"Dave" wrote
Doug, that chestnut's been kicking around for 23 years and will probably
be
kicking around for another 20 among the conspiracy theorists of the left.
.....

Left? I voted against JFK. I was a card-carrying Republican having worked
for Goldwater and helped Nixon get elected twice. My job gave me insights
into military intelligence and, since So American hot spots were closer to
my folks in So Cal than I was in DC, I contributed $$ and time to Contra and
other anti-communist organizations.

Remember the Shaw? He'd bought a $jillion worth of US weapon systems in
case he had to fight Iraq. Questioned on national TV, he put the blame for
the first gas shortage squarely on the US, Brit and Dutch oil cartel vs
OPEC. Nixon's people called his remarks "unfortunate" and "irresponsible"
but not false and within months the Shaw was overthrown then, like Ruby,
dead of cancer. Point is the CIA giveth and the CIA taketh away in those
pre-carter days and it was CIA who let the Ayatollah in. No doubt they
reminded him of his debt from time to time. So why did it take RR to get
the hostages back? You tell me.

Like many loyal Republicans, I was appalled when Reagan pulled the right
wing rug out from under Ford to assure a Carter victory because he knew he'd
be too sick if he had to wait thru 8 years of Ford to run. Four years later
he cut the deal with Iran and paid them off through a mid-east arms dealer
who made billions. Casey and Ollie leaned on that dealer to divert some of
his profits to the Contras. That's why Democrats were on Iran-Contra like
bull dogs - if Ollie had rolled over they prolly could have impeached RR, or
at least tried.

Of course everybody, especially Casey's kids, kept careful diaries of these
events which they donated to libraries and are now available to you and I on
the internet - right? So I otta be able to prove this "left wing theory"
right? Ok, but first lets talk about some Florida land and a bridge I'd like
to sell you (c: