"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
k.net...
"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message
...

No, Steven, he did not pay the reward to any witness, despite at
least
one credible one coming forward. "It turns out that no credible
witness has come forward to claim the prize, so this week Trudeau
mailed a
personal check for $10,000 to the USO. "We're extremely grateful for
his generosity," USO Vice President John Hansen told me yesterday."
www.pro-war.com/prowardotcom/2004/week12/



No, Kevin, he didn't pay the reward to any witness. From the start,
the
reward was not to be paid to the witness, it was to be paid to the
USO.
After the witness came forward Trudeau very quickly, and very quietly,
paid off as promised.


Steven, what is so hard to understand about, "It turns out that no
credible witness has come forward to claim the prize..."? The money
was offered up as an individual reward--he only gave it to the USO after
he claimed no credible witness had come forward. Do a Google on it.
Even you should be able to handle that difficult task.


Yes, Kevin, I can perform a Google search. If you were capable of that
rather simple task you might have learned that the Trudeau prize was NOT
offered up as an individual reward. See the last of the FAQs below:

Note the following direct quotes from your own cite: "And the two witnesses
who have
come forward in support so far haven't exactly cleared things up" and
"That's
right, we're offering $10,000 cash! Yours to either spend or invest in job
creation." Now tell us again how he recognized one of the witnesses as being
credible? Can you point out which witness was allegedly found to be credible
by Mr. Trudeau and Co.? As to where the money was destined, it seems the ad
posits two differing claims--the one above, and the one about it going to
the USO.

Brooks



http://doonesbury.msn.com/strip/bush_guard.html


For the past twelve years, George W. Bush has had to endure charges that
he
didn't take the final two years of his Guard service as seriously as duty
required. (For updated timeline, click here.) And the two witnesses who
have
come forward in support so far haven't exactly cleared things up. We at
the
Town Hall believe that with everything he has on his plate, Mr. Bush
shouldn't have to contend with attacks on the National Guard, which is
serving so bravely in Iraq. And we're willing to back up our support with
cold, hard cash.

Granted, this has been tried before. In 2000, concerned veterans in both
Texas and Alabama offered cash rewards to lure former guardmates of Mr.
Bush
into stepping forward, to no avail. The problem, in our view, was that
these
enticements weren't serious enough, that the sums offered were insulting.
In
contrast, we at the DTH&WP respect how inconvenient it can be to subject
yourself to worldwide media scrutiny in general, and Fox News in
particular,
and are thus prepared to sweeten previous offers by a factor of five.
That's
right, we're offering $10,000 cash! Yours to either spend or invest in job
creation. All you have to do is definitively prove that George W. Bush
fulfilled his duty to country.

So don't let the smear artists define the president. If you personally
witnessed George W. Bush reporting for drills at Dannelly Air National
Guard
Base between the months of May and November of 1972 we want to hear about
it. Help Mr. Bush put this partisan assault on his character behind him,
so
he can focus on more serious issues like jobs, the deficit and the coming
civil war in Iraq. Just contact us below with the salient details. If we
think you're a possible winner, we'll get back to you pronto. Good luck to
all contestants!

Contest FAQs

Q: Isn't this just a publicity stunt?
A: If by a publicity stunt, you mean an attempt to draw attention to the
problem of gutter politics, trolling-for-trash, and cheap smear tactics,
then sure, guilty as charged.

Q: What if I saw Bush, but I can't prove it? Can I get some of the money?
A: No, but if your story's entertaining enough, you may qualify for our
consolation prize, an original Doonesbury strip personally signed by a top
studio intern.

Q: Haven't you done something like this before?
A: Yes, only in reverse -- the goal was implication, not exoneration. In
1992, we offered an Austin Powers-like $25.00 to anyone willing to admit
she
slept with a presidential candidate. The entry form was multiple-choice
with
a few essay questions (e.g. "You're dating a married father of three with
presidential ambitions. You believe that you and he have a future
together.
Explain.") There were no takers.

Q: The DTH&WP is a media content web site, which means you're broke. Who's
paying the reward?
A: The reward is being generously underwritten by Doonesbury creator G. B.
Trudeau. The money has been put in escrow and is being administered by
Universal Press Syndicate.


Q: It's really in escrow?
A: No, but we're good for it. Thanks to Bush's massive tax cuts for people
who don't need them, GBT is flush.

Q: Are employees of Universal Press Syndicate, Slate or Microsoft eligible
for the contest?
A: Only if no one else comes forward.

Q: Is there some sort of hitch?
A: Well, yes, but it's a hitch for a good cause. The winner won't actually
receive the reward for himself; instead we'll be donating $10,000 in his
name to the USO. That way everyone's a winner, including GBT's tax
accountant.