Jersey Girl: Her book due in time for 9/11’s fifth anniversary
By J. James Estrada (06/15/06)
Two elected New Jersey Democrats, angry about Ann Coulter’s characterizations of the Jersey Girls, are asking the booksellers in the Garden State not to stock Ann Coulter’s new book, Godless: The Church of Liberalism. Are they aware that one of the Jersey Girls widows, described at Amazon.com as “one of the country's most outspoken activists and critics of the current administration,” has her own book coming out soon? It’s called Wake-Up Call : The Political Education of a 9/11 Widow. The author is Kristin Breitwesier.
Here’s what Assemblywomen Joan Quigley and Linda Stender said in a press release on Friday: "Coulter's vicious characterizations and remarks are motivated by greed and her desire to sell books . . . She is a leech trying to turn a profit off perverting the suffering of others."
Have these assemblywomen ever read Breitwesier’s blog at the liberal Huffington Post website? Breitwesier has attacked George W. Bush, Condi Rice and Rudy Guiliani, among others. I wonder, did any of these “vicious” attacks make it into Wake-Up Call?
In order to take full advantage of the occasion, Breitwesier’s book is scheduled for release in September; the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. A subsequent book tour would enable Breitweser to bash Republicans all the way to the November elections.
When these four widows from New Jersey were named by Ms. Magazine “Women of the Year” for 2004, it was for in part because Breitwesier “shredded the government’s lucky-terrorist theory by laying out facts and questions that would become a road map for future investigation.” Lucky-terrorist theory?
To expound on this further, here is a quote from another of the four widows, Lorie Van Auken, during an April 8, 2004 appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews:
“We also know that people stopped flying domestically. Ashcroft stopped flying. Pentagon officials stop flying the day before September 11. They were warned not fly on September 11. We think San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown was told not to fly. That’s all domestic. You know, everybody keeps telling us how they were focused outward.”
By the way, if you somehow have never heard of the Jersey Girls before this controversy, please see the following as compiled by sourcewatch.org:
· The Joint Select Committee On Intelligence Investigating 9-11 (http://9-11congress.netfirms.com/), Public Hearings. Numerous links for hearings and participant information.
· Mary Jo Patterson, Families of Terror Victims Anxiously Await Unveiling of Federal Aid (http://www.newhouse.com/archive/story1a121701.html), Newhouse News Service, c2001.
· David Crary, Relatives demand answers for 9-11 (http://www.detnews.com/2002/nation/0205/17/a04-492237.htm), AP, May 17, 2002.
· Ledyard King, Families urge 9/11 inquiry (http://www.thnt.com/thnt/story/0%2C21282%2C578838%2C00.html), Home News Tribune, June 12, 2002.
· Phil Donahue, Donahue Interviews 9/11 Widow Kristen Breitweiser. Gutsy and incisive performance from a woman with a mission (http://homepage.tinet.ie/~gulufuture/future/breitweiser.htm), Gulu Future, August 13, 2002.
· Middletown: Seeking Relief From Action (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/22/48hours/main519524.shtml), 48 Hours/CBS, August 23, 2002.
· Andrea Alexander, Anger, anguish driving their activism (http://www.app.com/911oneyear/story/0,21387,611152,00.html), Asbury Park Press, September 8, 2002.
· Ledyard King, Independent investigation into 9/11 security lapses demanded (http://www.app.com/911oneyear/story/0,21387,614995,00.html), Asbury Park Press, September 10, 2002.
· Gail Sheehy, "September Widows" -- 9/11 One Year Later ... A Suburban Town with an Unparalleled Loss (http://www.gailsheehy.com/9_11/OYL.htm), New York Observer, September 11, 2002.
· Kin Address Joint Panel: Relatives cite the failures of intelligence community. Numerous warnings no surprise, they tell probers (http://www.freep.com/news/nw/pside19_20020919.htm), Detroit Free Press, September 12, 2002.
· Kissinger Assures 9/11 Families on Ethics Disclosures (http://www.whdh.com/news/articles_p/national/A6548), WHDH/Boston, September 12, 2002.
· Statement of Kristen Breitweiser, Co-Chairperson September 11 Advocates, Concerning the Joint 9/11 Inquiry (http://www.unansweredquestions.org/timeline/2002/senatecommittee091802b.html), Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (http://intelligence.senate.gov/0209hrg/020918/breitweiser.pdf), September 18, 2002. Also here (http://intelligence.senate.gov/0209hrg/020918/witness.htm).
· Laurie Kellman, Families testify to anger, grief caused by intelligence failures (http://texnews.com/1998/2002/terror/terror_Families_918.html), AP, September 18, 2002.
· Connie Chung, Interview with Kristen Breitweiser (http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0209/18/cct.00.html) (transcript), CNN, September 18, 2002.
· Mary Jacoby, Attack clues ignored, panel says. In a one-two punch, one woman releases a report detailing intelligence lapses, while another describes the pain that resulted from them (http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/19/Worldandnation/Attack_clues_ignored_.shtml), St. Petersburg Times, September 19, 2002.
· Christopher Lee, The Ring and the Quest for Answers. A Widow Turns Her Sept. 11 Loss Into a Crusade for an Independent Commission (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A53097-2002Sep22¬Found=true), Washington Post, September 23, 2002.
· Michelle Mittelstadt, Outside inquiry into 9-11 is stalled. Victims' families lobbying vigorously for bipartisan commission (http://www.king5.com/sharedcontent/dallas/nation/9-11/stories/102202dnnat911commission.5f410.html), Dallas Morning News, October 22, 2002.
· Carl Hulse, How a Deal Creating an Independent Commission on Sept. 11 Came Undone (http://www.nachrichten-analysen.de/german/politik/aussen/NYTimes.pdf) (pdf), New York Times, November 2, 2002.
· Maggie Haberman and Kenneth R. Bazinet, Widows demand answers (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/v-pfriendly/story/35398p-33461c.html), New York Daily News, November 14, 2002.
· David Firestone, Domestic Security Bill Riles 9/11 Families (http://www.chewinthefat.com/artman/publish/printer_104.shtml), New York Times, November 28, 2002.
· Garland Favorito, How the 9/11 investigations have been sabotaged (http://www.questionsquestions.net/docs0212/1216_sabotage.html), December 15, 2002.
· Ken Guggenheim, Sept. 11 Chief Promises Accountability (http://unansweredquestions.net/timeline/2002/ap121702.html), AP, December 17, 2002.
· John T. Ward, Widows' Walk. In the depths of their grief, four World Trade Center widows get the political education of a lifetime (http://www.njmonthly.com/issues/Mar03/widows.html), New Jersey Monthly, March 2003.
· Statement of Mindy Kleinberg to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (http://www.dvmx.com/kleinberg.html), March 31, 2003.
· Lilo H. Stainton, 9/11 widows bonded by tragedy (http://www.southjerseynews.com/issues/april/m041403p.htm), South Jersey News, April 14, 2003.
· On Moussaoui, Bush, and September 11 (http://www.cosmosleft.com/pages/8/), Cosmos Left, May 3-7, 2003. Scroll down to letter by Breitweiser to New York Times regarding 9-11 Commission delays.
· FAA Delay in Reporting 9/11 Hijackings Probed (http://www.americaheldhostile.com/roh5-03.shtml), Newsday, May 23, 2003. Scroll down to entry. (Newsday link does not connect with article.)
· Tom Flocco, 9-11 Commission Testimony Too Hot To Be Under Oath (http://www.parapolitics.info/phorum/read.php?f=31&i=409&t=409), May 27, 2003. Scroll through lengthy article for comments by "Moms".
· Kurt Anderson, FBI's Mueller Meets Sept. 11 Relatives (http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/6057785.htm), AP, June 10, 2003.
· James Rosen, Sept. 11 commission finds administration uncooperative (http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=SEPT11-07-08-03&cat=AN), McClatchy Newspapers, July 8, 2003.
· Walls put up in front of 9/11 probe (http://www.voicesofsept11.org/archive/911ic/071203.php), Voices of September 11th, July 10, 2003.
· Rebecca Carr, Sept. 11 commission hits snags (http://www.coxnews.com/cox/news/National/story/3568), Cox News Service, July 9, 2003.
· Commission Investigating What Went Wrong Before September 11 (http://www-cgi.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0307/10/ltm.10.html) (transcript), CNN, July 10, 2003.
· Marie Cocco, Perspective: Protecting the rights of citizens and terrorists (http://www.staugustine.com/stories/072203/opi_1672523.shtml), St. Augustine Record, July 22, 2003.
· 9/11 Families: Tell Us Full Story (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/24/eveningnews/main565000.shtml), CBS, July 24, 2003.
· Sept. 11 Report Says U.S. Spy Agencies `Missed Opportunities' (http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=afMhHzz4kKZk&refer=home), Bloomberg News, July 24, 2003.
· John J. Lumpkin, San Diego offered agencies best chance to stop Sept. 11 (http://theolympian.com/home/specialsections/War/20030725/60193.shtml), AP, July 25, 2003.
· Ledyard King and John Yaukey, N.J. widows angry over censoring of 9/11 report (http://www.southjerseynews.com/issues/july/m072503c.htm), South Jersey News, July 25, 2003.
· Kathy Kiely, 9/11 widows win support for commission (http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2002-08-02-commission_x.htm), USA Today, August 2, 2002.
· Gail Sheehy, Four 9/11 Moms Battle Bush (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0822-05.htm), New York Observer, August 20, 2003.
· Brian Montopoli, Schlep to Judgment. If anything merited an independent inquiry, it was the attacks on 9/11. But not in Bush's Washington (http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2003/0309.montopoli.html), Washington Monthly, September 2003.
· Heller McAlpin, United in grief. Gail Sheehy examines how one town coped with loss after Sept. 11 (http://www2.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/09/14/RV204457.DTL&type=printable) (book review), San Francisco Chronicle, September 4, 2003.
· Seth Ackerman, Who Knew? (http://www.ocnus.net/cgi-bin/exec/view.cgi?archive=30&num=6987&printer=1), In These Times, September 4, 2003.
· Michael Gannon, 9/11 widows launch charity (http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsroom/090503/b0105septsmiles.html), The Journal News, September 5, 2003.
· Rebecca Carr, Sept. 11 families still ask why. Many want responsibility assigned (http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/0903/07families.html), Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 7, 2003 (?).
· Kristen Breitweiser, A "mind-numbingly boring" propaganda film. A 9/11 widow reviews last night's Showtime film about President Bush's actions on and after that fateful morning (http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/feature/2003/09/08/dc911/index_np.html), Salon, September 8, 2003. Also here (http://911citizenswatch.org/print.php?sid=18).
· Andrea Alexander, Why no answers yet? 9/11 widows persist in posing questions (http://www.app.com/app2001/story/0%2C21133%2C804786%2C00.html), Asbury Park Press, September 9, 2003.
· Andrew Jacobs, A Town's Veil of Grief Lifts, Slowly (http://www.iht.com/articles/109452.html), New York Times, September 10, 2003.
· Kurt Kurowski, The Power of Remembrance (http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/03/09/11_power.html), Democratic Underground, September 11, 2003.
· NOW With Bill Moyers (http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/911widows.html): "9/11 Widows Speak", PBS, September 12, 2003.
· Eric Boehlert, Is the 9/11 commission too soft? (http://www.voicesofsept11.org/news/101003.php), Voices of September 11th, October 10, 2003.
· James Rosen, White House Stonewalls Relatives of 9-11 Victims (http://205.177.120.143/artman/publish/article_3380.shtml), Capitol Hill Blue, October 30, 2003.
· Shaun Waterman, 9/11 panel subpoenas NORAD, not CIA (http://www.upi.com/print.cfm?StoryID=20031107-070415-2790r), UPI, November 8, 2003: Breitweiser: "'These documents show the flow of information within the government, the chain from the bottom to the top,' she said. 'Something went wrong, the nation was unaware and undefended that day. If we want to find out what went wrong, we have to examine every link in the chain to find out where the break was.'"
· Soledad O'Brien, Interview with Kristen Breitweiser (http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0311/17/ltm.08.html) (transcript), CNN/American Morning, November 17, 2003.
· Kelly Patricia O'Meara, A Historical Whitewash? (http://www.septembereleventh.org/topstories/2003-11-24-insight.php), November 24, 2003.
· 9/11 Chair: Attack Was Preventable (http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/121703_911_preventable.html), CBS, December 17, 2003.
· Kristen Breitweiser On MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Mathews (http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00175.htm) (transcript), Scoop, December 18, 2003.
· Missing the Warnings (http://tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/9643/view/print), Tom Paine, December 18, 2003.
· W. David Kubiak, Daschle PNACkles 'Commission Incredible'. Top Dem Mis-Kerrey's National 9/11 Probe (http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2003/12/21097.php), Houston Indymedia, December 20, 2003: "December 9th, two days after the 52nd anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the National 9/11 Commission itself was hit without warning by Tom Daschle's bombshell appointment of Iraq hawk Bob Kerrey to replace Max Cleland."
· Robert Cohen, Conspiracy Theories Abound in 9/11 Probe (http://www.memes.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2346&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0), New Jersey Star-Ledger, December 29, 2003.
· The question that won't go away: Could 9/11 have been Prevented? (http://www.thelocalplanet.com/Archives/Cover_Story/Article.asp?ArticleID=4451), The Local Planet, January 1, 2004. Scroll down to "The New Jersey Four".
· William Rivers Pitt, Two Loud Words (http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17490), TruthOut, January 5, 2004.
· Joe Conason, Shutting down the 9/11 investigation (http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2004/01/19/kean/index_np.html), Salon, January 19, 2004: "The Bush administration continues to do whatever it can to hinder a thorough independent report on the 9/11 attacks."
· Gail Sheehy, Whistleblower Coming In Cold From the F.B.I. (http://66.218.71.225/search/cache?va=%22Kristen+Breitweiser%22&ei=UTF-8&n=20&fl=0&xargs=0&pstart=6&b=381&u=nyobserver.com/pages/frontpage1.asp&w=%22kristen+breitweiser%22&d=D3C42D3A76&c=482&yc=11179&icp=1) (cache file), New York Observer, January 26, 2004.
· Jonathan Curiel, Who's to blame for 9/11? Bush and Clinton administrations could be faulted for failing to protect the nation against the 2001 assaults (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/08/ING944OQSP1.DTL), SFGate, February 8, 2004.
· Gail Sheehy, Bob Kerrey Says 9/11 Group Meets with Condoleezza (http://www.gailsheehy.com/9_11/9_11index.html), New York Observer, February 9, 2004.
· Rove's worst nightmare: Outspoken 9/11 widows (http://hudson.typepad.com/line/2004/02/911_evidence_hi.html), Columbia-Union, February 11, 2004.
· The Widows of 9-11 (http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2004/02/20040217_a_main.asp) (2-hour special; audio), The Connection, February 17, 2004: "Guests: Kristen Breitweiser, widow of Ronald Breitweiser; Patty Casazza, widow of John Casazza; Lorie van Auken, widow of Kenneth van Auken; Mindy Kleinberg, widow of Alan Kleinberg; Dan Eggen, Washington Post reporter; Bob Monetti, former President of Victims of Pan Am Flight 103."
· 9/11 Widows, Letter to Editors (http://www.911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=72&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0), 911 Citizen Watch, February 24, 2004.
· Alan Cabal, Nine Hundred and Eleven Missing Pieces. What don't we know, and why don't we know it? (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5508.htm), New York Press, February 25-March 2, 2004.
· Maureen Dowd, Sorry, Right Number (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/29/opinion/29DOWD.html), New York Times, January 29, 2004. archive [11] (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5786.htm)
· Maggie Haberman, Furor over Bush's 9/11 ad (http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/170291p-148587c.html), New York Daily News, March 4, 2004: "The Bush reelection campaign yesterday unveiled its first three campaign commercials showcasing Ground Zero images, angering some 9/11 families who accused President Bush of exploiting the tragedy for political advantage."
· Gail Sheehy, Four 9/11 Moms Watch Rumsfeld And Grumble (http://www.observer.com/pages/frontpage2.asp), New York Observer, March 24, 2004. Also extracts (http://coldfury.com/reason/comments.php?id=P1730_0_1_0).
· Joe Conason, "The Widows are watching," (http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2004/04/02/widows/index_np.html) Salon, April 2, 2004: "Four outspoken World Trade Center widows claim the 9/11 commission director's ties to the White House undermine the commission's credibility."
· Pat Wingert, "Bonds of Steel. Keeping faith: The families of 9/11 victims are a mighty force. Ask the White House, the commission--or anyone else in their way," (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4616154/) Newsweek, April 5, 2004 (Edition).
· Dorothy Rabinowitz, "The 9/11 Widows. Americans are beginning to tire of them," (http://www.opinionjournal.com/medialog/?id=110004950) Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal, April 14, 2004.
· Joan Milinaro, "9/11 mom's questions for Bush," (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/187046p-161977c.html) New York Daily News, April 24, 2004.
J. James Estrada
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