells after firing)
Given Oswald failed a paraffin test for nitrate residue, and given the preceding account, the evidence indicates Oswald never fired a gun that day, period. Full stop. Further, all the original witnesses asserted in their original statements to the Dallas cops that the man who fired on Tippit did not resemble Oswald - but rather a heavy set guy - similar to the one shown in the graphic attached. This same character, interestingly, was spotted in one window of the Texas School Book Depository (see inset image) minutes before the assassination and was also the fake "Oswald" reportedly seen in Mexico City, and for which the CIA wire at the time declared: "NO! Not Oswald!" This was reported (p. 399) in John Newman's book, Oswald and CIA:
"..an American male, who identified himself as Lee OSWALD, contacted the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City inquiring whether the Embassy had received any news concerning a telegram which had been sent to Washington. The American was described as approximately 35 years old, with an athletic build, about six feet tall, with a receding hairline."
It was certainly not Oswald, who at only 5'9" (at most) and slight of build (160 lbs.) possessed a decidedly un-athletic physique. Readers can compare his booking photo below with that of the heavyset bloke :
One would have to be blind, or desperate to insist any commonality existed between the images, hence the two men - which is precisely why the "Oswald in Mexico City" narrative is bogus as a $3 bill.Anyway, under furious pressure from authorities, most of the original Tippit killing witnesses subsequently changed their testimony to saying the killer "looked like Oswald." What they were threatened with we don't know, but it's interesting that a number of other witnesses who came forward that day (e.g. Julia Ann Mercer, Lee Bowers, S.M. Holland et al) were threatened or cajoled into conformity if they insisted anyone but Oswald was the perp - whether in the assassination or the Tippit killing.
Two witnesses never did alter their words: Jack Tatum and Aquilla Clemmons, mainly because the WC never called them or took statements. But Tatum later testified to the HSCA and Clemmons related to researcher Mark Lane (in the documentary 'Rush to Judgment') that the killer was clearly a heavy set white male, similar to the guy shown in the inset photo. Ms. Clemmons also confided to Lane that she was admonished by the Dallas Police to remain silent. Her subsequent silence may well have been warranted given the deaths of dozens of witnesses and people directly involved in the case, including those designated to be called by the HSCA to testify. See e.g.
Now, what about the Texas Theater incident? Either Bob Schieffer's memory is failing or he's been reading too much fiction. In fact, the Dallas cops descended on the theater in droves and Oswald, again, never had any chance to fire a shot - even if he'd had a gun. The odd witnesses there all reported Oswald shouted aloud: "I am not resisting arrest! Police brutality!" Clearly, Oswald had figured out by then he'd been set up as the patsy - and the cover story he'd been fed (that he was to expose the plot) had now turned on him instead. Author James Douglas (op. cit.) conjectures the plot rebounded on Oswald after a phone caller named "Lee" exposed the earlier (Nov. 2, 1963) plot by Thomas Arthur Vallee to assassinate Kennedy in Chicago. When that executive action was scrapped, Oswald became the target...now in Dallas.
Another sub-plot to the plot, involved Assistant District Attorney William Alexander being called to the Texas Theater for Oswald's arrest. Why? Also, why did he accompany officer Gerald Hill to the scene of the Tippit murder? Planting evidence? Confecting it? As per an account cited in the book, 'The Killing of a President' by Robert Groden (p. 101) the real madman appears to be Alexander, who allegedly "once threatened a man in the course of trying to extract a confession by holding a gun to his head and exclaiming, 'You son of a bitch! I will kill you right here!'"
Meanwhile, not to disappoint, after Oswald's arrest, Alexander evidently shouted loudly enough for the next door shop keepers to hear: "You're a god damned communist!" at Oswald. One supposes he was in the loop to tag Oswald with the most horrific label and epithet one could muster at the time.
But Jeezus Christ in a cap, having a "commie" arrested for a liberal President's murder in a city (Dallas) known then as a right wing citadel makes about as much sense as claiming Lincoln was shot by an anti-slavery Northerner. (Especially after 'Wanted for Treason' posters had been put up all over Big D accusing JFK of consorting with commies! Gimme a break!)
The bottom line here is this Schieffer blather is just the beginning, and Americans will hear a lot more in the weeks ahead on how, 'Oh yes, we (the media) are certain it was Lee Oswald, a lonely, alienated, filthy, degenerate madman, who did the dirty deed' (The 'alienated violent loner' meme also recently resurrected by author Peter Savodnik, in his woefully clueless excuse for a biography, “The Interloper: Lee Harvey Oswald Inside the Soviet Union” . People would do much better to get hold of Robert Groden's 'The Search for Lee Harvey Oswald'. See: http://www.amazon.com/The-Search-Harvey-Oswald-Comprehensive/dp/0670858676)
Whereupon they all, like Bob Schieffer, become part of the unholy alliance of the 'Unspeakable' articulated by James Douglass: all those who whether intentionally or unintentionally provide cover for the actual perpetrators, conspirators including those who have concealed the truth in the aftermath.
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