US prosecutors drop case against Armstrong/USPS

[Race Radio]

I’m with you. I don’t care about suffering of witnesses who were pressured to change testimony. They should just get on with their lives. Stop looking back. I don’t care about those who kept their mouths shut for years to protect the omerta and lose their homes and families in the process. And you’re right. I’m sure Lance doesn’t care either!

This is a good point

There are dozens of witnesses who talked with the Feds. Riders, DS', staff. Given the vindictiveness of the targets you would expect the various investigators to exude confidence and assure them that their testimony is not in vain

The fact that one guy can ignore dozens of witnesses and drop this is sure to have many people feeling angry and exposed.

 

[BotanyBay]

I’m with you. I don’t care about suffering of witnesses who were pressured to change testimony. They should just get on with their lives. Stop looking back. I don’t care about those who kept their mouths shut for years to protect the omerta and lose their homes and families in the process. And you’re right. I’m sure Lance doesn’t care either!

This is like the part of "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" where Pee-Wee is about to get his posterior kicked by a bunch of bikers, so he throws his voice and says "And I think we should just let him go"... To which the bikers all just say "NAHHHHHH!!!"

Not to worry hog. Lance, his kids and the witnesses can all rest. Justice has been done. The people who should be worried are the witch hunters, right?

 

[Dr. Maserati]

I take it then Lance reads this forum?

oh i bet he posts here in the clinic regularly. all these strange named posters that appear from time to time in Armstrong threads and then disappear for months to return again posting more rubbish.

Yip - it must be tough on him to start posting with "I am not a Lance fan, I think he doped and is an asshole but....."

 

[Benotti69]

That's what there doing right now. But I'll wager most deem it dirty. The media keep running the same play from the same play book, but captivate an ever smaller and smaller audience.

That captive audience are potential donations to Live$trong so if it is getting smaller and smaller no wonder the jet is getting sold, the money is drying up.

 

[BillytheKid]

A cartoon likeness of the perceptual distortion of some here.

 

[virandociclista]

Maybe wikileaks would be a good option now......

 

[BotanyBay]

Indeed. Let the investigation continue to prove LA's cleanliness. There should be no doubt as to his guilt. But LA's team seeeeeeeems to prefer spreading doubt over exploring facts.

Cloxxki: Not guilt. Innocence.

There should be an investigation into the investigation. Clearly people were asleep for two years. I want to know who woke them all up. You know, so we can THANK them. I want to know who it was that tortured all of these innocent cancer killers and do-gooders. I want to prevent abusers of power from wielding this power again in the future.

I know Lance is a really humble guy. I know he is the kind of guy who says "No sweat" and never holds a grudge. Cancer-killing just makes him stronger and more adamant about getting back to the real mission in life. Cancer awareness. Without Lance's continued presence in the fight, people might have started to forget that their relatives were all dying of rampant, out-of-control cell multiplication. Millions might have forgotten why they were dying. Millions might have had to glam-on to something else to help them feel better about their shallow lives and gross consumerist habits. They might have had to turn back to picking up litter (as if it were the 1970's all over again). Dark times, I tell ya. Dark times.

Lance, this one's for you, buddy. You go back to Aspen. You relax. We'll take it from here. You've earned it. We'll make sure that no other athletes with superhuman displays of athletic dominance ever get accused of such a farce ever again. LiveStrong brutha!

 

[BotanyBay]

The fact that one guy can ignore dozens of witnesses and drop this is sure to have many people feeling angry and exposed.

If he could buy influence, he could probably also buy a peek of the testimony too.

 

[LarryBudMelman]

Thank you for writing the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ). This is an acknowledgment that we have received your email. Thank you for your patience and writing the Criminal Division.

The response I received.
Thanks Larry.

Call up the Obama and Boxer haters in the Senate and House. Influence peddling by Clintonites in the Obama administration to get Pharmstrong off? You don't think this is big. Continued leaks, big stories...

 

[LarryBudMelman]

That's funny and may be the case on

Yip - it must be tough on him to start posting with "I am not a Lance fan, I think he doped and is an asshole but....."

CN forums, but take a look around the internets. All of the Pharmstrong support can't be self generated. Sadly there are multitudes of people who really buy into all of the arguments his lawyers keep spewing.

The legal arguments are moronic. The public relations is stunningly perceptive and brilliant.

 

[Polish]

Thank you for writing the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ). This is an acknowledgment that we have received your email. Thank you for your patience and writing the Criminal Division.

The response I received.
Thanks Larry.

Thats weird.

After I sent a "good job" e-mail they responded:

"Thank you for the kind note, sorry for the inconvenience".

 

[Zoncolan]

Maybe wikileaks would be a good option now......

Nah, Lemmiwinks would kill him

 

[eleven]

When you get like 10 of his former teammates cooperationg with an investigation or testifying to a GJ, it's as plain as day. This was just the tip of the iceberg.

What did those 10 all testify to?

 

[Benotti69]

What did those 10 all testify to?

Receiving Drugs from Team Armstrong.
Being administered drugs by Team Armstrong.
Transporting Drugs on behalf of Team Armstrong.

etc

 

[eleven]

Receiving Drugs from Team Armstrong.
Being administered drugs by Team Armstrong.
Transporting Drugs on behalf of Team Armstrong.

etc

All 10 former riders testified to that, did they?

really? Show us where you found this, will ya?

 

[Benotti69]

All 10 former riders testified to that, did they?

really? Show us where you found this, will ya?

I cant, you are not privy to the investigation.

 

[Oldman]

All 10 former riders testified to that, did they?

really? Show us where you found this, will ya?

Several days ago I was unsettled by how a political "tool" was able to derail an investigation of this significance both in the US and Worldwide. Looking at the USADA, WADA and international responses I now think Raceradio was right. Lance will look back at that short quiet period as the "good days". This isn't going away because there is plenty of evidence. Do I know exactly what it is? Of course not. It is very likely USADA, WADA, IRS, FBI all now exactly what is there and will now respond to the reverse political pressure to pursue Lance. Add Birotte's federal career to the casulty list but as some have pointed out; he's likely planning to be a consultant anyway.

 

[The Plediadian]

Oh, I'm quite certain that Mr. Amrstrong probably wants to just get on with his life as if this never happened. Thank your lucky stars that such a small percentage of the population (such as myself) find amusement in correcting breakdowns in the justice system. You benefit from the actions of a few each and every day of your life.

A lot of good is coming out of the former investigation. A lot of healing for many victims, As far as attacking the US judicial system, this matter does nothing.
The judicial system is protected iron clad by the Constitution and its amendments.

 

[Benotti69]

Several days ago I was unsettled by how a political "tool" was able to derail an investigation of this significance both in the US and Worldwide. Looking at the USADA, WADA and international responses I now think Raceradio was right. Lance will look back at that short quiet period as the "good days". This isn't going away because there is plenty of evidence. Do I know exactly what it is? Of course not. It is very likely USADA, WADA, IRS, FBI all now exactly what is there and will now respond to the reverse political pressure to pursue Lance. Add Birotte's federal career to the casulty list but as some have pointed out; he's likely planning to be a consultant anyway.

What fans of Armstrong have not considered, is that Fabiani was probably brought in to kill the Criminal investigation. He has done that. Job done. I hope he cashed the check before the next round of brown stuff hits the fan.

 

[Oldman]

A lot of good is coming out of the former investigation. A lot of healing for many victims, As far as attacking the US judicial system, this matter does nothing.
The judicial system is protected iron clad by the Constitution and its amendments.

You're confusing a politically motivated administrative call with the Judicial System. This matter hasn't gotten to any adjudication, yet. The manner at which Birotte suspended the GJ seems to have backfired and the net effect looks to be more, not less scrutiny.

 

[MarkvW]

Several days ago I was unsettled by how a political "tool" was able to derail an investigation of this significance both in the US and Worldwide. Looking at the USADA, WADA and international responses I now think Raceradio was right. Lance will look back at that short quiet period as the "good days". This isn't going away because there is plenty of evidence. Do I know exactly what it is? Of course not. It is very likely USADA, WADA, IRS, FBI all now exactly what is there and will now respond to the reverse political pressure to pursue Lance. Add Birotte's federal career to the casulty list but as some have pointed out; he's likely planning to be a consultant anyway.

Blame Birotte? Why? What makes anybody think that this decision did not come from (or wasn't ratified by) Eric Holder?

 

[Oldman]

What fans of Armstrong have not considered, is that Fabiani was probably brought in to kill the Criminal investigation. He has done that. Job done. I hope he cashed the check before the next round of brown stuff hits the fan.

Fans or not; Fabiani was bought in to do what he accomplished. He spun the investigation into something it was not about and highlighted the "costs" in a politically unacceptable light. Problem for Lance is the money's already largely spent and evidence is available. Fabiani's ability to supress evidence might not be covered by Lance's checkbook or Fab's skillset. Unless Lance is covering Ferrari he still has guilt by association going for him in the public realm. Killing the legend in the Public's mind will deprive him of his income stream and that's equally important.
That and seeing Liggett's career end in quiet retirement is a valuable outcome.

 

[Oldman]

Blame Birotte? Why? What makes anybody think that this decision did not come from (or wasn't ratified by) Eric Holder?

It may very well be but Holder's smart enough to use a political buffer. The backlash doesn't have to be his problem. Backlash a'plenty seems to be the mood of the day, doesn't it?

 

[MarkvW]

MarkvW:

I am very angry right now. Clearly an innocent man was the victim of a massive government witch-hunt, right? So being that this innocent man has nothing to hide, and being that our society should seek to correct the errors in our criminal justice system, I think it is only right and just to seek (not seek... DEMAND) a full TRANSPARENT inquiry into why it took them TWO YEARS to exonerate such a valued member of our anti-cancer community. Let's lay it ALL out on the table. Let's find out WHO perjured themselves. WHO fabricated evidence. Find out WHO in the federal government is to blame for this obvious miscarriage of justice. And more importantly, we should be RECOGNIZING the one SANE person who woke-up the US attorney's office so that we can publicly THANK them for their patriotic contribution to truth... justice... and the American way.

So after 3 days of relief and jubilation, you (naturally) should be turning your patriotic attention to correcting this obvious misdeed. I don't think it would be fair to Mr. Armstrong and his kids to just let this situation lie. We need to root-out the corruption that LED to this.

You're with me, right?

Its corruption because the haters didn't get what they want. It would have been abuse of government power if the fanboys hadn't gotten what they wanted. Same stupid arguments. Two sides of the same irrational coin.

 

[Race Radio]

It may very well be but Holder's smart enough to use a political buffer. The backlash doesn't have to be his problem. Backlash a'plenty seems to be the mood of the day, doesn't it?

A buffer, like Lanny Breuer?

While most of the evidence surrounding the charges is still not known there is a large piece that is in the public domain. It would be hard for even the most talented lawyer to pretend that what happen to Tyler was not witness tampering.