A one David Fisher in Dallas, Texas wonders who Bob Weir is and how he's come to have his letter to the editor published in just about every big city newspaper.

I read several editorial sections from major newspapers around the country on an almost daily basis. These include: The New York Times, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, New York Post, L.A. Times, Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, The Seattle Times, and many others.

I have written many, many times to various newspapers and have never had a single letter printed. I do, however, notice that a Bob Weir of Flower Mound, Texas, is printed often in every single one of these papers. I have read no fewer than two dozen letters to the editor in various newspapers written by him.

Who is he? Why does his opinion get so much attention from so many newspapers? I very much look forward to your response.

Though I'd never stumbled across a letter of Mr. Weir's, I thought I'd use this google deal to see if Mr. Weir indeed has propagated his his mind share across the national newspaper realm and hopefully answer Mr. Fisher's query. And indeed Weir has pasted his presence across the editorial sections of not only major metropolitan newspapers, but small town and other national news outlets. Whether it be political election campaigning, education, Bush v. Gore, politician pork, homosexual hate, criminal justice, civil rights, faith based social initiatives, and probably a host of others that arn't represented in the google space.

A biographical blurb on Mr. Weir says he's a retired NYPD sergeant, with two published novels in his credits. Though, it appears that Weir could no doubt, author an illustrative treatise on how to get your letter to the editor published.

Another reason to refrain from watching television journalism.

Local news programs carrying government sponsored video news releases that are tailored to appear as independent news segments without identification of the source.

The materials were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services, which called them video news releases, but the source is not identified. Two videos end with the voice of a woman who says, "In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting."

What does the law say about such matters?

Federal law prohibits the use of federal money for "publicity or propaganda purposes" not authorized by Congress. In the past, the General Accounting Office has found that federal agencies violated this restriction when they disseminated editorials and newspaper articles written by the government or its contractors without identifying the source.

How is this not publicity or propaganda?

Listening to KTAR Jay Lawrence this evening, I heard again, the falsehood repeated about Peaceful Tomorrows, the advocacy organization founded by family members of September 11th victims that called for the Bush campaign to end its campaign ads featuring WTC 9/11 imagery. Media flacks continue to perpetrate this lie but the truth is this the organization receives no funding from the Heinz or Kerry families:

September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows has never received funding from the Howard Heinz Endowment, the Vira I. Heinz Endowment, Teresa Heinz Kerry or John Kerry.

Peaceful Tomorrows has no connection with the Heinz or Kerry families through Tides Foundation, the Tides Center or any other entity.

The vulgar Limbaugh pounced on this group, running with the original flawed reporting, with no concern for the facts, as his typical for him.

As I say, we've now learned all the organizational effort that's going on behind this and these people are indeed aligned with the Democratic Party, and it's just… I do not know this kind of hatred; I don't know this kind of venom; I don't harbor it; I never have; I don't know what it's like to be governed by this kind of rage, and I don't know what life must be like when it is. I cannot relate. I cannot relate to being obsessed with rage and hatred. I can relate to being obsessed with love and infatuation, but I cannot relate to being obsessed with all this hatred.

No, Rush, you are the hate monger disseminating lies and disinformation. And shame on the other media outlets for propagating these Republican campaign dirty trick shenanigans.