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Message muffled Can't Get a Word in EdgewiseBy Rick Horowitz
WASHINGTON, ANY DAY NOW -- Law-enforcement officials hinted late this evening that they were close to a breakthrough in their long-frustrated efforts to solve the case of the serial griper. Sources close to the investigation confirmed reports that there had been further communication with the person or persons responsible for the string of complaints about Bush administration economic policies, complaints that, in the run-up to crucial midterm elections on November 5th, have held this city -- and the nation -- in the paralyzing grip of utter apathy. A phone call at mid-afternoon apparently led authorities to a handwritten letter attached to a tree on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. While the full contents of the letter have not been revealed, police were said to be convinced that the letter was "consistent" with previous messages received in recent days. "We're following all kinds of leads," said one senior official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "And some leads are more productive than others." The official declined to elaborate. Others who had seen the latest letter, however, painted a picture of an angry and increasingly frustrated writer lashing out at the White House and at major media organizations -- which he described as "inept" -- and threatening even more tirades to come. "The guy feels like he's being totally ignored," one source suggested. "This is someone who feels he has something important to say, and the longer nobody listens, the more ticked off he gets. It's all about control." For weeks, the airwaves had been dominated by talk of a possible war with Iraq, forcing other issues, including the fragile state of the economy, virtually out of sight. Then, just as Congress was granting the president the authority to conduct such a war without further approval, a series of high-profile shootings in and around Washington captured the public's attention. "He probably figured it was his time," said the source, "as soon as those votes were over. Then this other thing comes up, and now that's all anybody wants to talk about. He can't get a word in edgewise." In an apparent attempt to alter that dynamic once and for all, the griper was said to have demanded in this latest letter that a senior administration official appear in the White House briefing room before midnight tonight and say, "The economic recovery is as dead as an elephant in a noose." But administration sources indicated this evening that no such statement would be forthcoming. The significance of the elephant reference was not immediately clear. Today's letter was at least the third discovered by police; the previous messages have been described as "rambling." In one, the griper claimed to have tried at least a half-dozen times to phone the bookers for various Sunday-morning talk shows, but was rebuffed on each attempt. These rejections only exacerbated his anger. "Because you refused to even hear me out," the griper wrote, "five more faxes had to be sent." Spokesmen for the programs in question conceded that in the current news environment, they might have overlooked a phone call, or even several, from the griper. But one long-time programming executive maintained that slip-ups were inevitable in such a highly charged atmosphere. "There are so many scammers and wannabes out there," said the executive, "it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff." He pledged to scrutinize future calls with greater care, but even so, could not guarantee that the actual griper would be properly identified should he try to reach out once again. "We must get 50 calls a day," he explained, "from people claiming to be Tom Daschle." Posted 10/24/02.
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Rick Horowitz
