Sunday Feb 26, 2006

Dear Sis~
The closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics is coming on TV shortly and I'll probably check it out. Truthfully, I've watched little of these Olympics; I just don't get too excited over the winter sports in general, which is probably a function of being a native of Miami...
I spent a long time on the phone this morning talking with my attorney - he went into the office today even though it's Sunday, in order to catch my call - as we hammered out the details for our reply to the State's response to our petition for writ of certiorari. Tomorrow, which is Monday, our reply absolutely must be in the mail, on its way to the US Supreme Court, hence this last-minute scramble to wrap it up. His secretary ( who also came in) was typing away as we spoke and he wrote down my own thoughts and ideas re our reply. I have an extremely sharp attorney - actually, he's brilliant - and he's passionate about my case, so I'm confident that our reply will be the best possible. After tomorrow, it will be out of our hands and up to the US Supreme Court to give us a yes or a no. My best estimate is that this will happen in late March...
It's interesting to watch the big brouhaha that's been unfolding about the contract which the company from the United Arab Emirates has purchased to run all of those ports on the Eastern Seaboard (including Miami). The issue has been totally politicized, not surprisingly, with all of the talking heads and elected officials yapping away, producing much political heat, while shedding very little rational light. The security implications are being way overblown, but there is one interesting question that ought to be answered, but which nobody has yet to ask: Why is President Bush so heavily invested in this particular company, above any and all other companies, receiving the contract? Why must it be this company? There's something odd about Bush's intransigence, about how he immediately dug his heels in - even before, or so now he claims, he was even advised of the decision (talk about revisionism!) - and declared that there is no way in the world that he will consider any other option. Bush has repeatedly declared that he is "totally convinced that this is absolutely the right decision." Why? Why couldn't some other domestic company do the job just as well? Why must it absolutely be this company? I've yet to hear that fundamental question be asked, or answered. But, I'm just a convict sitting in a cell; what the Hell do I know?

Love & Peace
Bill