Posted on 05/17/2005 12:04:34 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
YOWZA! YOWZA! YOWZA!!! It’s RED ALERT time in the AndyScam scandal!!! A regular 5-ALARM fire has broken out in DUmmieland. Pied Piper Pitt has FINALLY awakened from his insomniac state of apathy and has DENOUNCED Andy Stephenson in this THREAD titled, “I'm pretty upset right now, and I need an explanation.” I’m sure you all are HOT to get right into this firestorm so without further adieu let’s get right to it. Pied Piper Pitt’s ANGRY RED HOT posts as well as those of his fellow DUmmies are in Bolshevik Red while the commentary of your humble correspondent, watching Dummieland trying to extinguish the flames of outrage with gasoline, is in the brackets:
I'm pretty upset right now, and I need an explanation
[It was ALL explained for you days ago right here in the DUmmie FUnnies, Pitt. I guess you were trying so desperately to get some sleep that you didn’t notice.]
As you all know, I was one of the people who took point on raising money for Andy. I wrote about it for truthout two or three times, and convinced the crew at Progressive Democrats of America as well that we needed to raise a call for help.
[Your choice, Pitt: Were you a sap or a shill?]
This is what I wrote for truthout on May 3rd:
"A few weeks ago, Andy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of the more dangerous varieties of the disease. His doctors told him he needed a Whipple procedure to get at the tumor, and only a few hospitals in America can perform this complicated procedure with the required competence. To compound the problem, Andy shares the plight of millions of others in our disgusting for-profit health care system and does not have health insurance."
[That taste of Scamdy Kool-Aid does tend to leave a sour taste in the mouth. Eh, Pitt?]
This is what I wrote on the PDA blog, in our call for help, on April 29th:
"Several weeks ago, Andy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was recently told that he must undergo what is called a Whipple Procedure. This is a very serious surgery that few hospitals in America are skilled enough to perform well, and requires significant time for recovery. Fortunately, some friends managed to get Andy a slot at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, one of the premier hospitals for this type of procedure. He is slated for the procedure in the second week of May. Unfortunately, the hospital requires a $25,000 down-payment before they assent to doing the Whipple, and requires another $25,000 once the procedure is done. They are expecting the down-payment immediately."
[A FOOL and his money are soon parted. Same goes for his mind too.]
The basis for this started way back in February. On the 29th, I posted this truthout blog entry, which I reposted here on the first and fifteenth of every month to help raise money:
"For the last several weeks, Andy has been suffering through a bout of Hepatitis. The word came down yesterday, however, that his situation is far more serious. 'I apparently have a tumor growing around the bile duct where it passes through my pancreas," he wrote. "The tissue sample was consistent with malignancy; it could be benign but I am planning for the worst.'"
Note that here it says 'tumor.' In subsequent weeks I was told that it was pancreatic cancer requiring a Whipple. Note also that the fundraising for Andy did not start a week or so ago, but started three months ago.
[So you swallowed Scamdy Kool-Aid from the get-go. It sure doesn’t say much for your judgement, Pitt.]
I woke up today to this DU thread, in which it was reported:
"fyi: it is a tumour on the duct, not the pancreas themselves. it looks to not have spread at all. it is not pancreatic cancer as others have posted, but if it was not caught early enough, it would have certainly spread there."
"...as others have posted..."
I am one of those "others" who posted it was pancreatic cancer, requiring a Whipple. I posted it here, on truthout, and on PDA. I did so because that is what I was told was the diagnosis, repeatedly, by both Andy and others.
[“others” = “suckers”]
Now that it turns out not to be the case, I have some questions:
[I have a question for you, Pitt. Why are you JUST NOW waking up to this AndyScam when the whole scam has been revealed in the DUmmie FUnnies since last week? But continue…]
1. If it was not the very serious pancreatic cancer, why did the surgery need to be done at Johns Hopkins?
[$$$. And the best way to raise it is to screech pancreatic surgery needed at Johns Hopkins.]
2. If a Whipple was not required, why was $25,000 and then $50,000 needed for this surgery? Andy could have gotten this far-less-serious procedure done back in Seattle for a hell of a lot less money.
[Um…maybe because Andy is a CON MAN as has been mentioned for WEEKS here in the DUmmie FUnnies?]
3. Why was I personally told this was pancreatic cancer? Why was I allowed to repeat this now-inaccurate diagnosis many times without anyone correcting me?
[Because Andy knows a FOOL when he sees one.]
Understand: I believe Andy has a tumor of some kind, and this requires medical attention. I do not think this entire situation was fabricated from nothing.
[I happen to have an ingrown toenail, Pitt. Could you please raise money for me and tell everyone it is for cancer of the foot?]
But the 400 people who will come into this thread with "Andy doesn't need this stress" can hold your water. Andy is apparently a hell of a lot less ill than I and others were led to believe, and I need some answers. I put my reputation, the reputation of truthout, the reputation of PDA, and the reputations of all the people who work for those organizations on the line not once, not twice, but every day for weeks on this. I have a huge, huge responsibility here, and I am not going to just let that drop.
[Don’t worry about Andy. He is the FATTEST pancreatic cancer patient in history. You could have figured that out for yourself if you just bother to analyze for a half second those pics he posted recently of himself with chubby cherubic cheeks. As to your reputation, Pitt, I think that already went down the toilet when you posted your HILARIOUS Hockey Puck theory of geopolitics a few weeks ago.]
I have a personal reason for asking these questions over and above everything else. A great and good friend of PDA, activist Damu Smith, was recently diagnosed with advanced colon cancer. There is no ambiguity about this diagnosis. But because I was told Andy had pancreatic cancer requiring a $50,000 Whipple in the best hospital on the Eastern seaboard, I talked PDA into diverting time and resources towards Andy. This wound up diverting time and resources away from Damu.
[Would it make you feel better to know that Andy bought himself a pet puppy?]
I would like some answers. No wait and see. I have spent time with Andy, worked with him, thought I knew him well enough to vouch for him in a time of crisis. I am feeling personally betrayed right now, and furthermore I have put far more than my own feelings and standing on the line here.
[You could have had your answers long ago, Pitt, if you actually paid attention to the DUmmie FUnnies. We were the FIRST to break the Bev Harris scandal. And we are the FIRST to break the AndyScam scandal. (Please take note, Mary Matalin).]
If you think I'm a bastard for asking, I will live with that. But if this is not explained to a degree I find satisfactory, there is going to be hell to pay.
[What are you going to do? Give Scamdy a Bowel Flush? And now on to the commentary of the DUmmie bystanders in this burning HOT melodrama…]
There is nothing wrong or offensive in anything you said. You want answers and you deserve them. I am certain others feel just the same way that you do. I among them.
[You could have had ALL the answers about the AndyScam long ago merely by checking out the DUmmie FUnnies.]
Question though and I'm not trying to discount your concern in any way . . .What is the difference between saying "I apparently have a tumor growing around the bile duct where it passes through my pancreas" and "it is a tumour on the duct, not the pancreas themselves?" They sound like they're describing the same thing to me.
[I’ll let Pied Piper Pitt answer that question. Take ‘er away, Pitt!]
That was February. In the time since, I was told it was pancreatic cancer requiring a WEhipple. I was told this by Andy. I put that third quote in there to underscore the fact that fundraising for Andy didn'st start here a couple of weeks ago, but has been ongoing for three months.
[Uh-Oh! But will you testify to that in court during the AndyScam trial, Pitt?]
Well, I have no clue what's going on. I trust both of you and to see that you aren't totally together on this, I don't know what to think. I'll wait to see what the answers are and what you make of them. *lost*
[*lost* ---You got that right.]
Just curious. If you spent time with Andy, worked with him, and knew him on a personal level - to whatever degree - how is it that you and he never discussed his diagnosis in detail?
[Because Pied Piper Pitt will unquestioningly swallow any Kool-Aid served to him by a Leftist.]
Perhaps you need to talk to Andy. After all, he would be the only one who could truly provide you with the answers you need. Besides, this is DU, after all, and shit can get flung around with great abandon, with matters being taken out of context, and people making mountains out of molehills. I'm assuming that you have a way of contacting Andy, I would suggest that you do. perhaps he can provide you with a copy of his doctor's diagnosis.
[Andy Stephenson is just $10 away from calling Pied Piper Pitt with a full explanation.]
Much as I pray for Andy's good health, I get the feeling I have missed something cuz I don't understand the nuances.
[Here’s a little “nuance” for you: Andy Stephenson SCAMMED buku bucks for the second time in less than 6 months out of you incredibly GULLIBLE DUmmies despite all the warnings posted about him.]
If people stop trying to make this world a better place because of being mis-led ( AND THAT'S NOT AN ASSUMPTION- SIMPLY A POSSIBILITY)- we should all drink the kool-aid asap.
[Um…I think you ALREADY did drink the Scamdy Kool-Aid.]
I just found out in this thread that our friend Damu is sick. Damu is an absolute stand-up guy!!!!!!! My husband has done work with him and Black Voices for Peace over the past few years and he is an inspiration to all. The news that he is sick is shocking and disheartening. I would hate for our side to lose someone so dedicated and valuable. My prayers go out for Damu and his family.
[Yeah, well too bad you fools already sent your money to Scamdy who is NOT sick with cancer.] I think you need to talk to Andy directly, Will. He's the only one who can provide the answers.
[Andy Stephenson is only $10 away from providing you with the answers.]
Exactly. Why air a concern publicly before giving a "friend" an opportunity to respond? IMO, this is a perfect example of "shit flinging"... contact Andy! Go straight to the source.
[It looks like something is hitting the fan bigtime in Dummieland!]
It was the source that got me going on pancreatic cancer, Whipples and fifty grand. I would like a public disclosure for reasons I think are clearly understandable.
[That “source” will will make full disclosure to you, Pitt, after he is done flushing his bowels.]
especially since the "proof" was the copy of the certified check, not the cancelled check
[Actually copies of cashiers checks but its nice to know you read the DUmmie FUnnies.]
So how are your sleeping patterns? Do you find lack of sleep makes you jumpy? Andy is your friend, or so you say, so call and ask him. And go to the doctor so that you can sleep. Take care of your own health.
[Pied Piper Pitt is just $10 away from getting an hour of sleep this month.]
... Will, thank you for broaching a subject many of us have been afraid to post about and Andy, all I would like is a consistent history of what was known and when. What is the real diagnosis and do you really need a Whipple procedure? Sorry if I sound harsh, but I'm feeling particularly disillusioned this afternoon.
[LOUSY FREEPER TROLL!!! Give to Scamdy until it hurts. And then give EVEN MORE!]
For the life of me, I can't understand why someone in a position such as yourself would not get the patient to sign a HIPPA form and then send the form on to the hospital. There really is no need for all this public thrashing around. There is no need to wonder what is going on. The facts are readily available. The hospital can then send you ALL his medical records. Then any doubts could be absolutely and completely resolved.
[Um…maybe because Pied Piper Pitt is a DUhhhhh…mmie?]
It appears that horse has left the barn. Had I been a professional about this - instead of a trusting friend - I would have required that a hell of a long time ago before posting any calls for help.
[Thanx for “enlightening” us, Pitt… DUhhhhh…mmie!]
I was going to post a similiar thread. But was waiting for the PM and e-mail that I sent to Skinner to be answered before I did. I don't really care who flames me or whether I receive a tombstone for saying this, but I've been very uncomfortable with the silence on this board when it comes to this issue and any verification of the cause I donated not just once, but twice to. Would I have donated had I known it wasn't a life threatening condition? Probably not, because we all know there are MANY DU'ers on this board with medical problems and no insurance to pay for them. If I donated to Andy, I have to donate to them all. I dunno. I hope Andy comes along and clears this all up and that I get rid of this bad feeling I have that I've just had my pocket picked.
[Welcome to “The Silence of the Scams,” DUhhhh…mmie!]
It does "feel" odd, and has now for a couple of weeks. I would have thought by now we would have had the definitive answer, but there are just more questions.
[Well, don’t look to Skinner for answers…or leadership.]
I think all of us at DU need an explanation, because we all invested our time, money and our emotions to this calling. We deserve to be told the circumstances exactly as they are. No more embellishment, just the facts. If this matter wasn't handled on the straight and narrow, then someone needs to be accountable.
[You want the truth? Alright, I’ll TELL YOU THE TRUTH!!! You got SCAMMED!!! And if you want to hold someone accountable, then start with Skinner who idly sat by while allowing Bev Harris’ former partner in crime scammed EVEN MORE money from you incredibly GULLIBLE DUmmies. And after holding Skinner accountable, then hold YOURSELF accountable for allowing your feeble mind to guide you.]
Will, you have to get some sleep. Your lack of sleep is impairing your judgment. This is not an attack, it is an observation and you have let all of the Lounge know you have terrible insomnia. Deal with that, for your sake and for those who trust your judgment. Right now, you aren't using any imho.
[Sleep Will. It is ALL a bad dream. Andy is NOT scamming everybody based on your word. It is only a nightmare you are having, Pitt. When you wake up, ALL will be well…in your alternate reality.]
Skinner was going to get in touch with Andy and get him to give his permission to his doctors to discuss his situation. Then he (Skinner) was going to tell us here at DU what the doctors said. What is the status of that?
[BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Does that answer your question?]
It wasn't just here it was all over the net. Mike Malloy, Thom Hartmann, the Al Franken message boards, the Randi Rhodes message boards, numerous other websites. Always it was posted that Andy had pancreatic cancer which has a less than 10% survival rate and not pancreatitis (or whatever it is he is supposed to have now) which has a greater than 95% survival rate.
[It’s nice to know that DUmmieland has a lot of Leftist company in the Gullible Fools Dept..]
Couple of things. According to what I have seen, the Whipple is not going to be preformed now. The diagnosos I was told in the last weeks was difinitive: Pancreatic cancer needing a Whipple. That was the basis of the calls for help, that it was immediate and life-and-death. Like I said, I don't doubt that Andy has a tumor requiring treatment. But I am not at all sure that it required $50 grand at Johns Hopkins. It could have been pretty much free at a Seattle hospital.
[Which we have been saying for a LONG TIME here on the DUmmie FUnnies, Pitt. DUhhhhh!]
I thought someone said....that the surgery was scheduled for sometime next week. Is that in question now, too?
[Care to answer that question, Pitt?]
Who knows. This has been bouncing around like a ping pong ball. First it was $25k, then $50k, then the checks got lost, then Andy posts a thread about writing a 'hot check,' then he deletes his own thread, Skinner has not posted any clarifications, I don't even know what the surgery date is anymore, and now the whole diagnosis has changed.
[Beautiful summation of what we have been stating ALL ALONG in the DUmmie FUnnies, Pitt.]
But such surgery could easily be performed in Seattle...The $50,000 was needed to cover surgery at Johns Hopkins because the survival rate for pancreatic cancer was higher, not just surviving the surgery.
[DUhhhhh….mmie! Glad you finally woke up to REALITY.]
Next time, get the facts before you start a fund drive
[DUhhhhh…mmies!]
I'm still catching up.
don't know how to make a new thread so I'll hitch on yours.
Probably been done, but a suggestion is to gather all available DU posts on the AndyDU dialogues of months past, paste it into a Word/? program, and do searches/finds on dates, etc. and see what comes up for consistency or not.
make any sense? I'm not sure myself, I just got the questions, that's all.
Sounds good to me. Hope your trip goes well.
well a hot check is what you said happened on the 13th. I wonder why the hot check - it probably had nothing to do with JH, but more with paypal taking back funds and other checks bounced. Just a guess. The cashiers check was purchased when they were printed and signed for - the money was there at that point. I can pretty much guarantee that, but anyone can call a bank and make me out to be horse's butt for grins and giggles if I am wrong.
Well, you're braver than me! I have tried all afternoon to catch up and the behinder I get! I will go look at that post!
BTW, Welcome to FR. Watch your step - the Viking Kitties are watching! :-D
==
ok, thanks.... I think... heh.
A cashier's check is a check issued by a bank on its own account for the amount paid to the bank by the purchaser with a named payee, and stating the name of the party purchasing the check (the remitter). The check is received as cash since it is guaranteed by the bank and does not depend on the account of a private individual or business. Cashiers' checks are commonly used when payment must be credited immediately upon receipt for business, real estate transfers, tax payments and the like.
from the wik
That IF and only IF there was a hot check. And not just a ploy, a "hurry up and send me money fast" post. May have not been a hot check at all.
I can just see him struggling to lift his fingers to the keyboard, as he lies there on his deathbed, so dedicated he is to the cause.
The checks were also linked to a bank account (savings or checking) that had activity on it, ie, deposits withdrawal, bounced check etc. on the 13th.
There was activity, we do not know what it was. I was giving examples there as to what the possibilities are.
You have mail BTW ;)
What a drama queen he is! He has told more lies--I don't know how he'll ever be able to keep them straight! Should have stayed underground.......but it's more fun for us if he outs himself! hee-hee!
back at ya.
I've dealt with cashier's checks on a daily basis in my business for almost 20 years, and I can tell you, the banks around here very seldom put on the check itself the name of the remitter. Sometimes I can get by without having it on there, but many times I have to have my customer specifically ask the bank to put their name on the check as the remitter. It just depends on what investor I'm dealing with.
I thought that was a crock of crap. He lied before someone could edu-ma-cate him on cashiers checks.
on the Will Pitt blog earlier I saw a post asking about the donations limit...
Along the lines of... If Andy 'only' needed 56,000, give or take a dime, and he got it, but there are still requests out there for more money... and most likely it's even right now still pouring in....
What does Andy do with the leftovers? Cuz you and I know there Are Leftovers...
Does he Keep it All, or does he divert that extra cash to some other needy person because he has what he needed and asked for....
thanks for the info. It is very much like a money order then - but bank issued.
Regarding the oft-repeated item, whoever said it, "The Bev Harris scam" -- you didn't say it, but some keep repeating it.
There was no Bev Harris scam. All fund raising done for Black Box Voting, Inc. (http://www.blackboxvoting.org) goes into the Black Box Voting, Inc. account.
Black Box Voting, Inc. is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501c(3) organization governed by a board of seven directors.
The problem with the "scam" accusations came when an online lynch mob, led by Democratic partisans, was unleashed when we had the audacity to investigate (and find serious problems) in Democratic areas as well as Republican -- and we refused to join the desired agenda.
Some people who wanted John Kerry to win were disappointed that Black Box Voting, Inc., didn't get involved on behalf of their candidate.
First, no organization in history has ever overturned an election, much less one with just three employees and a volunteer board.
Second, John Kerry did not want his election overturned.
Third, "exit polls" may be a valuable red flag, but do not constitute the evidence that would be required by a court of law.
Our organization did not offer to overturn the election. We focused on obtaining records to substantiate the validity of the election. Records will begin appearing online in June. What they will show is that the validity of the election cannot be substantiated. However, this applies equally to both Democrat and Republican parties. As you saw in Florida 2000, when Gore only wanted certain counties recounted and Republicans wanted no recount at all, neither party actually wants anyone to get inside those voting machines and look at the logs (in a voting machine, like the "black box" in an airplane, there are internal audit logs recording events. They have been ruled to be public records. Hah! Good luck on that.)
In general, election officials refused to provide the records until after all recount and contest periods had expired. They stalled, provided nonresponsive items, provided falsified items, omitted items, refused to provide the information, and in some cases, destroyed records.
They could not document any reasonable chain of custody over ballots, voting machines, or remote access security.
For those counties that did provide records, like Snohomish County WA, with 100,000 touch-screen votes and 200,000 absentee ballots,and a state gubernatorial race separated by 129 votes, the the touch-screen logs show so many significant internal errors that at least 14,000 votes cannot be substantiated at all.
In King County WA, the audit log was tampered with during the primary, they refused to provide the correct log for the general election, and elections officials were unable to account for their ballots to the extent that it would be foolish to assume the "hand count" meant anything. In addition to finding new ballots, not once, not twice, not three times, but FOUR TIMES, we obtained internal documents from the ballot printer that shows a whopping 25 percent "spoilage" rate as standard procedure. Question: What happens to all those extra ballots???
Black Box Voting is the organization receiving all donation funds. It is accountable and does nonpartisan watchdog work that is badly needed.
We were under intense pressure after the election to join forces with certain factions of the Democratic Party and when we did not, people started howling. At the same time, many die-hard Democrats were noticing that John Kerry had rolled over too quickly. For our part, we noticed that the people telling us to get the hell out of Florida were Democrats allied with the Kerry campaign.
This is a pendulum, and Black Box Voting will at various times alienate just about everyone. We cannot formally ally with any group and still maintain independence as a consumer protection group for elections.
Therefore, we expect to get slapped around by Republicans, Democrats, manufacturers, lobbyists, and turf-warring voting groups. (Ain't life grand?)
If you doubt the nonpartisan nature of our investigations, hit the Web site (http://www.blackboxvoting.org) and check out the top two stories, which document a Republican Ohio Diebold lobbyist's ties to organized crime convicts, and a Democrat Diebold payola-receiver who is a prominent Hispanic voting rights leader.
We are a watchdog organization. I promise that Free Republic will at some point get as riled up as Democratic Underground. Does anyone really want a watchdog group to cave to political pressure? Didn't think so.
As for me getting rich off it, my annual salary is $60,000, no whistles, secret back doors, or gimmicks. My annual donations to Black Box Voting: $70,000, from a Qui Tam settlement just received, my donation checks to be posted online this month. Of the settlement, around $76,000, I have committed to tithe 10 percent to my church, something I do regularly because it is part of my belief system. The remaining amount I will donate into Black Box Voting, tagged as a restricted donation to be spent only on consumer protection litigation.
I have worked therefore full time for a year for (-$10,000). Any one at DU or anywhere else who wants to put in a matching offer, bring it on.
Cheers, and my best to you all.
Bev Harris
Executive Director
Black Box Voting, Inc.
Now at 50,860+ views. About about as many views as dollars needed for Undie's urgent, life-or-death pancreatic cancer surgery.
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